Worst Cooks in America, Season 5: Highlights from Episode 1

The cast stand in front of Bobby Flay and Anne Burrell as seen on Food Networkâ s Worst Cooks
in America, Season 5.

Photo: Rich Freeda ©

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These Are Your Season 5 Worst Cooks

Fourteen culinary klutzes have been recruited by Chefs Anne and Bobby for seven weeks of Boot Camp. Each week the challenges will get more difficult, culminating with the finale: cooking "a professional meal for a panel of culinary experts," says Bobby. And $25,000 will be awarded to one lucky winner who has shown the most growth.

Bobby Flay and Anne Burrell on set as seen on Food Networkâ s Worst Cooks in America, Season 5.

Photo: Rich Freeda ©

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Get Ready for a Rematch

After Bobby broke Anne's winning streak last season, it's anyone's game this time. Will Bobby bring it home again for the Blue Team, or will Anne reclaim the title for her Red Team? First, though, before the mentors choose their recruits, they will test them with a baseline Skill Drill, which will be "to prepare a dish that tells us who you are," says Bobby.

Cast Member Jamie Thomas cooks as Anne Burrell and Bobby Flay watch as seen on Food Networkâ s Worst Cooks in America, Season 5.

Photo: Rich Freeda ©

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It's "Chef" to You

As a flight attendant, Jamie's not used to doing much more than reheating food. He's having trouble browning the meat for his chili, but when Anne stops by he makes the mistake of calling her "Boo." "Call me 'Boo' again and you're going to be saying 'boo hoo,'" she says.

Cast Members Amber Brauner and Casey Pentony cook during a cooking challenge as seen on Food Networkâ s Worst Cooks in America, Season 5.

Photo: Rich Freeda ©

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Nailing It

"I'm, like, totally trembling," Amber tells Casey as both of them prepare rice as a side dish for their plates. Casey wants to know when to drain the water from her rice. "You don't drain water out of rice," Amber tells her. Bobby's concerned Amber's nails will get in the way and asks her if she's going to keep them. "My nails haven't failed me yet," says Amber.

Chef Bobby Flay looks on as cast member Carie Keller cooks as seen on Food Networkâ s Worst Cooks in America, Season 5.

Photo: Rich Freeda ©

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Trying Too Hard

Carie is cooking a steak dinner, but instead of waiting to cook the meat closer to the end of the 60-minute challenge, she starts searing it right away. "I don't want it to be cold when you eat it," she tells Bobby, who is a little concerned. "Oh, my God. That steak died twice already," he tells her.

Chef Anne Burrell looks on as cast member Muneerah Warner complains as seen on Food Networkâ s Worst Cooks in America, Season 5.

Photo: Rich Freeda ©

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Boot Camp Is No Place for Whining

Muneerah wants to learn how to cook so she can fetch a husband. But after just 20 minutes into the challenge, she's getting tired. Anne stops by to whip her into shape: "Stand up! What's wrong with you? Act like a big girl!" But Anne leaves without seeing a glimmer of hope: "Bobby, this one's for your team!"

Chef Bobby Flay and cast member Carol Holder hold their hands up at the end of a cooking challenge as seen on Food Networkâ s Worst Cooks in America, Season 5.

Photo: Rich Freeda ©

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Surrendering to Defeat

Carol doesn't hide anything when it comes to admitting her culinary shortcomings. "Whenever I'm in the kitchen, everyone leaves. They pray. Then we order in." Bobby thinks she's "really good at going to lunch," but he worries about whether she can actually make anything.

Cast Member Lance Greene easts from the hand of Chef Anne Burrell as Bobby Flay laughs as seen on Food Networkâ s Worst Cooks in America, Season 5.

Photo: Rich Freeda ©

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Out of Hand

Lance, who's calling himself "the black Bobby Flay," is more concerned about presentation than with taste; not knowing how hot they are, he uses sliced habanero chile as garnish. Anne makes him taste it, and he eats directly from her hand, which has Bobby in fits of laughter: "That was my favorite moment in history."

Cast Member Stephanie Saint Aubin presents her first main dish challenge to Chefs Bobby Flay and Anne Burrell as seen on Food Networkâ s Worst Cooks
in America, Season 5.

