Food Network Challenge

Edible Ornaments

Four professional culinary artists trim a holiday tree entirely in edible decorations. Over the course of several timed rounds, the competitors will make edible garland, ornaments and then cap off their trees with an edible topper. Each chef is allowed an assistant, but won't know who their assistant is until moments before the competition begins. The competitors will have to figure out how to stay focused and quickly communicate their vision if they want any hope of taking home the $10,000.

COMPETITORS:

Michael Daniels
Florist, Silver Birches Event Design and Production
West Hollywood, Calif.

Michael's Assistant: Julie Grosner, mother
Summerfield, Fla.

Jason Ellis
Owner, Cakes by Jay
Selden, N.Y.

Jason's Assistant: David Ellis, brother
Port Jefferson, N.Y.

Stevie Famulari
Owner/Principal Artist, Sugart
Albuquerque, N.M.

Stevie's Assistant: Maria Pettus, mother
Staten Island, N.Y.

Melissa Murphy
Co-Owner/Pastry Chef, Sweet Melissa Patisserie
Brooklyn, N.Y.

Melissa's Assistant: Kathleen Fashempour, aunt
Wadsworth, Ohio

Judges:

Tina Casaceli
Director of Pastry and Baking Arts, French Culinary Institute
New York, N.Y.

Steve Hess
Manager in Innovations and Research Development, Hallmark Cards
Kansas City, Mo.

Aaron Morgan
Executive Pastry Chef, Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa
Asheville, N.C.

Princess Cakes

They are the most recognized Disney princesses on the silver screen. In this challenge, five of the country's top cake designers transform Snow White, Belle, Cinderella and Jasmine into 3-foot tall cakes.

COMPETITORS:

Flora Aghababyan
Assistant Pastry Chef, Bellagio Hotel
Las Vegas, Nev.
Assistant: Anna Kandaharian

Norman Davis
Owner, The Sweet Life
Annandale, Va.
Assistant: Zane Beg

Elizabeth Hodes
Owner, Elizabeth Hodes Custom Cakes and Sugar Art
New York, N.Y.
Assistant: Susan Gambelli

Mary Maher
Co-Owner, Cakegirls
Chicago, Ill.
Assistant: Brenda Maher

Kate Sullivan
Owner, Lovin Sullivan Cakes
New York, N.Y.
Assistant: Katie Robinson

Judges:

Katherine Alford
Test Kitchen Director, Food Network
New York, N.Y.

Dara Trujillo
Manager of Disney's Princess Merchandise Franchise
Orlando, Fla.

Kerry Vincent
Wedding Cake Designer/Hall of Fame Sugar Artist
Tulsa, Okla.

Villain Cakes

Five of America's best cake decorators travel to Disney World to compete in a cake competition where each cake revolves around a famous Disney villain.

Great American Pie Cook-Off

Nothing says comfort like a slice of homemade pie. In this competition, five amateur bakers will roll out top crusts and mix up flavorful fillings for a chance to win $10,000. The competition takes place over three rounds in which they'll try their hand at fruit, cream, chocolate and custard pies. These bakers must wow some of the toughest chefs in the industry if they want to take home the prize.

COMPETITORS:

Valarie Enters
Sanford, Fla.

Christine Fiedorowicz
Denver, Colo.

Saptosa Foster
Atlanta, Ga.

John Michael Lerma
Saint Paul, Minn.

Judges:

Linda Hoskins
Executive Director, American Pie Council
Lake Forest, Ill.

Liz Prueitt
Co-Owner & Pastry Chef, Tartine Bakery
San Francisco, Calif.

Jorge De La Torre
Dean of Culinary Education at Johnson and Wales
Denver, Colo.

Haunted Gingerbread Houses

There goes the neighborhood! Santa Claus and his reindeer are out, and ghosts and goblins are in as a Christmas classic gets a Halloween makeover. The art of gingerbread building takes a giant leap forward as four pastry chefs build not only haunted houses, but a spooky slime-filled cave and a Spanish Galleon manned by skeleton sailors. Who knew something so sweet could be so...scary!

