BATTLE ON ALL BURNERS 'IRON CHEF' COMES TO AMERICA.Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor Let the food fights begin! Just as American television networks have borrowed from reality shows produced abroad (``Survivor,'' ``Big Brother,'' ``The Mole,'' ``The Weakest Link''), so has the Food Network turned the tables on the popular ``Iron Chef'' series from Japan and brought the competition to America. The American version, filmed in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. last month and set to begin airing Friday, was produced by Triage triage Division of patients for priority of care, usually into three categories: those who will not survive even with treatment; those who will survive without treatment; and those whose survival depends on treatment. Entertainment for the Food Network. It is based on the cult classic, produced in Japan in the '90s by Fuji Television Fuji Television Network, Inc. (株式会社フジテレビジョン Network Inc., that has been airing on the Food Network with English dubbing for the past four years. On the new show, you'll see three of America's favorite chefs - Wolfgang Puck Wolfgang Johann Puck (born Wolfgang Johann Topfschnig on July 8, 1949) is an Austrian-American celebrity chef, restaurateur, and businessman based in Los Angeles. , Bobby Flay Robert William Flay is a fourth generation Irish-American, celebrity chef and restaurateur. He is the owner and executive chef of six restaurants: Mesa Grill, Bolo Bar & Restaurant, and Bar Americain in New York City, Mesa Grill and Mario Batali Mario Batali (b. September 9, 1960) is an Italian-American chef, restaurateur, TV host and writer. Personal History Batali attended Rutgers University where he double majored in Spanish Theater and Economics, graduating in 1982. - doing battle with the inspired food wizardry wiz·ard·ry n. pl. wiz·ard·ries 1. The art, skill, or practice of a wizard; sorcery. 2. a. A power or effect that appears magical by its capacity to transform: of original ``Iron Chef'' veterans Masaharu Morimoto Masaharu Morimoto (森本正治 Morimoto Masaharu; born May 26, 1955 in Hiroshima, Japan) is a well-known Japanese chef, best-known as the third (and last) Iron Chef Japanese on the TV cooking show Iron Chef and Hiroyuki Sakai Hiroyuki Sakai (Sakai Hiroyuki; 坂井 宏行) (born April 2, 1942 in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan) is a well-known Japanese chef who specializes in French cuisine. . Staying as close to the Japanese format as possible, the American shows were taped in a new, specially designed, state-of-the-art ``Kitchen Stadium'' (as the Japanese show's set is also named) last month at Los Angeles Center Studios downtown. ``This special event - 'Battle of the Masters' - is about passing the torch from the Japanese show to our new Kitchen Stadium and 'Iron Chef America,' '' said Bruce Seidel sei·del n. A beer mug. [German, from Middle High German s  del, from Latin situla, bucket.]Noun 1. , vice president of program planning at the Food Network. ``This is a whole new evolution of the show with a bigger, more modern Kitchen Stadium with more state-of-the-art equipment. ... We picked the top chefs in the country featured on the Food Network,'' to compete. Five different one-hour shows took three days to tape. The first gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the making of ``Iron Chef America Iron Chef America: The Series 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. .'' Three shows feature one-on-one battles - Sakai vs. Flay flay to strip off the skin. , Morimoto vs. Batali, and Morimoto vs. Puck. The novel tag-team finale or double-header final cook-off brings together two cultures, teaming Morimoto and Flay against Sakai and Batali, in the ultimate battle of culinary champions. Mark Dacascos, an actor and martial arts expert, plays the disciplined and focused chairman, introducing the chefs and revealing each episode's secret ingredients (on which every dish is based) from beneath a drape drape v. To cover, dress, or hang with or as if with cloth in loose folds. n. A cloth arranged over a patient's body during an examination or treatment or during surgery, designed to provide a sterile field around the area. - among them live trout, lobster, assorted eggs and fruits de mer (scallops, sea urchins and langoustines). Chef Alton Brown, the network's resident food historian/scientist (and host