Cooking Channel Cooked Up A Storm At The 2013 Cooking Channel Upfronts

When the Food Channel became popular and their reached the height of their ratings back in 2010, Scripps Networks announced their brother channel…. The Cooking Channel! Both the Food Channel and the Cooking Channel are flourishing despite the latter being in its infancy. In fact this year during upfronts, the cooking channel announced an impressive slate of upcoming new programs that will find its home on this channel in 2013. In fact eight new shows will premiere on the Cooking Channel before October. Whether you like pizza, chinese, donuts or struggling restaurants you will like what is being offered this year. 

NEW SERIES/PRIMETIME

PIZZA CUZ –  IS ON MONDAYS @9PM 
Pizza Cuz is a cross-country pizza exploration through the taste buds of pizza aficionados Francis Garcia and Sal Basille, owners of the growing pizza empire, Artichoke Basille’s Pizza. In each half-hour episode, these first cousins from Staten Island travel everywhere the pizza pie can take them – from San Francisco to Philadelphia – tasting, meeting, and discovering all things pizza.

THE FRESHMAN CLASS - PREMIERES MONDAY, JUNE 10 @10:30 PM 
The Freshman Class follows four aspiring chefs from day one of classes at the Louisiana Culinary Institute in Baton Rouge through their final exams at the end of their first semester as they embark on the journey to earn a culinary degree. These students are chasing their dreams all the while taking a big risk – culinary school is expensive, difficult, and offers no guarantees. Follow the journey and get an insider’s look into the trials and triumphs of being a culinary student.

TRIPPING OUT WITH ALIE AND GEORGIA - PREMIERES FRIDAY, JUNE 21ST @ 9:30 PM 
Cooking Channel’s Classy Ladies web series stars and best friends, Alie Ward and Georgia Hardstark, set out across America to bring viewers a unique and authentic spin on traveling with your BFF – and along the way share all the wild and crazy happenings they encounter. In each episode, the duo finds clever ways to bring their experiences home to share with friends, as well as toast them with a new and undoubtedly unique cocktail.

RESTAURANT TAKEOVER - PREMIERES AUGUST 2013 
Restaurant Takeover challenges two restaurant industry top guns to help rescue a failing restaurant. With only six days to overhaul and re-launch a local eatery for review by their customers, these culinary cavaliers have their work cut out for them.

FOOD FANATICS - PREMIERES SEPTEMBER 2013 
In this 6-part series, host Eden Grinshpan meets America’s greatest and funniest online foodies and takes a ride to their favorite and most delicious hangouts and haunts. Each episode, Eden visits 3 different cities and hooks up with the funniest bloggers, youtubers and tweeters and begs them to take her to their favorite place in the city for a fun-filled, downright tasty time. At each location Eden will meet the chef, chow down and find out what makes this joint the best in town to her new best blogger friend. Is it the ribs, the chowder or the dumplings? As usual Eden is ready for anything!

CHINGS MENU MAKEOVER - PREMIERES OCTOBER 2013 
Changing the face of Chinese food in America one menu at a time, Ching He-Huang travels across the country to help struggling restaurants update and revitalize their menus and make over their run-of-the-mill establishments.

DONUT SHOWDOWN - PREMIERES OCTOBER 2013 
Donut Showdown takes the donut to epicurean heights with an exciting competition between some of the best donut makers in the country. Each episode pits three donut makers against each other in a series of challenges, but only one can walk away with the $10,000 prize.

RETURNING SERIES/PRIMETIME………………

Eat St. – Returned for Season 4 and is on Tuesdays at 8pm
Eat St. is a lip-smacking celebration of North America’s tastiest, messiest, and most irresistible street food. From Tijuana-style tacos served out of an Airstream trailer to classic dogs with all the fixin’s and sirloin burgers slathered in bacon jam, food cart fare is the hottest culinary trend around. The stars of the show are the vendors – food mavericks with creative takes on mobile meals and inspiring stories. Seeking out the very best curbside eats all over North America, Eat St. is a grease-stained roadmap to the ultimate street food experience.

Road Trip with G. Garvin – Returned for Season 2 and is on Tuesdays at 9pm
Acclaimed cookbook author, host and larger-than-life personality, Chef Gerry Garvin, aka ‘G.’, takes viewers on a tour of his native South, to explore the best eats this part of the country has to offer. Travelling to Atlanta and Houston, North Carolina, South Carolina and more, G. visits a different city each episode to discover the hidden gems and the people behind the magic. From traditional ethnic food and urban farms to BBQ pit masters extraordinaire, G.Garvin leaves no stones unturned in his quest to find the hottest, most delicious spots in the country.

Man Fire Food - Returns for its Second Season on June 3 at 9:30 p.m
Roger Mooking explores cooking at its most basic as he features the cooks who take the fundamental formula of fire and food to make delicious culinary creations. Along the way, he samples fire-cooked favorites from local joints on back roads and byways from coast to coast.