COMPETITORS:

Elizabeth Falkner
Owner and Executive Pastry Chef, Citizen Cake & Citizen Cupcake
San Francisco, Calif.
Assistant: Sara Cameron

Liv Hansen
Owner, The Riviera Bakehouse
Upper Nyack, N.Y.
Assistant: Kaye Hansen

Dawn Nemec
Pastry Chef, Just Cake
Monterey Bay, Calif.
Assistant: Marina Sousa

April Robinson
Pastry Chef, A Voce Restaurant
New York, N.Y.
Assistant: Ron Rosselli

Judges:

Steve Kopelman
Owner of Thrillvania and The Nest Haunted Houses
Terrell, Texas

Andrew Shotts
Owner, Garrison Confections
Providence, R.I.

Kerry Vincent
Wedding Cake Designer/Hall of Fame Sugar Artist
Tulsa, Okla.

Sweet 16

Sweet 16 parties are all the rage, and in this challenge, four cake designers try to make a sweet sixteen cake for a lavish birthday party.

Extreme Cakes

Four of the country's top cake designers do things with cake you've never seen before. Judged by Duff Goldman and his crew from Ace of Cakes, the competitors are encouraged to break all of the rules of cake decorating. The creator of the most radical cake takes home $10,000.

COMPETITORS:

Jörg Amsler
Chef/Owner, Truly Jörg’s Patisserie
Boston, Mass.
Assistant: Peter Ungár

Michelle Garcia
Chef/Owner, The Bleeding Heart Bakery
Chicago, Ill.
Assistant: Valentin "Vinny" Garcia

Stephen Maronian
Chef/Co-Owner, Sweet Lisa's Exquisite Cakes
Greenwich, Conn.
Assistant: John Ewen

Elisa Strauss
Owner, Confetti Cakes
New York, N.Y.
Assistant: Mark Randazzo

Judges:

Duff Goldman
Owner, Charm City Cakes
Baltimore, Md.

Geof Manthorne
Executive Sous Chef, Charm City Cakes
Baltimore, Md.

Mary Alice Yeskey
Manager, Charm City Cakes
Baltimore, Md.

Simpsons Movie Cake

The Simpsons movie is one of most anticipated films to hit the silver screen. In this competition, four professional cake designers try to capture the spirit of FOX's craziest family.

COMPETITORS:

Debbie Goard
Owner, Debbie Does Cakes
Oakland, Calif.
Assistant: Chris Hirneisen

Mary Maher
Co-Owner, Cakegirls
Chicago, Ill.
Assistant: Brenda Maher

Bronwen Weber
Executive Chef, Frosted Art Bakery & Studio
Dallas, Texas
Assistant: Jennifer Bartos

Tad Weliczko
Specialty Cake Designer
New York, N.Y.
Assistant: James Rosselle

Judges:

Tina Casaceli
Director of Pastry and Baking Arts, French Culinary Institute
New York, N.Y.

Patrick Coston
Owner/Executive Pastry Chef, PC Desserts
New York, N.Y.

Kerry Vincent
Wedding Cake Designer/Hall of Fame Sugar Artist
Tulsa, Okla.

Mac and Cheese

This isn't your mom's mac n cheese. In this competition, four professional chefs do things you've never seen before with this classic comfort food.

COMPETITORS:

Frank Bonanno
Owner & Chef, Mizuna Restaurant & Luca d’Italia
Denver, Colo.

Duskie Estes
Co-Owner, Bovolo & Zazu Restaurant & Farm
Santa Rosa, Calif.

Melissa Mayer
Executive Chef, The Guild Restaurant and Lounge
San Diego, Calif.

Derek Wagner
Owner & Chef, Nick’s On Broadway
Providence, R.I.

Delilah Winder
President, Delilah’s Southern Cuisine, Inc.
Philadelphia, Pa.

Judges:

John Besh
Owner - Restaurant August, The Besh Steakhouse, Luke, La Provence
New Orleans, La.

Barbara Lynch
Chef/Owner - No. 9 Park, B & G Oysters & The Butcher Shop
Boston, Mass.

