Third CHOPPED ALL-STARS Among Food Network's April Highlights
By: Caryn Robbins Mar. 12, 2013
Food Network cranks out the competition in the season three premiere of Chopped All-Stars on Sunday, April 7th at 9pm, when sixteen culinary masters battle it out for the title of All-Star champion and a $50,000 prize for the winner's charity. Robert Irvine also returns for a sixth season of Restaurant: Impossible on Wednesday, April 17th at 9pm to rescue failing establishments in only two days with $10,000. Then, on Friday, April 19th at 10pm, Mystery Diners returns for a third season using hidden cameras and surveillance to uncover what really goes on when the boss isn't around.Food Network also serves up new episodes of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Sandwich King and Guy's Big Bite, plus more premieres of primetime and daytime favorites. Join the Food Network conversation
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Join the Food Network conversation on Facebook and Twitter. FEATURED SERIES Chopped All-Stars
In this first competition of Chopped All-Stars, Food Network and Cooking Channel favorites battle it out in theChopped kitchen. Nadia G.'s dash to deliver a creative appetizer before the clock runs out makes for a very exciting first round. Then, in the second round, something's fishy in the basket and something wild happens as two of the competitors bump into each other putting one chef's dish at risk. With a spot in the $50,000 All-Stars finale and a favorite charity on the line, two finalists go head-to-head in the dessert round. Competitors: Nadia G., Jeff Mauro, Gabriele Corcos, Sunny Anderson Judges: Chris Santos, Geoffrey Zakarian, Maneet Chauhan
In this second Face Off of the All-Stars $50,000 tournament, big time contenders with considerable competitive prowess take each other on in the Chopped kitchen. The judges are eager to see what these Mega Chefs can do with sea bass and cream soda in the first round. Then, in the entrée round, the competitors must get their tails in gear to make oxtail and labneh into delicious dishes. It is no piece of cake for the finalists figuring out how to transform a classic snack cake into an elegant dessert. Competitors: Elizabeth Falkner, Chuck Hughes, Gavin Kaysen, Richard Blais Judges: Chris Santos, Marcus Samuelsson, Maneet Chauhan
It's judgment time for the Chopped judges! In the first round, the judges-turned-competitors must crack the code of the basket after cracking open diver scallops. Then, in the entrée round, can the chefs make a beautiful bird fly with canned pizza sauce? With bragging rights and a shot at making it to the $50,000 finale on the line, the last two chefs bravely tackle the dessert basket, and while one of the ingredients makes them smile, it is all business for a tense thirty minutes. Competitors: Alex Guarnaschelli, Amanda Freitag, Scott Conant, Marc Murphy Judges: Aarón Sánchez, Geoffrey Zakarian, Marcus Samuelsson
Lights, camera...baskets! Four celebrities with different backgrounds and a shared love of cooking charge into the Chopped kitchen. The competitors must skillfully use vanilla cupcakes to create a one-of-a-kind appetizer, and then something crispy and something jiggly make the main course a study in contrasts. When two entertaining cooks proceed to the final round, they put on a performance with circus peanuts and curry powder. Competitors: Johnny Weir, Joey Fatone, Laila Ali, Judy Gold Judges: Maneet Chauhan, Geoffrey Zakarian, Marcus Samuelsson
The four All-Stars champs compete for $50,000 to their charitable cause. In the first round, competitors use a super salty veggie and a fresh seafood item to create an edible appetizer. Then, cheddar-filled pretzels make it a fun-filled entrée round. The judges cannot wait to taste creative desserts made from freeze dried grapes and Marcona almonds, but only one competitor can win the $50,000 prize for their charity and become a Chopped All-Star. Judges: Aáron Sánchez, Geoffrey Zakarian, Marcus Samuelsson PRIMETIME SEASON PREMIERES Restaurant: Impossible
Chef Robert travels to Fishkill, N.Y. to meet owners Joe and Dena White and their floundering restaurant, Joe Willy's Seafood House. The Whites have owned and operated Joe Willy's for five years but are now drowning in debt, and the restaurant stress is causing tension in the family. The one glimpse of hope lies in Joe's knowledge of buying seafood, but Robert has his work cut out for him when he realizes that not only is the restaurant in shambles, but so is the family dynamic.
