Iron Chef America Goes To The White House Garden

Food Network stars Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Emeril Lagasse travel to the White House to take part in an unprecedented culinary competition in Super Chef Battle, a special two-hour episode of Iron Chef America. Greeted by First Lady Michelle Obama, the chefs are joined by White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford and receive their challenge: create a meal for America using The White House Kitchen Garden’s produce as their secret ingredients. The special episode premieres Sunday, January 3rd at 8pm ET/PT.

Iron Chef America commentator Alton Brown explains that the Chairman has sent the three Food Network chefs to Washington, D.C. for a very special battle and introduces Chef Cristeta Comerford, who will also take part in the competition. The group is then greeted by the First Lady, who explains that the chefs will be allowed to use anything found in The White House Kitchen Garden to help them create their meals. After receiving their challenge, the chefs are split into two teams: Flay and Comerford versus Batali and Lagasse. The chefs immediately head to the garden where they are tasked with harvesting their ingredients. Then it’s off to Kitchen Stadium where the battle begins. Each team must produce five dishes that showcase the ingredients they selected from the garden and that represent the ultimate American meal. The judges include: chef and best-selling cookbook author Nigella Lawson; Olympic gold medalist Natalie Coughlin; and actress, author and designer Jane Seymour. Ted Allen (Chopped) assists as a guest floor reporter. Iron Chef America is produced by Triage Entertainment.

Installed in the spring of 2009 under the Obama Administration, The White House Kitchen Garden measures approximately 1100 square feet and is located on the west side of the South Lawn. The four-season herb, fruit and vegetable garden features 75 varieties of seeds planted in slightly raised beds using succession planting methods. Cultivated by White House staff and volunteers, produce from the garden and honey from the adjacent beehives are available to the White House Chefs for preparing meals for the First Family and for official functions, and all extra food is donated to Miriam’s Kitchen, a soup kitchen near the White House.

ABC ANNOUNCES THE CELEBRITY AND PROFESSIONAL PAIRINGS FOR THE NINTH SEASON OF “DANCING WITH THE STARS”

ABC announces the professional dancer pairings for the all new cast of “Dancing with the Stars.” In alphabetical order, the 16 stars — with their professional partners — making their ballroom dancing debut are:

AARON CARTER, pop star, teams with KARINA SMIRNOFF, who returns for her seventh season.

NATALIE COUGHLIN, Olympic champion swimmer, teams with Season 1 champion ALEC MAZO, who returns for his fifth season.

MARK DACASCOS, “Iron Chef” star, joins LACEY SCHWIMMER, who returns for her third season.

TOM DELAY, former House Majority Leader, teams up with two-time champion CHERYL BURKE, who returns for her eighth season.

MACY GRAY, Grammy Award winner, teams with JONATHAN ROBERTS, who returns for his seventh season.

ASHLEY HAMILTON, actor and comedian, teams with EDYTA SLIWINSKA, who is the only pro to compete in all nine seasons of “Dancing with the Stars.”

MELISSA JOAN HART, actress, teams up with reigning two-time “Dancing with the Stars” champ MARK BALLAS, who returns for his fifth season.

KATHY IRELAND, entrepreneur and model, teams with TONY DOVOLANI, who returns for his eighth season.

MICHAEL IRVIN, NFL Hall of Famer, teams with Season 8’s Professional Dancer Competition winner ANNA DEMIDOVA, who makes her debut.

JOANNA KRUPA, model, teams with Season 7 champ DEREK HOUGH, who returns for his fifth season.

CHUCK LIDDELL, Ultimate Fighting Champion, teams with ANNA TREBUNSKAYA, who returns for her fourth season.

DEBI MAZAR, actress, teams with MAKSIM CHMERKOVSKIY, who returns for his seventh season.

MYA, award winning singer, teams with DMITRY CHAPLIN, who returns for his second season.

KELLY OSBOURNE, reality star, teams up with LOUIS VAN AMSTEL, who returns for his fifth season.

