SAM ERICKSON

Dueling Dishes: Behind the Scenes

Not too long ago, the SAVEUR test kitchen was taken over by a full video crew for the shooting of our newest video show Dueling Dishes, the kind of culinary cooking show that we've always wanted to watch. In each episode, two seriously talented professional cooks face off with the same instructions: make the same dish, and make it really good. In this gallery, host (and SAVEUR senior editor) Gabriella Gershenson takes us behind the scenes.

In the first episode of of our newest video show Dueling Dishes, Eli Sussman of Mile End Delicatessen in Brooklyn, New York, and chef Craig Koketsu of Park Avenue Winter in Manhattan grate potatoes for the latke challenge. Watch Episode 1 of Dueling Dishes »

Sussman sprinkled chopped chives over a plated latke, which is topped with a sour cream and smoked salmon sauce. Watch Episode 1 of Dueling Dishes »

Koketsu's latkes, twice-fried in a combination of duck and chicken fat, gets some extra help from Parmesan cheese and homemade Tabasco mayonnaise. Watch Episode 1 of Dueling Dishes »

In episode two, pastry chefs Emma Bengtsson of Aquavit in New York City and Marc Aumont of The Modern, also in New York, frost their buche de Noel. Watch Episode 2 of Dueling Dishes »

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Chefs Bengtsson and Aumont with their finished creations. Watch Episode 2 of Dueling Dishes »

Chef Bengtsson's buche de Noel takes inspiration from Swedish princess cake, with its components of whipped cream, pastry cream, marzipan, sponge cake, and lingonberry jam. Watch Episode 2 of Dueling Dishes »

In the third episode of Dueling Dishes, chef Katy Sparks of Tavern on the Green and chef Ratha Chaupoly of Num Pang make their best mac and cheese dishes. Watch Episode 3 of Dueling Dishes »

Chef Sparks (on left) makes a five-cheese macaroni dish topped with cauliflower and pumpkin seeds, while chef Chaupoly (on right) creates an eggplant and portobello mac and cheese. Watch Episode 3 of Dueling Dishes »

Chef Chaupoly prepares his mac and cheese with double-crusted eggplant and portobello mushrooms. Watch Episode 3 of Dueling Dishes »

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In a future episode of Dueling Dishes, Chef Matthew Hamilton of Lulu & Po in Brooklyn, New York, puts his chicken to fry.

The secret to chef Tadashi Ono's crisp Japanese style fried chicken is the potato starch that he dredges the meat in.

The plated fried chicken from Tadashi Ono includes a butter lettuce wrap, which adds an extra layer of freshness and crunch.

From left, meatloaf challenge judges Cesare Casella, Dean of Italian Studies at the International Culinary Center, host Gabriella Gershenson, and Iron Chef veteran and chef-owner of Brooklyn's Talde, Dale Talde.

In the meatloaf challenge, Chef Daniel Holzman of New York City's Meatball Shop about to carve his turkey loaf, while chef Joey Campanero of The Little Owl, also in Manhattan, puts the finishing touches on his meatloaf crown roast.

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Chef Daniel Holzman's turkey loaf with homemade cranberry sauce.

Chef Joey Campanero's exquisite crown roast meatloaf.

Pastry chef Nancy Olsen of Gramercy Tavern plates her lemon icebox pie with chocolate-hazelnut crust, while her competitor, Kieran Baldwin of The Dutch, looks on.

Pastry chef Kieran Baldwin of The Dutch plates her maple semifreddo pie.

From left, Alex Stupak, chef-owner of Empellon Cucina in New York City and former pastry chef at Alinea in Chicago, host Gabriella Gershenson, and First Prize Pies owner Allison Kave, talk dessert.

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