'Top Chef' recap: Me Want Cookie!

There was a listlessness at Top Chef HQ last night as the chefs surveyed their dwindling ranks. The latest to go, Fabio, was also a dark-horse loser. Questions hung in the air. Why didn't Fabio run his burger past Blais, who owns a burger restaurant? Why didn't Blais offer to help Fabio, since he owns a burger restaurant? At said burger restaurant, is there space for an industrial vat of liquid nitrogen?

But the best question came after the chefs entered the kitchen. Why was Padma talking like that? Answer: Muppets. Padma was intro-ing the Quickfire judges, who happened to be Muppets. She said a rhyme. It was halting and sort of beautiful to hear, like when a toddler reads aloud for the first time. After she successfully finished, Muppets popped out. They can't actually eat food, but they're lots of fun. Three Sesame Street VIPs made up the panel: Elmo, Cookie Monster, and a pink one with Carla hair. They had a simple request: Cooookiiiiiiiieeeeesssssss.

The chefs with kids back home felt that special pressure that comes from wanting your kids to think you're cool. “In my house, Elmo's like Elvis,” Blais said. “If I screw it up, it's going to be just devastating.” To the liquid-nitrogen chamber! Padma strenuously pretended to talk to the Muppets. “So, do you guys like to...” she could be heard saying loudly to Elmo. Her question seemed suspiciously to end right there.

The crazy music turned on and the chefs started cookie-making. Richard disappeared behind a cloud of zucchini ice cream smoke. Antonia, Tiffany, and Carla went old-school, with chocolate-white-chocolate chip, shortbread with lemon zest, and chocolate chip, respectively. Dale channeled Happy Dale circa French Toast on Veal, mashing potato chips into his cookie batter.

The tasting began. There was something sweet about Padma's interaction with the Muppets now that they'd been around each other for a while. She seemed unable to distinguish them from humans. After the Carla-looking Muppet purposely mixed up cinnamon and cardamom, she dutifully corrected him. “But they do come from the same part of the world!” she said reassuringly, like he was upset about the mistake. “TMI,” Elmo countered. Too much information, Padma. Not enough freewheeling Muppethood. They're all about letters of the alphabet, and this was a letter C joke, plain and simple. But she didn't get the hint. At the next station, she offered a skin-care tip.

NEXT: Target Acquired