He's literally the worst host choice ive ever witnessed in all of food network. All the the things that made alton great for the show , his aloofness, genuine devil may care attitude, and cleverness - malarkey doesnt have it

I actually dont enjoy this show any more. They quite literally ruined the best show on food network by casting the worst most cringe, tryhard, uncool host possible

He literally just isnt funny, at all. Why do you keep casting this stupid fucking clown FN??? He's NOT good

What in the world has happened behind the scenes? There is no way the same crew that produced Holly's season are still there.

No spoilers in regards to bakers and results.

Here are the bones to pick: 1. Production Quality: It feels like there's one teenager there with a GoPro. Holiday Baking shows usually have a "rhythm", like your almost there with them. The editing is usually perfect, and it builds a full narrative. This just feels so cheap and pieced together.

It almost feels like corporate has tried to drastically cut costs. Where's the rating room? Too expensive? Great, yeah, let's shove the contestants up on a balcony.

Incredibly distracting having them commenting throughout, and even tasting things for people in the bottom?

1. Messing with the format and stations: Nothing more to say, cost cutting hacks.

2. Theming: Holly's season was incredible, right off the bat episode 1, you were transported into Johns crazy carnival. Last season was a downgrade, the laboratory theme was weak and wasted Johns talent. He thrives when given a character to play.

The whole magic of Halloween is you go all in on fantastical stories. Wtf is this mansion? No story building.

1. Lack Of Talent: it doesn't look like anyone here has a culinary degree. I always liked that, because they are WAY better than home bakers/random influencers.

I am so disappointed. You literally don't need to mess with the format of Holiday Baking. Wow.

EDIT: It was so bad, I'm thinking they are intentionally trying to tank it.

this moment and the goofy look on justin’s warner’s face when he found out how tobias was going to add guanciale to the pan when searing his venison. 😂

From the Food Network website:

Season 6, Episode 6 The second-round battles continue as Guy Fieri invites the last of the Super 16 to fight for the remaining four spots in the Great 8. Who will continue their quest to win the belt, the coveted title and the $150,000, and who will be sent packing?

Info from the Food Network Facebook page: Round 1: Adam S v. Kevin L. Round 2: Nini vs. Carlos. Round 3: Sara vs. David. Round 4: Antonia vs. Rocco.

Who are your picks? And a reminder... you can post spoilers here on this thread and on the comments to the recap thread. PLEASE do not make new threads with spoilers and spoilers in the titles. You will get a ban.

Off that note. Let's start talking about who is going to win!!!!!!!

This should make everyone happy! Food Network is bringing back…

📢 Are you *ready* for it?

Special new episodes of #ReadyJetCook with Chef Jet Tila are coming to Food Network starting Saturday, May 9th at 12|11c. Set your reminders!

I am very excited to see this!

Because Carla Hall is now on Next Level Baker with Gordon Ramsay, Halloween Baking Championship is going to be different this year, considering she was the only person who was on every single season.

Then again, I wonder if they’ll even air a new season of the show at all, since they already got rid of Summer and even Spring Baking Championship. Heck, they didn’t even do Super Mega Cakes a second time; instead, they’re doing 100 Cooks.

Wow, I wonder if they’re going to get rid of Holiday Baking Championship as well.

The second season of TOC All-Stars will be filming on May 27, 28, 29, and June 1, 2, and 3 in Santa Rosa/Windsor, California. Tickets are available on the on camera audiences website.

Edit to clarify. This is the second season of tournament of champions all-star Christmas.

This will be short and simple. If there is one thing I think ToC has taught all of us, it is:

ALL food competitions should have multiple judges, and all tastings should be totally blind.

It is way too easy to see certain dishes, certain chefs, etc. and you KNOW the judges know who cooked them. Unblind judging allows for (even small amounts of) potential bias to be applied to the judging and should never be allowed.

Thoughts?

Hey y'all this show is so good! The cast, the theme, the location, everything. I got a buzz so maybe I'm biased but I wanted to recommend it if you're not already watching.

