New Series SUGAR SHOWDOWN Among Cooking Channel's October Highlights

October brings sweet surprises on Cooking Channel with the premiere of Sugar Showdown on Thursday, October 1st at 9:00pmET/6:00pmPT. Hosted by Josh Elkin, the oven mitts come off when three experts overcome themed challenges to create the best cakes, pies, cupcakes or donuts. Cooking Channel unveils more sweet treats when UNIQUE SWEETS returns to the lineup on Sunday, October 11th at 10:00pm/7:00pmPT, showcasing drool-worthy gooey, crunchy, sticky and sweet treats. On Tuesday, October 13th at 8:00pmET/5:00pmPT, MASTERCHEF CANADA returns as home cooks compete under the watchful eye of judges Claudio Aprile, Michael Bonacini and Alvin Leung for the chance at the coveted title of MasterChef. Then, Youtube star Rosanna Pansino plans a Halloween party to remember, baking inventive treats to serve at her spooky soirée in special Ro's Tasty Treats: Halloween on Sunday, October 25th at 8:00pmPT/5:00pmET.

Then, bakery expert Harry Eastwood hits the road to find the craziest and most delicious bakeries and decadent dessert shops in the premiere of new series Sinful Sweets on Friday, October 30th at 8:30pmET/5:30pmPT. Cooking Channel spices up the line-up all month long with premieres of Brunch @ Bobby's, Carnival Eats, The Grill Iron, Kimberly's Simply Southern, Man Fire Food, My Grandmother's Ravioli, Pizza Masters, Robert Earl's Be My Guest and Taco Trip. Plus, CookingChannelTV.com scares up Halloween dishes from fun and frightful savory foods to devilish desserts, and has authentic German recipes to celebrate Oktoberfest right! Join the Cooking Channel conversation on Twitter and Facebook.

A sampling of October highlights follows:

PREMIERE EPISODES

Brunch @ Bobby's
Premiering Saturday, October 3rd at 12:00pmET/9:00amPT - "Weekend Staycation"
The only thing better than a bed and breakfast is a weekend staycation brunch at host Bobby Flay's home! Bobby's kitchen is the destination for a cozy menu of Crunchy Maple-Topped Oatmeal, Avocado Salmon Benedict, Cinnamon Sugar Mini Pancake Muffins and Toasted Marshmallow Hot Chocolate.

Carnival Eats
Premiering Thursday, October 1st at 10:00pmET/7:00pmPT - "From Cornfields to Canada"
In Fertile, Minnesota, imaginations have run wild, dreaming up some of the freshest fair eats around. Beginning with the Dynamite Dog and the North Woods Sandwich, piled high with prime rib and finishing the day with Barbe'chos, a barbecue-nachos fusion, host Noah Cappe has a field day. Later, he heads north of the border to the Red River Exhibition in Manitoba, Canada, where quintessential Canadian cuisine gets a carnival twist with Prairie Poutine and a Habanero Crunch Burger.
Premiering Thursday, October 8th at 10:00pmET/7:00pmPT - "From Heatwave to Heartland"
Pleasanton, California, is home to the Alameda County Fair, and some mouthwatering carnival eats. Noah Cappe gets his hands on the Caliente Curls and Chile Relleno Dog, and meets fried-food royalty who prepares his world famous Mac and Cheese Bacon Burger. Next, Noah arrives in Iowa for a stomping good time with Reverend Tom and his Cowboy Beans.

Premiering Thursday, October 15th at 10:00pmET/7:00pmPT - "From West Coast to Wisconsin"
Host Noah Cappe says good morning to the California sunshine at the Sonoma Marin Fair with Breakfast on a Stick, and chows down on another West Coast classic-turned-carnival eats: the Green Goddess. Then it is off to Wisconsin for the Racine County Fair's Classic Cheese Curds and The Pink Taco.

Premiering Thursday, October 22nd at 10:00pmET/7:00pmPT - "From Rock and Roll to Red River" - SEASON FINALE!

The hills are alive with the sound of satisfied stomachs at the Burlington, Ontario, Canada, Sound of Music Festival, where Noah Cappe gives a rave review to a hit parade of new releases. The Rockin' Roti hits all the right notes, while the OMG Bar has Noah singing the blues after he eats the whole thing. Then Noah takes the show on the road and arrives at the Red River Valley Fair in North Dakota, where he gets up close and personal with local favorites Minneapple Pie and Jalapeno Wontons.

Online, flip through photos of the world's most insane edible carnival creations and get recipes for fair food to make at home. Join the deep-fried conversation with #CarnivalEats.

