New Complementary Online Series Battle of The Sous Chefs
Directly Affects On-Air Competition
Series Premieres Wednesday, July
24th at 10pm ET/PT
only on Food Network Canada
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TORONTO,
June 19, 2013 /CNW/ - Top Chef
Masters, the nail-biting competition featuring some of
North America's master chefs is
back and this season includes celebrated Canadian chef and much
loved Food Network host, Lynn
Crawford (Pitchin' In, Chef-Owner of Ruby
Watchco). Alongside her sous chef Lora Kirk (Ruby Watchco), Chef Lynn is competing
against 12 fellow award-winning chefs and their sous chefs for the
title of 'Top Chef Master' and $100,000 for the charity of their choice.
The new season of Top Chef Masters
premieres Wednesday, July
24th at 10pm
ET/PT on Food Network Canada.
"It's an honour to be representing Canada in this fierce competition among such
an esteemed group of chefs," says Lynn
Crawford. "I'm thrilled to have Chef Lora Kirk as my talented sous chef along for the
journey and together we're giving it our all in support of the
Odette Cancer Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre."
In a new twist this season, each sous chef competes in the
online competition, Battle of the Sous Chefs, hosted by
Canadian celebrity chef Hugh
Acheson. The results of each online episode directly
impacts the Masters competition on-air, awarding them advantages,
such as immunity, and sometimes, disadvantages, depending on their
sous chef's performance. Every episode of Battle of the
Sous Chefs leads up to the next on-air episode of Top Chef
Masters and explores the uniquely interdependent relationship
between a Master chef and his or her sous chef. As a sneak
peek of the exciting drama that will unfold, the first episode of
Battle of the Sous Chefs will be available on foodnetwork.ca
beginning Thursday, June 20.
Celebrity chef Curtis Stone is
back as series host alongside new head critic, Canadian
Gail Simmons, with returning judges
James Oseland, Ruth Reichl and Francis
Lam and new judge, food and dining editor Lesley Suter. The chefs face off in some
of the most difficult and unique challenges seen thus far - and
they're serving up food for some top entertainers and celebrity
guest judges including: Mindy
Kaling, Busy Philipps, Kathie Lee
Gifford, Lindsay Price, the
cast of Days Of Our Lives, Ali
Larter, the cast of Yo
Gabba Gabba, and LA cult favourites Lucha Va Voom among
others.
Competing alongside Chef Lynn
Crawford this season are:
- Franklin Becker,
Executive Chef: The Little Beet, New
York, NY; Competing for Autism Speaks - Sous Chef: Vinson
Petrillo
- David Burke,
Executive Chef & Owner, David Burke Townhouse, Burke in the
Box, David Burke Fishtail, David Burke Fromagerie, David Burke Prime, David
Burke's Primehouse and David
Burke's Kitchen, New York,
NY; Competing for Table to Table - Sous Chef: Chris Shea
- Odette Fada, Executive
Chef, San Domenico, New York, NY;
Competing for Doctors Without Borders - Sous Chef: Benedetto Bartolotta
- Neal Fraser, Owner, BLD,
Fritzi Dog, The Strand House, Neal
Fraser & Co. at Vibiana, Redbird at Vibiana,
Los Angeles, CA; Competing for
Alex's Lemonade Stand - Sous Chef: Jason
Bowlin
- Jennifer Jasinski,
Executive Chef and Owner, Rioja, Bistro Vendôme, Euclid Hall Bar
& Kitchen, Denver, CO;
Competing for Work Options for Women - Sous Chef: Jorel Pierce
- Douglas Keane,
Former Chef of the 2 Michelin Starred Cyrus, Sonoma County, CA; Competing for Green
Dog Rescue - Sous Chef: Drew
Gassell
- Jenn Louis,
Executive Chef and Co-Owner: Lincoln and Sunshine Tavern, Portland, OR; Competing for City of Hope -
Sous Chef: Cory Chunn
- Richard Sandoval,
Chef-Owner Richard Sandoval Restaurants, Los Angeles, CA; Competing for C-Cap - Careers
Through Culinary Arts Program - Sous Chef: Greg Howe
- Bryan Voltaggio,
Executive Chef | Owner, VOLT, Lunchbox, Family Meal and RANGE,
Frederick, MD; Competing
for Share Our Strength -Sous Chef: Graeme Ritchie
- Herbert Wilson, Executive
Chef: Sushi Samba, Las Vegas, NV;
Competing for American Heart Association - Sous Chef: Robert Silva
- Sang Yoon,
Executive chef and owner: Father's Office and Lukshon Restaurant,
Los Angeles, CA; Competing for
Worldwide Orphans Foundation - Sous Chef: Ted Hopson
- Sue Zemanick,
Executive Chef: Gautreau's, New
Orleans, NO; Competing for Gulf Restoration Network - Sous
Chef: Nick Lama
Chef Lynn Crawford has more than
25 years of culinary experience, was the Executive Chef at the Four
Seasons Hotel in Toronto and
New York City and is currently the
Chef-Owner of Ruby Watchco and Ruby Eats in Toronto. In 2007, she became the first
Canadian woman ever to compete on Iron Chef America and,
since 2010, has starred in her two-time Gemini nominated Food
Network Canada hit show Pitchin' In. The
show inspired Chef Lynn's first and best-selling cookbook
(2012) Pitchin' In: More Than 100 Great Recipes From Simple
Ingredients. Her second cookbook, At Home with
Lynn Crawford, will be
released in September 2013. She
is invested in raising awareness and fundraising for Kidney Cancer
Research at Toronto's Sunnybrook
Hospital.
Chef Lora Kirk gained her
culinary strength and knowledge by working with renowned Chefs
Gordon Ramsay and Angela Hartnett at
the famous Connaught Hotel for three years. Continuing her
culinary journey in New York City,
Chef Lora took over the kitchen at Allen and Delancey as Chef de Cuisine where she received
the Top 10 New Restaurants award in the New
York Times and a very prestigious Michelin Star for her talents. Chef Kirk
then went on to run the kitchens at the SOHO House in New York. Having returned home to
Canada in 2010, she has become one
of the most high-profile female chefs in the country and currently
shares her talents and expertise as Chef of Ruby Watchco in
Toronto.
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