**FOOD NETWORK SEPTEMBER 2011 HIGHLIGHTS**
FOOD NETWORK FINALES OF
‘THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK RACE’ AND ‘CHOPPED CHAMPIONS’
Plus: Two New Series ‘Sweet Genius’ and ‘Crave’
Food Network swings into September with season finales of two primetime hits and 72 premiere episodes of fan-favorite shows. America’s favorite food trucks continue their cross-country journey with Tyler Florence throughout September in new episodes of The Great Food Truck Race Sundays at 9pm with the season finale airing Sunday, September 25th at 9pm.
The competition continues with Chopped Champions as returning winners battle it out for a chance to win a $50,000 prize on Tuesdays at 10pm and the judges crown the reigning champion Tuesday, September 27th at 10pm. In a new sugary series, Sweet Genius, Ron Ben-Israel joins Food Network as a judge in the new competition series, where chefs must prove their pastry chops in three unpredictable challenges to win the $10,000 cash prize premiering Thursday, September 22nd at 10pm.
Troy Johnson also joins the network taking viewers on his food-obsessed trek to find America’s favorite food passions in the new series Crave premiering Monday, August 29th at 8:30pm. Another fresh face on Food Network, Ree Drummond keeps viewers entertained with a peek into her life on the ranch in the daytime series Pioneer Woman airing Saturdays at 11:30am while Sandra Lee, a Food Network veteran, teaches viewers how to cook on a budget in new episodes of Sandra’s Money Saving Meals airing Saturdays at 9:30am.
Online, FoodNetwork.com serves up fan-favorite, five-star recipes complete with real quotes and experiences from viewers.
Join the Food Network conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
FEATURED FINALES
The Great Food Truck on Food Network *Image courtesy of Food Network
- Premiering Sunday, September 4th at 9pm – “Big Bites, Little Apple” The five remaining teams roll into Manhattan, Kan., and hope to impress guest judge Charles Fezzura. After a variety of challenges, the team who earns the least must head home.
- Premiering Sunday, September 11th at 9pm – “Hog Wild in Memphis” The final four trucks land in Memphis, Tenn., and stakes are high as the dishes they create are judged by Jim Neely, the godfather of Memphis barbeque.
- Premiering Sunday, September 18th at 9pm – “Midnight Truck to Georgia” The three remaining teams roll into Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta in hopes to impress Chef Kevin Rathbun for a guaranteed spot in the finals.
- Premiering Sunday, September 25th at 9pm – “Miami Heat Finale” The final two teams arrive in Miami and receive their challenges before racing to the finish line in South Beach for the $100,000 grand prize.
- Premiering Tuesday, September 6th at 10pm Returning winners Shehu Fitzgerald, Alejandra Padilla, Michael Vignola and Danielle Saunders fight for a spot in the $50,000 finale competition with judges Aarón Sanchez, Geoffrey Zakarian and Maneet Chauhan.
- Premiering Tuesday, September 13th at 10pm Four previous Chopped champs, Miguel Aguilar, Lauren Gerrie, Jamie Bisonnette and Laura Henry-Zoubir attempt to elbow their way to victory with judges Alex Guarnaschelli, Marc Murphy and Susan Feniger.
- Premiering Tuesday, September 20th at 10pm Four returning winners Eric Levine, Marie-Claude Mendy, Justin Burdett and Alan Harding fight for the last remaining spot with judges Alex Guarnaschelli, Geoffrey Zakarian and Maneet Chauhan.
- Premiering Tuesday, September 27th at 10pm Only one two-time champ can claim the grand prize in the Chopped Champions finale, and the four finalists battle it out for the $50,000 prize. Judges include: Aarón Sanchez, Alex Guarnaschelli and Marc Murphy.
SERIES PERMIERES
Ron Ben-Israel Host of 'Sweet Genius' on Food Network' *Image courtesy of Food Network
Sweet Genius: Premiering Thursday, September 22nd at 10pm Sweet Genius is a sugar-packed competition series that challenges America’s premiere pastry chefs to create magical and inventive desserts given inspiration, surprise ingredients and a finite amount of time. The chefs must compete in three unique pastry challenges judge by Ron Ben-Israel – the Sweet Genius himself – who will critique their work and determine who will receive the $10,000 cash prize.
Food Network Satisfies Mouthwatering New Series ‘Crave’ *Image courtesy of Food Network
Crave: Hosted by food critic and journalist Troy Johnson, Crave takes viewers on a cross-country journey for the most perfect versions of the foods he craves. Enthralled by the culinary wonders surrounding him, Troy will travel anywhere and try anything in pursuit of his obsession. Whether it’s pizza and pork or fried chicken and ice cream, Troy is on a quest to discover foods that make his mouth water while taking viewers on his nation-wide expedition to indulge in his food fascinations.
- Premiering Monday, August 29th at 8:30pm – “Pizza: The Edible Frisbee of Glee” Food writer Troy Johnson craves pizza, and he is on a mission to find the ultimate American slice.
- Premiering Monday, September 5th at 8:30pm – “Fried Chicken: Deep Fried Love in a Bucket” Troy is on a cross-country trip to find his ultimate piece of juicy fried chicken.
