Food Network Star Read online

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Foreword by Bobby Flay

  Season One

  Season Two

  Season Three

  Season Four

  Season Five

  Season Six

  Season Seven

  On Their Plate Now

  Index

  Credits

  Copyright

  About the Publisher

  FOREWORD ∗ BOBBY FLAY

  The world of American food has changed out of all recognition since I was a member of the first graduating class at the French Culinary Institute in New York City in 1984. Food had much less bearing on popular culture back then. The emergence of celebrity chefs and hot restaurants and that hip subspecies of the human race, the foodie, lay in the future.

  As a young chef, I found inspiration in one type of cuisine and traveled to its source—the American southwest. There I worked with local chefs I knew until I became part of the land. I fell in love with the ingredients and made them mine. I opened Mesa Grill, my first restaurant, in 1991, followed by Bolo in 1993. And then came food television.

  There were a few cooking shows on television when I was growing up: Julia Child’s, of course, and Martin Yan’s Yan Can Cook and Graham Kerr’s The Galloping Gourmet, which I loved to watch as a kid. But as chefs on TV, we didn’t have that many predecessors. The Food Network completely changed the landscape. I first appeared on the network in January 1994 when it was two months old. At that point it was called the TV Food Network, and ran in New York City only a few hours a night. I was featured on a show called Robin Leach: Talking Food, where Robin interviewed strictly C-list celebrities and for the last fifteen minutes his sidekick, Kate Connelly, did a cooking segment with a local chef—a very local chef, like me, because they couldn’t afford any travel expenses.

  That appearance was a key moment in my life. For one thing, Kate Connelly and I got married and we have a wonderful daughter, Sophie, together. After my first appearance, I taped a tryout show for the network called Chef du Jour, followed by my first series, Grillin’ and Chillin’. These were the early days—I was there with Mario and Emeril. In the years since, I’ve hosted nine shows on the Food Network in addition to Next Food Network Star.

  I was a guest on the first season of Star in 2005 and I must have made a decent impression, because I was asked back for Season Two with the combined duties of host and judge. My role on the show has never been so defined as to be limiting, so I have the opportunity to act as host, judge, and mentor as needed. As anyone who’s watched the show can tell you, I take it very seriously. If you need confirmation, ask any of the finalists.

  I cherish my relationship with Food Network. I’ve been there for so long, it feels like family. It’s certainly my TV family. As a judge of Food Network Star, I think about the network from a business standpoint. I’m looking for somebody to add to the roster who is going to help make a stronger team. I put my chef coat on for the Iron Chef challenges, but what I enjoy the most is evaluating finalists on Star when I’m wearing a suit. Star kills two birds with one stone. It’s a very successful franchise in its own right, and we find talent. The Hearty Boys, Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh; Guy Fieri; Amy Finley; Aaron McCargo, Jr.; Melissa d’Arabian; and Aarti Sequeira are the winners who have had series on the Network. Other finalists didn’t win, but got their own shows anyway: Kelsey Nixon is one; Adam Gertler, Jeffrey Saad, and Tom Pizzica did as well.

  Now the Season Seven winner has been crowned and there’s another whole series of challenges for aspiring finalists to pore over and study. At the start of episode one of each season, these guys are already much savvier than I was when I started my first show. They’re students of the network. They know exactly what they need to accomplish, even if they don’t have the execution down; talking and cooking at the same time on camera is a lot harder than most people realize.

  Their preparedness is one reason why I empathize with the finalists on Star, but I don’t feel bad for them. Nobody made them do this. While you’ll never see me be mean to a finalist, I do push them at times, because I see myself as their coach. “You want to make the team? Then play hard.” It’s something I feel very strongly about and the finalists realize it pretty quickly. Like any coach, I want everyone to perform well and I don’t want anyone to embarrass themselves. Star is unique in the sheer volume of advice finalists get from the judges. In this book, one of them compared it to a free university. We have these people under our wings for a few months, and the evaluations last many hours. When we’re giving them tips and techniques, we’re trying to steer them in the right direction. If you can’t perform better on TV after a session with Alton Brown, there’s a problem.

  To succeed in this competition, you have to manage both elements of the challenge: food and entertainment. You need to produce excellent quality food, but you also need to be able to tell stories to the camera, to have authority in the kitchen. You really need to have it all. We want to find out who is going to light up the camera. The bottom line is that to win Food Network Star, you need to live and breathe food. Besides your friends and family, food has to be the most important thing to you. You have to wake up thinking about it; you have to go to sleep thinking about it. If food’s number five on your list, don’t do this show. This is the best piece of advice I can give anyone who’s thinking about trying out for Food Network Star. There are some people who do it because they want a job on TV, but they’ll never get my vote. Cooking is what I’m most passionate about. I just happen to do it on TV.

  ∗

  Food Network Star: The Official Insider’s Guide to America’s Hottest Food Show demonstrates the passion and commitment of the finalists on our show by telling their collective story through food. Read, cook, eat, and enjoy!

