Last week we had the pleasure of taking part in a conference call announcing and celebrating the winner of “The Next Food Network Star,” Aarti Sequeira, and also with long-time show judge Susie Fogelson. We got to ask two questions to each of them, but full disclosure–this is the full transcript as sent to us by the Food Network’s PR firm. We thought you’d find reading the entire interview(s) to be most interesting. Thanks and enjoy!

Q: How well do you think Aarti’s Indian influence of American dishes will go over with the viewer?

Susie: I think people are really curious about this cuisine you know, I think it’s a really hot time which obviously from a marketing stand point was what one of the things that was appealing about Aarti to me. But I think Aarti has the credibility with this cuisine with these flavor profiles but she’s sorta of Americanized enough to figure out how to bring those flavors to foods. That’s what I heard her just mentioning Indian flavors to American food, and I think that’s the right order of operations potentially for a new audience to try new flavors. So, I am hoping that it goes over really big.

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During this week’s episode of “The Next Food Network Star,” we may have been tipped off about who would be eliminated this week before they were eliminated. But more on that later.

The Final Four made it to New York City, where they would be duking it out for real to see who would have their own show on Food Network. The finalists? Aarti, Aria, Tom and Herb. And this week they would be battling Iron Chef-style. Alton Brown was waiting for them, as well as Iron Chefs Bobby Flay, Cat Cora, Michael Symon and Masaharu Morimoto. They would be competing in groups of two, making three dishes each based on the secret ingredient. When they weren’t competing they would be floor commentators ala Kevin Brasch.

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This week during “The Next Food Network Star,” mentor Giada Di Laurentiis announced that the finalists who made it past this week were going to New York City to finish the competition. So much for having this season in a different city, huh? They must have realized they had way more resources in New York to draw from.

Anyway, this episode began with Giada asking the chefs to make their signature dishes and to present them on camera in a one-minute presentation. Sounds too easy for this point in the competition, doesn’t it? Well it was….Giada showed up 10 minutes in and threw them a curve…they would have to add in their least favorite ingredient, and to present them with that ingredient were their family members. Pretty emotional stuff! Aria’s was anchovies, Tom’s white pepper (really?), Aarti’s was okra, Brad’s was ranch dressing and Herb’s canned peas.

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With the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop to this season’s “The Next Food Network Star,” it’s safe to say that the proverbial tides are turning as we move deeper into the competition. Two contestants have emerged as front runners quicker than you can blink, and a few others are regressing.

Last night’s episode began with “mentor” Giada Di Laurentiis announcing the initial challenge, which was to create a party bite based on a specific holiday or event, and using the three ingredients that were set before each of them in a picnic basket.

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Last night on “The Next Food Network Star,” they had to make up for not being on the air last weekend for July 4, and stretched it to a 90 minute episode. They also billed it as the “midterm” of the show, since we’re just about halfway through this season.

We started out with mentor Giada Di Laurentiis and judge Susie Fogelson on hand to announced the first challenge of the day. This was to take clear jars and create a product to be sold in stores, and one that they would have to demo making a recipe on camera. Is it just me or are the challenges this season extremely demanding and scary? Anyway, the gist of this was to convey their personality in the jar. They would present their product to 100 people at the Grove Promenade. And, for the first time, Giada showed up at their house and mentored each contestant one on one on what they needed to do to step up their own game.

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Last night’s episode of “The Next Food Network Star” featured two unique challenges. The first was a chili pepper challenge, in which the 9 remaining chefs had to stake their claim to a specific type of chili pepper on a table and then create at dish with it to present on camera for 30 seconds. The winner would have their dish featured at all three of Bobby Flay’s restaurants.

Paul made a scallop dish with habanero and coconut sauce; DAS made some sort of sushi with tuna; Aria made a pork tenderloin with chili marinade; Herb a yellow chili spring roll with crab salad; Brianna made chili and chicken kabobs; Serena had Anaheim peppers and made a salad with mango and avocado; Tom made poblano with chorizo; Aarti made a steak with serrano chutney; and Brad made chicken and shrimp with coconut peanut sauce using Thai chiles.

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Nothing like being thrown into the fire. On episode 3 of “The Next Food Network Star” last night, the contestants were again given very difficult challenges that asked them to show their stuff on camera. Being that the show is being filmed in Hollywood this season, it makes sense, but they are really going to make someone earn it this time around.

The episode began with Guy Fieri, who won Season 2 of this show and has seen his career launch into the stratosphere, introduced as guest judge this week, filling in for Bobby Flay. He and mentor Giada Di Laurentiis asked each chef to pick from a box of popcorn in front of them, a movie genre that they would then have to create a dish around and present to an audience.

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I realized last night while watching episode 2 of this season’s “Next Food Network Star” that they are really putting the contestants through the wringer this time. The first two weeks they were thrown into the fire so to speak, having to get in front of a camera and ad lib with almost no time to think about it. That does, however, truly separate those who have it from those who don’t.

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Last night began the new season of “The Next Food Network Star” and they changed things up dramatically this time. Instead of taking place in New York City near the network’s offices and studio, they moved it out to Los Angeles, putting the focus on the “star” portion of the show’s name. Also this season, in addition to regular judges Bobby Flay, Susie Fogelson and Bob Tuschman, the show added Giada Di Laurentiis as a mentor to the twelve contestants. Oh, and the fact that there are twelve instead of ten is also a change.

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Last night was the premiere of “The Next Iron Chef” on Food Network, the second such season that last year produced Cleveland’s Michael Symon and made fringe and now budding stars of Aron Sanchez and Chris Constantino. And just like last year, this season boasts ten very worth chefs. Here is the field:

Jehangir Mehta from New York City
Nate Appleman from San Francisco
Amanada Freitag from New York City (you may know her as an occasional judge on “Chopped”)
Seamus Mullen from New York City
Holly Smith from Seattle
Jose Garces from Philadelphia
Dominique Crenn from San Francisco
Roberto Trevino from San Juan
Eric Greenspan from Los Angeles
Brad Farmerie from New York City

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