Sandra Lee Has Four Christmas Specials on HGTV

Acclaimed home and food expert Sandra Lee, host of Food Network’s Emmy-nominated Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee and the new hit series, Sandra’s Money Saving Meals, will cook up four one-hour primetime specials for HGTV this holiday season. In each of the Sandra Lee Celebrates specials, airing on consecutive Saturdays beginning Saturday, November 28, at 8 p.m. ET/PT, Sandra will work with deserving families to make their holidays memorable. From planning a spectacular family reunion party for a recently-returned Peace Corps volunteer to a family’s sweet celebration for special children, Sandra will offer viewers dazzling seasonal recipe and dcor ideas to create heartwarming holiday celebrations.

“Whether celebrating a holiday or the cherished company of family and friends, Sandra’s practical approach to cooking and party planning will empower our viewers during this busy time of year,” said Freddy James, senior vice president, program development & production, HGTV. “Our audience will appreciate the abundance of savvy holiday entertaining ideas and the inspirational stories about bringing families together through food and celebration.”

Here is what viewers will see in each Sandra Lee Celebrates special:

Sandra Lee Celebrates: Holiday Homecoming

Saturday, November 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT

Christina Sobiloff, a Peace Corps Volunteer stationed in Burkina Faso, Africa, will return home to Creskill, N.J., for the holidays–and her family and friends want to welcome her with a fantastic holiday homecoming party. Sandra will work with the Sobiloff family to create a beautiful celebration that honors Christina’s service and embraces the familiar meals and Christmas dcor she has missed while overseas. Sandra also will show the Sobiloff family how to take their favorite family photographs and keepsakes and turn them into memorable tablescapes, ornaments and gifts.

Sandra Lee Celebrates: Magical Merry Christmas

Saturday, December 5, at 8 p.m. ET/PT

Following their 18-year-old daughter Kelsea through her recovery from cancer at age 13, the Henderson family now spends their holiday time brightening the lives of those still in need. Not only will Sandra teach the Hendersons how to create the perfect food, decorations and tree trimmings for their own family, she also will arm them with useful tips on how to use their favorite holiday items to craft a moving ‘pay it forward’ tribute to the hospital where Kelsea spent so much time.

Sandra Lee Celebrates: Season of Surprise

Saturday, December 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT

Last year, the Morgner family’s newborn triplets were barely well enough to be brought home for the holidays. This season, as the family gets ready for the holidays with three active one-year-olds, Sandra will show them creative ways to preserve lifelong family memories, incorporate heirloom party dcor and prepare unforgettable holiday recipes. HGTV Design Star finalist Dan Vickery makes a special guest appearance and uses his carpentry skills to help Sandra create unique dcor items for each child.

Sandra Lee Celebrates: Winter Wonderland Party

Saturday, December 19 at 8 p.m. ET/PT

Vy Higginsen not only is the leader of an organization that provides musical training to underprivileged youth, but she also is known as the first lady of Harlem. Vy, still living with her family in the brownstone her grandmother bought almost 100 years ago, will work with Sandra to throw an over-the-top holiday party for her neighborhood. With a classic holiday menu that will feed a large crowd – along with festive, budget-friendly dcor ideas – viewers will see Sandra transform the family’s traditional New York dwelling into the ultimate winter wonderland party.

“Sandra Lee Celebrates is a return to all the things I love and that my company stands for,” said Sandra Lee. “Combining creative design elements and delicious food to create spectacular memorable celebrations for family and friends that go beyond the scope of what people think they can afford or do.”

(courtesy HGTV)

Jeff Corwin Visits Washington and Oregon on Extreme Cuisine

Jeff Corwin visits Washington and Oregon. On the Harstine Island shore, Jeff digs up and dines on geoduck – the world’s largest clam. He dives in the Puget Sound to find and harvest sea cucumbers, an unusual animal filled with slimy roe. Jeff then climbs the rocky waterfalls to hunt and catch lampreys with the Grand Ronde Indian tribe, he joins a Native American “gathering of the tribes” to celebrate their heritage and the bounty of the sea with a big beach clambake.

Jeff Corwin Eats Guinea Pigs and Peels Potatoes With His Feet in Peru on Extreme Cuisine

In Peru, Jeff Corwin meets the “fisherman of the year” on the Northwest shore who teaches him to fish for dinner and make fisherman’s ceviche on the beach. Two miles high in Cusco, Jeff peels naturally freeze-dried potatoes – with his feet! He then travels to a small mountain town to enjoy cuy (guinea pig), an essential source of protein for the Andean people. His South American adventure ends by building and cooking Pachamanca, an earth-oven feast.

