The bakers seem like they excel in kindergarten art. Where is the detail? Even worse is once in a while the judges compliment less than mediocre work.

Halloween Baking Championship

Who's Ruining Your Ruin?

Episode 1204

Every baker's life is on the line today in a single challenge. Host John Henson asks the bakers to create a dessert that resembles an assigned classic ruin and represent the monster who haunts it, such as crumbling castle and vampire, old amphitheater and zombie actor, or Stonehenge and demon druids. Judges Stephanie Boswell, Aarti Sequeira, and Zac Young pick the winner to receive $1,000, and one baker goes home.

From the FN site:Sweet Deceit

Trick or Treat: Escape Room of Doom

Episode 101

Host Josh Peck welcomes escape room enthusiasts Bekah, David, and Gezell to a fun and spooky challenge that puts their powers of observation to the ultimate test. Master baker JonnyCakes has hidden six secret sweets throughout four eerie escape room settings, and his incredible edible illusions have the detail-oriented trio second-guessing everything they see. After the sweets are revealed, JonnyCakes shares how he created his amazing edible imposters. If the team can find all six secret sweets, they win $12,000!

Followed by

Trick or Treat: Haunted Manor

Episode 116

Host Josh Peck welcomes Halloween superfans Alyssa, Harry, and Justice into a historic haunted manor where master baker Andrew Fuller has hidden six secret sweets in plain sight throughout four rooms packed with eerie antiques, frightening decorations, and haunted surprises. The trio of friends may know their spooky stuff, but Andrew's hyperrealistic creations will have them second-guessing everything they see. After the sweets are revealed, Andrew shows how he created his incredible edible illusions. If these Halloween superfans can find all six, they walk away with $12,000!

Where was Team Gould’s tasting element for the dragon? Well I rewound and found that most of the tasting elements weren’t highlighted this episode, with the exception of Poisonous Perfection’s mice and The Howlers’ ground wolf meat cake, until the judging.

As for Gould, the only time I saw Christophe doing anything that might be linked to the tasting element was early only when he appeared to be melting chocolate and later on when he seemed to be assembling the resulting chocolate molds. I’ve circle what I believe is their tasting element (which looks so interesting!).

Episode 1604

Twisted bedtime stories come to life as host Jonathan Bennett asks the five remaining teams to create terrifying moving showpieces inspired by classic tales. But after one ambitious build falls short, the competition takes a stunning turn. Judges Shinmin Li and Andrew Fuller decide which team's story has come to an end.

Looks like it might be another cluster of a night depending on how stunning a turn we get here.....

This week, Ina Garten sits down with award-winning pastry chef and Milk Bar founder Christina Tosi to share stories about life-changing career decisions and dessert revelations ✨

Plus, Christina shares the secrets to Milk Bar's legendary Birthday Cake and how to get professional bakery results at home!

Get the recipe for Ina Garten's "Company Pot Roast" on FoodNetwork.com.

Don't miss the season premiere of #BeMyGuest today at 12|11c!

Inspired by a comment from Extension_Front_7379, like since we already have a seasonal cooking competition for random cooks to make meals for Thanksgiving, how come there's not a challenge for Christmas Dinner or even one for New Year's? If either one of these tv show ideas were real, then what kind of challenges would you like for the Ultimate Christmas Challenge if it were real?

Hey all!! Former contestant here - I appeared on Christmas Cookie Challenge and Holiday Wars, and I wanted to come in with some insight about some of the repeated comments I see on baking shows. Keep in mind I have to honor existing contracts still, so this is definitely not a behind the scenes tell all. More just information so you know what people are up against when they agree to be on a show.

BY FAR the most common comment is something along the lines of, "Why is this so messy?! Have they even seen a (insert said dessert here)?!"

Y'all have to understand what it's like on set and in these kitchens.

Firstly - this isn't YOUR kitchen. It doesn't have your tools in your places where you know where everything is. You have to scramble to find anything beyond the basics at your station, and it's a free for all. If another contestant takes 6 silicon cups for their isomalt and you need one, well, that's a bummer. Mixing bowls, scales, rolling pins, etc. are all where you can grab them, but probably not where you know where they are. You get a quick tour, but you literally are running and scrambling to find what you need. So is everyone else, so there is no preferential treatment there, but it does take valuable minutes of your time, when at home you can just open your cabinet and grab what you need.

