iCook

"Yeah, but... come on, the least we could do is talk to the guy!" — Freddie to Sam regarding Ricky.

iCook
Season 3, Episode 2
First Aired	September 19, 2009
Production Code	228
Writer(s)	Dan Schneider
Director(s)	Roger Christiansen
Episode Guide
previous	"iThink They Kissed"
next	"iSpeed Date"

iCook is the second episode of the third season of iCarly and the 52nd episode overall. It initially aired on September 19, 2009 and was watched by an average of 3.766 million viewers.

Plot

Carly and Sam introduce Spencer's spaghetti taco recipe on the web show. Since they introduced their cooking segment as a tribute to a famous TV chef, Ricky Flame, they are excited when he challenges them to compete on his show "Food Fight" to have a jury of food critics judge who makes better spaghetti tacos. The iCarly trio defeats Flame, who falls into a bout of depression because he was handed his first loss in his career.

Since Carly believes his actions are a result of losing to them, she suggests they help him feel better so he can cook again. They are unsuccessful in this, but Ricky then sends them a video, looking happy and telling them to meet him at an athletic club. When they get there, he is wrestling little kids, having figured out that he does not like to cook, but likes to win, and when he is fighting kids, there is no way he can lose. Carly attempts to convince him that he's being a complete jerk, but Ricky responds by pinning her down. In response, Carly sics Sam on him and she effortlessly brings him down, much to the pleasure of the kids, their parents and the referee; she, Carly, and Freddie leave him crying on the floor again.

Subplot

While the gang tries to help Ricky, Spencer does his best to hang out at the Groovy Smoothie as much as possible after he gets electrocuted and has a "vision" of his favorite idol Nug Nug from Galaxy Wars giving him a hug in the Groovy Smoothie. In the end, Nug Nug really does come to the Groovy Smoothie and hugs Spencer.

Guest Stars

• Al Espinosa as Ricky Flame
• BooG!e as T-Bo
• Courtenay Taylor as Judge Marla
• Scott Dreier as Judge Eric
• William Salyers as Judge Phillipe

Trivia

• o"Galaxy Wars", including all related terms later on (Nug-Nug, Skynauts, planet Juveron etc.), first appeared in Dan Schneider's previous show, "Drake & Josh" (The Battle of Panthatar).
• Ricky Flame's girlfriend, 'Debbie', is the same woman who did the announcer voice for 'The Sack' infomercial in the episode iThink They Kissed.
• When Spencer is laying on the couch after being shocked, the computer screen has robots on it. The same picture is displayed on Freddie's computer desktop in the episode iSaved Your Life.
• When they introduce spaghetti tacos, they said you need "taco shells, some spaghetti noodles, our secret sauce, and meatballs." Since no one knows what the "secret sauce" is, it is not possible to make the "real" spaghetti tacos at home.
• According to Dan Schneider's blog, iCarly intentionally misspelled "diphthong".
• The logo on the kids wrestling uniforms is the same as Chuck Javer's from Zoey 101.
• Dan Schneider stated in his Fun Facts for this episode that the editor's first cut ran 6 minutes too long, so several scenes from Spencer's subplot had to be deleted or shortened for time. One deleted scene was where the old lady chases Spencer around the Groovy Smoothie with her umbrella after he yells "You better run!"

Carly and Sam helping Ricky making a salad to cheer him up

Allusions

• Ricky Flame is based on a real life celebrity chef, Bobby Flay.
• An ingredient of the tacos, the "Peruvian Puff Pepper", is also the key element and name of a "Drake & Josh" episode. Coincidentally, Megan and Carly (both played by Miranda Cosgrove) were the first to mention Peruvian Puff Peppers in both shows, and the peppers first appeared in the second episode of the third season in both shows.
• The 'Gary Coleman grill' is another reference to "Drake & Josh".

Character Revelations

• Sam once got intestinal parasites from eating raw meat.
• It is revealed that Sam's favorite food is meatloaf.
• Sam's trick to get her mom out of bed is yelling "Get up you lazy blob! There's a cop at the door and he's got a warrant!" at her.

