Bravo TV’s 12th season of Top Chef premiered last Wednesday. This year, a new crop of culinary masters takes their knives to Boston and boy, is the competition stiff. Two chefs have already packed up those knives and left the show–last night their departure was because of a slightly undercooked veal chop.

In better news, we thought we’d reminisce back two seasons when superstar chefs Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Wolfgang Puck roamed the streets of our very own city. (Oddly, it was a season with zero contestants actually representing Seattle. You may remember former Aragona chef de cuisine Carrie Mashaney appeared in season 11.) In the two-part Top Chef season 10 finale, Last Chance Kitchen winner Kristen Kish re-entered the competition and went head to head with Brooke Williamson (with help from all nine previously eliminated contestants) to whip up a five-course meal for the judge and the audience. It was definitely a nail biter, but in the end, we were convinced that the Top Chef trophy was rightfully awarded to the focused and talented Kish.

Before the premiere of the current season, Kish threw a party for friends in her mentor Barbara Lynch’s South Boston loft. Here we share a fave dessert recipe from Kish’s childhood that she featured at her swanky party and a link where you can snag more of her recipes. 

Strawberries, Angel Food Cake, and Milk Anglaise

For the cake

Butter for the pan

Granulated sugar for the pan, plus 1/3 cup

5 egg whites, at room temperature

1½ tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Salt

½ teaspoon lemon or vanilla extract

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon

all-purpose flour

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and sprinkle with granulated sugar. In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until frothy. In a small bowl, mix together ‚ cup granulated sugar and the confectioners’ sugar. As the mixer is running, slowly add the sugars to the whites, and then add the cream of tartar and a pinch of salt. With the mixer on high, beat until stiff peaks form. Beat in the lemon or vanilla extract.

Remove the bowl from the mixer stand. In 2 additions, sprinkle the flour over the beaten whites, folding gently with a stiff spatula to incorporate. Make sure there’s no remaining flour visible. Spread the batter in the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the cake is pale golden and firm-springy to the touch. A cake tester inserted into the cake should come out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack. Before serving, cut as much cake as needed into small (¾- to 1-inch) cubes.

For the milk anglaise

4 egg yolks

½ cup granulated sugar

1 cup whole milk

½ cup half-and-half

½ vanilla bean

In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar until light and thick. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and half-and-half. Use a small sharp knife to cut a slit down the length of the vanilla bean. Run a dull knife or small spoon down the inside of the bean to scrape out the tiny seeds; add both the seeds and the bean to the milk mixture. Set the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat.

Slowly dribble about half of the hot milk mixture into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Proceed slowly so yolks don’t curdle. Once the yolk mixture is hot, slowly pour it into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture while whisking constantly.

Set the saucepan over medium-low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon. Heat for about 5 minutes (the mixture may bubble slightly but don’t let it boil), stirring, until the anglaise is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Pour the anglaise through a fine sieve set over a bowl. Place the bowl in a larger bowl partly filled with ice cubes to stop the cooking. After about 10 minutes, place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the anglaise (to prevent a skin from forming) and refrigerate.

For the meringue

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup water

3 egg whites

Pinch of cream of tartar

Salt

Heat the oven to 220 degrees. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the sugar. Carefully pour the hot simple syrup into a measuring cup; you need ½ cup for the meringue.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, place the egg whites. Beat on medium speed until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and a pinch of salt. Continue beating on medium and slowly add the hot syrup in a steady stream. Once the syrup has been added, increase the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form.

On a large (12-by-17-inch) baking sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, spread the meringue in a thin layer about ¼ to ‚ inch thick. Place in the oven for 3 to 4 hours or until dry. It will crisp up more as it cools. Store in a cool, dry place. Break into 2-inch shards.

To assemble

3 cups strawberries, hulled, and halved if large, or other fresh berries

1 pint strawberry or raspberry sorbet

Tarragon leaves, optional

To serve, spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of anglaise on each of 6 dessert plates or in shallow bowls. Place about 6 berries and 6 pieces of angel food cake on the anglaise. Top with a scoop of sorbet and place a few shards of meringue on top. Sprinkle with tarragon leaves, if desired.