of ``Good Eats'') was cast in the role of commentator. He provides personal insights on ingredients and kitchen happenings. Racing around on the Kitchen Stadium floor to keep the action moving is the energetic sideline reporter Kevin Brauch, Fine Living's ``Thirsty Traveler.'' As taping of the two-on-two battle began, there was tension and excitement in the air. With the secret ingredients (fruits de mer) revealed minutes before, the chefs grabbed a supply and headed back to their stations. The war was on, the clock was ticking, and it was nonstop cooking and filming for an hour. The chefs had more than 500 pantry items - both Japanese and American ingredient treasures - ranging from caviar, truffles and saffron to special salts and exotic produce and truffle oil - to choose from to use in their concoctions. Each two-chef team was required to create and present five dishes to the judges, with the workload divvied up as desired. Each chef on both teams created two dishes and then collaborated on a final creation. For this duel, each chef was allowed to bring and work with a sous chef of his choice. Strategy, creativity, innovation, presentation and taste were uppermost in the chefs' minds. After all, a panel of food critics and celebrities would sample and evaluate the dishes (which could range from appetizers to desserts), judging them on taste, originality, presentation and use of the secret ingredient. A dozen cameras (both portable and stationary) were all over the set, on the chefs' faces, hands, pots, pans, plates, grills and finished dishes, capturing all the action (cutting, chopping, stirring, pureeing, etc.). ``Thirty minutes left ... 16 minutes left,'' came announcements over the sound system. The hectic pace picked up, and things appeared chaotic. In the Japanese show, at the finish of the competition, each chef was required to have 25 plates of food ready for judging. However, for the American show, chefs had to complete plating only one of each of the five dishes by the end of the battle. Just before the judging (which took about a half-hour per chef or team of chefs and was condensed con·dense v. con·densed, con·dens·ing, con·dens·es v.tr. 1. To reduce the volume or compass of. 2. To make more concise; abridge or shorten. 3. Physics a. into five to eight minutes per show), the chefs were allowed 10 minutes to plate the dishes for the judges - but only using or reheating Reheating The addition of heat to steam of reduced pressure after the steam has given up some of its energy by expansion through the high-pressure stages of a turbine. components cooked during the battle. After the chefs explained the concept of the dish, the ingredients used and how the secret ingredient was incorporated, the judges sampled each. ``I think there is a correlation in the judging of the Japanese ('Iron Chef') and our series,'' says Seidel. In the American show, it was a test of pleasing the American palate, while in the Japanese show it was pleasing the Japanese palate. Picking the winners was a challenge. ``The dishes all of the chefs made were amazing,'' says Seidel. ``They (chefs) are all artists, the cream of the crop, the top chefs in their fields.'' While the Food Network is already working on future ``Iron Chef America'' shows, Seidel noted that future challengers will not necessarily be Japanese, but chefs from all over the world. The U.S. chefs had a great time and can't wait to compete again, he adds. ``This was the Olympics for them.'' Natalie Haughton, (818) 713-3692 natalie.haughton(at)dailynews.com IRON CHEF AMERICA - BATTLE OF THE MASTERS What: Five new American ``Iron Chef'' shows featuring three favorite U.S. chefs - Bobby Flay, Mario Batali and Wolfgang Puck - competing against Japanese show ``Iron Chef'' veterans - Masaharu Morimoto and Hiroyuki Sakai. Where: Food Network. When: 9 p.m. Friday: The making of ``Iron Chef America''; repeats 6 p.m. Sunday. 10 p.m. Friday: Sakai vs. Flay; repeats 9 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday. 10 p.m. Saturday: Morimoto vs. Batali; repeats 8 p.m. Sunday. 