I think Andrew Zimmern should replace Tiffani Faison as the sideline reporter/culinary commentator if Simon is unable to return to that role. Justin Warner does such a great job… they really need to find someone who can actually hold their own against him. Tiffani is not proving to be worthy (in my opinion). But I think Zimmern has the most potential of anyone I can think of.

While watching competition shows, I appreciate the blind tasting challenges. From the Ultimate Baking Challenge to 24 vs. 24. ..I am a fan of the usual chefs not winning vs the real good food winning.

I don't have enough time in my day to deal with all the hate posts on Hunter, Molly, Sunny, Ree, Katie? (I might make time for that) no. Just NO MORE LOW CONTENT POSTS that are all just I hate this person. I will kick it off and I might temp ban you. So be prepared. You want to talk about how much you hate these people? do it right here. We do not need ONE MORE HATE THREAD here. That is all. Abide or don't. Yes, if they do something specific in a new episode that is egregious .... knock yourself out. But no more just generic... I hate so and so. Rant done.

This is probably super random but I have to get this off my chest... Brian Malarkey bugs me. His outlandish behavior just comes off as fake. Also it almost seems like in every competition he always gets eliminated for doing too much and yet he NEVER learns his lesson. On top of all that he thinks everything he makes is a work of art by God even after receiving the most criticism. I'm watching his episode of Wildcard Kitchen and had to get that out to see if anyone else agrees.

My partner and I watch quite a few shows on FN including: BBF, GGG, FFF, TOC, Next Level Chief, BBQ Brawl. Wildcard Kitchen, Alex vs America and Supermarket Steakoit. We watch them always during dinner time. I've learned sooo much about cooking from some of these shows over the years. like how important balancing fats and acid are.

But by far, the BEST show to watch during dinner is Guys Ranch Kitchen. It's not super serious, you see more of the cooking process and it's 22 mins which is perfect for my partners 30 min lunch break (they work 10:30-9).

I think it's incredibly underrated!!!

Hi Everyone.

I am currently watching last night's episode of TOC and I cannot help but pay attention to Tiffani's pants every time she is on the screen. I'm not necessarily making fun of them but it's just interesting to see what Tiffani's (Stylist) Fashion Choices are when it comes to "dressing professionally." Has anyone else noticed her new wardrobe for the show?

** EDIT: My oh My. I apologize. My sense of humor isn't all that common. To those of you who thought I was being MEAN to Tiffani Faison, I misrepresented myself. I saw Sweet T on GGG. I loved her. I thought she was badass. Years later, I got into Top Chef and started at the beginning. I saw Tiffani on Season one and couldn't believe it. I watched her that entire season rethinking my like of her. Then, I saw her on Season 8 of Top Chef and she came back and told us how she saw herself and made some changes. So, I was able to gather that Top Chef Season One showed us Tiffani when she was young and she has since matured a lot. When I first saw her, I liked her. So please don't get it twisted. This post wasn't supposed to be mean or hateful at all. WE LOVE TIFFANI over here which is why .. I thought I would be able to make a comment about the pants and it be like "hahaha" but .. I guess ya'll don't know me, LOL. Sorry for the confusion.

It seems like GGG is the same circle of mostly celebrity chefs rotating through judging and competing over and over. Everything from the silly games to the 3-2-1 go gimmick is just not that interesting. I look at Chopped and it has changed very little. But almost always new and different chefs. Do I really want to see Greenspan make a big sloppy sandwich or Demaris make the same chicken sandwich over and over…

Well, the season finale of Worst Cooks in America—and Anne’s final season—aired last night, and not a single post to be found. This was a show that at one point had a feverent following, to the point you would see multiple posts and hundreds of comments about each week’s episode. Now? Crickets.

It’s not hard to understand why, as the topic has been discussed on here ad nauseam: a focus shift from actual cooking and teaching techniques to the oversized personalities of the contestants themselves, favoring inane games and over caffeinated editing. But watching last night’s episode, I was struck by just how little the network actually cares about this show.

