Howdy, Mary here, carrying out the main recapping duties for the Christmas-in-July episode of "Top Chef." I don't actually know what month this was filmed in, but I know it wasn't December -- one more awkward set of holiday wishes, after the Thanksgiving episode, that I cringe my way through.

I always enjoy the tidbits as the show opens, and we begin with Ariane again, who says her focus is on the food she knows. She still has that air of incredulosity about her, tied to her recent wins, and she says, "I've learned just to do my food and keep it simple. Simple is good." Simple will become this episode's theme.

We also see Eugene looking determined to stick around, and he says, "I was brought here for my particular style of Pacific Rim cooking," and I'm going to stick to it. How about thinking outside the sushi, Eugene?

I was happy to hear Eugene describe his cooking because all I've seen is sushi. Oh, and that awesome roast in the Thanksgiving episode.

We also catch a little bit of Hosea on the phone (Sidekick product placement alert! He looks like he has no idea how to end the call.) with his sister, discussing his dad, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. This seemed a little like Alex a few episodes back, in his I-have-a-life-and-I-want-to-go-home sort of way.

And Stefan and Fabio are in the confessional (what are we calling the camera room?) talking about how their plan is to first beat everyone else, then beat each other. With sticks, I think Fabio says. He cracked me up this episode.

I agree. I've really come to love Fabio as his personality has come out during the show. But, it seems his food has suffered in the meantime.

Quickfire Challenge

We knew from last week's teaser that the guest would be Martha Stewart, and she comes bearing her new book, Cooking With Martha Stewart Something or Other Martha Stewart's Cooking School. Do judges ever come on anymore who don't have a recent book out? And/or bring a better prize? Autograph schmatograph. I know Maryann has some thoughts on this. (By the way, Carla's face is priceless when Stewart walks in.)

I've been saying stuff here and there, but I'm about to combust. Chefs don't want a cookbook! They want cool food experiences! Cover up the product placements a little bit better, Top Chef producers.

The challenge is to create a one-pot holiday meal in 45 minutes, and Martha admonishes them to "make it simple but not too simple" a la Albert Einstein. About half the chefs start cooking one thing after another in the pot, and the rest make a true one-pot dish -- everything at once. Hosea goes for paella, which I thought was the most inspired choice. It may not scream "Christmas," but at least it's delicious and all cooked in one pot.

I agree. The people who cooked one thing, then another totally cheated. Those meals were one-pot-plus-a-plate-or-Tupperware meals.

Jamie makes a potato stew with scallops, and Martha says something about going diving for scallops off the coast of Maine in January. What? That can't be true. Ariane does a cauliflower puree with steak, and Martha is blown away that it doesn't include butter -- olive oil and cream, Ariane says. Isn't that just as bad for you?

Fabio does a polenta with duck breast and goes off on a tangent about how he had to stir a lot of polenta when he was 6 to keep him out of trouble. (I love the part where Fabio offers Stefan a taste his polenta, on his spoon, and Stefan puts it on his finger to taste it. Cute!) Eugene goes for a pork stew that his grandma used to make and has to add cornstarch to thicken in because of the time -- Martha, of course, notices right away.