Predict who will be eliminated every week and compete against other fans with BuddyTV's:
The Next Food Network Star Fantasy TVWe're down to nine aspiring TV chefs on
The Next Food Network Star and the competition isn't getting any easier. A new challenge is in store for tonight and, as expected, one unfortunate contestant will be eliminated.
But before anything else, here's a quick refresher of the premiere, in case you missed it. Season 5 opened with 10 hopeful chefs struggling with their first challenge: catering a press party for the Food Network's 16th anniversary. The contestants tried to impress members of the national press, as well as some of the Food Network stars, including Bobby Flay, Giada De Laurentiis, Alton Brown, Duff Goldman, and Aaron McCargo, the 2008 winner of
Next Food Network Star. In the end, one chef emerged as the Selection Committee's least favorite and Jen Isham was sent home.
All in all, it was a successful fifth season premiere for
The Next Food Network Star --- the show earned an average of 1.6 million households (a 14 percent increase over season 4) and 2.2 million total viewers (up 16 percent over season 4), becoming the highest-rated and most-watched series premiere in Food Network history. The question is: will viewers stick around the rest of the season?
With the challenges becoming more intriguing as we head further into the season, I don't see why not. Tonight's episode, as a case in point, features the nine remaining finalists receiving their next challenge from
Esquire's articles editor Ryan D'Agostino. The test: they must create a recipe for the Esquire man that works for the magazine's "Recipe for Men" section.
Subsequently, the finalists are greeted with another challenge as they head to the
Good Housekeeping test kitchen where they are welcomed by Giada De Laurentiis and
Good Housekeeping's editor-in-chief, Rosemary Ellis. The contestants are then randomly assigned a holiday and must prepare a dish that represents their holiday in a new and exciting way. The winner of this challenge will later find out that he or she will be featured in
Good Housekeeping's July issue, and the next finalist is eliminated.
Which challenge are you looking forward to?
-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff ColumnistSource: Food Network
(Image courtesy of Food Network)