Ten Renowned Chefs Battle for Ultimate Culinary Title in All-Star Season of Food Network Series The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs

NEW YORK, Sept. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In an unprecedented Food Network event, ten of the world's most celebrated super chefs go to battle to become a member of the elite Iron Chef culinary society in a new eight-episode season of The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs, premiering Sunday, October 30th at 9pm ET/PT.  Hosted by Alton Brown and shot in Los Angeles and New York, the fourth season of the series amps up the competition to meet the elevated skills of these supreme experts - challenging their kitchen chops, mental toughness and masterful instincts.  

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The ten contestants are: Anne Burrell (Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, Worst Cooks in America); Michael Chiarello (Bottega Restaurant, Napa Valley, Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello), Elizabeth Falkner (Citizen Cake, San Francisco, Iron Chef America – challenger); Alex Guarnaschelli (Butter, The Darby, New York, Alex's Day Off, Chopped); Chuck Hughes (Garde Manger, Montreal, Chuck's Day Off); Robert Irvine (Robert Irvine's eat!, Hilton Head Island, Restaurant Impossible); Beau MacMillan (Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, Phoenix, Iron Chef America – challenger); Spike Mendelsohn (Good Stuff Eatery, Washington D.C., Iron Chef America – challenger); Marcus Samuelsson (Red Rooster Harlem, New York, 24 Hour Restaurant Battle, Chopped) and Geoffrey Zakarian (The National, The Lambs Club, New York, 24 Hour Restaurant Battle, Chopped).  

"The Next Iron Chef competitors this season are all superstars in their own right – they've won James Beard Awards, prepared menus for presidents and heads of state and are at the top of the culinary pyramid," said Bob Tuschman, General Manager and Senior Vice President, Programming and Production for Food Network. "With these extraordinary chefs battling it out every week in true Iron Chef-style, the show promises extraordinary culinary competitions, feats of bold imagination and nail-biting suspense."

This season, The Next Iron Chef challenges are heightened – with each episode featuring a grueling Chairman's Challenge and an intense, new element that will determine who goes home: the Secret Ingredient Showdown, which pits the two chefs at the bottom of the pack against each other in a sudden-death cook-off with only one ingredient.  In the first episode, resourcefulness is tested as host Alton Brown sends the contestants to the middle of nowhere and pairs them into teams, with just two primal culinary elements in their wilderness kitchens – heat and meat.  Upcoming episodes continue to push the limits with grand tasks, including a ballpark food to Iron Chef-worthy cuisine challenge at Petco Park, a battle to create a dish that represents 'New York on a plate' at Grand Central Station and a spectacular Hamptons seafood event for an elite audience.  Original Next Iron Chef Michael Symon, esteemed food journalist Simon Majumdar and UK Iron Chef Judy Joo serve as judges this season.

The winner will join the ranks of chefs including Bobby Flay, Marc Forgione, Masaharu Morimoto and Symon as a member of the Chairman's team on Iron Chef America.  The newly crowned Iron Chef's first battle in Kitchen Stadium will premiere on Sunday, December 25th at 9pm ET/PT.

Additionally, Food Network is partnering with Groupon for a Next Iron Chef-themed promotion, which will curate local restaurant deals with affiliated chefs and restaurants.   For viewers who want more, http://www.foodnetwork.com/the-next-iron-chef will offer exclusive content including Alton Brown's Secret Ingredient home videos, commentary from Michael Symon, blogs from Simon Majumdar, episode recaps and weekly behind-the-scenes photos.  Fans will also be able to vote for their fan favorites and enter a 'Watch and Win' sweepstakes.

The Next Iron Chef is produced by Triage Entertainment in conjunction with Food Network and is based partially on the format Iron Chef owned by Fuji Television Network, Inc.

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SOURCE Food Network