What to Watch: Celebration Dinners, Guy Cooks With Dean McDermott and Sunday Night Competition
This weekend on Food Network, it's all about celebrating with the people you love, whether it's with friends, family members or those who put their lives on the line to make a difference.
On Saturday, Ree is cooking up a dinner to welcome friends who are moving back to town. Then Trisha's cooking a graduation picnic for her niece and nephew. On Giada at Home, Giada's offering up a taste of barbecue throughout the nation. Then on Sunday, Jamie Deen is cooking a meal for his firefighter friends. And afterward, Guy gets in the kitchen with his Team Guy champion from Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off, Dean McDermott. Then on Sandwich King, Jeff cooks up a number of different burgers with his son, Lorenzo, by his side.
On Sunday night, take your seats for a special night of competition. First it's an episode of Chopped that challenges the contestants to fry up something in each of their dishes. Then it's the season premiere of Food Network Star with Giada, Alton and Bobby mentoring 12 hopefuls who are competing to win the coveted TV dream job. And last, it's the finale of Iron Chef America Tournament of Champions with Iron Chef Symon vs. Iron Chef Garces.
Ree's throwing a welcome-home dinner for friends who are moving back to town. On the menu are Peppercorn Roasted Beef Tenderloin With Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes and the two-ingredient wonder dubbed "The Bread." For dessert, Ree's making a showstopping four-layer Chocolate Strawberry Cake.
Trisha is hosting a family get-together to celebrate the graduations of her niece and nephew. Aunt T, as the kids call her, gets the kids to help her in the kitchen to make Broccoli Salad, Pimento Cheese Spread, Cheese-Stuffed Burgers and Cold Oven Pound Cake With Fruit Compote.
Giada takes viewers on a coast-to-coast adventure introducing barbecue recipes that reflect different parts of the nation. Her dishes feature unexpected flavors, like Pork Sandwiches With White Barbecue Sauce, Grilled Salmon With Sun-Dried Tomato Butter, Spiced Beef Brisket With Smoky Barbecue Sauce and even a grilled dessert, Grilled Apple Slices With Caramel-Mascarpone Cream.
Jamie Deen is on his way to the volunteer firefighter station to hang out with his buddies and fire up some tasty recipes. He's making Grilled Pizza Two Ways, Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp, and Grilled Hearts of Romaine for the firefighters and their families.
Guy Fieri and Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off Season 2 champion Dean McDermott are finally in the kitchen together! They're making Grilled Hanger Steak with flambeed Green Peppercorn Sauce. Next, Dean makes his signature "New Old Fashioned" cocktail. Then, Guy shows Dean his Brussels Sprout Gratin. For dessert, they're making Grilled Caramel Apple Brioche Sundaes.
The Mauro family pays a visit to their favorite neighborhood joint to sample a special all-beef bologna burger. Back at home, Jeff makes his own Bologna Burger, topped with a giardiniera frittata and caramelized onions on a kaiser roll. Next up is a tasty Portobello Burger with grilled pineapple and a teriyaki mayo. For dessert, Lorenzo helps Jeff serve up a Biscuit and Jam Shake with vanilla ice cream.
The chefs must make a fried component in every one of their dishes. They're given a pot of bubbling oil to create their crispy creations. Catfish catches the chefs by surprise in the first round. In the entree basket, the competitors find a cheese and a cherry preserve. But will the mandate to make a fried dessert unnerve the two finalists?
In the premiere episode of Food Network Star Season 9, 12 hopefuls arrive in Los Angeles to compete for the ultimate dream job: to host their own show on Food Network. Mentors Bobby Flay, Giada De Laurentiis and Alton Brown will help prepare the finalists for the biggest audition of their lives. Each finalist films a pitch tape and prepares one dish to present to network executives Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson, as well as to a focus group made up of Food Network viewers.
In this final round of Iron Chef America Tournament of Champions, the top two finalists, Michael Symon and Jose Garces, battle in Kitchen Stadium. Judges Donatella Arpaia, Bobby Flay and Karine Bakhoum will crown the Grand Champion.