Jeff Corwin Milks A Camel on Tonight’s Extreme Cuisine

Tonight Jeff Corwin journeys through Morocco. Off the coast of Essouraia, he goes line fishing for gigantic conger eel. Then he milks a camel to make an exclusive cheese and a traditional smen, a rancid butter that increases in value with age. Up to his ankles in goat dung, Jeff digs for elusive argon nuts, the main ingredient for the flavorful “liquid gold of Morocco” – argon oil. He visits Marrakech to create a tagine, an earthen pot dish cooked in the furnace of a bathhouse, and a Bisteeya, the famous pigeon pie. In the Berber village of Aguersuoual, Jeff cooks a whole ram in an underground oven.

Jeff Corwin Explores the Unusual Dishes of Greece in Extreme Cuisine

Jeff Corwin begins his Grecian journey on Crete where he power milks dozens of sheep and churns the results into a toulomotyrion, a soft cheese fermented in a goat’s stomach. Then Jeff hunts, and slurps down, slimy snails. In the water, he searches for octopus and the spicy sea urchin’s tasty roe. Catch in hand, he cooks up Kakavia, a fisherman’s stew with the dangerous “scorpion fish.” In the Peloponnesus, things heat up as Jeff skewers a whole lamb for the spit, complete with organs wrapped in intestines, called Kokoretsi.

Jeff Corwin Brings Extreme Cuisine to the Food Network

Renowned for his expertise in wildlife and conservation, Jeff Corwin explores human culture through regional cuisine in his first Food Network endeavor: Extreme Cuisine with Jeff Corwin. Premiering Thursday, September 17^th at 9pm ET/PT, this primetime series follows the passionate foodie and anthropologist on radical culinary adventures to exciting locales like Thailand, Mexico, Greece, Morocco, Peru, United Kingdom (Scotland and England) and the United States (Washington, Oregon, Louisiana, and Hawaii). With an open mind (and mouth), Jeff enjoys endless surprises as he learns from the natives and samples the exotic foods and local customs that mold each community.

Iron Chef Returns to Food Network This Fall

New Season of “The Next Iron Chef” Premieres Sunday, October 4th at 9pm ET/PT

Kitchen Stadium once again opens its doors to find a new culinary warrior in the sizzling primetime series The Next Iron Chef, it was announced today by Bob Tuschman, Senior Vice President, Programming and Production, Food Network. Hosted by Alton Brown (Good Eats, Iron Chef America), the reality competition premieres on Sunday, October 4th at 9pm ET/PT and will challenge ten top chefs from around the country in a series of demanding situations, testing their culinary skills and mental toughness.

“It’s thrilling to see what these ten top chefs can create when pushed to their limits in this series,” said Bob Tuschman, Senior Vice President, Programming and Production for Food Network. “These world class chefs display extraordinary culinary skills and creativity as they battle it out for the supreme title of Iron Chef.”

The ten contestants include: Nate Appleman (Chef/Butcher, New York, NY), Dominique Crenn (Chef de Cuisine, Luce at InterContinental San Francisco, San Francisco, CA), Brad Farmerie (Executive Chef, Double Crown, Madam Geneva, PUBLIC and The Monday Room, New York, NY), Amanda Freitag (Executive Chef, The Harrison, New York, NY), Jose Garces (Executive Chef & Owner, Amada, Tinto, Distrito, Chifa, Philadelphia, PA), Eric Greenspan (Executive Chef & Owner, The Foundry on Melrose, Los Angeles, CA), Jehangir Mehta (Executive Chef & Owner, Graffiti, New York, NY), Seamus Mullen (Executive Chef & Partner, Boqueria Flatiron and Boqueria Soho, New York, NY), Holly Smith (Chef & Owner, Cafe Juanita and Poco Carretto Gelato, Kirkland, WA) and Roberto Trevio(Executive Chef & Owner, Budatai, San Juan, PR).

This season, the series – with the help of sponsor American Airlines – will take the contestants from Los Angeles to Japan to New York to compete in the food fight of their professional lives. They will be challenged to create dishes that represent a variety of world cultures and cuisines. Whether working with exotic ingredients like jelly fish, creating their own version of international “fast food” or experiencing umami with sponsor Kikkoman, the chefs must demonstrate their speed, artistry, innovation and leadership in each dish. With the help of the judges Donatella Arpaia (restaurateur and owner of acclaimed New York City restaurants davidburke&donatella and Anthos), Jeffrey Steingarten (Food Critic, Vogue, New York, NY) and Anya Fernald (Sustainable Food Consultant, San Francisco, CA) the contestants will be narrowed down until two remain to battle it out in Kitchen Stadium and earn the right to be called Iron Chef. The winner will join the ranks of Mario Batali, Cat Cora, Bobby Flay, Masaharu Morimoto and Michael Symon and be launched into instant fame as a member of the Chairmans team on Iron Chef America.

