Ready... Set... Cook!

Last updated
Ready... Set... Cook!
Presented by Robin Young (1995–1996)
Sissy Biggers (1996–2000)
Ainsley Harriott (2000–2001)
Original release
Network Food Network
ReleaseOctober 2, 1995 (1995-10-02) 
January 1, 2001 (2001-01-01)

Ready... Set... Cook! is a cooking game show that debuted on the Food Network in the United States on October 2, 1995. The show's format was based upon the British series Ready Steady Cook , and originally hosted by television personality Robin Young.

Contents

Hosts

Young hosted through September 27, 1996. The following Monday, she was replaced by another TV personality, Sissy Biggers. In 2000, Biggers was replaced by British Ready Steady Cook presenter Ainsley Harriott.

Gameplay

Two well-known chefs (usually representing their restaurants) along with two members of the studio audience (one per chef) competed as teams to prepare the best meal. One was called "Red Tomatoes", the other "Green Peppers". The contestants were then each given $10.00 to spend on whatever they wanted for the chefs to prepare for a meal.

The teams were given 20 minutes (later reduced to 18 minutes) to make a meal using the ingredients they had and the usual items found in a kitchen pantry. The host would meanwhile move back and forth between the teams to ask questions about the meals being produced.

When time ran out, each team explained the dish they had prepared, after which the audience would vote by holding cards (one per audience member, a tomato on one side and a green pepper on the other) to show which team's meal they liked best. [1] The team with the higher number of votes won the game, with both contestants winning kitchen appliances and/or cookware.

Related Research Articles

<i>Ready Steady Cook</i> BBC daytime TV cooking game show

Ready Steady Cook is a BBC daytime TV cooking game show. It debuted on 24 October 1994 and the last original edition was broadcast on 2 February 2010. The programme was hosted by Fern Britton from 1994 until 2000 when celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott became the new host. In August 2000, when Harriott took over, the duration of the programme was extended from 30 to 45 minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ainsley Harriott</span> English chef and television presenter

Ainsley Denzil Dubriel Harriott is an English chef and television presenter. He is known for his BBC cooking game shows Can't Cook, Won't Cook and Ready Steady Cook.

<i>Iron Chef America</i> American cooking competition television series

Iron Chef America is an American cooking show based on Fuji Television's Iron Chef, and is the second American adaptation of the series, following the failed Iron Chef USA that aired in 2001. The show is produced by Food Network, which also carried a dubbed version of the original Iron Chef. Like the original Japanese program, the program is a culinary game show. In each episode, a new challenger chef competes against one of the resident "Iron Chefs" in a one-hour cooking competition based on a secret ingredient or ingredients, and sometimes theme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocco DiSpirito</span> American chef

Rocco DiSpirito is an American chef and reality television personality based in New York City, known for starring in the series The Restaurant.

<i>Food Network Star</i> American food reality television series

Food Network Star is a reality television series that aired from June 5, 2005 to August 5, 2018. It was produced by CBS EYEtoo Productions for seasons 1–8 and by Triage Entertainment for seasons 9-14. It aired on the Food Network in the United States. Prior to season seven, the series was known as The Next Food Network Star.

Ready Steady Cook is a four-time Logie Award-nominated Australian cookery competition show that aired on Network Ten. It is based on the original Ready Steady Cook series broadcast by the BBC. The format is owned by Endemol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Food reality television</span>

Food reality television is a genre of reality television programming that considers the production, consumption and/or sociocultural impact of food.

<i>Celebrity Cooking Showdown</i> American TV series or program

Celebrity Cooking Showdown is a program that aired on NBC from April 17–19 and April 22, 2006. It was hosted by Alan Thicke.

Australia's Great BBQ Challenge is a reality TV show on the Lifestyle FOOD Channel. The show is a competition to find Australia's best BBQ Chef and is hosted by Jabba and was first aired 2 December 2006. The winner received$25,000 (AUD) and hosted his own cooking show that aired on Lifestyle FOOD and a Grand Turbo 6 BBQ Burner Worth $5,000.

