And the Winner is.....

Juli.

Technically the winner wasn't Juli, it was Jeff Mauro,  but Juli really wanted Jeff to win.  They both should have known that Susie Jimenez didn't stand a chance against Judge and Food Network Senior Vice President of Marketing, Susie Fogelson's, school girl crush on the Sandwich King. 

For the finale Juli and Megan wanted to demonstrate their individual POVs*.

Juli: (in progress)
"My dad made guacamole this way."

Recipe: California Guacamole

(Disclaimer: This is not a picture of Juli's guacamole.  Neither is it a picture of anything mentioned within this post. Rather it is a picture of Juli's Mango Salsa and Avocado Margarita made the day prior.  Technical delinquency has delayed the publishing of more apropos selections.)

California Guacamole:

1 diced tomato
1 diced avocado
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Juice from half a lime
Salt to taste

Combine and enjoy. 

Actual Photograph of the Guacamole

Megan: Be Inspired By That Which Is Inspiring

"I really wanted to use tarragon."  

Recipe: Grilled Fillet and Asparagus with Tarragon Aioli

Fillet: Lightly coat steak in olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Sear steak on directly over coals, four minutes on each side. Move off of direct heat and cook for another ten minutes, flipping only once.  Remove from grill.  Let stand ten minutes before slicing.

*This plating is NOT Gordon Ramsey approved*

Asparagus:  Lightly coat in olive oil.  Place directly over coals for approximately six minutes turning once.

Tarragon Aioli:  In a blender combine: egg yolk, tarragon, salt, lemon juice, and garlic.  Once yolk begins to thicken, slowly drizzle in olive oil. 

White Wine Spritzers: 

1 part intolerable white wine

1 part sparkling water with natural lime flavoring 

2 fresh basil leaves

Splash of Lacy's orange juice that she really didn't like anyway

Freshly squeezed wedge of lime

Serve over ice

Atmosphere: 5/5: Juli's couch is very soft. Her TV is very large. 

Technique: 4/5: An incident with a pepper mill in Megan's kitchen knocked this score down. 

Cooking Tip: Don't get the twisty thing that grinds the pepper confused with the twisty thing that opens the mill.  If you do, you may end up with whole peppercorns covering your steak, asparagus, counter top, stove top, and kitchen floor, along with locations to be unveiled over the coming days. 

Taste: 5/5: Julie's guacamole was diced to perfection. The red wine vinegar added a depth of flavor typically foreign to the subtle fruit.  The steak was grilled to perfection.  Seared on the outside.  The pink center held its richness.  But for the spear that hid in its charring a whole peppercorn (see technique for details.), the asparagus was tender but not soggy, crisp but not crunchy.  The heavy texture of the aioli was pleasantly  balanced by the acidity of the lemon juice and freshness of the tarragon.  We both went back for seconds.

Value: 5/5: The great thing about cooking at home is that the purchase of the groceries is far enough removed from the completion of the meal that the price of the food isn't considered or even calculated.  In fact, it feels free. 

Overall Experience: 4.5/5: Juli's experience was slightly better than Megan's as Megan was rooting for Susie Jimenez to be The Next Food Network Star.  In the end, however, Juli and Megan both agreed that it was unlikely that either of them would watch either show.  They have Jamie Oliver.  There is little room in life for Jaime Oliver and another chef.

*POV: Point of View