New York chef and restaurateur Geoffrey Zakarian prevailed in an intense holiday battle, earning himself a permanent spot among the Iron Chef greats.

In the very first challenge, Chef Zakarian's talent and technique were apparent as he cooked in the wilderness. He and teammate Beau MacMillan took home the season's first win.

The judges especially raved over the artichoke barigoule served with one of their pork dishes, which Chef Zakarian outlined here in his journal.

Chef Zakarian was not thrilled when Alton revealed movie candy as the key ingredient for a challenge: "The Chairman is getting very evil," he said.