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Food Fighters (TV series)

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Food Fighters
Genre
Created byTim Puntillo
Directed byIvan Dudynsky
Presented byAdam Richman
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes18 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Ben Silverman
  • Tim Puntillo
  • Chris Grant
  • Jimmy Fox (season 1)
  • Laura Caraccioli (season 2)
Production locationLos Angeles, California
Running time42 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseJuly 22, 2014 (2014-07-22) –
September 3, 2015 (2015-09-03)

Food Fighters is an American reality based cooking television series hosted by Adam Richman that pits a home chef against five professional chefs in a series of cooking competitions for a chance to win up to $100,000. The series premiered July 22, 2014 on NBC as a summer replacement series. On January 21, 2015, NBC renewed the show for a second season.[1] The second season premiered July 2, 2015[2] and concluded September 3, 2015. In season one, new episodes aired every Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET,[3] while in season two new episodes aired every Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.

Format

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Food Fighters bills itself as "one part cooking competition, one part game show."[4] In each episode, a contestant who is a home-based amateur cook comes to the show with a list of five of their best recipes to prepare on the show. The show is divided into five rounds, one round for each recipe. In each round, a mystery professional chef comes in to challenge the contestant. The chefs are represented as black silhouettes of themselves on a large video screen and on a graphic to the home viewer before being shown. Once the chef is introduced, the contestant chooses one of their recipes to cook against the professional, and they cannot prepare a recipe more than once. The contestant generally attempts to select a recipe that is not in the known style of the chef, as the chef does not know in advance what dish they will be cooking. After a set cooking time (generally varying from 15–25 minutes), the contestant's and the chef's respective recipes are judged by a group of five ordinary food-loving people known as the "Dinner Party" in a blind taste test, who discuss positive and negative aspects of each dish. A majority vote of the Dinner Party determines the winner of the round. Each round that the contestant wins earns them a cash prize. The first round is worth $5,000, the second round is worth $10,000, the third round is worth $15,000, the fourth round is worth $20,000, and the fifth round is worth double the amount of the contestant's previous winnings, making a top possible prize of $100,000. If the chef wins a round, the contestant does not win any money for that round but continues through the entire show.[5][6] If the contestant does not win any round prior to the final round, that final round will be worth $10,000.

The fifth professional chef that competes is generally a celebrity chef that has frequently appeared on other cooking shows, especially those on Food Network, including Cat Cora, Elizabeth Falkner, Duff Goldman, Lorena Garcia, Jet Tila, and Gerry Garvin.[4] The set of the show is unique from other cooking shows in that it is a two-story set, with the contestant cooking in a kitchen upstairs on an upper level while the chef cooks in a similar kitchen on the lower level.[7] The show also publishes the contestant recipes on their website.

Episodes

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Season 1 (2014)

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S1E1: Elisha Joyce

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Professional Chefs Kevin Belton Jonny Giordani Michele Ragussis Marcel Vigneron Lorena Garcia Total Winnings
Contestant Dishes Egg Rolls Fish Tacos Mango Tart Stewed Chicken & Rice Salmon & Quinoa $60,000

S1E2: Kena Peay

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Professional Chefs Chad Ward Daniel Shemtob Deborah Benaim Stefan Richter Cat Cora Total Winnings
Contestant Dishes Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Milk & Cookies Spring Rolls Shrimp Po'boy Pan-seared Pork $100,000

S1E3: Annie Smith

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Professional Chefs Kent Rollins Manouschka Guerrier Sharone Hakman Antonia Lofaso Gerry "G" Garvin Total Winnings
Contestant Dishes Raspberry Soufflé Chicken Pot Pie Chicken Fettucine Alfredo Sweet & Spicy Shrimp Seared Ahi Tuna $90,000

NOTE: In addition to the cash, Annie Smith was given a Tobii eye tracking speech recognition device for her disabled daughter.

S1E4: Nick Evans

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Professional Chefs Kent Rollins Elise Wims Vic Vegas Casey Thompson Duff Goldman Total Winnings
Contestant Dishes Chorizo Tacos Chicken Wings & Dipping Sauce Mashed Potato Pizza Veggie Burger & Chips Eggs Benedict $70,000

S1E5: Cortney Anderson-Sanford

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Professional Chefs Hop Phan Sarah Simington Stuart O'Keefe Eric Greenspan Lorena Garcia Total Winnings
Contestant Dishes French Toast w/ Fruit Asian Salmon Chocolate Tart Lobster with Stuffing Biscuits & Gravy $100,000

S1E6: Jon Coombs

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Professional Chefs Daniel Shemtob Devin Alexander Vic Vegas Eric Greenspan Cat Cora Total Winnings
Contestant Dishes Scallops & Potatoes Macaroni & Cheese Caribbean Chicken Cookie Sandwich Shrimp & Grits $70,000

S1E7: Melissa Clinton

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Professional Chefs Josh Stone Manouschka Guerrier Michele Ragussis Mike Brown Jet Tila Total Winnings
Contestant Dishes Stuffed Chicken w/ Mashed Potatoes Meatballs w/ Ratatouille Pork Wellington Chicken Burger & Onion Rings Bacon Brownies $50,000

S1E8: Jim Stark

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Professional Chefs Josh Stone Yaku Moton-Spruill Deborah Benaim Marcel Vigneron Elizabeth Falkner Total Winnings
Contestant Dishes Fried Catfish Chocolate Cake Steak w/ Mushroom Sauce Baby Back Ribs Cheesy Polenta $70,000