The fourth season of the American reality television series The Next Food Network Star premiered on Sunday, June 1, 2008. Food Network executives, Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson, were joined by Bobby Flay as the Selection Committee for this season, which was filmed early 2008 in New York, New York and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Top Chef Junior is an American reality competition television series that serves as a spin-off of the popular Top Chef series. Ordered in 2008 for an eight-episode run on Bravo, the show had never aired, nor is it known if any episodes were produced at that time. However, nine years later, Top Chef Junior was mentioned as the marquee program for Universal Kids, an NBCUniversal-owned children's channel launched on September 9, 2017. Season 1 consisted of 14 episodes and feature 12 young chefs, aged 9–14. The winner receives $50,000 and the title of Top Chef Junior. The show is hosted by actress Vanessa Lachey, with Top Chef Masters and Top Chef Duels host Curtis Stone serving as its head judge. Top Chef Junior premiered on October 13, 2017. In November 2017 Top Chef Junior was renewed for a 2nd season, which premiered on September 8, 2018. It consists of 12 finalist chefs aged 9–14.

The fifth season of the American reality television series The Next Food Network Star premiered on Sunday, June 7, 2009. Food Network executives, Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson, were joined by Bobby Flay as the Selection Committee for this season, which was filmed early 2009 in New York, New York and Miami, Florida.

<i>My Kitchen Rules</i> Australian TV series or program

My Kitchen Rules is an Australian competitive cooking game show broadcast on the Seven Network since 2010. The show is currently hosted and judged by chefs Manu Feildel and Colin Fasnidge, with Feildel being the only judge who has appeared in every season of the show. Fellow chef Pete Evans co-hosted until his departure after season 11, following controversy about his personal views and social media posts. Other celebrity chefs and food critics frequently appear as guest judges or mentors in the kitchen. The series was originally produced by the team who created the Seven reality show My Restaurant Rules, and was put into production based on the success of Network 10's MasterChef Australia.

The sixth season of the American reality television series The Next Food Network Star premiered on Sunday, June 6, 2010. Food Network executives, Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson, were joined again by Bobby Flay as the judges for this season. In addition, Giada De Laurentiis will serve as an on-set mentor. The series was filmed in Los Angeles, California and New York, New York. Winner Aarti Sequeira went on to host her show Aarti Party, which premiered on August 22, 2010. Runner-up Tom Pizzica was also hired to host a travel food show Outrageous Food, which began airing in November 2010.

The third season of the American reality competition show Top Chef Masters was announced on March 2, 2011. In addition to the announcement, it was announced that celebrity chef Curtis Stone would serve as the new host. Food critic and author Ruth Reichl also joined as a new series judge And Critic James Osland Also Returned. The season premiered on April 6, 2011, with 12 award-winning chefs competing against each other in weekly challenges. Unlike previous seasons, the chefs were not judged on a five-star rating system, but in elimination-style challenges similar to the format of the original Top Chef series.

The seventh season of the renamed American reality television series Food Network Star premiered Sunday, June 5, 2011. Food Network executives, Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson, are joined again by Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis as the judges for this season. The series was filmed in Los Angeles, California and New York, New York.

The fourth season of Top Chef Masters was announced on May 24, 2012. Food and travel journalist, Krista Simmons, and features editor of Gilt Taste, Francis Lam, join James Oseland and Ruth Reichl as new additions to the judges' table. The season premiered on July 25, 2012 with 12 award-winning chefs competing in weekly challenges to win $100,000 for their charity and the title of Top Chef Master.

The ninth season of the American reality television series Food Network Star premiered Sunday, June 2, 2013.

Georgios Evlampios (Akis) Petretzikis is a Greek celebrity chef. He is the CEO of Akis Petretzikis Ltd, which publishes cooking magazines and books, produces cooking shows, runs restaurants, and has an e-shop with various kitchen products designed by himself.

References

  1. Salkin, Allen. From Scratch: The Uncensored History of the Food Network, New York: Penguin, 153-154.