The Grill Iron
Premiering Saturday, October 3rd at 12:30pmET/9:30amPT - "Oregon Smoked Duck and Austin Grilled Fish"

Host Jackie Tranchida explores Oregon's Wine Country, visiting a chef who puts his stamp on a 40-year- old institution, and takes a look at old-world style rosé production. She then chats with chef Alexis Chong who brings her Thai food wizardry to a University of Texas tailgate.
Premiering Saturday, October 10th at 12:30pmET/9:30amPT - "Penn State Pierogi and Arizona Sausage Sliders"

Host Jackie Tranchida joins chef Richard DeShantz on a tour of a traditional Pennsylvania pierogi factory, and visits a unique winery in the middle of the Arizona desert.
Premiering Saturday, October 17th at 12:30pmET/9:30amPT - "Alabama Pork Croquette and The Grill Iron Championship"

Host Jackie Tranchida samples slow-cooked Southern barbecue in Alabama, and our three top chefs meet up in Los Angeles for the Grill Iron Championship.

Online find better ways to tailgate with recipes for a sandwich tower, long-haul Bloody Mary recipes and more on CookingChannelTV.com. Get in the game with #GrillIron.

Kimberly's Simply Southern

Premiering Saturday, October 3rd at 3:30pmET/12:30pmPT - "Get Crackin'!"
In the funky food HAVEN of Asheville, Kimberly visits a couple of cracker MAKERS who bake up small, handmade batches of crispy artisanal treats, bringing new flavors to the classic snack. Back home, she cooks up a sweet and savory feast featuring the underrated crunchy crisps with special guest David Barnes.

Premiering Saturday, October 10th at 3:30pm/12:30PT - "What's All the Buzz About" - SEASON FINALE!

Back in her home state of Georgia, Kimberly and her dad get hands-on with some buzzing beehives at a world-famous honey farm before paying a visit to Kimberly's old high school. Back in the kitchen, she cooks up some sweet treats inspired by the bees with special guest Amy Grant.

Man Fire Food
Premiering Tuesday, October 6th at 8:00pmET/5:00pmPT - "Puerto Rican Grilling" - SEASON FINALE!

Host Roger Mooking is in Puerto Rico where the weather is hot, THE VIEW is smoking and the food is en fuego! It is his first time visiting Puerto Rico and he invites some friends along for the ride. Roger begins the eating adventure with fellow Canadian, Chuck Hughes. They fill up on pork at La Estacion, a former gas station-turned-barbecue restaurant in Fajardo. Roger and Chuck help build and light a fire, and rub down a whole pig with spices to make lechon, a Puerto Rican specialty. Roger heads over to the other side of THE ISLAND and meets local chef Tino Feliciano. Tino takes Roger to a popular roadside eatery Rancho Carbon Express where chickens are stuffed with sofrito, rubbed with adobo and then cooked on rotisseries.

Online, flip through a gallery of Roger's own behind-the-scenes photos, and watch web-exclusive blooper videos. Join the fun with #ManFireFood.

MasterChef Canada - Premiering Tuesday, October 13th at 8:00pmET/5:00pmPT - SEASON PREMIERE!

Home cooks from all over Canada have an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete for the title of Canada's MasterChef. Thousands applied but only the best were flown to audition before the three judges, hoping to impress enough to earn a coveted place in the blistering MASTERCHEF CANADA kitchen. The trio of judges, Claudio Aprile, Michael Bonacini and Alvin Leung will take the amateurs on a journey from home cook to haute cuisine. Canada's best home cooks are tested as they face a series of dramatic challenges designed to test their palates, food knowledge, passion and culinary skills. As they're whittled down, the pressure will increase. A single misstep could turn the entire competition around, making or breaking a home cook's chance of becoming the Canadian MasterChef.

Premiering Tuesday, October 13th at 8:00pmET/5:00pmPT - "Fit to be Tied"
Premiering Tuesday, October 13th at 9:00pmET/6:00pmPT - "Patriotic Pantry"
Premiering Tuesday, October 20th at 9:00pmET/6:00pmPT - "Constant Craving"
Premiering Tuesday, October 27th at 9:00pmET/6:00pmPT - "Juggling Act"

Online, watch web-exclusive exit interviews and tips from the chefs after every episode on CookingChannelTV.com. Follow the action with #MasterChefCanada.