DONNY OSMOND, showbiz legend, is paired with KYM JOHNSON, who returns for her seventh season.

LOUIE VITO, professional snowboarder, joins CHELSIE HIGHTOWER, who returns for her second season.

With the biggest season yet, “Dancing with the Stars” Season 9 kicks off on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET) when eight teams strut their stuff, while the other eight teams will show off their moves on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET). On a special night and time, two couples will learn their fate and be sent home, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET).

Dancing With the Stars 9 Cast Revealed

Cast includes Macy Gray and Tom DeLay, Among Others Whose Names Don’t Rhyme

The “Dancing With the Stars” cast for season nine was announced today live on “Good Morning America.”

The stage is set for new “DWTS” contenstants to showcase their fancy footwork when “Dancing With the Stars” returns for its ninth season on Monday, Sept. 21.

The celebrity cast, which includes an Osmond, a cowboy and a former House majority leader, will team up with professional dancers and face off on television’s hit ballroom competition.

Gymnast Shawn Johnson was the winner on the last season of the show.

Host Tom Bergeron was in Times Square today to announce the cast:

Dancing With the Stars Contestants Season 9:

Macy Gray

Macy Gray first burst onto the music scene with her debut album “On How Life Is” and the hit single “I Try,” both of which went to number one. She has gone on to sell more than 20,000,000 albums worldwide and has won and has been nominated for five Grammy Awards and six MTV Video Music Awards. She has collaborated on stage and in the recording studio with some of music’s greatest artists including Justin Timberlake, Carlos Santana, Erykah Badu, Fergie, will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas), John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers) Nas and Natalie Cole. Macy has also appeared in numerous films including “Spider Man,” “Training Day,” “Idlewild” (with Outkast) and the award-winning HBO Film “Lackawanna Blues.”

Melissa Joan Hart

Known for her starring roles in the television series “Clarissa Explains It All” and “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” Hart began her career at the early age of 4 with television commercials and various television appearances. She starred in the film, “Drive Me Crazy” alongside “Entourage’s” Adrian Grenier as well as the ABC Family Original Movie “Holiday in Handcuffs” opposite “Dancing with the Stars” alumni Mario Lopez, which was the highest rated program in the history of the network. In 2009, Hart starred in another ABC Family Original Movie, “My Fake Fianc” that garnered huge ratings as well. In 1993 Hart started her own production company, Hartbreak Films, and is set to release her first thriller film “Nine Dead” to DVD in January 2010. Hart and husband Mark Wilkerson are the proud parents of two sons, Mason, age 3 and Braydon 17 months.

Kathy Ireland

Kathy Ireland, the super model is now, wife, mother of three, author, Sunday school teacher and fashion CEO, of kathy ireland Worldwide (KIWW). Forbes, Newsweek and the Wall Street Journal celebrate KIWW as a $1.4 billion design empire. Kathy powerfully supports many non-profits including the Elizabeth Taylor HIV/AIDS Foundation, Feed The Children and the Alliance for Christian Education. UCLA names Kathy as one of the Top Ten Women’s Health Advocates in America.

Mya

Grammy Award winning multi-platinum artist Mya, became a star at the age of 18 with her eponymous debut album which yielded three top 10 singles. In addition to releasing five full length albums, one of which went platinum and another, gold, she starred in the acclaimed film “Chicago.” Since “Chicago,” Mya has appeared in several movies and signed onto a modeling contract. Her fourth and fifth studio albums, “Liberation” and “Sugar & Spice,” respectively, have been released in Japan and her sixth studio album is due to be released on her independent label. A long time advocate for young women, she founded The Mya Arts & Tech Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing disadvantaged youth growth and opportunity through arts & technology education, where she serves as both executive director and teacher.