Chef Robert Irvine's next mission is to breathe new life into the Old World Italian Restaurant in Murrells Inlet, S.C. He needs to clean up 16 years' worth of bad habits to save George and Teresa Hayek's family-run restaurant. Where most couples their age are retiring, extreme debt has made it so George and Teresa can't. They opened the restaurant with the hope that their culinary-trained son, George Jr., would lead the kitchen, but sixteen years later, George Jr. is still living in his parents' shadows. Between the financial stress of the restaurant and their on-going health issues, the couple has lost sight of what's most important - their family. Mystery Diners Premiering Friday, April 19th at 10pm When a restaurant owner suspects employees of not doing their jobs - whether it be stealing, lying, mistreating customers or generally doing lousy work - they call in the Mystery Diners. These Mystery Dinersare undercover operatives who go into restaurants, bars and food service establishments with hidden cameras and perform surveillance to find out what's really going on when the boss isn't around. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
This trip, Guy hits the road for joints taking childhood favorites to a gourmet level. In Denver, he visits an old-time bar going all-out on homemade tater tots, pork rinds and a monster pastrami sandwich. In Tacoma, he stops at the neighborhood spot turning out pork shoulder tacos, elk sliders and tater tots stuffed with parmesan cheese.
This trip, Guy hits the road for some made-from-scratch comfort food. In Burbank, Calif., he stops at a family-owned chili-serving spot with a name dating back a century. In Philadelphia, he visits the three-story gourmet food joint crankin' out clam chowder with gnocchi and a regional favorite. In Toronto, a smokehouse kicks burgers and fried chicken up a notch and turns a traditional BLT on its head. DAYTIME SEASON PREMIERES Sandwich King
Jeff visits Moon's Sandwich Shop, an old-school diner and one of Chicago's original sandwich shops. Then, he returns home inspired to create the BLD (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) Sandwich and a twist on the classic Club Sandwich with his wife and son helping in the kitchen.
As a teenager, Jeff worked at The Taste of Chicago Food Festival, where he would eat a Ricobene's famous steak sandwich every day. Now, he returns to learn their secrets and offer up his own take.
S'mores are Jeff's son, Lorenzo's, favorite dessert sandwich, so Jeff takes a trip to the Angel Food Bakery, where they're experts at making the sweet treat. Then, he offers up his own twist on the old standard, two ways - one for grown-ups and one just for kids.
Jeff visits The Hen House, voted as having one of Chicago's top 50 sandwiches. Taking what he learned, Jeff puts his own spin on a Vietnamese-inspired sub Guy's Big Bite Premiering Sunday, April 21st at 10:30am Guy Fieri's bleached blonde hair, goatee and skateboarder shorts make a strong statement - you are what you eat! Whether it's his Mojito Chicken, Pepperoni Lasagna or Jambalaya Sandwich, one thing is certain,Guy Fieri's food is as fun, fearless and fundamental as his larger-than-life personality. PREMIERE EPISODES Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell
Husband and wife restaurateurs Kevin and Stacey Jennings need a new Executive Chef for their Raleigh, N.C., French brasserie - Coquette. Anne Burrell tests the candidates French cooking skills by tasking them with creating both a savory and sweet crepe using the exact same ingredient. Next, the chefs must use a common meat in French cooking: rabbit. The two remaining chefs must run the dinner service for a night, and their approaches are so drastically different, the owners must make a dramatic decision.
World-renowned chef and restaurateur Kurt Guttenbrunner is in need of an executive chef for his Austrian wirsthaus, Blaue Gans. The chefs are put to the test when they must turn rustic goulash into a refined dish and make palatable cuts of organ meat. The final two chefs are each handed the keys to this hip Tribeca restaurant for one evening to prove they have what it takes. One chef's struggle with a dish almost sinks his whole dinner service while the other chef gets overwhelmed in the kitchen.
