Alex Vs. America

Why the Food Network continues to try and force feed her on the viewers is bizarre. She has no appeal from a TV show standpoint. Probably a great chef she just has absolutely no star quality. They've bounced her around on a dozen shows and she never lasts.

Seriously, each episode has someone on as a challenger who cooks something that in no universe imaginable would Alex have cooked, whether it's niche Mexican, authentic Asian, etc. So right away they no which one dish Alex DIDN'T make.

Alex's snark and food have always been a fun combination. Now three chefs get a chance to take advantage of her weaknesses by choosing ingredients, cooking times, and other factors as they attempt to beat her dishes for a cash prize.

Thus far the competitors are top-quality, with diverse cuisines and extensive experience. So it's nicely inspirational to watch, and usually mouth-watering.

The only drawback is that the judges likely know Alex's style very well, and it stands out from most of the competitors. But they also aren't judges known for cutting anyone a break, and their blind assessment of strengths and weakness of the dishes seems genuine enough.

I was saddened but not unsurprised to hear of Iron Chef American's cancellation. I grew up watching competitive cooking, and Iron Chef was its pinacle. I watched beat out Amanda Freitag to her earn the right to use the title "Iron Chef. Since then, she has demonstrated her prowess time and time again. Guarnaschelli had always been a consistent, charismatic, and creative competitor on the show, and no matter how staged it was, I always found myself learning from her.

Alex Vs. America continues the journey of this culinary heavyweight, continuing Alex Guarnaschelli's legacy as an Iron Chef. Not only is Guarnaschelli's genius persistently on display, but her personality comes out in every episode. I smirk every time competitors make their choices in the first round because Guarnaschelli plays mind games with them every time! Sometimes, she employs reverse psychology; other times, she circles like a hungry shark. And, despite maintaining a degree of distance from the competitors to portray her as the "one to beat," she does not come off as inaccessible.

The other faces on this series are of the calibur you would expect. Competitors are experts in their field and include victors of Beat Bobby Flay and Chopped alums. Perennial Chopped judges also make appearences as judges here, such as Simon Majumdar; other judges are also well-respected field experts. Host Eric Adjepong's commentary is always natural and enlightening.

If you love competition cooking, this is for you!

I'm an Alex Guarnaschelli fan to start with, and this is a fun showcase for her genius. Yes, it has some elements of other cooking competitions, but it's different enough to be interesting, e.g., contestants who are experts in certain cuisines competing against each other and Alex. Chef Adjepong makes a knowledgeable, well-spoken host, but it's hard to tear my eyes off him to look at the food. He's distractingly gorgeous. Alex maintains a nice balance between acknowledging her own talents and those of her guests. I'm hooked.