Ep 7. Grandma-tage

In Cutthroat Kitchen season 9 episode 7 titled "Grandma-tage," host Alton Brown welcomes four new contestants to the kitchen ready to compete for the ultimate prize money of $25,000. However, this won't be an ordinary cooking competition. Instead, the contestants will be sabotaging each other's dishes by bidding on various kitchen obstacles throughout the competition.

To add an extra twist to this episode, the theme is all about grandmas. Alton brings in his own grandmother to judge the contestants' dishes, and all the challenges and ingredients are inspired by the classic comfort foods that grandmas make.

The first challenge is a breakfast dish in which the sabotage items available for bid include a limited cooking time, having to cook with one hand tied behind their back, and having to wear giant oven mitts while cooking. While some contestants handle these obstacles with ease, others struggle to cook their dishes correctly within the allotted time frame.

For the second round, the contestants are tasked with cooking a classic meatloaf dish, but with an interesting twist. Each contestant has to use a unique ingredient to replace the bread crumbs in their meatloaf. Sabotage items up for bid include a limited cooking time, mandatory use of a kitchen gadget, and having to use a broken blender instead of a functioning one.

Next up, the contestants must create a classic dessert dish: apple pie. However, they must use an ingredient from the sabotaged pantry, which includes items such as canned chicken and tuna fish. Bidding on this round's sabotage items includes having to cook with an easy bake oven, cooking with a broken food processor, and being forced to use a butter substitute instead of real butter.

In the final round, the two remaining contestants are challenged to create a fancy three-course dinner menu, with the help of the previously eliminated contestants. However, they must bid on sabotage items for their competitors, such as having to cook with a toy kitchen, being forced to use a kitchen gadget they've never seen before, and having to cook on a single burner.

Throughout the competition, the contestants are constantly trying to outdo each other with their bidding strategies and gameplay. Some contestants play dirty, while others rely on their cooking skills to push through the obstacles. In the end, it's up to Alton's grandmother to decide which dish is the winner and who walks away with the grand prize.

"Grandma-tage" is a high-energy episode that combines classic comfort foods with the cutthroat competition of Cutthroat Kitchen. With each bidding round and each sabotaged dish, the tension in the kitchen only increases. It's a must-watch for foodies and fans of reality cooking shows alike.