'Extreme Chef' launches second season August 16 on Food Network

'Extreme Chef' launches second season August 16 on Food Network


Seven chefs, extreme locations? What we have here is a new season of 'Extreme Chef' debuting August 16 on Food Network.

The series, launching its second season on cable 58, takes seven fearless chefs out of the kitchen and sends them to locations that include the deserts of California and the jungles of Thailand for a competition that will test all of their skills – physical, mental and culinary.

For example, challenges include pulling needles from a cactus pad and using them to create a dish, creating a meal in one hour while on a floating dock while rescuing their ingredients from a capsized fishing boat.

In each episode, the chefs will be judged by a rotating panel of guest judges and the bottom two chefs will face off in a showdown challenge to determine which goes home.

At the season finale, one chef will be declared the most Extreme and take home a $50,000 grand prize.

Special guest judges include Simon Majumdar ('Next Iron Chef' judge and food journalist), Ben Sargent (host of Cooking Channel's 'Hook, Line & Dinner'), and Troy Johnson (host of 'Crave' and a food critic and journalist).
The contestants are: Scott Brandolini (Mass.), Susanne Dillingham (N.C.), Terry French (N.J.), Lance Knowling (N.J.), Viet Pham (Utah), Isadora Sarto (Vt.) and, Tiffany Ward (Hawaii).

In the premiere episode, the chefs are dropped into Salton City, Calif., by helicopter and have to scavenge for ingredients and tools in an abandoned wasteland.

They have '60 minutes to raid a deserted tent village for on-perishable ingredients, build their own cooking stations, and use items like steel wool, batteries and tumbleweed to start a fire. Two chefs will be sent into the Final Showdown where they must create the perfect bite - only one will survive the apocalypse and advance to the next location,' according to Food Network.

The series will air at 9 p.m. p.m. Thursdays.