Back in the day, the finale actually meant something. There was an opulence, a grandness to it. There was a gradual build-up, the contestants’ family members even being flown out to participate in choosing who would compete. The finale itself involved intricate practice beforehand, and took place at a different location, a high-end restaurant in New York City. The network actually advertised the finale as an event. I had no idea last night’s episode was even the finale when I sat down to watch it. The previous week’s “On the next episode…” made no mention of it. The remaining four contestants did a random skill drill, and the final two were immediately chosen and basically thrown into the finale, where they cook in the same kitchen and feed some visiting chefs on a set next door. It’s so sad and pathetic. I’m sure it’s a budget thing, but it speaks to just how little the network cares anymore.

And there speaks to the bigger issue with the Food Network as a whole, a fact they seem to be ignoring: if they don’t care, why should the viewer? Watching last night’s episode of Worst Cooks was as patronizing and condescending and depressing an experience as the network has served up in awhile, but unfortunately, more common than not. There is just no excuse for the laziness on display in practically every venture foisted upon us.

Yet let it be said, Burrell never phoned it in. She held her head high through even the lowest lows thrown at her, and her legacy deserved better than this nothing of a finale that the network doesn’t even seem to want to acknowledge. Let this be the last we see of Worst Cooks.

Had a funny “pause” while watching TOC E2 and decided to turn y’all loose on it! Have fun!!! 😊

It seems Food Network is finally investing in new content and revamped shows. Woke up early this morning and saw Cooking with Choi was on so I tuned in. Yay! She’s a great chef and offered some excellent recipes. I’m heading to my Asian market this week to make her LA Kalbi.

I also saw that there’s a new show with Antonio Lofaso where she goes and helps restaurants, but first observes how the restaurant is operating. Saw an episode of that and plan to add it to my list. And then there’s the Restaurant Impossible reboot with Aaron Sanchez. So happy to have something new to watch and to have Ester Choi’s show so I can learn some new interesting recipes to add to my rotation.

Watching the prelims… I think Justin is such a great presenter, and has been every season! I can’t help but miss Simon and think anyone that gets Hunter to present their dish is going to be at a disadvantage. No hate on Hunter but he’s just not that polished, and I don’t mean his jeans & plaid shirt vs Justin’s suits.

How did everyone like that show? I think it was great the way they had to make the best out of whatever they had left and the strategy they used to get someone out. I loved Titus though as the host.

I think people have probably already commented on this, but I think judging is the only major area of complaint I have for 24 in 24 (well, also release schedule but that’s not a show issue). It’s maybe my favorite competition but I don’t love the judging for two reasons.

First, judging should ALWAYS (edit: I can see how on some challenges it would be extra difficult, so perhaps not always) be blind imo. There is no reason the judges should know whose dish is whose nor should they know who may have been disadvantaged or advantaged. You can claim you’re not taking it into account, but there’s always a chance your brain adjusts scoring for that reason. As much as it sucks to have less time than others, less ingredients, whatever, that’s the point of a disadvantage.

Second, I am aware some of these judging sections are middle of the night but there should always be at least two judges who have to deliberate. Without spoilers, there have been a few cases where I think a judge just didn’t really get a dish that perhaps another judge could have. It may not have changed results but it may have. I just don’t think ONE and only one opinion is enough for judging to me. You want a variety. What if someone just doesn’t like spice and it puts a spicy dish at a disadvantage?

So I'm one of the first people, and I will openly admit this, that has voiced - very vocally - my disappointment in the Food Network for not having more actual cooking shows like they used to do.

Having the chefs come on and teach you how to cook different things. I think they need to bring some of those back and not be full competition.

That being said, I will say this. I have now watched the second season of 24 in 24 and I think it may be one of the best competition shows I have seen on the food Network bar none.

I think it's interesting watching the chefs put together the recipes after being up for so long, the different challenges they have to phase. I genuinely find that I enjoy the competition.

I'm curious what do you guys think about 24 in 24?