Goofs

• At the very beginning of the episode, Sam has Douglas, her mom's ex-boyfriend, installing a security system in her locker. Before Sam says "I get it!", the man has tubing around his neck. After the camera cuts back to him, the tubing is gone.
• In the episode iHeart Art, Freddie says that Nug-Nug is from the planet Zorkon; however, in this episode, he's from the planet Juveron.
• When T-Bo tries to kick Spencer out for not buying a smoothie, Spencer said, "In my vision, I was drinking a smoothie," but when Nug-Nug comes to hug Spencer, Spencer was just about to leave. He wasn't drinking a smoothie at the moment.
• How can Sam open her locker if it's electrified? It is possible that she may have a remote that disarms the system.
• During the cook-off both iCarly and Chef Flame are making spaghetti tacos, apparently without using the stove - spaghetti noodles must be boiled in a large pot of water, yet the decorative green cover with bowls on it is in place on the stove, indicating that it has not been used (this is at least the third episode with this same goof).
• The Peruvian Puff Peppers are illegal in America, as stated in Drake & Josh. However, the iCarly trio use it on their tacos and win.
  • Characters in iCarly sometimes watched Drake & Josh as a TV show, so the peppers may only be illegal in the Drake & Josh universe and not the iCarly universe. Alternatively, they could have been legalised by the time this episode occurred.
• After getting shocked, when Spencer is on the ground arcing electricity is seen next to his body. After falling to the ground, the arcing would have stopped.
• After getting hit with a pillow, the pillow bounces to Carly's left. Carly then picks up the pillow off the ground from her right.
• Ricky Flame wouldn't be allowed to wrestle with kids - all wrestling groups segregate participants by physical strength.

Running Gags

• Freddie and Spencer asking Sam: "What is that, a charred knackwurst?".

Series Continuity

• This is the first episode showing the new widescreen monitor on the counter in the Shay apartment.
• Spaghetti tacos were first mentioned in the Season 1 episode iWill Date Freddie. In this episode, they explain how Spencer got the idea for them.
• This is a rare time where T-Bo appears, but doesn't beg one of the customers at the shop to buy something other than a smoothie.

Quotes

[Freddie is proud about naming an iCarly segment, showing himself to the webcast viewers] Freddie: I thought of the name! Sam: Uh-oh, your ear's all wet. [sticks her wet finger into Freddie's ear] Freddie: [angry, but speaking calmly] ... and my hatred grows stronger.

Carly: Okay, for our first real iCarly cooking segment we're gonna make ... Sam: ... Spaghetti Tacos! Carly: A dish invented by my brother Spencer! Sam: ... whose real name is Latisha McPeanuts! Carly: Yeah ... no, it's not.

This quote won an honorable mention for Best Quote at the iCarly Wiki Awards! [From the "a word from our Spencer" segment] Spencer: Dipthong!

[Carly is worried about Sam's 100-volt locker security system] Carly: Couldn't that really hurt someone? Sam: [excited] I hope so!

[Sam tries out the security system by frying a knackwurst with it] Carly: Yep, that could hurt someone. Sam: Or cook them to perfection.

Spencer: [after being shocked by Sam's locker] Just as I blacked out I experienced something incredible! Freddie: What, not dying?

[Spencer telling his 'vision' and about to leave - still in his bathrobe] Carly: What's "Nug-Nug" from Galaxy Wars gonna be doing at the Groovy Smoothie in Seattle? Spencer: [indignant] HUGGING ME!

Freddie: [smiling] I'm Freddie Benson!

Carly: [picking something from their plate of Spaghetti Tacos] What is this? Sam: My band-aid. [judges look disgusted] Carly: She means … her flavor patch! [Sam nods unconvincingly]

Spencer: [after being beaten to the ground by an old lady with an umbrella] Hey! HEY! I hope you get space-jacked by a bunch of red skynauts! Old lady: What? Spencer: It's 'Galaxy Wars' talk. Old lady: [leaves] Nerd ... Spencer: You better run!

Carly: COME ON MARLA!!! Marla: [looks at Carly] Carly: I'm ... so sorry ...

Freddie: You're cooking a steak in your locker? Sam: Well, I'm not gonna eat raw meat after what happened last time. Stupid parasites.

This episode won second place for Most Random Moment at the iCarly Wiki Awards! Carly: He's not doing anything anymore. Sam and Freddie: [in unison] What? Why? [They turn to face each other, and then slap each other]

Sam: It's not our fault Ricky went psycho! Freddie: Yeah, but ... come on, the least we can do is go talk to the guy! Sam: No... the least we could do is nothing.

Carly: You know, there are more important things in life than free meat! Sam: Yeah, not really.

[Inside Ricky's bedroom] Carly: You just need to get outside and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. [opens the curtains to a window, only to find that it is pouring rain and thundering outside] Oh, Seattle.

Carly: Aw, Ricky. Freddie: Your head's in the salad. Carly: That's not good.

Freddie: Hey ... nice PJ's. Carly: Dude! It's Saturday morning, I was sleeping. Freddie: I could tell. Your hair's a MESS! Carly: Oh well, sorry for not getting myself 'all dolled-up' to answer the door!

Ricky: Hoo-chow! No one can extinguish the flame!

Related iCarly.com Blog Posts

• Sam's blog: Jo-Jo the Gigantic Baby

Gallery

	See photos of iCook here.