The Great American Recipe on PBS announced their Season 2 winner on the show tonight. Host Alejandra Ramos and Judges Leah Cohen, Tiffany Derry, and Graham Elliot were on hand to guide the chefs and decide who would win the coveted prize. The season 2 winner will have their recipe on the cover of the Great American Recipe cookbook.
Narrowing the season down to three home finalists, the judges selected Leanna Pierre, Brad Mahlof, and Salmah Hack.
In the finale episode, the chefs had three hours to prepare a full meal. Here is what they chose.
Leanna – Entree: Oxtail with Rice and Pigeon Peas, Side: Fried Plantains, Dessert: Sweet Bread and Sorrel Drink
Salmah – Entree: Pepperpot, Side: Plait Bread, Dessert: Cassava Pone
Brad – Entree: Mafrum with Couscous, Side: Israeli Salads, Dessert: Fig Upside-Down Cake
They each had the help of their loved ones, with Brad getting assistance from his mother, Salmah’s husband helping while Leanna had her best friend for help. In the end, Brad was the winner.
Caption: Brad Mahlof named winner of The Great American Recipe Season 2
In a conversation during the after-show, following the final episode, the three finalists had dinner, consisting of a recreation of their meals cooked by a professional chef.
In the aftershow, each finalist reflected on their biggest takeaway from the competition. Even though they were all from different parts of the country, the three realized how much they had in common.
“We were constantly making that connection … because food is one of these things that connect us, across time, across culture,” Leanna said during the dinner. “Food is that great equalizer and even though we are all different, a lot of what we are doing was the same.”
Said Brad of his win, “I’m a pretty closed-off person in a lot of ways so I think coming on to a reality TV show and expressing myself through my story but also through food and was definitely putting myself out there in a very vulnerable way that I’m was not used to at all. That was an important milestone … growth process for myself… for my story that I’m telling, My family’s originally from Libya and there are no Jews left in Libya so the only real way we have to share our culture and hopefully pass it down and our stories is through food.”
Brad was honored to have the platform of the reality show to showcase his culture and share the story of his food and his family.
To order the Great American Recipe Cookbook and for more information, visit: The Great American Recipe
