The challenges on Top Chef are hard. We all know that. Unless all the contestants get three hours to make a bowl of cereal with a honey glaze and a 1% milk reduction, I’ve got no idea how they do it. But last night’s was borderline painful. In the Quickfire Challenge they had 15 minutes to make a “delicious entree.” 15 MINUTES! It takes me that long to peel the foil top off a yogurt. And then for the Elimination Challenge they had to cook a healthy meal for a family of four with a budget of 10 dollars (10 dollars!), and they had to use children (i.e., the best chefs and most motivated workers) as helpers. Ooph. It’s all worth it, of course, because when you win the show you get to work in a real restaurant.

Because this was the “family” episode, it was nice to see two of the contestants get in touch with their children.

Poor Mark. I feel like we all struggle to find a larger meaning in our lives, but if you’re the guy on the show playing the didgeridoo while someone else is responsible for another human being’s survival, it’s just that much harder.