Iron Chef Michael Symon breaks out of Kitchen Stadium this Thursday with his new show on The Cooking Channel, Cook Like an Iron Chef.
Symon, who owns Lola, Lolita, Bar Symon, and the B Spot restaurants in Northeast Ohio, as well as Roast in Detroit, says the show is for people who've watched the Food Network forever and are ready to learn something more advanced or more creative.
Ha! Take that Food Network, bastard child of The Cooking Channel, and regular salary-payer of Symon when he's hosted or appeared-on FN shows like The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Dinner Impossible, Melting Pot, and Next Iron Chef, which Symon won in 2007.
Maybe Symon's first lesson should be how to best-prepare biting the hand that feeds you, but for now, serious foodies should settle for the show's promise of advanced techniques done quickly.
So what to expect?
For starters, scrambled eggs. How to perfect? Not as easy as it seems. What's the deal with duck fat? It's awesome and makes roasted potatoes taste amazing. Plus, what's so divine about eggplant dip?
While some special guests like fellow Iron Chef contenders may join him, Symon is the sole host of the show and most likely the only one to sport jeans, a funky T, and several tats.
Good luck, Chef Symon!
Now here's this week's foodie TV schedule so you won't miss a thing. For cable channels, check your local listings.
Monday (July 19)
FoodCrafters: "Meaty." Protein-based food is examined. Included: sausage in Brooklyn; cattle from Washington state; lobsters in Maine; and mushrooms from California. 7 p.m., The Cooking Channel
Unique Eats: "Americana." Classic American foods are the focus, including heavy metal-inspired burgers, Brooklyn barbecue and Los Angeles hot-spot desserts. 7:30 p.m., The Cooking Channel
Kid in a Candy Store: "Brain Freeze." Cold confections are featured. Included: New Orleans snowballs; Dippin' Dots ice cream. "Classic Twists." A look at how classic treats are being reinvented. Included: a tour of an M&M's factory in Cleveland, Tennessee. 8 and 8:30 p.m., Food Network
Cake Boss: "Color, Camouflage & Cupcake Day." The bakery holds its annual Throwback Cannoli Day; a paintball cake inspires the bakers to show off their shooting skills. 9 p.m., TLC (Series Premiere!) Fabulous Cakes: "Las Vegas." Three top bakeries in Las Vegas are toured in the series premiere. 10 p.m., TLC
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives: "Burgers 'N More." Unique burgers are spotlighted. Included: tempura burgers; lamb burgers; burgers topped with cold cuts and chili. 10 p.m., Food Network
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations: "Liberia." Tony visits Liberia on the west coast of Africa and gets a taste of the local food and culture. 10 p.m., The Travel Channel
Tuesday (July 20)
Hell's Kitchen: Chefs are challenged to create a visually appealing dish, and then to create a dish that costs under $10 but tastes priceless. At dinner service, Ramsay unnerves the contestants when he insists that they switch stations often. 7 p.m., Channel 10, FOX
Cupcake Wars: "Good Cause Cupcakes." Cupcakes are made to raise awareness for a cause. 9 p.m., Food Network Chopped: "Dream'n of Reedem'n!" Past runners-up return in a quest to redeem themselves. They must use a pungent English condiment in their appetizers; cookies and fish in their entrées; and blueberry jelly beans in their desserts. 10 p.m., Food Network
Wednesday (July 21)
Throwdown With Bobby Flay: "Carrot Cake." Bobby heads to Augusta, Georgia, for a carrot cake bake-off against Vera Stewart, founder of the Very Vera mail-order business, which specializes in homemade baked goods. 9 p.m., Food Network
Man v. Food: "Puerto Rico." Adam Richman heads to San Juan for a taste of Puerto Rican cuisine. While there, he tries to finish a 9-pound sirloin steak in 40 minutes or less at La Vaca Brava. 9 p.m., Travel Channel
Top Chef: Washington D.C.: "Cold War." The contest heats up when the chefs create cold entrées. Chef Michelle Bernstein is the guest judge. 9 p.m., Bravo
Thursday (July 22)
(Series Opener!) Cook Like an Iron Chef: "Secret Ingredient Lamb Chops." Lamb chops are prepared in the opener of this series, in which Iron Chef Michael Symon teaches techniques for daring dishes. 7 p.m., The Cooking Channel
Ace of Cakes: "Indy, Ice and Improv." Duff takes to the ice to challenge a team of sled-hockey players. Also: a cake inspired by the TV show Knight Rider is created. 10 p.m., Food Network
Friday (July 23)
Chefs vs. City: "Palm Springs." Seasoned chefs Tony Di Lembo and Thomas Hogan are the challengers in an epicurean race across Palm Springs. 10 p.m., Food Network
Saturday (July 24)
Mexican Made Easy: "Light & Fresh." Veracruz-style grouper, served with lobster-and-mango salad, and mango cake. 9:30 a.m., Food Network
(Series Opener!) Caribbean Food Made Easy: "Home Cooking." In the opener of this series on Caribbean cooking, host Levi Roots returns to his roots -- his native Jamaica -- to prepare spicy lamb and yam mash. Also: barbecued fish. 10 a.m., The Cooking Channel
Paula's Best Dishes: "Southern Soul." Peach-glazed country ham, served with peach-corn relish, blue-cheese bread pudding, and pecan pie. 11:30 a.m., Food Network
Fresh Food Fast: "Vegetarian Delights." Vegetarian dishes include black-bean cakes; pasta primavera; and zucchini fritters with roasted red-pepper mayonnaise. 1:30 p.m., The Cooking Channel
Sunday (July 25)
Grill It! With Bobby Flay: "All About Bass." Next Food Network Star runner-up Jeffrey Saad grills striped bass with an achiote rub and corn with cilantro pesto; Bobby Flay prepares Moroccan-style striped bass fillets with orange-almond couscous. 10:30 a.m., Food Network
Guy's Big Bite: "Far East Farmer's Market." A meal inspired by the Far East, featuring tenderloin stir-fry with kimchi and Japanese eggplant with Sriracha shrimp. 11 a.m., Food Network
Food Network Challenge: "Paranormal Cakes." Pastry chefs tell ghosts stories in cake for a chance to win $10,000. 8 p.m., Food Network
Next Food Network Star: "Secret Supper Club." Season 5 winner Melissa d'Arabian challenges the contestants to make "dinner for breakfast" using Kellogg's cereal. Then, the hopefuls work together when serving some of L.A.'s culinary elite at an Underground Supper Club location. 9 p.m., Food Network
