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Geoffrey Zakarian on Winning The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs

Susannah Chen — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:50:31 PST

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.

Meet Food Network's Next Iron Chef, Marc Forgione

Susannah Chen — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 04:00:19 PST

If you've been tuning into the suspense that's The Next Iron Chef, then you might've heard there's a new toque ready to ward off challengers at Kitchen Stadium: New York chef Marc Forgione. On Sunday's finale, Forgione duked it out with Italian maestro Marco Canora in Battle: Honor, a challenge to create an Iron Chef-worthy Thanksgiving meal in 60 minutes. Forgione walked away with the title after executing a five-course, turkey-free meal that was modeled after the provisions eaten at the Pilgrims' very first Thanksgiving.

We caught up with the newly crowned Iron Chef the morning after his win, where he spilled the beans about everything from insights to hangups about the show. His thoughts on unfair eliminations, Kitchen Stadium, and more, after the break.

Must-Watch: Montage of Iron Chef America's Ingredients

YumSugar — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:50:45 PDT

Is it Friday yet? That's what we've been asking ourselves every single morning. Sadly, the answer is no, but we've got a midafternoon amusement that'll remedy the worst of the weekday slumps.

Today we caught wind of a video on Eater that's so brilliant we had to watch it multiple times - and so funny we wanted to make sure you saw it.

Ever wondered what it would be like to put all of Iron Chef America's secret ingredient proclamations in a video together? Yeah, we hadn't either - but the result, as it turns out, is ingenious. See the video after the jump.

Morimoto Shows Off His Crazy Knife Skills

YumSugar — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:20:38 PDT

Masaharu Morimoto's cooking demo in Aspen was exactly that: a demonstration. To be more specific, it was a mind-blowing demonstration of how stupefyingly skilled he is in the kitchen.

The Iron Chef began by making a fried fish cake noodle soup, first puréeing white fish with egg whites, potato starch, and soy, then piping the tacky, moist mousse into simmering fish broth to form udon-like noodles, which were finished with a flash-fry in vegetable oil.

But the real show began when Morimoto pulled out his mad Japanese knife techniques to create the most stunning sashimi platter that I've ever seen. Read more about it after the jump.

Cat Cora Talks Cookbooks, Motherhood, and Iron Chef

partysugar — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 04:00:04 PDT

Last week, before heading to Aspen for the Food & Wine Classic I spoke to chef Cat Cora, who is currently on tour promoting her third cookbook, Classics With a Twist. Although she is a restaurant owner, chef, cookbook author, and television star, Cora is also the busy mother of four boys. In fact, the petite chef was nine months pregnant when she shot the cover photo of the book! To find out what Cora has to say about competing on Iron Chef America and see her tips for cooking with children, read more.

What Do You Know About Iron Chef America?

partysugar — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 10:15:00 PST

Last Sunday night's Super Chef Battle: An Iron Chef America event starring Michelle Obama and White House chef Cris Comerford turned out to be the Food Network's highest-rated, most-watched show ever - attracting 7.6 million viewers. Since so many people tuned in, I put together a quiz that tests your knowledge of the culinary competition. Find out how well you know your Iron Chef fun facts now!

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Food Network Crowns a New Iron Chef

YumSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:50:13 PST

If you've been watching season two of The Next Iron Chef, then you already know that last night, a new Iron Chef was crowned. The two finalists - New York's Jehangir Mehta and Philadelphia's Jose Garces - flew back to Manhattan after a whirlwind trip in Tokyo to compete in Kitchen Stadium for the final showdown. Get the scoop (warning: spoilers ahead!) when you read more.

Are There Too Many Chef Shows on TV?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:30:02 PST

We've already talked about the abundance of dance shows on TV, but there's another genre that seems to be taking over the networks - competitive cooking. NBC just picked up United Plates of America, a new series by the producers of Top Chef which will pit hopeful restaurateurs against each other for the ultimate prize of starting their own chain. The winner gets to open four locations on the night of the finale. That's a pretty cool gift package, but it has me thinking - don't we have enough of this programming on TV already?

The premise does sound more unique than most, but it used to be that the Food Network was the only TV cooking choice with its popular Iron Chef franchise. Since then, other channels have gotten in on the act, too, like Fox's Hell's Kitchen and of course Bravo with Top Chef, Top Chef Masters, Top Chef: Just Desserts . . . need I go on?

Of course, if you're a foodie, you may be excited to have yet another show for your TiVo queue, but I wonder if all of this is overkill. How about you?

Yummy Links: From Avec Eric to The Gorbals

partysugar — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:00:40 PDT

Chef Eric Ripert brings his cool cuisine to PBS. - W
Top Chef season two winner Ilan Hall has finally opened The Gorbals, a restaurant in Los Angeles. - Eater LA
Meet Brooklyn's new backyard farms. - Serious Eats
Moving past the burn: how to taste spirits. - Chow
The chairman from Iron Chef America will compete in the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars. - Eat Me Daily
Tips for cooking on college campuses. - The Epi-Log

Food Network Brings Back Jeffrey Saad, Reveals Fall Lineup

YumSugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:40:56 PDT

If the prospect of Summer ending makes you sad, remember one of the perks of Fall: new TV lineups. Not only is Bravo's Top Chef making its return on Wednesday, but Food Network's also debuting a handful of new shows this season.

When The Next Food Network Star came to a close, nearly a third of you were surprised by the outcome, and believed runner-up Jeffrey Saad should've taken top prize instead. In a less-than-unpredictable announcement, VP of Programming Bob Tuschman revealed that the Food Network has produced a mini-series of web episodes based on Jeffrey's original pilot, The Spice Smuggler.
One month from today, the network will debut Extreme Cuisine with Jeff Corwin, the network's equivalent of the Travel Channel's hit Bizarre Foods. On the first two episodes, former Animal Planet adventure host Jeff Corwin will eat rancid butter in Morocco and dive for spiny urchin in Greece. Chopped, the food channel's answer to Top Chef, also returns with a four-week championship event that features previous Chopped champions returning to compete once more for the chance to claim the ultimate title and bank another $10,000. And on Iron Chef America, chef Michael Symon battles it out in Kitchen Stadium with a handful of culinary students.

Does the network's Fall lineup sound enticing to you? What do you think of Jeffrey's return to TV? Are you hoping that he, too, will have a future at the Food Network?

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