This week the competition on Top Chef got even more intense as the  contestants faced one of their most difficult challenges yet. Not only did the chefs have to cook, but they had to come up with a concept and start a restaurant from scratch. The needed a name, decor, tableware and, most importantly, time, which they didn't have. As an unusual twist in this episode, the incentive of immunity was eliminated from the quickfire challenge and instead, a prize was offered to the winner. There was no guest judge, either. Chef Tom Colicchio stepped up to offer the challenge and the prize.

Tom is opening a branch of his restaurant, 'wichcraft, the fast food variation of his craft restaurant, in San Francisco and asked the chefs to prepare the perfect sandwich, a food that 'wichcraft specializes in. The winner would get his or her sandwich on the menu when the West Coast 'wichcraft opened. Fast, portable and delicious would win in the sandwich competition. All the chefs did well, but Miguel's Falafel sandwich was the flavor winner. Unfortunately, Miguel made his a "deconstructed" sandwich, which meant that it had to be eaten with a knife and fork. A sandwich without bread is not a sandwich, and instead of Miguel, Tom gave top billing to Harold's sandwich of mortadella with grapes, roasted peppers and sunchoke mayonnaise on sourdough. The recipes for Stephen and Dave's sandwiches, both of which looked delicious, are on the Bravo site.

Want to experience the glory of running a four star kitchen - without wasting all that time at culinary school and all those hours on the line? Chris Connolly did just that, signing up for the "Expedite Tonight" package at the Rancho Bernardo Inn. For $698, Chris was able to button into a white chefs jacket and call out the orders to the cooks behind the scenes at the El Bizcocho restaurant, dine with the staff afterward at the staff meal and, the next night, eat in the main dining room of the restaurant he just "worked" in.

Unlike the semi-controlled chaos, ruined dishes and expletives that many would expect to see in a professional kitchen, Chris was impressed with the smooth flow and seemingly relaxed pace of the evening. The skill of the cooks, combined with their practiced familiarity with tasks like searing foie gras, made the evening very controlled. The cooks joked around and admired each others' handiwork, while plating tasting menus and generally cooking everything to perfection.

Was Chris ready to toss in his pen and pick up an apron? No, but after an evening of watching, sampling and spoon stealing, which the article has a full account of, Chris has a greater appreciation of the workings of a real kitchen - and knows that it is more difficult and more interesting than previously imagined.

MSNBC has officially uncovered the secrets that make Iron Chef America work - and unlike the Amateur Gourmet, they don't seem to have been required to sign a nondisclosure agreement. The "secret" ingredient is chosen from a list of five possible ingredients that are given to the chefs prior to the filming of the show. While they don't generally know the actual one that will be used, the time they are given to plan certainly does not make it a surprise. To get the effect of a surprise, some scenes - including the reveal of the ingredient - are subject to multiple takes. The actually cooking time is still strictly held to 60 minutes, even though some ingredients may be simmering or nearly ready to use when the clock starts.