Family-run Victor's Café is celebrating its 50th anniversary and needs a new executive chef to continue their tradition of highlighting Cuban cuisine. The chefs are asked to create a signature adobo blend, and then they must cook both a classic and new version of a traditional Cuban dish. The two final chefs are each handed the keys to this NYC restaurant to run their own dinner service for one night. Both chefs approach the service similarly, so the owners wrestle with the difficult decision of who would be best to bring into the family as Executive Chef of Victor's Café.
Miami hotspot, Nikki Beach, needs an executive chef to head up their new Ibiza, Spain location. Anne Burrell tasks the four competitors with creating a platter for guests to share during the day, and then they must create an elegant seafood dish for the evening. The remaining two chefs each run the restaurant for an evening. One chef starts well but struggles with execution problems while the other stumbles at the start but recovers well. Cupcake Wars
It's going to get a little weird in the Cupcake Wars kitchen when four competitors try to bake their way to an exclusive book release party for iconic comedian and guest judge, "Weird Al" Yankovic.
Four all-star bakers, handpicked by fans, compete for the chance to serve their cupcakes at a celebrity-packed charity gala hosted by guest judge, 'N Sync's Lance Bass.
The viewers choose the ingredients for this special episode of Cupcake Wars where four bakers compete for the opportunity to be front and center at a VIP party for The People's Choice Awards. People's Choice Awards President, Fred Nelson, serves as guest judge.
Four returning bakers get a second chance at the winner's title as they battle it out to serve their cupcakes at a birthday party for guest judge Tiffani Thiessen, star of White Collar,90210 and Saved by the Bell. Chopped
The chefs are alarmed to see one of the ingredients in the appetizer basket staring back at them, yet that "heady" ingredient is not the challenging item for some. Then, in the entrée round, one chef unexpectedly plays with fire, creating a dangerous situation. In the end, two finalists find a way to combine yellow rice and persimmon.
Chopped fans logged on to Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter and suggested the ingredients for this Viewers' Choice competition, resulting in possibly some of the cruelest baskets ever. In the appetizer round, the chefs are stunned and stumped to see two brightly colored man-made items and one of nature's most odious foods. Then, for the entrée basket, the viewers chose a canned product that became infamous in a previous competition. In the end, the last basket proves to be brutal for the finalists.
The chefs open the first basket to find ingredients inspired by Australia, including one that has everybody's jaw dropping. Then, in the entrée round, one competitor makes very ambitious plans, but will everything come together as time runs out? The finalists can't lollygag with lollies and lemon verbena in the dessert basket.
Restaurant Stakeout
Willie is called in to help Mohammad, owner of Shiraz Persian Restaurant in Elmsford, N.Y., who has already been forced out of business twice before. With staff fighting, laziness and an owner who is too afraid to lay down the law, Willie quickly discovers that there may be more problems at Shiraz than even he can fix.
Willie steps in to help Lisa, owner of The Bayou in North Bellmore, N.Y. After 22 years serving up authentic Cajun flavors, customers now seem to be disappearing. Willie soon discovers that a disillusioned leader and a staff that treats the place more like Mardi Gras than a restaurant, may be at the heart of the problem.
Willie comes to the aid of Danny, owner of Danny's Steakhouse in Red Bank, N.J. After 42 years in the business, Danny has seemingly tried everything, but his business is struggling. Danny is desperate to slow down, but doesn't think his staff can manage without him. Willie discovers that not only is the staff incompetent, but there may be a thief in their midst. Iron Chef America
Iron Chef Jose Garces faces off against challenger Russell Jackson, a.k.a. "The Dissident Chef." Judges include John T. Edge, Anya Fernald and Jose Andres. Daytime: Barefoot Contessa, Giada at Home, Paula's Best Dishes, Pioneer Woman DIGITAL CONTENT Ease into spring with recipes and menus just right for company, from Giada De Laurentiis' Salmon Cakes to the Barefoot Contessa's Lemon Yogurt Cake. From classic cocktails to new takes on old favorites, we've got the best mixed drinks to help men sip with style. Plus, get signature drinks from Bobby Flay, Alton Brown and Guy Fieri. Easter Throw a fiesta this May 5th with margaritas, tacos and authentic recipes from Aarón Sánchez and more. |
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