Olympic Gold Medalist Brian Boitano Gets a Daytime Show on Food Network

“What Would Brian Boitano Make” Showcases the Olympic Skater’s Humor and Culinary Skills

Olympic figure skater Brian Boitano is more than just a champion on the ice; he also gives a winning performance in the kitchen! In the new daytime series, What Would Brian Boitano Make?, premiering Sunday, August 23rd at 1PM ET/PT, Brian demonstrates his culinary skills and talent for one-of-a-kind entertaining.

“Brian’s combination of off-the-wall humor and culinary inventiveness will be a revelation to viewers,” said Bob Tuschman, Senior Vice President, Programming and Production for Food Network. “His clever recipes, infectious enthusiasm and stylish ideas will inspire and entertain.”

With a lifelong passion for food and cooking, Brian hosts unpredictable get-togethers at his San Francisco home and creates amazing menus focusing on innovative but accessible dishes. He feeds an all-girl roller derby squad, plays matchmaker for a friend, wins over his handyman’s supper club, and plans a surprise party celebrating new motherhood. With a humorous and knowledgeable approach to cooking, Brian puts his unique spin on irresistible dishes like Chicken Paella Burgers, Pear and Almond Crostata, Crab and Avocado Crostini, and Bourbon Bacon Apple Tarts.

The Best Thing I Ever Ate Premieres Tonight on Food Network

Just a reminder to all the foodies to check out “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” premiering Tonight, June 23rd at 9:30pm / 8:30c on Food Network!

Cook Yourself Thin features a former Top Chef Contestant

Do you want to have your cake and eat it, too? Lifetime Television premieres Cook Yourself Thin, an all-new series that offers viewers the skills and the confidence to give their favorite indulgent meals a healthy makeover by cutting the calories and doubling the flavor! Culinary experts Harry Eastwood, Allison Fishman and Candice Kumai show guests how to lose their unwanted inches by replacing extreme dieting with clever cooking. The twenty-episode, half-hour series premieres with back-to-back episodes on Monday, May 4 at 5:00 and 5:30 pm (ET/PT). For the remainder of the week, Cook Yourself Thin will air new episodes Monday through Friday at 5:00 and 5:30 pm (ET/PT). Starting Monday, May 11, new episodes will air Monday through Friday at 5:00 pm (ET/PT).

Based on the successful, British series and popular cookbook, Cook Yourself Thin encourages women to lose weight by changing their eating habits. Each half-hour episode follows one guest as she learns simple ways to transform her favorite high calorie meals into delicious, healthier fare. Hosts Eastwood, Fishman and Kumai use their sharp culinary know-how to tailor a specific menu for each participant. In the premiere episode, show participant Rachel trades in her typical lunch of traditional lasagna (858 calories per serving) and dinner of ribeye steak and mashed potatoes (1,040 calories per serving) for a spinach and mushroom veggie lasagna (343 calories per serving) and steak with cauliflower mashed potatoes (389 calories per serving).

The meals are prepared step-by-step, comparing the calorie count of the original recipe to those of the Cook Yourself Thin version. The guest is then sent home with the ingredients, tools and tips necessary to make healthy changes in the kitchen. After six weeks of living the Cook Yourself Thin lifestyle, the hosts visit each participant at home to check on her progress.

Visitors to myLifetime.com will be able to view full episodes of the series the day after they premiere on Lifetime Television. Additionally, site visitors will have access to recipes featured on the show and step-by-step cooking instructions. For each episode, there will be five exclusive webisodes featuring behind-the-scenes information about show participants including an inside look at the contents of their refrigerators and a video blog recorded by one of the hosts offering cooking tips and additional strategies for Cook Yourself Thin.

Fans of the series can also log on to the Cook Yourself Thin subscription-based online club at cookyourselfthin.tv for exclusive access to features, tips and tools that will help users drop their unwanted pounds.

ABOUT THE CAST

Food writer and cookbook author Harry Eastwood is an expert baker. She prides herself on being able to cut the calorie count of delicious desserts by substituting healthy alternatives for the high fat ingredients typically found in baked goods. Eastwood starred in the British version of the series and co-authored the cookbook Cook Yourself Thin: The Delicious Way to Drop a Dress Size.

Chef Allison Fishman honed her culinary skills while working for Martha Stewart and Food Network as a recipe developer and food stylist. Additionally, Fishman served as co-host of TLCs Home Made Simple. She currently writes a weekly food column for www.thestreet.com and her recipes and writings have been featured in national magazines and newspapers across the nation.

Candice Kumai, a contestant on season one of Bravo’s Top Chef, was professionally trained at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu. Kumai is currently a special events chef at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Laguna Beach, CA and runs her own catering company, Stiletto Chef LA. She has been featured as a cooking expert on KNBC’s Your LA and participates in high profile cooking demonstrations across the country.

-From Lifetime TV

Next Page »