Andrew Smith
Culinary Author
New York, N.Y.

Super Heroes

Four chefs will gather in Memphis to compete in the ultimate sandwich battle. The competition will contain 4, timed rounds: Hot, Cold, Panini, and a Signature round where the chefs will showcase their best tasting sandwich. After each round is judged, the chef with the highest score at the end of the challenge will win $10,000.

National Chicken Cook-Off

Once again the Challenge cameras descend on one of the richest competitions in the culinary world - the $100,000 National Chicken Cooking Contest. Birmingham, Alabama plays host, but representatives from every state in the nation will be cooking up home-grown recipes sure to make your mouth water!

COMPETITORS:

Jenny Flake
Gilbert, Ariz.

Rob Mongeon
Colchester, Vt.

Janine Washle
Sonora, Ky.

Jennifer White
Columbus, Ohio

Judges:

Saimi Bergmann
Alliance, Ohio

Nancy Dell’Aria
Brooklyn, N.Y.

Gwynn Galvin
Montvale, N.J.

Frances Largeman-Roth
Birmingham, Ala.

Kathy Martin
Miami Shores, Fla.

Julie Miltenberger
New York, N.Y.

Lyon Nusom
Hillsboro, N.M.

Suzanne Ontiveros
Chicago, Ill.

Colleen Pierre
Baltimore, Md.

Gwen Schoen
Sacramento, Calif.

Nancy Stohs
Wauwatosa, Wis.

Diane Stoneback
Allentown, Pa.

Joy Taylor
Ankeny, Iowa

Teresa Taylor
John’s Island, S.C.

Karin Welzel
Pittsburgh, Pa.

World Championship BBQ Cook-Off

258 teams are gathered in Memphis for one of the most prestigious barbeque contests in the world. Competitors will compete in three categories: shoulder, ribs and whole hog. If they can beat out the other competitors in their category they'll win $3,000 and have a shot at the Grand Prize of $22,000.

The challenge follows returning grand champions Red Hot Smokers in the Shoulder Category, two-time grand champion Myron Mixon in the Whole Hog Category and newcomers Killer Hogs in the Ribs Category.

National Beef Cook-Off

Chicago hosts the National Beef Cook-off. Amateur chefs will compete in four categories: New Dynamic Beef Dishes, Nuevo Latino Beef Dishes, Small Plates, Big Taste and Kids in the Kitchen. The winner of each category will win $10,000, with the runner-up in each receiving $5,000.

COMPETITORS:

Michael Cohen – New Dynamic Beef Dishes
Los Angeles, Calif.

Teresa & Catherine Ralston – Kids in the Kitchen
New Albany, Ohio

Christine Riccitelli – Nuevo Latino Beef Dishes
Incline Village, Nev.

New Dynamic Beef Dishes Competitors:

Diane Coates
Allendale, N.J.

Barbara Estabrook
Rhinelander, Wis.

Nuevo Latino Beef Dishes Competitors:

Roxanne Chan
Albany, Calif.

Norma Fried
Denver, Colo.

Margaret Murphy
Naperville, Ill.

Kids in the Kitchen Competitors:

John & Morgan Hanrahan
Olympia, Wash.

Shannon & Tanner Kohn
Simpsonville, S.C.

Shannon, Riley & Danielle Mitchell
Naperville, Ill.

Tracy & Bradley Schuhmacher
Penfield, N.Y.

Small Plates, Big Taste Competitors:

Deborah Biggs
Omaha, Neb.

Lisa Huff
Clive, Iowa

Kurt Wait
Redwood City, Calif.

Judges:

Mary Adolf
President and COO, National Restaurant Association Education Foundation
Chicago, Ill.

Carol Haddix
Associate Subject Editor, Good Eating
Chicago, Ill.

Chris Koetke
Dean of Department of Culinary Arts, Kendall College
Chicago, Ill.

Ina Pinkney
Owner, Ina’s Restaurant
Chicago, Ill.

Nancy Rodriguez
President, Food Marketing Support Services, Inc.
Oak Park, Ill.