June 27, 2018
The following is a press release from Food Network:
Six talented chefs enter the summer house to square off in the new primetime culinary series, Ultimate Summer Cook-Off, premiering Sunday, August 5 at 8pm ET/PT on Food Network. Whether it’s a chef with a restaurant right on the beach, a seafood master, or a chef from Hawaii, each competitor has their own connection to the summer season and their culinary reputations at stake. Host Eddie Jackson challenges the chefs over four episodes, as each competitor must take on two rounds of summer culinary heats that test their skill and creativity. The chef who wins the first challenge in each episode will receive a key advantage during round two, gaining access to a special cooler with high-end ingredients that no other competitor can use, before presenting their creations to a panel of expert judges. Southern and Hungry’s Damaris Phillips and Let’s Eat’s Jamika Pessoa are joined by a roster of special guest judges each week, including Comfort Food Tour’s Mark Anderson and Ryan Fey, BBQ blogger Susie Bulloch, Comfort Nation’s Lazarus Lynch, Genius Kitchen’s Courtney Rada and pitmaster Cameron Treu, to determine which chef exemplifies what summer is all about with their dishes and earns the $25,000 grand prize.
“Summer is synonymous with spending time with family and friends, while gathering around the grill to dig in to some finger-licking BBQ,” said Courtney White, General Manager and Executive Vice President, Programming, Food Network and HGTV. “Eddie Jackson is the perfect host to challenge these six chefs in taking their culinary bona fides and placing them on the line, while creating summer dishes that are fun and exhilarating for a chance at walking away with $25,000.”
- Premiering Sunday, August 5 at 8pm – “All-American Party”
Eddie Jackson welcomes six spectacular chefs to the summer house for the ultimate all-American showdown. First up, the chefs have 30 minutes to whip up their best backyard burger and each chef must randomly choose a cooler with an ingredient to use in their dish. Judges Damaris Phillips and Jamika Pessoa are joined by Mark Anderson and Ryan Fey to choose the best backyard burger, and the winner receives a key advantage in the next round. In round two, the chefs make another quintessential American summer food — hot dogs! They have 60 minutes to create one fully loaded hot dog and one fully unexpected hot dog. In the end, the judges will send one chef home for the summer, while the rest continue on in pursuit of the $25,000 grand prize.
- Premiering Sunday, August 12 at 8pm – “Seafood Spectacular”
Eddie Jackson reveals the theme to the five remaining chefs: seafood! For their first challenge, the chefs have 30 minutes to prepare an outrageous six-foot-long lobster roll. Judges Damaris Phillips and Jamika Pessoa are joined by Lazarus Lynch to choose their favorite lobster roll, and the winning chef gets access to the special cooler in the second heat. Next up, Eddie challenges the chefs to present the judges with a 60-minute seafood feast. At the end of the round, the judges send one chef packing, while the final four move one step closer to $25,000.
- Premiering Sunday, August 19 at 8pm – “Summer Vacation”
The four remaining chefs return to the summer house, and Eddie Jackson sets up the theme: summer vacation! For the first challenge, the chefs have 30 minutes to take one tropical fruit and serve it two ways, but no two chefs can use the same fruit. Judges Damaris Phillips and Jamika Pessoa are joined by Genius Kitchen‘s Courtney Rada to pick which chef used their tropical fruit the best. The winning chef gains access to the special ingredient cooler in the second heat, where they’ll have 60 minutes to prepare an entire summer dinner with a popular travel destination theme. One chef’s summer vacation ends, and the last three chefs move on to the finale and a chance to win $25,000.
- Premiering Sunday, August 26 at 8pm – “Ultimate Summer Party” – SEASON FINALE!
Eddie Jackson greets the last three chefs for the big finale and tells them that they’ll be preparing the ultimate summer party. In their first challenge, the chefs have 30 minutes to create three kabobs with summer party themes and one chef will get skewered early by judges Damaris Phillips and Jamika Pessoa, who are joined by barbecue experts Susie Bulloch and Cameron Treu. In the second and final heat, the two remaining chefs have 60 minutes to create an elevated dinner and dessert for the ultimate summer dinner party, but the only heat source they can use is the grill. In the end, one chef wins the Ultimate Summer Cook-Off and $25,000!
Online, meet the summer cookoff challengers and see photo highlights of the competition. Share your favorite summer dishes using #SummerCookOff.
