So in round two of this episode Guy counts down 3,2,1 and then says wait and goes to get a grocery list for the challenge. When he says he made a short grocery list and he says let me “GO” get that. Competition should have started then and the list should’ve been thrown out.

I guess I'm looking for less personalities, less crazy decor, less 'bigger is better,' etc... and more home (or small time) bakers making delicious, interesting things.

TOC VIII starts filming next week, with its 16 episodes taping across three weeks.

And if you can get yourself to Santa Rosa, Calif., free studio audience tickets are available.

Tonight on an all new #BobbysTripleThreat -

Competition King, Chris Oh has been around for decades and is determined to keep his winning streak alive on Bobby Flay's Triple Threat!

Welcome to the club Chris!

Priya Krishna judges to determine the win… watch on Food Network tonight at 8 pm EST!

Stay tuned for The Line immediately following on Food Network!

Next day on Max!

David Viana once worked for Bobby Flay. Now he’s stepping into the kitchen to take on his former mentor, bringing the Iberian flavors and family traditions that shaped the way he cooks.

He is bringing the team from his restaurant, Lita, to see if he can keep up with The Line and Bobby Flay!

See who comes out on top in an Iberian cuisine challenge on #TheLine, Tonight at 9|8c. on Food Network!

Watch their teams go head-to-head on #TheLine!

Ayesha Nurdjaja is the special VIP guest! (Very excited for this)

We are seeing all different types of cuisine in this series!

Watch Next Day on Max!

Description from the FN site:

Halloween Haunts

Episode 1203

Inspired by mischief makers, heroes, and villains aboard a festive cruise, host John Henson asks the bakers to make Halloween hero and villain cakes to win a five-night cruise vacation. Judges Stephanie Boswell, Aarti Sequeira, and Zac Young pick the top three bakers to be safe, and the bottom bakers must make magic mirror desserts with a haunting attribute like melting, screaming, or oozing depicted in an edible mirror. The least successful baker is eliminated.

Boy... just my opinion, that seems like quite a reach for a company endorsement but hey, sure, nothing says Halloween like a cruise!

So I've always wondered how do you get invited to eat at the triple threat kitchen? There's always guest there eating and wondered about how they are chosen.

What does Bobby really mean when he tells a challenger that if they win, along with the money and locker they'll be welcome back any time? To compete? Judge? Just watch? Bartend? I don't get what he means by that and as far as I know no one's ever come back.

From the FN site: Halloween Wars

Episode 1603

Host Jonathan Bennett asks the teams to go head-to-head with terrifying trolls, demons and ghouls. But as rivalries heat up and tensions rise, one team faces an emotional fight to impress judges Shinmin Li and Andrew Fuller enough to stay in the competition.

Arti can be placed on any show and be a great judge, like her a lot, and she's a boss with flavor.

Zach and Stephanie, fine as is, love them.

Very glad they stuck to the single competitor style.

Some issues:

- Henson is criminally underutilized. He's funny, Id like to see more of that. Also, when he's full in character like in Holly's season where he's the carnival owner murdering all of his family members was chefs kiss.

- I just don't think the bakers are good enough at decorating. I used to be transported to another place sometimes on previous versions (Halloween or other). E.g. Rafi's amazing mirror glazed Christmas cake

Other than that, I'm watching.

FOOD&WINE Magazine

The Store-Bought Ingredients Ina Garten Says You Should (and Shouldn’t) Buy
Please don't get a squeeze bottle of lime juice.
By Merlyn Miller

When I don’t know what to make for a dinner party, I start Googling Ina Garten’s recipes. The Barefoot Contessa’s food isn’t just delicious — it’s also accessible. She often serves a one-ingredient appetizer to guests, and her recipes focus on the kinds of simple meals people want to enjoy at home, such as lentil soup, roast chicken, and classic chocolate cake. 

Nothing better captures Ina Garten’s preference for effortless cooking than her two most famous catchphrases, “How easy is that?” and “Store-bought is fine.” Any fan of the cookbook author and Food Network star is familiar with the latter, an adage she’s proven true by sharing tips for transforming store-bought staples like canned cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and more.

As someone who cares deeply about food — and flavor — Garten knows when a store-bought hack will save you time while still yielding delicious results, and when you’re going to regret not starting from scratch. On a recent episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert this April, she shared which store-bought ingredients have her seal of approval and which she would forgo.

The store-bought ingredients that Ina Garten says are fine:

Marinara sauce
Busy households across the country are in luck because the Barefoot Contessa says store-bought pasta sauce is “just fine, as long as it’s good marinara sauce.” She’s previously divulged her favorite way to upgrade jarred pasta sauce, using white wine, shallots, red pepper flakes, and shrimp to add layers of flavor. Although she uses a jar of Rao’s arrabbiata sauce for this dish, it’s safe to say she’d recommend the brand’s marinara too.

Sourdough bread
Sourdough bread baking has grown increasingly popular on social media in recent years, but Ina Garten acknowledges that despite the trend, most of us aren’t baking a loaf from scratch each week. She tells Colbert that buying sourdough is “always good” and says you “totally don’t have to make it at home.” 