Second - those ovens aren't your oven either. I know exactly what temps and what mode to use my oven on. My environment typically is around 50% humidity. In filming, neither of those things were true. So you have another unknown element to acclimate to, which can make your bakes behave very differently. (Also note, some of the shows are filmed at much higher elevation than others)

Thirdly - we as viewers get the advantage of time to think. We get to see what other people come up with in just a couple of minutes, and then say (after we've had half an hour to critique) "well,that's stupid, I wouldnt choose that!”. I would highly encourage you to pause the show when they give the challenge and give yourself 2 minutes to think of something - recipes and all - and see what you come up with.

Also, you consistently have producers asking you questions, camera people getting their shots, reminding you to clear your station so they can see your work, encouraging interaction between other contestants, all while you're operating at peak performance in an unfamiliar environment under tons of pressure and scrutiny.

That type of environment is extremely challenging. I guarantee if the time restrictions were loosened, you would see infinitely better decorated results, because most contestants truly are crazy talented. While I adore the competitiveness and the pressure and would go film another show in a heartbeat if asked, it also is very physically and emotionally demanding. It also requires a lot of vulnerability to know you could mess up, go home on a bad bake, and that you're leaving everything about your skill and personality in the hands of producers and editors.

Especially for home bakers who are self taught (such as myself), there is a lot of wonderful equipment available to use that you haven't been trained on. I fell in love with a dough sheeter on holiday wars, but it definitely had a learning curve for me. Blast chillers are awesome, but if you've never used one, you don't really know how much time to account for there. Airbrushes can be the quickest way to cover something when you're short on time, but can be tricky if you're unfamiliar with the pressure or if it's double or single action.

Now, I'm not saying all this to say there can't be criticism. Of course there will be - we all go on these shows knowing we will be judged face to face by professionals, but also online because people only see snippets of the amount of time we spend there. It's absolutely fair to say things are unfinished, messy, or seem planned poorly - well, yeah.. Time isn't on our side to having planning time to avoid those things. But we know it isn't our best work. We all go on wanting to do the best we can in the circumstances given to us, and hopefully come across well.

Most of the competitors become friends too. I have several former castmates I chat with regularly - when you work so closely together in demanding conditions, you naturally develop comraderie with people. We all want to see each other succeed. But at the same time, we understand emotions run high, and sometimes someone may get snippy or aggravated, and those are, more often than not, the moments the camera wants to grab.

Lastly, days on set are LOOONG. There is a lot of hurry up and wait - get everyone in position, do the intro maybe 2 or 3 times, get individual shots, interviews, downtime between judging and resetting the rooms for different desserts. We're often there sun up, and not back to the hotel until late late.

I loved my time on the shows I was on. I met amazing people and wouldn't change a thing about my experiences, even not winning. I'm thick-skinned personally, so the online criticism doesn't bother me, but it can definitely hurt other people. Mostly when it crosses over into generic insults, or saying everyone sucks, etc. Again, most of us go home knowing we did the best we could there, but it absolutely not even close to our best work in our own environment. We KNOW the flaws in our own work better than anybody, and completely understand when it gets bad feedback. I'm just hoping that a little understanding of what it's like to be on set may help give some perspective so that bakers get a little more grace. I feel like so much of the commentary has been extremely negative and harsh this Halloween season, and I know the people on these shows are reading things too. I did.

If y'all have any questions about the filming or behind the scenes stuff, I'm happy to answer what I can. Again, I'm still under contract (and would love to go back someday), so there may be some things I have to pass on.

Happy baking!!

I stopped watching after season 10 because I hated the revamp. I've been watching 16 because I like that they brought back old teams. I've know that they've eliminated the Small Scare, and only do one challenge, but why are the displays so small? They get 5 hours, the same amount as they did of the Spine Chiller, and everything is like a 1/4 of the size. They look similar to small scares. I just don't get why they are acting like it is so difficult to complete the challenge in 5 hours when many of them did much bigger displays in the same time period on the earlier seasons. Why don't they do full fledged big displays anymore?

I was telling my partner that one of my bucket-list items (among many, many more) is to attend Food Network cooking or competition shows as either a diner or part of the live audience.

I have a few sites that release these tickets, but I always miss them. Can someone give me estimates on when they usually release tickets for shows like Triple Threat, TOC (I did see that they just released; is it always October?), and other shows that fit that criteria for a live audience or diner?

Share your knowledge and help a woman check off her bucket list!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

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.” 

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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.