9 p.m. Sunday: Morimoto vs. Puck. 10 p.m. Sunday: Tag Team Finale. Gentlemen, start your dishes BOBBY FLAY, 39, from New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. . Owner of Mesa Grill and Bolo in New York City. Cooking style is Southwestern and Spanish grilling. Best-known for Food Network programs ``FoodNation'' and ``Boy Meets Grill Boy Meets Grill is a popular show on the Food Network. This show, hosted by Bobby Flay, features grilling tips for people with any level of experience in the kitchen. It was first aired in 2002. Boy Meets Grill also air on ETC and Lifestyle Channel in the Philippines. .'' Teamed with Masaharu Morimoto; cooking against Sakai. Previously competed against Morimoto on Japanese ``Iron Chef'' specials taped at Webster Hall in New York City in 2000 and a rematch taped at Kitchen Stadium in Japan in 2001 (he won one battle and lost one). ``It's great to work with Morimoto,'' said Flay after they cooked together in the two-on-two battle. ``He's much cleaner than me.'' Flay said his battle with Sakai was his most difficult as he had to net and kill live trout. MARIO BATALI, 43, from Seattle. Owner of Babbo, Esca, Lupa, Otto Enoteca Pizzeria, Casa Mono and Bar Jamon in New York City. Host of Food Network's ``Molto mol·to adv. Music Very; much. Used chiefly in directions. [Italian, from Latin multum, from neuter of multus, many, much; see mel-2 Mario'' and ``Ciao America.'' Cooking style is Italian. Long shorts and red clogs are part of his signature outfit. Teamed with Sakai; cooked against Morimoto. ``Competing is both nerve-wracking and exhilarating,'' said Batali after the two-on-two battle (he didn't sleep the night before). The team's strategy: Sakai took a more delicate approach in his creations while Batali's were more aggressive. ``You don't come here to lose. The best thing about the battle was meeting Morimoto and Sakai.'' WOLFGANG PUCK, 54, from St. Veit, Austria. Owner of Spago Beverly Hills, Palo Alto and Las Vegas; Chinois on Main, Santa Monica; Vert, Los Angeles; Granita gra·ni·ta n. A granular dessert ice with a sugar-syrup base, usually flavored with fruit purée, coffee, or wine. [Italian, from feminine past participle of granire, to make grainy, granulate , Malibu; Lupo, Las Vegas and more. Cooking style depends on the restaurant - ranges from California cuisine to Asian fusion to Mediterranean, Italian, French, etc. Host of ``Wolfgang Puck's Cooking Class'' on Food Network. Competed against Morimoto. MASAHARU MORIMOTO, 49, from Hiroshima, Japan. Executive chef/owner of Morimoto in Philadelphia. Cooking style is Japanese and global fusion. Teamed with Flay; cooked against both Batali and Puck. ``Cooking is entertainment. Today was fun,'' said Morimoto. HIROYUKI SAKAI, 62, from Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Owner of La Rochelle Cuisine Francaise in Shibuya, Japan. Cooking style is Japanese-French. Wears red Iron Chef outfit and can be recognized by his signature mustache. Teamed with Batali; cooked against Flay. ``I was very happy working with Mario and hope to work with him in the future,'' said Sakai. Although Sakai still gets nervous before competing, he found teaming up relaxing (and time-saving) as one person didn't have the burden of making everything (all five dishes). However the balancing factor (of different styles of cooking) was challenging. -Natalie Haughton CAPTION(S): 8 photos, box Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) KITCHEN CUTUPS `Iron Chef' brings its Ginsu knives to America (2 -- color) MORIMOTO (3 -- color) PUCK (4 -- color) FLAY (5 -- color) BATALI (6 -- color) SAKAI (7 -- color) Creations of Bobby Flay include sea scallop scallop or pecten, marine bivalve mollusk. Like its close relative the oyster, the scallop has no siphons, the mantle being completely open, but it differs from other mollusks in that both mantle edges have a row of steely blue "eyes" and Rockefeller, left, blue cornmeal corn·meal also corn meal n. Meal made from corn, used in a wide variety of foods. Also called Indian meal. Noun 1. coated langoustine lan·gous·tine n. A large, edible prawn. [French, diminutive of langouste, langouste; see langouste.] Noun 1. with tomatillo sauce and sea urchin mignonette mignonette (mĭn'yənĕt`), common name for some members of the Resedaceae, a small family of herbs and a few shrubs inhabiting arid regions. . (8 -- color) Sherry Yard, left, and chefs Wolfgang Puck and Masaharu Morimoto grab assorted eggs - the secret ingredient - during taping of ``Iron Chef America'' battle in Los Angeles. Photos by Gus Ruelas/Daily News Box: Gentlemen, start your dishes (see text) |
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