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The theme tonight is simple but sublime. Since Mackie is enjoying a homecoming, the chefs will contemplate the same. They are expected to craft a dish “inspired by food you eat at home.” For whatever reason, the challenges that require the judges to recall special family moments always end up being many of the best dishes of the season.

The players excitedly relay their plans for the meal as well as anecdotes from their childhood. Stephanie and Brian’s families were not big on cooking. Stephanie was raised on chicken nuggets and mac and cheese, which may be enough evidence to retroactively call Child Services on her parents. Brian’s dad never cooked but could man a grill while his mother handled the marinade. I have the epiphany that I am both of Brian’s parents combined. Grilling with a marinade represents the outer limits of my cooking ability.

What we learn during the preparation involves the upbringing of the players. Shirley left China 20 years ago yet whenever she returns, a family member of a friend always prepares the same dish for her. Travis was raised by manly men who had strong opinions about gravy. It simply must have lumps, you know. And Carrie’s mother used to slam on the brakes and then send her running out of the car to acquire ingredients. There is something very human in asking people to reminisce about the odd moments from childhood. It is a wonderful segment.

There is also some levity. Shirley doesn’t just slice and dice her ingredients. Her chopping registers on the Richter scale. Stephanie is the unfortunate person sharing Shirley’s work station. She actually has to request that Shirley stop in order to protect her fingers. The way Shirley shakes the table, Stephanie is convinced that she will wind up looking like an unlucky Shop teacher if she tries to use her cutlery at the same time as Shirley. We cannot risk this fate because Stephanie’s fingers could be the source of her comedy genius. We just don’t know and I’m not prepared to take that risk.

Travis continues to discuss biscuits and gravy, thereby making him more interesting to me than he has been at any other time this season. As a native southerner, I love biscuits and gravy the same way that I love SEC football, Elvis Presley and Guns & Ammo. Okay, I’m relatively indifferent to Elvis and would picket against Guns & Ammo but I figured that you had a certain perspective of me as a southerner that I wanted to play up. I *do* love biscuits and gravy, though. I wish I could get that in an IV drip.

Tom Colicchio, a New Jersey native, has the audacity to believe that he knows how to make a delicious biscuit. He is confused when Travis states that he will be using milk and cream. Tom cannot imagine a biscuit not including buttermilk. Travis laughs this off during their conversation before getting ultra-defensive during his later camera conversation.

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