Next Iron Chef

Alton Brown's Good Eats days are over, but he's nowhere near throwing in the towel. Alton claims he's on camera more days this year than ever between hosting Iron Chef America and launching a new show on the Food Network this coming Spring. But that's not all that's on Alton's plate: he's also the proud mentor of Food Network Star winner Justin Warner and is the executive producer of Justin's forthcoming show.

I chatted with Alton to discuss all the juicy details of his latest Food Network project, Justin's new show, and The Next Iron Chef: Redemption, which premieres Nov. 4.

YumSugar: What can we expect from The Next Iron Chef: Redemption?

Keep reading for the latest from Alton.

Those of you who've tuned into the Food Network at all in recent days might have heard that the last season of The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs has just wrapped, and a new champion has emerged victorious out of the star-studded (and highly competitive) lineup.

That would be Geoffrey Zakarian, guest judge of Food Network's Chopped and chef and owner of The National and The Lambs Club in New York City and Tudor House in Miami.

I had a chance to catch up with the chef over the phone, where he revealed his thoughts on why he won, how he hopes to set himself apart from the others on Iron Chef America, and what he always makes for the holidays.

YumSugar: You had a very serious expression on your face when the final outcome was revealed. What was your first thought when they announced you as the winner?
Geoffrey Zakarian: Well, they actually didn't call my name, which was sort of confusing, because whenever anyone got kicked off, they would actually say, "You will not be the next Iron Chef." But I was stunned, shocked, and relieved; there was a real sense of accomplishment.

Zakarian on his toughest Next Iron Chef moments, and his upcoming Kitchen Stadium challenges, after the jump.

The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs premiered on Food Network last night. Just as expected from the lineup of the accomplished and talented chefs, the competition was fierce.

In the last installments of The Next Iron Chef, just appearing on the show was a feat in itself; the tables have turned this season. All of the contestants have an established following — most even have a restaurant or two up their sleeves.

The difference was clear, even from this first episode: each of these chefs has the culinary chops to be the next Iron Chef. The real challenge here is going to be standing up to the pressure, remaining confident, and not getting lost in their head, regardless of what crazy circumstances are thrown in their direction.

The first challenge tested the resourcefulness of all the competitors: the 10 cheftestants were paired off into teams and promptly dropped in the middle of nowhere. All the teams had was a suckling pig, a spread of local ingredients, the necessary elements to build a fire, and the instructions to cook their hearts out. Given the situation, what all the chefs managed to create was nothing short of spectacular. Keep reading to see which team won the challenge and who was forced to duke it out in Kitchen Stadium.

Since day one, Alton Brown's been host of the competition The Next Iron Chef, and this star-studded season, which premieres tomorrow night at 9 p.m., the Food Network favorite will be back and bigger than ever.

Earlier this month, I ran into Alton at the New York City Wine & Food Festival, where he talked about what makes The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs different from previous seasons, and why he's not just any old TV host.

More on the show — including his opinion of the final outcome! — when you read ahead.

Michael Chiarello is no stranger to reality TV cooking competitions: he was a runner-up on the first season of Top Chef: Masters and has been a guest on Bravo's regular Top Chef series.

When I caught up with him briefly at the New York City Wine & Food Festival, I was curious to know what would compel the seasoned chef — who's a fan of YumSugar! — to put himself on the cutting board once again.

See what he had to say when you keep reading.

Between Alex's Day Off, her two restaurants, and a column on Food Network, star chef and restaurateur Alex Guarnaschelli has her hands pretty full. Still, she's somehow made room to compete in the forthcoming star-studded season of Next Iron Chef, which premieres this Sunday, Oct. 30.

We caught up with her at the New York City Wine & Food Festival to get her thoughts on competing under pressure, making new celebrity chef friends, and the show's most emotional moments.

YumSugar: What was it like competing in Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs?
Alex Guarnaschelli: It was like going to sleep-away camp and being 18 again, in a way. You're removed from your normal life, in an abyss, with a knife and chunks of meat. It was an interesting experience. I made some friends that I didn't expect to make, like this one. [Michael Chiarello walks up].

Michael Chiarello: We had a love child on the series. [Winks.]
AG: I'd never met Michael Chiarello, as an example. I thought, "Wow, he's a tough cookie — I don't know about that one," but then we wound up in tears, laughing so hard, so many times. He would just give me that little look and a little flick of the eye, that little Clint Eastwood facial expression and it just kind of reboots you. It reminded me how alive we are. I don't know if that's good. It's kind of like being whipped with a thunderbolt.

Read on to hear more of Alex's takeaways from Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs.

Food Network personality Anne Burrell has come a long way since appearing as Mario Batali's sous chef on Iron Chef America; this coming Sunday, Oct. 30, she'll have come full circle, appearing as a contestant herself, as part of the star-studded cast of Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs.

Earlier this month, we sat down with the brazen blond chef to ask her a few questions about appearing on the show's upcoming fourth season, her brand-new cookbook, and what she's seen on her other show, Worst Cooks in America.

YumSugar: Was the whole experience filming Next Iron Chef emotional?
Anne Burrell: It's all so emotional, the roller coaster, the ups and downs of all of it, beyond words. I was really shocked about how much it got to me. When the whole thing was said and done, I couldn't believe how much of it stuck with me. I thought about it, I went over it, I rehashed it, all of this stuff, the highs and lows of the season, stayed with me for weeks.

After the break, more of Anne on Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs.

Although it's barely been six months since Marc Forgione was named winner of the Next Iron Chef, the Food Network has already announced the cast of the next round of competitors — and it's more star-studded than ever!

Instead of featuring established restaurant chefs hoping to increase their profiles, the participants consist of well-known Food Network stars and Top Cheffers like Michael Chiarello, Anne Burrell, and Spike Mendelsohn. Even Top Chef Masters winner Marcus Samuelsson is getting competitive.

To see the complete list of chefs who will duke it out to win the title of Iron Chef come Oct. 30, keep reading.

Before his demo at the Food & Wine and Rum Festival in Barbados, the likable chef Ming Tsai sat down for a quick one-on-one interview. Although Tsai was at the tail end of a whirlwind book tour promoting his first cookbook in five years, Simply Ming One-Pot Meals, he wasn't tired of talking about the important message in what he considers his "most timely of all books." To see what Tsai had to say about One-Pot Meals, The Next Iron Chef, and more, keep reading.