  Season ONE

  On June 5, 2005, an original Food Network star, Emeril Lagasse, launched the search for the next Food Network star. “Being a chef on TV is the new American dream,” said Emeril. Ten thousand aspiring television chefs hoping to realize that dream sent in audition tapes for the new reality-show competition. From these, nine finalists (one a team of two) were selected to compete at the network’s studios, located in New York City’s Chelsea Market. The prize was a shot at the culinary big time: a show on the Food Network and the golden chance to join the roster of such Food Network stars as Rachael Ray, Paula Deen, Giada De Laurentiis, Bobby Flay, Mario Batali . . . and Emeril. The Next Food Network Star host Marc Summers introduced the Selection Committee, whose job it has been over seven seasons to whittle down the finalists week by week.

  On the Season One Selection Committee was the Food Network’s senior VP of programming and production Bob Tuschman, who brought talent like Rachael Ray and Giada De Laurentiis to Food Network. “What we do here,” Bob said, “is take great information and make it outrageously entertaining.” Second was network VP of marketing Susie Fogelson. Susie, responsible for brand advertising, promotions, and events, was looking for someone who would both appeal to the current audience and bring in new viewers. Third: Gordon Elliott, host of Follow That Food and producer of Paula’s Home Cooking. He wanted somebody whose “personality fills the room.” The judges were ready to find their next star, someone who had equal parts performance, personality, and a culinary point of view.

  “I fell in love with Food Network watching Emeril.”

  —Susie Fogelson

  “When we first launched the series it was on a more modest basis than it has become. Even then it was a different show than we had ever done before. It was hugely expensive and time-consuming, and we weren’t sure if our viewers were going to like it. But Next Food Network Star was such a huge hit that every season we have amped it up.


  “Food Network came up with the idea. We had been talking internally about it since the day I arrived. Should we do a show like this? We thought it would be fascinating for people to see what it takes to be a food star, but it took a while for food stars to be part of the everyday vocabulary of the nation. Once people saw them as huge celebrities, it was an easy next step to say, ‘Let’s show them how it’s done and what it takes to be a celebrity chef.’ ”

  —Bob Tuschman

  THE FINALISTS

  1. Brook Harlan. Brook’s audition tape showed flash (literally, a pan in flames) and a lot of sizzle. Brook taught culinary arts at a high school and was also an assistant wrestling coach. At age eight he started cooking omelets with his father. What he brought to the show: energy and knowledge.

  2. Deborah Fewell. For this Hollywood personal celebrity chef and actress, being on a cooking show seemed like “a perfect marriage between performing and cooking.” Trained at the California School of Culinary Arts, Deborah loved to create and develop dishes and show that cooking doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Her motto: “Stay cute while you’re cooking in the kitchen.” Her point of view: “The Spice of Life” found in Caribbean cuisine.

  3. Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh. Dan and Steve entered as a couple, which they had been for eight years, as well as caterers working together for seven. “It’s time to have a gay couple on TV who have a regular relationship.” As “the Hearty Boys,” they had a staff of forty to sixty and catering events ranging from affairs for hundreds of people to intimate dinner parties. Their promise: to plan your meal “From Soup to Nuts.” They said the benefit of working together was the existing chemistry. The challenge: ensuring that the partnership is equal on the screen.

  4. Harmony Marceau. “I like to take an idea and go wild with it,” Harmony said. She’d found jobs, like shoe modeling, that allowed her to spend time where she wanted to be—in the kitchen. Harmony’s POV: “Adventure of the Senses”—cooking with all five senses.

  5. Michael Thomas. The “personal chef and surfer,” who dropped pie filling on the floor during his audition, promised to throw himself into the competition, all-out, all-in. “People think that I’m this kind of super off-the-wall guy and just bizarre and weird. Which in many ways obviously I am.” When Michael figured out his POV, it was “Where on Earth’s My Dinner?” He’d go anywhere, do anything for food—for example, hacking his way through the jungles of Madagascar for vanilla beans.

  6. Susannah Locketti. As a working mother of two, Susannah had a schedule that took her out of the kitchen. One day she took back control—and lost eighty-nine pounds over two years. A part-time graphic designer and fitness instructor, Susannah wanted to inspire working Americans with her healthy food under the banner of “Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Thinner.”

  7. Eric Warren. Eric learned how to cook from his mother and grandmother. Now people sit on his stoop waiting to see what he’s cooking. Eric was full of love, laughter, and fun. He’d worked in corporate America and now was giving back, working with developmentally disabled adults. Eric’s “Mean Cuisine” took traditional dishes way over the top. A fried rib. A lemon icebox pie this high.

  8. Hans Rueffert. Selected by viewers from ten semifinalists posted online, Hans had been head chef at his family’s restaurant for fifteen years and in the kitchen his whole life. His sister’s recent passing made him realize that life is short and we have to seize our chances where we can. Hans wanted cooks to boldly go into his “Inhibition Kitchen” and make what they’ve never made before—feel the fear and cook it anyway.

