Diana Dávila and Katie Button remain in the running for the $1 million prize.
Two chefs representing Mexican/Latin restaurants held on to advance to Week 5 of America’s Culinary Cup, the new cooking competition series hosted by former “Top Chef” host Padma Lakshmi.
Week 4: Let’s Get Saucy, which aired March 25, featured what Lakshmi called a “Tournament of Sauces.” Chef Diana Davila of Chicago’s Mi Tocaya Antojeria and Chef Katie Button of Cúrate Bar de Tapas in Asheville, North Carolina excelled in the three-round challenge that tasked contestants to make a mother sauce, a comfort food sauce, and a new sauce using six assigned ingredients.
Davila was one of three chefs who advanced immediately after the first round, scoring the highest of the three with her Squash Blossom ‘Atolada’ — squash blossoms in a white sauce thickened with corn masa that showcased what she called ”the cornerstones of indigenous cooking.” Button, too, impressed the judges, moving on after the second round with her Gamba En Su Salsa — poached prawns topped with Hollandaise sauce.
Those victories followed impressive performances in the Week 3 Sustainability Challenge on March 18, where the chefs collected produce from a local farm, then transformed those sustainable, locally sourced ingredients into bold, elevated dishes.
Davila advanced with her Mar y Terra (stuffed eggplant with lobster and a salsa ranchera made with chiles, calabaza and all of the vegetables she’d collected), while Button moved forward with her Mejillones en Escabeche (pickled mussels with ratatouille blended into a sauce that included the vegetables she’d gathered).
Davila and Button are among the remaining nine of the original 16 chefs featured on the March 4 premier of America’s Culinary Cup, all competing for the $1 million prize that awaits the winner!
They will compete on Episode 5, airing Wednesday, April 1, at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on CBS, and streaming the next day on Paramount+.
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