Nine Items of Note From Last Night's Iron Chef Super Battle

The first days of 2010 have already given us one blockbuster televised cooking event: Iron Chef America Super Battle. Basic cable subscribers who were able to tune in last night, saw an epic throwdown that spanned both Kitchen Stadium and the White House Lawn, with Mario and Emeril getting deep in the weeds, Cristeta Comerford keeping her cool, and Michelle looking absolutely fabulous in a smashing orange and baby blue combo! Actually, between Michelle's dress, Mario's Crocs, Bobby's hair, and the White House sweet potatoes, the Food Network may have never screened so much of the color orange in all its 14 years. Onto the items of note from last night's show:

1) Last night's guest judges included Nigella Lawson and the awesome WTF combo of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman and Olympic Gold Medalist Natalie Coughlin
2) Early on Alton Brown noted that "our kids will be talking about this battle to their kids."
3)The First Lady's love of sweet potatoes was mentioned no less than six times in two hours, also subliminally reiterated by her sweet potato-colored dress.

4) The secret ingredient, "Of National Importance" was not actually one ingredient, but rather several, as anything from the White House garden was fair game.
5) Mario and Emeril worked well together. Also: they're starting to look alike.
6) Floor reporter/mixologist Kevin Brauch is now sporting a teeny, tiny soul patch.
7)In what must be a first, Chairman Mark Dacascos did not appear live but rather via satellite (no doubt due to his Dancing with the Stars commitment earlier this year).
8) Not surprisingly, Team Bobby Flay and Cristeta Comerford won.
9) But, you could kind of tell the judges liked Team Batali/Lagasse's food better.

For more coverage of last night's show, check out Food Network Humor, and the Wall St. Journal. Also, Sam Sifton has been kind of freaking out about it all day.

[Photo: The Food Network]