  The First Challenge: Eggs

  After Food Network president Brooke Johnson welcomed the finalists, Alton Brown set up the first-ever Next Food Network Star challenge. It was fitting because Alton is a Food Network star who’d made his way onto television by sending his own demo tape to the network. Alton’s challenge to the finalists was to make their personalities shine on camera while working with eggs. Finalists had twenty minutes to prepare for a five-minute on-camera demonstration of their dish.

  The first dish out of the Food Network kitchen on Star was an omelet with bacon, sautéed mushrooms, and scallions made by Deborah Fewell.

  Alas, Deborah’s omelet broke up in the sauté pan.

  “It was exciting, nerve-wracking, and thrilling all at the same time. I was nervous, but I told myself to just dive in and have fun. I came prepared to be challenged, and we were.”

  —Deborah Fewell

  The first challenge set the tone. Some finalists cooked too quickly or too slowly, mumbled or fumbled or forgot to show the camera what they were doing. Others just aced it. Brook thought he talked “way too fast,” like the kids he taught would tell him. But he remembered the most important part. “Taste it,” he said. “That’s fine.”

  “I make the dish a lot. It’s quick and can be made seasonal easily. I tend to just follow the method and use whatever ingredients are in season from the farmers market.”

  —Brook Harlan

  FRITTATA

  Recipe courtesy Brook Harlan

  Yield: 4 servings • Prep Time: 10 minutes • Cook Time: 20 minutes • Ease of Preparation: easy

  2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  ½ large onion, finely chopped (1 cup)

  1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped (1 cup)

  8 scallions, white and green parts, sliced (¾ cup)

  8 medium mushrooms, sliced (about 2 cups)

  Kosher salt

  Freshly ground black pepper

  12 large eggs

  ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

  2 teaspoons chopped chives, for garnish

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  2. Melt the butter in a large nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and pepper until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the scallions and mushrooms and cook until they soften, another 2 minutes or so. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  3. Whisk the eggs in a bowl until they are well blended. Season them with 1 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Pour the eggs over the vegetables in the skillet and stir constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula. When the eggs are almost cooked, spread them evenly using the back of the spatula. Cover the pan and bake for 10 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the eggs, and cook until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

  4. Carefully slide the frittata onto a plate. Garnish with the chives.

  ∗ NOTE: Any vegetables can be used. Meat can also be added if it is cooked first.

  “If you can’t handle eggs, you can’t really be a cook.”

  —Alton Brown

  How to Succeed in Television

  “One of the things that distinguishes the Next Food Network Star from other culinary competition shows is that fully half the requirements and challenges are camera challenges and the other half are cooking. And so it’s fun to play along at home. You can judge as well as I can how they’re doing on camera. While you are dependent on us to tell you about their food, you are an equal judge of how a finalist has progressed on camera.”

  —Bob Tuschman

  Chef Bobby Flay, one of the biggest Food Network stars, has effortlessly mastered the art of being on camera. He gave Season One finalists the benefit of his experience. The hopefuls had already tried their hands at reading from the TelePrompTer, cooking and talking at the same time, swapping out uncooked and cooked dishes, and not talking two hundred miles a minute. Other challenges: learning to follow the floor manager’s stage directions—“Show skewers”—and to adapt to a cue—“One minute left” or “Stretch” and fill dead time.

  BOBBY’S SECRETS TO CAMERA SUCCESS

  ∗ Food Network shows are filmed in real time, so the host can’t stop the show.

  ∗ Don’t say “By the magic of television here’s a dish I made already.” There is no magic of television. Say “And this is what it’s going to look like,” and show the camera your food.

  ∗ Lea
rn how to do things in reverse because the front of the food processor is facing the camera.

  ∗ If you’re talking about the consistency of a dish like hominy, don’t use the word phlegmy.

  ∗ If you’re talking about food hygiene while cooking, you don’t need to say Salmonella.

  ∗ Bring energy, have fun, and don’t forget to smile.

  ∗ Tell us about yourself, share your personality—we want to get to know you.

  ∗ If something goes wrong, improvise.

  ∗ Be organized.

  ∗ Remember Point One: Never stop. Ever.

  Finalists were reminded that they had to find a way to get their personality to pop on camera. Brook Harlan couldn’t quite translate the great energy of his audition tape into performance in the camera challenges, and he was the first finalist eliminated.

  “Be yourself and be passionate. You can’t fake it; no one wants to watch that. Make sure that you’re comfortable in uncomfortable situations. The show is twenty percent cooking and eighty percent telling people that you know how to cook and that you know what you’re doing.”

  —Brook Harlan

  what is COTIJA CHEESE?

  Eric Warren used cotija cheese to make his Cumin-Crusted Chicken for Bobby Flay. Cotija is a town in southwestern Mexico that’s the source for this dry, hard cow-milk cheese that can be grated like Parmesan.