Category: The Next Food Network Star (Page 7 of 10)

The Next Food Network Star: Into the fire to start Season 5

June 8, 2009 /

Nothing like being thrown into the fire, huh? Last night, Season 5 of “The Next Food Network Star” kicked off with the ten finalists meeting in their cramped living quarters, and then being basically being thrown into a cage with wild animals…..well, you know what I mean. They had to cater a party for the network’s “sweet 16” party, where celebrities and Food Network stars would be eating their creations and critiquing them. Yikes.

The ten (Brett August (Washington Heights, N.Y.), Katie Cavuto (Philadelphia, Pa.), Melissa d’Arabian (Keller, Texas), Teddy Folkman (Alexandria, Va.), Eddie Gilbert (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), Jen Isham (Orlando, Fla.), Debbie Lee (West Hollywood, Calif.), Jamika Pessoa (Atlanta, Ga.), Michael Proietti (New York, N.Y.) and Jeffrey Saad (Los Angeles, Calif.). were broken up into two teams of five, with Bobby Flay picking those teams. Bretty, Teddy, Jamika, Melissa, and Jen made up one team and Michael, Debbie, Katie, Jeffrey and Eddie the other. Each team had $1200 to shop for their ingredients and five hours to prepare their dishes. The event would be held at Alex Guarnaschelli’s Butter restaurant.

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External TV, Reality TV, The Next Food Network Star, TV

The Next Food Network Star new season debuts Sunday June 7

June 2, 2009 /

Yes, it’s really been a year since Aaron McCargo, Jr. won Season 4 of “The Next Food Network Star,” one of the network’s most popular and talked about shows. Since then, McCargo has his own show, and Season 2 champ Guy Fieri is about as ubiquitous on TV as Peyton Manning or Oprah. So, you see, The Food Network takes this show very seriously, and well they should. Not only is it vital for them to keep finding new talent, but we are able to enjoy the process as ten finalists battle it out with tough challenges and nerve wracking on-camera experiences.

Season 5, which kicks off this Sunday June 7 at 9:00 pm ET/PT and 8:00 pm CST, features finalists Brett August (Washington Heights, N.Y.), Katie Cavuto (Philadelphia, Pa.), Melissa d’Arabian (Keller, Texas), Teddy Folkman (Alexandria, Va.), Eddie Gilbert (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), Jen Isham (Orlando, Fla.), Debbie Lee (West Hollywood, Calif.), Jamika Pessoa (Atlanta, Ga.), Michael Proietti (New York, N.Y.) and Jeffrey Saad (Los Angeles, Calif.).

The challenges promise to be even tougher this time around according to a press release, and we had the chance to ask judge and long-time network personality, restauranteur and Iron Chef Bobby Flay how he felt about the challenges.

“I do think sometimes the challenges are hard, but that’s what this is about,” he said. “If everyone was perfect in every challenge, there would be nothing to watch. You want to see how they do under pressure and how they handle it.”

In addition, since Flay is the lone chef on the judging panel along with Food Network execs Bob Tuschman (Senior Vice President, Programming and Production) and Susie Fogelson (Vice President, Marketing and Brand Strategy); he admits that he is looking more for that special culinary talent first and foremost, while the other two may have different priorities.

“Since I’m the chef on the panel, I’m always protecting the food,” he said. “It’s three things–they need to be able to cook with authority, they need to be able to be a good teacher and inspire, and then if they have those two things they need to be entertaining. All three of those things are the recipe for success.”

In addition to Flay, there are several network personalities that will help with the challenges and with guidance to the ten finalists. Those include Rachael Ray, Giada De Laurentiis, Alton Brown, Guy Fieri, Ina Garten, Emeril Lagasse, Gina and Pat Neely, Masaharu Morimoto, Ted Allen, Tyler Florence, Michael Symon McCargo, Jr.

We’ll be blogging the entire season right here starting this Monday, so tune in and then read us right here and let us know what you think!

External TV, Reality TV, The Next Food Network Star, TV

Adam Gertler from Food Network talks about his new show, cheesesteak, and Philly sports

February 4, 2009 /

Adam Gertler was one of two runners-up in Season 4 of The Food Network’s “Next Food Network Star,” the same show that launched the white hot career of Guy Fieri. But six or so months later, Gertler has re-emerged with a new show on the network, “Will Work For Food.” The show pits Gertler in temporary places of employment such as fishing for lobster, digging for clams, and making honey from real bees. We had the chance to catch up with Gertler, who hails from Philadelphia, to talk about his show and more….

Premium Hollywood: Has there been a moment or moments on “Will Work For Food” where you were legitimately scared, like with the bees? And how disgusting was it to eat that giant clam raw?

Adam Gertler: Legitimately scared – hmm…I thought I was going to slide off the oyster boat because there was no railing, the boat was rocking, and it was slippery and wet from the snow. I was also a little concerned when digging the wine cave because I thought the cave was going to collapse on me before we applied the shotcrete (concrete fired out of a cannon) to finish it. The chainsaw I used when carving the ice sculptors had me worrying about possibly cutting off an ear. Considering I have no idea how to use a chain saw for its true purpose, using it for ice sculpting just seemed nuts. The clam was definitely disgusting in both texture and taste. And if I had the chance to do it again…yeah, I would.

