Naomi Pomeroy vs Jose Garces in Iron Chef: Battle Truffle

"Those white truffles are better than 97% of the sex you will have during your lifetime," said host Alton Brown during Battle Truffle on Iron Chef America. Presumably Mr. Brown's sex life is rather unfulfilling for he prefers a fungal fruiting body that develops underground! Last night, Naomi Pomeroy (of the Portland, Oregon restaurant Beast) challenged Iron Chef Jose Garces in kitchen stadium using white truffles, canned Perigord black truffles, and truffle oils.

Pomeroy tried to bring her philosophy of "seasonal, fresh ingredients at their peak" (by making a wagyu beef Wellington with shaved white truffles beneath the puff pastry?). Meanwhile, Garces wanted to bring the judges "a vast array of truffle magic," employing his Latin American style on the secret ingredient.

Both Pomeroy and Garces took mainly untraditional approaches and exercised much too subtle hands with the truffles. The judges — Spanish chef José Andrés, restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow, and restaurant consultant Karine Bakhoum (the mother who allowed her children to be profiled in the New York Post as "koodies") — were left underwhelmed, wanting for more punchy truffle flavor in almost every single dish. And while Pomerory won in the Taste category, Garces pulled out the win by besting her in Plating and Originality for a total score of 40 to Pomeroy's 37.

Video: Battle Truffles: Pomeroy's Dishes

Video: Battle Truffles: Garces' Dishes

Video: Battle Truffles: The Decision

· All Naomi Pomeroy Coverage on Eater [-E-]
· All Jose Garces Coverage on Eater [-E-]
· All Iron Chef America Coverage on Eater [-E-]