# Food Fighters (TV series)

Food Fighters is an American reality based cooking television series hosted by Adam Richman that pits a home chef against five professional chefs in a series of cooking competitions for a chance to win up to $100,000. The series premiered July 22, 2014 on NBC as a summer replacement series. On January 21, 2015, NBC renewed the show for a second season. The second season premiered July 2, 2015 and concluded September 3, 2015. In season one, new episodes aired every Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET, while in season two new episodes aired every Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.

## Format

Food Fighters bills itself as "one part cooking competition, one part game show." In each episode, a contestant who is a home-based amateur cook comes to the show with a list of five of their best recipes to prepare on the show. The show is divided into five rounds, one round for each recipe. In each round, a mystery professional chef comes in to challenge the contestant. The chefs are represented as black silhouettes of themselves on a large video screen and on a graphic to the home viewer before being shown. Once the chef is introduced, the contestant chooses one of their recipes to cook against the professional, and they cannot prepare a recipe more than once. The contestant generally attempts to select a recipe that is not in the known style of the chef, as the chef does not know in advance what dish they will be cooking. After a set cooking time (generally varying from 15–25 minutes), the contestant's and the chef's respective recipes are judged by a group of five ordinary food-loving people known as the "Dinner Party" in a blind taste test, who discuss positive and negative aspects of each dish. A majority vote of the Dinner Party determines the winner of the round. Each round that the contestant wins earns them a cash prize. The first round is worth $5,000, the second round is worth $10,000, the third round is worth $15,000, the fourth round is worth $20,000, and the fifth round is worth double the amount of the contestant's previous winnings, making a top possible prize of $100,000. If the chef wins a round, the contestant does not win any money for that round but continues through the entire show. If the contestant does not win any round prior to the final round, that final round will be worth $10,000.
The fifth professional chef that competes is generally a celebrity chef that has frequently appeared on other cooking shows, especially those on Food Network, including Cat Cora, Elizabeth Falkner, Duff Goldman, Lorena Garcia, Jet Tila, and Gerry Garvin. The set of the show is unique from other cooking shows in that it is a two-story set, with the contestant cooking in a kitchen upstairs on an upper level while the chef cooks in a similar kitchen on the lower level. The show also publishes the contestant recipes on their website.

## Episodes
### Season 1 (2014)
#### S1E1: Elisha Joyce

| Professional Chefs | Kevin Belton | Jonny Giordani | Michele Ragussis | Marcel Vigneron | Lorena Garcia | Total Winnings |
| Contestant Dishes | Egg Rolls | Fish Tacos | Mango Tart | Stewed Chicken & Rice | Salmon & Quinoa | $60,000 |

#### S1E2: Kena Peay

| Professional Chefs | Chad Ward | Daniel Shemtob | Deborah Benaim | Stefan Richter | Cat Cora | Total Winnings |
| Contestant Dishes | Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese | Milk & Cookies | Spring Rolls | Shrimp Po'boy | Pan-seared Pork | $100,000 |

#### S1E3: Annie Smith

| Professional Chefs | Kent Rollins | Manouschka Guerrier | Sharone Hakman | Antonia Lofaso | Gerry "G" Garvin | Total Winnings |
| Contestant Dishes | Raspberry Soufflé | Chicken Pot Pie | Chicken Fettucine Alfredo | Sweet & Spicy Shrimp | Seared Ahi Tuna | $90,000 |
NOTE: In addition to the cash, Annie Smith was given a Tobii eye tracking speech recognition device for her disabled daughter.

#### S1E4: Nick Evans

| Professional Chefs | Kent Rollins | Elise Wims | Vic Vegas | Casey Thompson | Duff Goldman | Total Winnings |
| Contestant Dishes | Chorizo Tacos | Chicken Wings & Dipping Sauce | Mashed Potato Pizza | Veggie Burger & Chips | Eggs Benedict | $70,000 |

#### S1E5: Cortney Anderson-Sanford

| Professional Chefs | Hop Phan | Sarah Simington | Stuart O'Keefe | Eric Greenspan | Lorena Garcia | Total Winnings |
| Contestant Dishes | French Toast w/ Fruit | Asian Salmon | Chocolate Tart | Lobster with Stuffing | Biscuits & Gravy | $100,000 |

#### S1E6: Jon Coombs

| Professional Chefs | Daniel Shemtob | Devin Alexander | Vic Vegas | Eric Greenspan | Cat Cora | Total Winnings |
| Contestant Dishes | Scallops & Potatoes | Macaroni & Cheese | Caribbean Chicken | Cookie Sandwich | Shrimp & Grits | $70,000 |

#### S1E7: Melissa Clinton

| Professional Chefs | Josh Stone | Manouschka Guerrier | Michele Ragussis | Mike Brown | Jet Tila | Total Winnings |
| Contestant Dishes | Stuffed Chicken w/ Mashed Potatoes | Meatballs w/ Ratatouille | Pork Wellington | Chicken Burger & Onion Rings | Bacon Brownies | $50,000 |