PH: Do you come up with the ideas for the show, or do the producers?

AG: The segments are a collaborative effort with the “Will Work for Food team.” We do research and find great ideas for segments, then make them happen – it’s a team effort.

PH: Is there a job out there you absolutely would not do for food?

AG: There is nothing I won’t try at least once. I figure if it doesn’t put my life in danger, I can only grow from the experience.

PH: What is your dream job of working for food?

AG: I would love to go to Italy and learn how to make different kinds of salumi and cured meats as well as cheeses. Those are some of my favorite foods, and I would love to learn from the pros to see how they are made.

PH: How soon after “Food Network Star” ended did someone contact you about this show? What were you doing at the time?

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External TV, Reality TV, The Next Food Network Star, TV

Guy Fieri’s Ultimate Recipe Showdown 2 Set to Start January 4

December 18, 2008 /

The Food Network has struck gold with Guy Fieri, who has four different shows and is about as ubiquitous on the network as misteltoe and egg nog this time of year. The guy is a workhorse and execs at the Food Network clearly love everything Fieri works on. And for good reason–he’s entertaining, knowledgeable and can grab the reins of any show and make it more interesting.

Fieri’s back again with Season 2 of “The Ultimate Recipe Showdown,” which begins airing January 4 at 9pm ET/8pm central. This season began with 12,000 recipes, which a panel of judges narrow down to 24, in categories of Comfort Food, Burgers, Hot and Spicy, Desserts, Cakes, and Hometown Favorites. Each week the winner takes home $25K and a chance to have their recipe featured on a T.G.I. Friday’s menu. Co-host Mark Summer is not helping Fieri this time, and while he claims to be bummed out about that, Fieri is ready for the challenge of hosting it alone. He’s also very excited and ready to rock.

“This second year is remarkable,” Fieri said yesterday during a conference call. “There is a real in-depth view of the contestants. It’s not just about the food on the plate and how it’s presented. Producer Art Edwards really got more of a compelling background piece on the show contestant’s giving the show much more depth.” He then adds, “The folks this year were a fantastic group and many of them had that one signature piece that just blew the judges away.”

Fieri, who was taking a break from filming his “Chefography” for the network at the time of the call, has possibly taken more air time away from his buddy and network darling Bobby Flay. Whether or not it’s too early to tell if that’s the case, the Food Network is definitely keeping Fieri busy. They shot the full season of “The Ultimate Recipe Showdown” in less than two weeks. “We shot a show a day along with bumps (ins and outs) but each show took about 10 hours to shoot,” said Fieri. “Each episode was shot back-to-back. It was a 12 day schedule for this year’s season.”

And while the show has already been taped, you’ll have to tune in each week to see who wins.

Reality TV, The Next Food Network Star, TV

2008: The Year in TV – Mike Farley

December 9, 2008 /

I claim to not watch much TV, but when Mr. Harris asked me to contribute to this piece, it was as easy as anything I’ve ever written. I guess that since we had our first child in 2007, we have been busy in the evenings after he goes to sleep–sitting in front of the TV enjoying what some great shows have to offer, and sometimes not-so-great shows. Don’t go taking my cable away!

TOP 3 SHOWS

1. “Weeds,” Showtime

Weeds poster

My wife and I ordered Showtime just for the three months or so that “Weeds” was on this past summer. You’d think a complete change of scenery (after most of the city of Agrestic burned down, Nancy and her family headed South to just above Mexico) would deter the plots and sub-plots, but it only made the show more compelling. There is no better writing on TV than there is for this show, and you can pretty much say that the acting mirrors the writing. The cliffhanger in the finale was not like the wild ones of the last few seasons, but Nancy’s ultrasound photo was enough to leave us all wondering how Esteban could possibly kill her after she ratted out their whole underground operation. Season 5 can’t start soon enough.

2. “Two and a Half Men,” CBS
What “Weeds” is to drama/comedies on premium channels, “Two and a Half Men” is to network sitcoms. The writing is always witty, appropriate for the characters and downright knee-slapping. Seriously, there were a few moments this season that made me hyperventilate laughing so hard. And they continue to push the envelope, as they did when Charlie referred to Alan’s ex-wife giving him a, uh, present, under a table as a book, “Under the Table” by Richard Gobbler. And Jake’s flatulence jokes never get old, either.

3. “Diners, Drive Ins and Dives,” Food Network
The Food Network is milking Guy Fieri for everything he’s worth. The guy has like four or five shows now, and this one is his calling card. Dude has one of the best jobs on television. He cruises around in his classic red convertible, and gets to sample the best food at, well, diners, drive-ins, and dives. We all want to taste everything on every show…well, except for the fried cow testicles or pig ear sandwiches…blech. But seriously, this show is a few seasons in and shows no signs of slowing down….especially on my TiVo box.

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