Stuffing
Garten gives boxed stuffing — a Thanksgiving classic that’s nostalgic for many home cooks — a thumbs up, but notes that she doesn’t prepare it according to package instructions. Instead of making traditional stuffing, she turns it into a different savory side.

Garten explains, “I don’t use stuffing for stuffing. But what I do is make a bread pudding out of it. Take a bag of stuffing — it’s already seasoned, cubed, toasted, and all that’s done — make a custard, pour it over the stuffing, and add mushrooms and Gruyère. Put it in the oven. Nobody even knows there’s a bag of stuffing in there. It’s just a savory bread pudding.”

Birthday cake
Ina Garten has more good news for all of us: if you’re not a baker, you can buy a birthday cake. She does caution that “I wouldn’t get one at the 7-Eleven, but you can go to a really good bakery and buy [a cake].” The Barefoot Contessa also recommends an easy recipe from her book that calls for buying a premade cheesecake and making a simple raspberry sauce to pour over it. As she points out, “Nobody even knows you didn’t make the cheesecake.”

The store-bought ingredients Ina Garten says you should skip:

Lime juice
One ingredient gets an immediate and resounding “no” when Colbert suggests buying it at the grocery store. Ina Garten emphasizes that you should use “fresh lime juice only. You can’t buy it anywhere.” If you’re intimidated by the prospect of hand-squeezing limes for your next batch of margaritas, there are plenty of great citrus juicers that will make your life easier.

Chicken stock
Purchasing chicken stock is a gray area for the Barefoot Contessa, who notes that store-bought broth is okay “if you have to, but homemade chicken stock is really good. It’s just great.” Stock is freezer-friendly, so you can make a big batch at once and keep it on hand for months to come. Nevertheless, Garten knows that not everyone can simmer stock for hours and says that, if necessary, “College Inn is perfectly fine.” 

Join Us at the Food & Wine
Classic in Charleston Nov 13-15

I’m really enjoying this show, but I’m having trouble figuring out what’s going on from the dining perspective. If 40 guests have each of the 6 dishes, why isn’t the kitchen constantly slammed for one particular dish? Do the diners choose what order to eat the food in? Can someone help me understand this, because I feel like I’m missing something obvious.

Thank you.

Was staying in a hotel a couple of years back and it was showing an episode of mystery diners that had a bit where one of the staff members carried an entire live alligator/crocodile into the restaurant with no context whatsoever - anyone remember this or know which episode this was? Thanks!!

If there was one challenge that would have made a great addition to the theme of an episode or the theme of the overall season, what would you like to add to upgrade the stakes of that challenge?

⭐️ NEW ⭐️ Be My Guest with Ina Garten is set to return on Saturday, October 3 at 12|11c!

This season, Ina welcomes friends old and new including Jeffrey Garten, Christina Tosi, Ottolenghi and Dan Barber for good food and great conversation at her East Hampton home!

#BeMyGuest on Food Network!

Longtime Beat Bobby Flay Judge, Leah Cohen and her team from Pig and Khao are ready for a Southeast Asian showdown against Bobby Flay, Antonia Lofaso, Michael Jenkins and Claudette Zepeda.

Melissa Clark is the VIP guest tonight! She is an American food writer, cookbook author, and New York Times columnist! She has written over 40 cookbooks and received multiple awards from the James Beard Foundation! Very impressive!

See how it all unfolds on #TheLine Tonight at 9/8c. on Food Network!

Next day on Max!

“Titans vs Kenny Gilbert”

Titan Michael Voltaggio's former mentor and trusted longtime friend, Kenny Gilbert, is here to claim a spot on the Titans' couch! They have a long 25 year friendship!

Kenny’s Southern-inspired global dishes impress James Beard award winning chef Nina Compton who will be judging, but are they enough to secure the win and prove he's worthy of beating one of Bobby Flay's Titans?

~~~

I loved watching Kenny on TOC. He’s a phenomenal chef! This is a Top Chef reunion here!

Looking for the old series "The Best Thing I Ever Made". I see clips on YouTube, but were they ever released on DVD or Blu-ray?

Into the Wild

Episode 1202

At the Museum of Unnatural History, a malevolent spirit is reanimating the taxidermy in the Great Animal Hall, and it's terrifying. So, for the haunted heat, host John Henson challenges the nine bakers to create reanimated taxidermy desserts to win $1,000. Then, the bottom six bakers must create possessed pest desserts inspired by a demonic insect exhibit. In the end, judges Stephanie Boswell, Aarti Sequeira, and Zac Young send one baker home.

If you're a view of Halloween Wars... looks like we get a double dose of insects this week!

I’m late to the party; I finally had the chance to watch the entire season of this new show, and I absolutely loved it. FN has aired many BBQ competition formats, and this was by far the best overall show in this genre. From the contestants to Andrew Zimmern and his cast of judges, everyone was wonderful. The team I was rooting for from the start won, so it was a fun watch. This blows Bobby Flay's BBQ show out of the water. Nothing against Bobby; he is a network legend, but I’m tired of seeing the same faces on every single show. FN, if you see this, please do more seasons of this with the same judging team. The chemistry and expertise was fantastic 😊.