The first week is always the most difficult to write about because I'm just trying to remember names and put them with faces. I long for the competition to get smaller and to really get to know the contestants. What was obvious this season is how eclectic and diverse this cast is. And where better to showcase this ensemble than in the melting pot of the world, New York City. Eugene is from Hawaii, Radhika from India, Stefan from Germany by way of Finland and of course Fabio from Italy. Oh yeah, and let's not forget Daniel from Long Island or, as I like to call it, Strong Island.

On to the first Quickfire. This was particularly daunting because the loser was going home. As if it wasn't bad enough being sent home the first week, now they shake it up and send you home within the first ten minutes. Ouch. The apple challenge was one of those mundane tasks that you just know is brutal when under pressure. I don't think I'd be last, but I definitely would be struggling to peel 15 apples with no peeler. Furthermore, how embarrassing to lose on peeling apples.

Stefan, the peeling machine nails this one and gains immunity. We like him. He has a self-assured potential arrogance but he doesn't come close to some of the past seasons' egos. The second part of this challenge is the brunoise challenge. Now I'm sweating. I'm a chef, but my knife skills certainly aren't perfect. This was a nail-biter and I was panicking that someone would cut themselves during this speedy process. The bloody apples in the peeling challenge were enough. Our boy from Strong Island nailed this one by racing through the apples like a machine.

For the third part of this challenge, Leah, Radhika, Lauren and Patrick needed to create dishes to secure their spots. Lauren's was a cool apple salad with spinach, bacon and orange Supremes in a balsamic vinaigrette. Patrick showed up with what I thought was a boring and uninspired apple slaw. Yawn. Leah's seared scallops with an apple slaw was creative and interesting. It was something I would never think of, yet it sounded delicious.