A two-hour edition of “The Taste” marks the end of Season 3 and a need to go elsewhere to feed our appetite for Anthony Bourdain. The winner gets a free pass to the Old Country Buffet and a bottle of antacids.

The contestants take part in a hot‑and‑spicy challenge that includes ingredients like Szechuan pepper; two cooks are eliminated, identifying which contestants will compete in the season finale.

A Latin-flavored show has contestants creating ceviche, tacos and more. Javier Plascencia is the guest mentor.

Javier Plascencia is a Mexican chef from Tijuana and owner of multiple restaurants in that city. In 2011, he stated that the mission of restaurant Misión 19 is to revitalize the food scene in Tijuana, and the city itself. He calls his cooking style Baja Mediterranean or Baja Med, combining Mexican and Italian styles with local Baja California ingredients. Examples of this style include duck skewered with licorice and sprinkled with guava dust; risotto topped with salt-cured nopalitos (prickly pear cactus) and charred octopus; and slow-cooked short ribs bathed in a mission fig syrup on top of a black mole sauce.

A New Year's-theme show has contestants preparing meals featuring champagne, shellfish and caviar. Guest Cast: Michael Symon

Has anyone seen The Taste UK? I know Nigella, Ludo and Bourdain are hosts/mentors on that one too. In light of how season 3 if going, is it better representation of Nigella's ability as a mentor?

The 13 remaining cooks compete in a holiday-theme challenge that features dishes based on fowl and spiced chocolate desserts. Naomi Pomeroy is the guest judge

Contestants prepare dishes from the sea, including steamed fish, seafood stew and shellfish in miso broth. Eric Ripert is the guest judge.

Nigella is so much weaker than the other three mentors that it's laughable. The contestants know this... not a single one picked Nigella over another mentor. Once again, she has by far the weakest team and I wouldn't be surprised if they're all out by Top 8 like last season.

I really doubt they would replace Nigella unless if she wanted to leave, since she has a huge following and is incredibly attractive. Not to mention that they would have to replace her with another woman, and Cat Cora is the only female chef that comes to mind that's on the same echelon as Anthony, Marcus, and Ludo and has TV experience. (For the love of god DO NOT say Giada, Padma, or Rachel Ray should be mentors)

I actually feel bad for Nigella since she was never qualified to be a mentor alongside actual legendary chefs, and it seems like the contestants know this and don't treat her with the level of respect that they do with Anthony, Marcus, and Ludo

I missed the show. Any torrents or streaming of The Taste? I couldn't find any

In the Season 3 premiere, contestants are in the pressure cooker of auditions, for which 16 spots will be filled.