Ep 12. Gastro-nauts

In Top Chef season 7 episode 12, the remaining contestants face an out-of-this-world challenge as they become "Gastro-nauts" and cook a meal for astronauts orbiting the Earth on the International Space Station. The episode starts with host Padma Lakshmi and astronaut Buzz Aldrin greeting the chefs in a simulated space environment, complete with a zero-gravity chamber and a space capsule.

The Quickfire Challenge requires the chefs to demonstrate their skills in adapting to unfamiliar ingredients and environments. To do this, they must use freeze-dried food to create a tasty dish in the zero-gravity chamber. Freeze-dried ingredients are used in space since they take up less weight and volume. Some chefs excelled in this task, while others struggled with the texture of the freeze-dried food.

For the Elimination Challenge, the contestants must create a dish that can be freeze-dried and sent to the International Space Station, and then rehydrated and eaten by the astronauts. The chefs have access to a variety of fresh ingredients but are tasked with creating something with a long shelf life that can be modified to suit the needs of the astronauts. The dishes must also be able to survive the harsh conditions of space travel, including being packed in airtight containers and dealing with temperature changes.

No one is immune to the pressure, and some of the chefs faced challenges in creating dishes suitable for space travel. Some dishes failed to pass the taste test while others had to be reworked to ensure they were suitable for the unique conditions on the space station. It is a race against time as the chefs have just 90 minutes to create their dishes.

Emeril Lagasse serves as the guest judge, along with Buzz Aldrin, who offers a unique perspective on the challenges and needs of astronauts when it comes to food in space. The judges also take a look at how each dish has been freeze-dried and then rehydrated to determine its quality.

The chefs, as always, offer a range of different dishes, from seafood to pasta to dessert, each with different flavor profiles and approaches to space cooking. The judges take note of each dish's texture, taste, and quality repetition before making their decision about who is next to leave the show.

In the end, only three chefs made it to the finals, with one contestant ultimately taking home the top prize. Throughout the episode, the chefs' ingenuity and adaptability are tested as they face an unfamiliar environment and unique culinary challenges. From using freeze-dried ingredients to creating dishes suitable for space travel, each chef rises to the occasion with skill and creativity. The episode closes with a sense of awe for what is possible in the world of cooking, even in the most extreme of conditions.