My Grandmother's Ravioli
Premiering Wednesday, October 7th at 8:00pmET/5:00pmPT - "Jam on It!"
Pittsburgh native Kathleen "Kitty" Kleber grows just about every kind of fruit in her backyard, and that fruit ends up in an airtight jar. The varieties of jellies, jams and spreads are astounding -- elderberry, candy apple, tomato, inferno, raspberry hot pepper, boysenberry and caramel apple just to name a few. Kitty picks and preserves fruit with host Mo Rocca and they go on a shopping excursion to Pittsburgh for baked goods.

Premiering Wednesday, October 14th at 8:00pmET/5:00pmPT - "The LeBron Grandmothers' Fan Club"

Part of the success of NBA superstar LeBron James is his giant fan club based in Akron, Ohio, whose members are spirited grandmas, who root him on during every game. Host Mo Rocca spends quality time with Alder Chapman, the president of the club, and Pat Idley, who edited the group's cookbook. Together they create a meal that's a slam dunk -- jambalaya, beer batter chitterlings, corn bread salad, lemon meringue pie and more.

Premiering Wednesday, October 21st at 8:00pmET/5:00pmPT - "Brotherly Love and Spicy Crabs" - SEASON FINALE!

Mustachioed grandpa Vincent Pesiri of Clementon, New Jersey, loves watching football almost as much as he loves cooking. Vin and host Mo Rocca whip up some spicy crabs for the guys to eat while watching TV in the Man Cave. Later, Vin and Mo cross the Jersey/Philly border to shop for dinner (and punch a few slabs of meat). Back home, Vin and Mo cook up some hearty paella and bananas foster for everyone's sweet tooth.

Online, watch web-exclusive deleted scenes of Mo and the grandparents and flip through photos of the craziest things grandparents have forced Mo Rocca to do on CookingChannelTV.com. Join the conversation with #Ravioli.
Pizza Masters
Premiering Wednesday, October 7th at 9:00pmET/6:00pmPT - "Miss Rhode Island Italia"
Sal Basille and Francis Garcia have been asked to help judge the Miss Rhode Island Italia pageant, held annually in Providence, and the guys cannot wait to check out the city's well-known food scene. First stop is Caserta's Pizza in historic Federal Hill, then they are off to Al Forno to meet the creator of grilled pizza. After the pageant, Fran and Sal celebrate at Iggy's on the coast for some seafood classics and a fried, sugary treat called a doughboy.
Premiering Wednesday, October 14th at 9:00pmET/6:00pmPT - "Grandpa's Postcard"
Sal Basille and Francis Garcia set off to Key West, Florida, on a search for buried riches at the bottom of the sea, and food treasures on land. At Roostica, they discover wood-fired pizza with an incomparable island flair, before heading to Firefly for a unique spin on key lime pie. After hitting the high seas in search of booty, Fran and Sal head to the Half Shell Raw Bar where they dive into some fresh lionfish and conch fritters while sipping on some shipwreck rum.
Premiering Wednesday, October 21st at 9:00pmET/6:00pmPT - "Sal's Book of Poker"
Sal Basille and Francis Garcia hit up Atlantic City, where Fran wants to try his luck at the blackjack table and Sal plans on winning big with the city's food. After a visit to a childhood friend using local ingredients to make unique pizzas at Tony Boloney's, they head to White House Sub Shop for a loaded Italian sub. Later, they trade the blackjack table for a dinner table at Chef Vola's, where they dine on veal pizzaiola and a ricotta cheesecake so light, it practically levitates.
Premiering Wednesday, October 28th at 9:00pmET/6:00pmPT - "Chillin' in Alaska"
Sal Basille and Francis Garcia take a break from the thick New York heat, and and rent a lakeside cabin in Juneau, Alaska, to relax in the cool weather and check out the local food scene. They head to Tracy's King Crab Shack for the freshest Alaskan king crab and sea scallops in the country, and then discover some sweet treats at the Alaskan Fudge Company. Last, but not least, they experience a smoked salmon pizza at THE ISLAND Pub and cross their fingers that they will be able to go on an airplane delivery!

Online, check out the web-only series Pizza Masters: Sliced! to see Sal and Fran compete to make the best pizza possible using the craziest mystery ingredients on CookingChannelTV.com. Join the cheese and pepperoni chatter with #PizzaMasters.

Ro's Tasty Treats: Halloween - Premiering Sunday, October 25th at 8:00pmPT/5:00pmET - SPECIAL!
YouTube star Rosanna Pansino is throwing a spook-tastic Halloween party, baking up a bunch of yummy treats with her family and friends, including spider cookies, cauldron pops and a show-stopping zombie brain Halloween cake.

Photo courtesy of Cooking Channel

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