Can Odd Ingredients Stump the Chef?

Ever think you would want to eat yak?  Or have wasabi ice cream?  Matt Weaver, a chef from Austin, Texas, could probably convince you to eat anything on his On Networks show, Stump the Chef.

In each seven-minute installment, three odd ingredients are chosen – like Liver, Olives and French Fries or Beets, Oysters and Canned Peaches – and Weaver has to concoct a new dish.  I’m no gastronome and Escoffier certainly isn’t a recognized name in my household, but it’s still easy to tell that Weaver has skills.  He makes the unlikely food combinations look easily edible.

Three judges – different in each episode, ranging from finger food fans to bona fide food critics – decide whether Weaver has been “stumped” or passes the challenge.  Given the chef’s genuine enthusiasm in the kitchen and his endearing demeanor, you’re always hoping for the best.