Season 2 (2015)

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S2E1: "I'm Bringing the Spice" — Jacky Herrera

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Professional Chefs Ray Lampe Daniel Shemtob Stuart O'Keefe Danielle Saunders Antonia Lofaso Total Winnings
Contestant Dishes Cheese Enchiladas Beef Empanadas Pan-fried Salmon Spicy Meatballs Berry Sponge Cake $50,000

S2E2: "You're in the Big Leagues Now" — Holly Haines

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Professional Chefs Alejandra Schrader Daniel Shemtob Michele Ragussis Tiffany Derry Eric Greenspan Total Winnings
Contestant Dishes Chicken & Waffles Catfish & Hushpuppies Steak Lettuce Wrap w/ Chimichurri Chocolate Cake w/ Strawberries Shrimp & Grits $45,000

S2E3: "This Kid's Got Moves" — Troy Glass

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Professional Chefs Hop Phan Connie "Lovely" Jackson Chris Nirschel Keriann Von Raesfeld Rocco DiSpirito Total Winnings
Contestant Dishes Mac & Cheese Chicken Tacos w/ Fresh Tortillas Banana Bread & Ice Cream Hamburger & Fries Fresh Pappardelle w/ Tuna $20,000

NOTE: In addition to the cash, 14-year-old Troy Glass was given a full two-year scholarship to The Culinary Institute of America.

S2E4: "This Cheerleader's Got Game" — Amber MacDonald

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Professional Chefs Shariff Herndon Sarah Simington Viet Pham Brendan Collins Nadia G. Total Winnings
Contestant Dishes Chicken & Wine Sauce Shrimp Scampi S'mores Spaghetti & Meatballs Sausage & Peppers Sandwich $70,000

S2E5: "Fighting Fire with Food" — Ryan McKay

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Professional Chefs Dave Mueller Kai Kani Jamika Pessoa Brad Miller Lorena Garcia Total Winnings
Contestant Dishes Spicy Chicken Wings Chicken Enchiladas Crepes Suzette Southern Breakfast Biscuit Shepherd's Pie $50,000

S2E6: "Fear My Skills, and My Heels" — Alyssia Birnbaum

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Professional Chefs Ronnie Woo Manouschka Guerrier Michele Ragussis Katsuji Tanabe Brian Malarkey Total Winnings
Contestant Dishes Walnut Brownies Pasta w/ Mushroom Sauce Fried Chicken Sandwich Butternut Squash Ravioli Fried Mahi Mahi w/ Sauce $35,000

S2E7: "The Lawyer Raises the Bar" — Zac Delap

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Professional Chefs Deborah VanTrece Sarah Simington Sharone Hakman Chris Oh Fabio Viviani Total Winnings
Contestant Dishes Pad Thai Chicken Tikka Masala Chili & Cornbread Cookies & Ice Cream Asian Pork Sandwich $60,000

S2E8: "Whiz Kid in the Kitchen" — Danielle McNerney

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Professional Chefs Deborah VanTrece Alex Williams Jamika Pessoa Katsuji Tanabe Duff Goldman Total Winnings
Contestant Dishes Scallops & Cauliflower Pork Chops & Apples Pasta w/ Cream Sauce Chicken Roulade Steak Tostada w/ Salsa $0

NOTE: When the contestant lost the first four rounds, it was announced that the last match would be for $10,000.
12-year-old Danielle McNerney was given a trip to science camp from Education Unlimited and Sally Ride Science held at Stanford University,[8] and Walmart gave $20,000 to help with her mother's charity.

S2E9: "Home Cook Heavyweight" — Will Spencer

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Professional Chefs Alejandra Schrader Connie "Lovely" Jackson Kayne Raymond Keriann Von Raesfeld Aaron McCargo, Jr. Total Winnings
Contestant Dishes Chicken & Waffles Steak & Plantains Shrimp & Grits Crab Cakes w/ Remoulade Chicken Curry w/ Rice $35,000

S2E10: "This Soccer Mom Sizzles" — Alice Currah

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Professional Chefs Stephanie Goldfarb Jason Febres Deborah Benaim Chris Oh Marcel Vigneron Total Winnings
Contestant Dishes Clams & Curry Sauce Black Cod & Broccoli Pumpkin Pie Chicken Wings & Slaw Pork Fried Rice $30,000

References

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  1. ^ Bibel, Sara (January 21, 2015). "'Food Fighters' Renewed for Season 2 by NBC". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 22, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  2. ^ Roots, Kimberly (March 26, 2015). "NBC Sets Summer Dates for Game Night, Sweden, Mr. Robinson Debut". TVLine.
  3. ^ Chan, Anna (July 16, 2014). "Top chefs vs. home cooks in new 'Food Fighters'". Today. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
  4. ^ a b "About Food Fighters & Cast Bios". NBC. Archived from the original on April 8, 2015. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
  5. ^ "NBC's 'Food Fighters' Kicks Off July 22 Pitting Amateur Cooks and Their Signature Dishes Against Top Professional Chefs". TV by the Numbers (Press release). July 7, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  6. ^ Berkshire, Geoff (July 22, 2014). "'Food Fighters' Review: The TV Dinner of Culinary Contests". Variety. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
  7. ^ Rybolt, Barbara (September 3, 2014). "NBC's 'Food Fighters' pits Millburn High biology teacher against professional chefs". NJ.com. Independent Press. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
  8. ^ "Sally Ride Science Camps for Girls — Education Unlimited". Archived from the original on August 10, 2015. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
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