#### S1E8: Jim Stark

| Professional Chefs | Josh Stone | Yaku Moton-Spruill | Deborah Benaim | Marcel Vigneron | Elizabeth Falkner | Total Winnings |
| Contestant Dishes | Fried Catfish | Chocolate Cake | Steak w/ Mushroom Sauce | Baby Back Ribs | Cheesy Polenta | $70,000 |

### Season 2 (2015)
#### S2E1: "I'm Bringing the Spice" — Jacky Herrera

| Professional Chefs | Ray Lampe | Daniel Shemtob | Stuart O'Keefe | Danielle Saunders | Antonia Lofaso | Total Winnings |
| Contestant Dishes | Cheese Enchiladas | Beef Empanadas | Pan-fried Salmon | Spicy Meatballs | Berry Sponge Cake | $50,000 |

#### S2E2: "You're in the Big Leagues Now" — Holly Haines

| Professional Chefs | Alejandra Schrader | Daniel Shemtob | Michele Ragussis | Tiffany Derry | Eric Greenspan | Total Winnings |
| Contestant Dishes | Chicken & Waffles | Catfish & Hushpuppies | Steak Lettuce Wrap w/ Chimichurri | Chocolate Cake w/ Strawberries | Shrimp & Grits | $45,000 |

#### S2E3: "This Kid's Got Moves" — Troy Glass

| Professional Chefs | Hop Phan | Connie "Lovely" Jackson | Chris Nirschel | Keriann Von Raesfeld | Rocco DiSpirito | Total Winnings |
| Contestant Dishes | Mac & Cheese | Chicken Tacos w/ Fresh Tortillas | Banana Bread & Ice Cream | Hamburger & Fries | Fresh Pappardelle w/ Tuna | $20,000 |
NOTE: In addition to the cash, 14-year-old Troy Glass was given a full two-year scholarship to The Culinary Institute of America.

#### S2E4: "This Cheerleader's Got Game" — Amber MacDonald

| Professional Chefs | Shariff Herndon | Sarah Simington | Viet Pham | Brendan Collins | Nadia G. | Total Winnings |
| Contestant Dishes | Chicken & Wine Sauce | Shrimp Scampi | S'mores | Spaghetti & Meatballs | Sausage & Peppers Sandwich | $70,000 |

#### S2E5: "Fighting Fire with Food" — Ryan McKay

| Professional Chefs | Dave Mueller | Kai Kani | Jamika Pessoa | Brad Miller | Lorena Garcia | Total Winnings |
| Contestant Dishes | Spicy Chicken Wings | Chicken Enchiladas | Crepes Suzette | Southern Breakfast Biscuit | Shepherd's Pie | $50,000 |

#### S2E6: "Fear My Skills, and My Heels" — Alyssia Birnbaum

| Professional Chefs | Ronnie Woo | Manouschka Guerrier | Michele Ragussis | Katsuji Tanabe | Brian Malarkey | Total Winnings |
| Contestant Dishes | Walnut Brownies | Pasta w/ Mushroom Sauce | Fried Chicken Sandwich | Butternut Squash Ravioli | Fried Mahi Mahi w/ Sauce | $35,000 |

#### S2E7: "The Lawyer Raises the Bar" — Zac Delap

| Professional Chefs | Deborah VanTrece | Sarah Simington | Sharone Hakman | Chris Oh | Fabio Viviani | Total Winnings |
| Contestant Dishes | Pad Thai | Chicken Tikka Masala | Chili & Cornbread | Cookies & Ice Cream | Asian Pork Sandwich | $60,000 |

#### S2E8: "Whiz Kid in the Kitchen" — Danielle McNerney

| Professional Chefs | Deborah VanTrece | Alex Williams | Jamika Pessoa | Katsuji Tanabe | Duff Goldman | Total Winnings |
| Contestant Dishes | Scallops & Cauliflower | Pork Chops & Apples | Pasta w/ Cream Sauce | Chicken Roulade | Steak Tostada w/ Salsa | $0 |
NOTE: When the contestant lost the first four rounds, it was announced that the last match would be for $10,000. 12-year-old Danielle McNerney was given a trip to science camp from Education Unlimited and Sally Ride Science held at Stanford University, and Walmart gave $20,000 to help with her mother's charity.

#### S2E9: "Home Cook Heavyweight" — Will Spencer

| Professional Chefs | Alejandra Schrader | Connie "Lovely" Jackson | Kayne Raymond | Keriann Von Raesfeld | Aaron McCargo, Jr. | Total Winnings |
| Contestant Dishes | Chicken & Waffles | Steak & Plantains | Shrimp & Grits | Crab Cakes w/ Remoulade | Chicken Curry w/ Rice | $35,000 |

#### S2E10: "This Soccer Mom Sizzles" — Alice Currah

| Professional Chefs | Stephanie Goldfarb | Jason Febres | Deborah Benaim | Chris Oh | Marcel Vigneron | Total Winnings |
| Contestant Dishes | Clams & Curry Sauce | Black Cod & Broccoli | Pumpkin Pie | Chicken Wings & Slaw | Pork Fried Rice | $30,000 |