Mark Dacascos

Famously known as “The Chairman” and host of Food Network’s “Iron Chef America,” Dacascos is also a trained martial artist as well as actor. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Mark’s passion for martial arts began at an early age under the tutelage of his parents who are both former national champions and teachers. After being discovered in San Francisco’s Chinatown, Mark began to establish a film and television career playing not only martial artists but a wide range of characters before joining “Iron Chef America” in 2005. He has appeared in several feature films including the internationally acclaimed French epic, “Brotherhood of the Wolf,” the cult classic “Only the Strong,” “Cradle to the Grave,” opposite Jet Li, “Only the Brave,” “Nomad” and “The Lost Medallion,” which is scheduled to be released later this year.

Ashley Hamilton

Actor, songwriter, comedian and son of former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant George Hamilton, Ashley is a multi-talented, multi-hyphenate with experience in film, comedy, and television. An accomplished singer, Ashley had a 2003 top 20 single released by Sony, and as a songwriter, co-wrote the top 10 Robbie Williams hit “Come Undone” and has writing credits for Hillary Duff, among other top acts. Ashley has made various television and film appearances in his career, including a starring role in “Sunset Beach.” Since 2007 he has been performing stand-up comedy at The Laugh Factory, The Hollywood Improv, The Comedy Store and Room 5 in Los Angeles.

Michael Irvin

One of the most successful wide receivers in the history of the NFL, former Dallas Cowboy Michael Irvin is a three-time Super Bowl champion and former broadcaster for ESPN’s “NFL Countdown.” Known as “The Playmaker” and one of “The Triplets” alongside fellow Cowboys Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith, Irvin was a recipient of the Dallas Cowboys’ “Ring of Honor” in 2005. In 2007, Irvin was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame and has appeared in various television shows as well as co-starring in “The Longest Yard” with Adam Sandler and Chris Rock. Last fall, Irvin executive produced/hosted the reality TV series “4th and Long” for Spike TV, in which one football hopeful was given a shot at making the Dallas Cowboys roster. Most recently, he appeared on the Hall of Fame inductions on the NFL Network and hosts his own radio show in Dallas for ESPN Radio.

Donny Osmond

Osmond won the hearts of millions as both a member of the Osmonds and, with his sister (and “Dancing With the Stars” alumna) Marie, as the youngest co-hosts in prime time history on the iconic ABC variety series “The Donny & Marie Show.” Donny and Marie are currently performing at the Las Vegas Flamingo Hotel through 2012. For nearly five decades, Donny Osmond has been a singer, musician, Broadway and film actor, talk show and game show host, best-selling author, and even a champion race car driver.

Dancing With the Stars Contestants Season 9

Tom DeLay

The former House Majority Leader is a prominent Republican and conservative firebrand. He was first elected to Congress in 1984, and when Republicans took control of the House his colleagues elected him majority whip, and later majority leader. His leadership was characterized by his aggressive “Grow the Vote” method of party discipline where he never lost a vote, leading the Washington Post to nickname him “The Hammer.” He and his wife, Christine, also served as foster parents and founded a community in Texas that serves as a safe, permanent home for abused and neglected children. DeLay is currently president of First Principles LLC, a strategic political consulting firm based in Washington, D.C., and Houston.

Natalie Coughlin

Olympic swimming gold medalist Natalie Coughlin is the most decorated female athlete of both the 2008 Beijing and 2004 Athens Games. Coughlin has won a medal in every single Olympic event that she has ever entered for a total of 11 Olympic medals. In 2008 she became the first American female athlete to win six medals in one Olympiad in addition to becoming the first woman to win consecutive individual Olympic gold medals in the 100m backstroke. Coughlin is also the most decorated female swimmer in World Championship history with sixteen medals. Born and raised in northern California, Coughlin attended the University of California, Berkeley where she earned a B.A. in psychology in 2005.

