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Chef Marcus Samuelsson says that probably the most common mistake he's seen in his two seasons as a mentor and judge of ABC's Thursday cooking competition series "The Taste" is when contestants overcomplicate things. "You want to trust ingredients and you want to trust your own cooking skills because you're there for a reason," explains Samuelsson, a 44-year-old Swedish native of Ethiopian ancestry. "You sent your dish cross country to get there. You know, you've got to be a really good cook just to get into those final 30. So trust that. That's what got you there in the beginning. ... "Once the competition starts, you don't know what the challenges are going to be, so there's no point for you to practice for that. That first day, when you're trying to get in the competition, you can practice for that, so do that dish and execute on that dish. Answer that question, 'What's so unique about my dish?' " Samuelsson, who just finished shooting Season 3 (which premiered last week), says there are lots of twists and turns this year but is reluctant to elaborate lest he give away spoilers. "All I can say," he says, "is the mentors are sweating more ... which is always a good thing. We are definitely sweating more, which I don't mind. I've been sweating in a kitchen all my life. I'm good at that. "I loved (Season 2, Samuelsson's first season) but I was a little frustrated all the time because I clearly didn't know all the rules and the other mentors all knew that and they had more experience. But it was just frustrating, like 'Oh, that's how this works.' But it was fun. And it's like playing food poker with (fellow mentors) Tony (Bourdain) and Ludo (Lefebvre). Nigella (Lawson) is so polite, so she tells you what to do. Tony and Ludo are like, 'Figure it out for yourself, man.' " Samuelsson plays 'food poker' on ABC's 'The Taste' What book are you currently reading? "I'm reading the memoir of (New York Times columnist Charles Blow) ... that is fantastic. It's an amazing memoir. It talks about him coming from the South to the point of here where he is today. An amazing journey." What did you have for dinner last night? "I had Ethiopian food, a wonderful Ethiopian tibs, like a stir fry. A very delicious dish." What is your next project? "I feel like I'm completely in 'Off Duty,' the book ... . So I'm cooking from that book and I'm in that book. Between that and 'The Taste' and Red Rooster (his restaurant), that's my next project. My head is just spinning in so many fantastic ways." When was the last vacation you took, where and why? "My wife and I went fishing in my hometown where I grew up this summer. It was a really nice day. We had Swedish weather but it didn't matter. We went fishing for crayfish. It was so much fun." BY GEORGE DICKIE BEST SCREEN SANTAS Edmund Gwenn, "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947) Arguably the ultimate screen Santa – who has a tough time proving he's the real deal – Gwenn won an Oscar for his performance in this perennial holiday favorite. Stan Francis (voice), "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (1964, TV) It wouldn't be the season without the sound of this Santa who asks outcast Rudolph to guide his sleigh ... and will do so again when the beloved special has its 50th-anniversary airing Tuesday, Dec. 9, on CBS. John Call, "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" (1964) Even when spirited away by aliens – with a young Pia Zadora among them – Santa keeps an upbeat demeanor in this cult classic. Alberto Rabagliati, "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't" (1966) While Santa's meaning to youngsters is the same in any language, English remained the predominant language as director and star Rossano Brazzi made this fantasy in Italy. Jeff Gillen, "A Christmas Story" (1983) He's on the screen only briefly, but this department-store Santa sticks in many memories for the way he sends an overanxious Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) sliding down backward out of his presence. David Huddleston, "Santa Claus" (1985) Also casting Dudley Moore as an elf, this fantasy wasn't a success at the box office, but veteran character actor Huddleston was ideal casting as Father Christmas. Ken Hudson Campbell, "Home Alone" (1990) Given what he goes through when his vacationing family accidentally leaves him behind with thieves, resourceful young Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) deserves a session with Santa. Tim Allen, "The Santa Clause" (1994) Morphing into the new Santa proves complicated for a divorced dad whose belief in Kris Kringle has a payoff he never expected. Richard Attenborough, "Miracle on 34th Street" (1994) The aforementioned Gwenn is a very hard act to follow in the role of the man who claims to be Santa, but skilled actor-director Attenborough puts his own effective spin on the part. Tom Hanks, "The Polar Express" (2004) Motion-capture animation enabled Hanks to play multiple roles, including Santa, in this captivating adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg's book. BY JAY BOBBIN Edmund Gwenn Tim Allen Tom Hanks 8 The Goshen News • TV Spotlight • December 8 - 14, 2014

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