- Premiering Monday, September 12th at 8:30pm – “Ice Cream: Socially Acceptable Lick Food” Troy has mapped out a trip across America to discover his ultimate ice cream scoop.
- Premiering Monday, September 19th at 8:30pm – “Bacon: The Magical Meat Stick!” Troy will stop at nothing to find the ultimate slice of bacon.
- Premiering Monday, September 26th at 8:30pm – “BBQ: Up in Smoke” Troy is on a mission to discover his ultimate barbecue meal.
FEATURED SERIES
The Pioneer Woman Premieres in September on Food Network *Image courtesy of Food Network
- Premiering Saturday, September 3rd at 11:30am “Surprise Birthday” For Todd’s seventh birthday, Ree starts the day with Lemon Blueberry Pancakes, and then conjures up a surprise birthday feast of gooey Macaroni and Cheese and juicy Sliders with a toppings bar.
- Premiering Saturday, September 10th at 11:30am “Cowgirls and Cowboys”Ree tries to impress Ladd with Penne alla Vodka and later throws a cowgirl’s dinner with Goat Cheese and Dill appetizers, chilled Sangria and a delicious Fig, Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza.
- Premiering Saturday, September 17th at 11:30am “The Drummond Bunch” It’s all about work, food and fun on Ree’s ranch, where she’s cooking up fabulous and satisfying Cajun Chicken Pasta, Ladd’s Favorite Sandwich, Egg in the Hole and Cherry Limeade.
- Premiering Saturday, September 24th at 11:30am “Frontier Family” For a field trip to a local museum and wild life reserve, Ree makes Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies, and on Sunday, she cooks up comfort classics like savory Perfect Pot Roast and sweet Blackberry Cobbler.
- Premiering Saturday, September 11th at 9:30am – “Easy Al Fresco” Sandra Lee creates the perfect outdoor menu at the perfect price. She starts with her Mediterranean Salad with Grilled Chicken and then spices things up with Grilled Sausage with Tuscan Beans. For desert, she serves up Peaches n’ Cream Cups and ends with a fast and easy Three Layer Bean Dip as her Round Two Recipe.
- Premiering Saturday, September 18th at 9:30am – “Seasonally Simple” Sandra Lee’s seasonally simple menu features an easy Grilled Vegetable Panini, a fast and hearty Chicken and Corn Chowder and Berries with Italian Custard. Her Round Two Recipe is a delicious Chicken and Ratatouille Pasta.
- Premiering Saturday, September 25th at 9:30am – “Family Feast” Sandra Lee prepares a money saving feast for the price of a regular weeknight meal starting with a Brown Sugar Glazed Ham and a Root Vegetable Au Gratin. For a tasty cocktail, Sandra serves up Pineapple Paradise and whips up Pineapple Pudding Cakes for dessert. She finishes with her Round Two recipe: Ham Skillet Casserole.
SEASON PREMIERES
- Premiering Monday, September 12th at 9pm – “Grillin and Smokin”
- Premiering Monday, September 19th at 9pm – “Southern Flavor”
- Premiering Monday, September 26th at 10pm – “Getting Fresh”
- Premiering Monday, September 12th at 10pm – “All American” Guy Fieri, Michael Symon, Alton Brown and Bobby Flay are just a few of the chefs waving a flag for their favorite All-American dishes. Whether it is sauced-up barbecue fried chicken, a hot dog with 50 topping choices, an apple pie smothered in salted caramel or a gloriously over-the-top sandwich, these chefs dish about their favorite treats.
- Premiering Monday, September 19th at 10pm – “New Orleans” Head to the bayou with Alton Brown, Emeril Lagasse, Claire Robinson, Wolfgang Puck and others for the best food New Orleans has to offer – from beignets and bread pudding, to banana cream pie and fresh-made taffy.
- Premiering Monday, September 26th at 9pm – “Messy” Burners smothered in slaw, a lasagna sandwich and bread oozing with sweet decadent chocolate are just a few of the dishes Andrew Zimmern, Duff Goldman, Alton Brown and others say are delicious, and best of all…messy.
ONLINE CONTENT
Fan Favorite Recipes
Five stars and 500+ reviews, FoodNetwork.com rounds up their fans’ most-loved recipes, all with a heap of helpful commentary. Each bite explains why they belong in every cook’s recipe box with fan quotes about how much they love the recipes. Plus, users find best-of-the-best Italian recipes, including ten five-star dishes from Giada de Laurentiis and top desserts from Paula Deen, Barefoot Contessa and Alton Brown.
NEW EPISODES
Food Network Challenge: Premiering Sunday, September 4th at 8pm – “Extreme Pirate Cakes”
Iron Chef America: Premiering Sunday, September 4th at 10pm – “Cora vs. Carter”
Food Network Challenge: Premiering Sunday, September 25th at 8pm – “Lion King Cakes”
Daytime: Aarti Party, Bobby Flay’s Barbeque Addiction, Ten Dollar Dinners, 30 Minute Meals, Barefoot Contessa, Cooking For Real, Down Home With The Neelys, Giada At Home, Sandwich King, Pioneer Woman, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee
Primetime: Cupcake Wars, Heat Seekers, Hungry Girl, Restaurant Impossible, Sugar High
This fun foodie programming in September on Food Network is making me hungry!
Thank you for reading EATnLISTEN.COM foodie blog.
Brad
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