Photo: Rich Freeda ©

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You Made What?

Stephanie presents her stew with "chocolate," which she made using vanilla extract and brown sugar. She admits she doesn't know what chocolate is, and Bobby is dumbfounded. He instead tries a grape. "Maybe you should try to dip in the chocolate," she says. But he doesn't go for it.

Photo: Rich Freeda ©

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The Absolute Worst Among the Worst

Before assembling their teams, Anne and Bobby announce the worst of the worst: Muneerah. Her award for that distinction is choosing her coach. "I love Bobby Flay. I want Bobby Flay," she says. Jamie is the runner-up and ends up on Anne's team. "Anne Burrell seems a little intense. I just don't see us jelling," he worries. The recruits return for their first Main Dish challenge the following day.

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Rising Temptation

On a new day in Boot Camp, Bobby and Anne welcome the recruits with boxes and boxes of pizzas. Bobby lures Benji over with a slice, then snaps the box lid on his hands. "You think we're just going to give you pizza?" he asks. "You've got to cook your meals. That's the whole point." Anne explains their challenge will be to make pizza from scratch, including the dough.

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Learning Through Seeing But Not Doing

After the mentors' demonstrations, the recruits are sent off to cook and replicate the recipe in 90 minutes. Luckily Danny's method for learning is visual memorization: "If I keep repeating these, I likely won't forget," he says. So when Bobby shows him how to form pizzas, Danny's a quick study. Unfortunately it doesn't help him when the pizzas burn later.

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Different Definitions of Pizza

Mike's idea of making pizza is as follows: "You take a knife, you cut the cellophane, you slide it off the cardboard, 375, done." But this challenge is not that kind of cooking, and Anne makes sure of it, snapping him back into reality that it's about cooking from scratch.

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Animal Inspiration

Danielle takes a similar approach to the pizza challenge as she did the day before when she made her Catty Quesadilla. She tells Bobby "I'm channeling a cat right now" about making her dough. To Bobby's surprise the pizzas turn out pretty good — and he's happy "they're not in the shape of cats."

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Aha Moments

Benji's set with the crumbled sausage topping for Anne's pizzetta, but he's lost when it comes to peeling an onion. After she awes him by removing a layer, he realizes "I don't understand ... whatever that there is behind cooking something." Anne urges him to hurry up by chasing him through the kitchen. Now the recruits must each make a second pizza with just 30 minutes left.

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Not Everything Is As It Appears

Anne was much more impressed by Joe's dance moves than she is with his food. But on the Blue Team, Bobby says he expected more from Joe and was let down by his pizza's looks. "Your appearance is very neat," says Bobby. "So I always think that someone's going to apply that to what they're plating as well."

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Overconfidence Doesn't Belong in Boot Camp

"I thought I had problems in the kitchen," says Ken, who thinks he's better off than most of his teammates, especially Casey. But when it comes to his pizza, Anne calls him out on an obvious issue: There's "crushed red pepper everywhere. I have a feeling it's going to be very spicy."

Anne Burrell and Bobby Flay meet with the teams for the first of the season as seen on Food Network's Worst Cooks in America, Season 5.

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Picking Two of the Best Out of the Worst

After tasting all the recruits' pizzas, the chefs announce that the winners are Blue Team's Amber and Red Team's Jamie, who was deemed the second-worst just the day before. Anne and Bobby call forward the bottom two from each of their teams. Everyone else is safe and will move on to next week.

Anne Burrell and Bobby Flay Muneerah Warner during the first of the season as seen on Food Network's Worst Cooks in America, Season 5.

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Hopeful for the Future

In the end, Bobby decides to keep Lance, which means Muneerah is going home. Bobby was concerned she wasn't "getting it" and didn't see the glimmer of hope. "Boot Camp was the step in the right direction for me," says Muneerah, "but whatever man I'll meet, maybe he'll be able to cook."

Looking for the Most Potential

"One of you is showing a bit more desire to learn," says Anne in deciding to keep Benji. She asks for Casey's apron back. "I think my boyfriend will be more disappointed than I am," says Casey. "I have accomplished more in this one week than in my entire life cooking."