Joanna Krupa

Polish-born Joanna Krupa was born in Warsaw and raised in Chicago. After high school, she moved to LA to pursue a career in modeling and acting. Her hard work and positive spirit led her to become one of the most requested models/covergirls in the world. PETA’s “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” campaign featuring Joanna became a phenomenon. She’s been featured in E!’s “The Sexiest” as one of the sexiest women in the world. In 2009, she was selected as the cover model for Ocean Drive magazine, and Maxim voted her among their “TOP 100″ women in the world. Film and TV credits include “Six Days in Paradise,” due in the fall, “Ripple Effect,” “Las Vegas” and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” Most recently she competed in ABC’s “The Superstars” teaming with Buffalo Bills NFL star Terrell Owens.

Debi Mazar

Mazar’s feature film debut in Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas” set the stage for an extensive career in both television and film. She has consistently worked with notable directorsincluding Oliver Stone, Spike Lee, Woody Allen, Michael Mann and Joel Schumacheroften portraying the sharp-tongued New Yorker in both dramas and comedy. Mazar’s television credits include “Friends,” “Ugly Betty” and her own sitcom, CBS’ “Temporarily Yours”. She presently stars as publicist Shauna on HBO’s hit series “Entourage.” Mazar also co-hosts “Under the Tuscan Gun,” a successful internet show focused on Tuscan cuisine, with her husband. The couple have two young daughters and presently reside in both Los Angeles and Tuscany, Italy.

Kelly Osbourne

Singer, actress and media personality, Kelly’s father is rock icon, Ozzy Osbourne, and her mother is well-known TV personality, Sharon Osbourne. Kelly got her start at the age of 16 in the first ever “celebrity reality” TV show, “The Osbournes,” with her famous family, which garnered them an Emmy Award for “Outstanding Reality Program” in 2002. That same year, Osbourne released her debut music album, “Shut Up!” which included a cover of Madonna’s “Papa Don’t Preach.” Her second album, “Sleeping in Nothing” was released in 2005 with its first single, “One Word,” hitting #1 on all three Billboard Dance charts simultaneously. Kelly made her dramatic acting debut in a starring role on the ABC series “Life As We Know It”. In recent years she’s worked primarily in the UK where she’s done theatre (including a successful run in “Chicago” in London’s West End in 2007), hosted her own weekly radio show on BBC Radio and has presented numerous UK TV projects, including “Project Catwalk,” the UK’s version of “Project Runway.”

Aaron Carter

Triple platinum-selling music artist/songwriter, producer, actor and younger brother of Backstreet Boys Nick Carter, Aaron Carter has established himself worldwide as a pop and teen sensation. Beginning his career at the age of 8, he is currently the youngest solo artist to have four Top 40 singles. He has released four studio albums since 1997, two of which have been certified platinum, and he has appeared on several television series including “Lizzie McGuire” and “7th Heaven,” as well as making his Broadway debut playing JoJo the Who in “Seussical the Musical” in 2001. He sang vocals on soundtracks for “Disneymania (The Lion King) Ella Enchanted,” “Pokeman” and “Rugrats the Movie.” In 2006, Carter starred in the E! reality show, “House of Carters,” which featured all five of the Carter siblings living in the same house.

Chuck Liddell

Chuck Liddell is the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and the icon of Mixed Martial Arts — the fastest growing sport in America. In 1998, he won his first UFC Mixed Martial Arts fight. Soon after, Liddell rose through the ranks to become the light-heavyweight champion of the world. In July of 2009, Liddell was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. He is tied for the most wins by a UFC fighter with 16, and also holds the most knockout wins with 10. In 2008, Chuck penned his autobiography, “Iceman: My Fighting Life,” which quickly became a New York Times bestseller. Chuck earned a BA in Business/Accounting from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he also wrestled.

Louie Vito

Professional snowboarder, Louie Vito, is among the U.S.’s elite snowboarders favored to make the 2010 Olympic team. Competing in both the Pipe and Slopestyle disciplines, Vito continues to train for the Grand Prix qualifying. The 21 year-old native of Bellefontaine, Ohio, turned pro in 2006 and has competed in multiple Winter X-Games competitions. He is also a two-time winner of the USSA Grand Prix Halfpipe Series.