Kelsey’s Essentials - Season Five Premiere: July 2013
Kelsey Nixon inspires a new generation of food lovers with her fresh take on essential cooking basics. In her fifth season, she gives savvy tips on must-have pantry items, shares the latest gadgets and highlights essential kitchen techniques like roasting, baking, and knife skills. Whether she is sharing unique entertaining tips and food gift ideas or classic yet sophisticated recipes for sauces, stews, and eggs, Kelsey is a master at using the basics to create dishes that are anything but ordinary. She targets the DIY home cook – breaking down the steps, teaching proper technique and making everyone feel comfortable in the kitchen.

Chuck’s Eat the Street - Season Two Premiere: August 2013
Every city has one – a single street where block after block, restaurant after restaurant, meal after meal, you can experience a magical, mouthwatering tour through cultures and cuisines of every conceivable variety. Chuck Hughes takes a tour of America’s great food streets, tasting his way through cities and learning about the people and history that have made these flavors special.

Not My Mama’s Meals - Season Four Premiere: August 2013
Bobby Deen takes his mother’srecipes and transforms her Southern comfort food into lighter, leaner, yet still delicious dishes. Each week, Bobby recreates one of his Mama’s (Paula Deen) famous meals with healthy substitutes that cut down on calories and fat, but still deliver on taste.

Unique Eats - Season Six Premiere: August 2013
Unique Eats spotlights America’s most exciting and revolutionary restaurants and gives a first-hand look and the last word in everything extreme in food today. From high-end dining rooms to casual neighborhood treasures, and even roving eateries with no permanent addresses, Unique Eats seeks out the most amazing examples of modern dining across America.

My Grandmother’s Ravioli - Season Two Premiere: October 2013
Mo Rocca learns treasured family recipes and a lot more, from grandparents across the country in My Grandmother’s Ravioli. While he was growing up, Mo’s grandmother prepared sumptuous Sunday dinners for the family, with “Momma’s” ravioli as the main event. Although he could never forget those meals, Mo never learned her recipes. Now he’s doing the next best thing: visiting other people’s grandmothers and grandfathers who lovingly, and patiently, teach Mo traditional specialties. In addition to making food that will take viewers back to their childhood, the grandparents share their inspiring personal stories and funny family anecdotes in each episode.

NEW SERIES/DAYTIME

AMERICA'S BEST BITES - PREMIERED IN APRIL AND IS ON SATURDAYS AT 4:30 PM 
Host Natalie Forte scours the country to feature those hidden gems and local favorites in each episode of America’s Best Bites. Produced by Tribune and Oakbrook for Cooking Channel 

RETURNING SERIES/DAYTIME

Luke’s Greater Mekong – Premiered in May and is on Saturdays at 12:30 pm
Luke Nguyen returns to the country of his heritage to take a culinary journey through the southern regions of Vietnam. Starting in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Luke travels through the Mekong Delta and north along the coast to the World Heritage city of Hoi An. Along the way he prepares dishes in locations that represent the real Vietnam, in all its chaotic vibrancy.


SPECIALS

GIADA IN PARADISE:THAILAND - PREMIERED APRIL 2013 
In this episode of “Giada in Paradise,” Giada travels to Thailand for an exotic taste of paradise. From the turquoise waters of Phuket to Chang Mai with its lush rice paddies and wild terrain, Giada takes us on a glamorous once-in-a-lifetime adventure, exploring one of the world’s most fascinating cuisines.

BITE ME - AUSTIN- SPECIAL PREMIERES SEPTEMBER 2013 
Nadia G and her outrageous crew take an epic bite out of Austin, Texas. When the boys are a no-show for the start of the new show, Nadia does some spiteful shkoffing at one of the finest new restaurants in town. Luckily, after a series of bizarre culinary detours (and some fierce shoe-shopping by Nadia G), the boys arrive in time for the master Pig Pickin’ that Nadia has planned. Panos reports on organic pig farming and the Spice Agent uncovers the spicy secrets of Texas BBQ. A final stop for deep-fried bacon-wrapped hotdogs sends Hans looking for healthy Austin alternatives.

DEEN BROTHER'S CHRISTMAS - SPECIAL PREMIERES DECEMBER 2013 
It’s that time of year again, and everyone is making their holiday plans. The Deens are no different, but this year Bobby and Jamie have a treat for everyone – they’re cooking the Christmas meal for the entire family. The boys come together in the kitchen and prepare a huge feast for Paula and the entire family. The Deen Christmas meal is sure to be delicious. 

BREEZY'S RECAP

The little brother to one of the most talked about and watched channels on cable, the cooking network is beginning to stand on its own two feet and provide a little competition to its older brother. I love watching food shows, especially when I am hungry and I don't know what I want. With all of the new shows set to debut before the end of summer, I am sure that their is something for everyone. I am really looking forward to the Deen Brothers Christmas and Restaurant Takeover. So what about you, are you looking forward to a new show on the cooking channel? Trying to make a new recipe? Just want to talk? Leave a message in the comments and I will get back to you!