‘Rachael vs. Guy’ recap: Daddy Dean McDermott is really a wizard

A bouncy house, water guns, balloon animals and screaming kids took over Sunday night’s episode of “Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off,� when the remaining five contestants were challenged with cooking and entertaining at two birthday parties for kids. Rico Rodriguez, that weird in a good way, kind of overweight, too smart for his age kid actor from “Modern Family,� acted as guest judge.

The kid-friendly menu from Rachael Ray’s team consisted of Hines Ward’s quesadillas and cupcakes, Kathy Najimy’s hummus, guacamole, grilled pita and crispy treats (Really Najimy, hummus again?), and Carnie Wilson’s sloppy Joes and raspberry bars. Najimy had two hours and she barely finished her dishes. Come on lady! And Ward, donning a purple cape and feather boa, asked the kids to paint his nails so he could feel like one of the girls. Now that’s really taking one for the team.

On Guy Fieri’s team, Johnny Weir made chicken fingers and a cupcake bar, and Dean McDermott did a pizza bar and turned into a wizard with his “dragon breath� crispy treats. Weir, who had never baked before in his life, needed McDermott’s help with everything (yet again), but Daddy “D� managed to get his dishes done and wow the kids with a wizard performance and liquid nitrogen “dragon breath� treats. At this point, he’s my pick to win the entire thing.

The judgment ended in a tie, and Wilson and Weir, the two chefs with the worst dishes on each team were sent to the blind tasting. They each had 10 minutes to make a hot dog. Easy right? Wilson went into cray mode and looked like her eyes were going to pop out of her head and hit the camera at any moment, and Weir decided to get creative and not even use a hot dog!

I was actually nervous during the deliberation. Wilson is too much of an entertaining hot mess to go home, but if Weir left, Daddy “D� would be on his own and I’m actually turning into McDermott’s No. 1 fan. Oh the drama!

In the end, Wilson’s bacon-and-cheese hot dog beat Weir’s sausage sandwich and Ray and Fieri sent Weir packing. He did a runway walk and proudly sashayed off camera.

Best moments:

Weir struggling to interact with the kids: “I’m trying to have a professional Barbara Walters moment with this kid.�

McDermott sweating profusely, wearing a bandanna, treating the competition as if it were a life-or-death situation: “Not just for charity, it’s for my credibility as a chef. I’m trying to launch my culinary career.� McDermott actually has his own blog called The Gourmet Dad.

And what would a recap be without a gem from budding wordsmith Ward: “I usually make the most basic, most easiest things, and kids like the most basic things.�

ALSO:

‘Top Chef’ recap: Ding dong, Josie’s gone!

‘The Taste’ recap: Could go back for a second bite

‘Rachael vs. Guy’ recap: Daddy ‘D’ Dean McDermott strikes again

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