HOLLYWOOD—We all would like to believe that we’re culinary geniuses when it comes to cooking in the kitchen, but Food Network’s “The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs” places many of us to shame. The reality competition consists of several superstar chefs all battling for that coveted spot amongst judges Bobby Flay, Michael Symon and Masaharu Morimoto on “Iron Chef America.”  But this time around, the stakes are much higher as chefs like Anne Burrell, Robert Irvine, Michael Chiarello, Geoffrey Zakarian battle for the prize. 

Chef Geoffrey Zakarian from "The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs."

This has been one of the most entertaining seasons of the reality hit in ages. There is no clear cut front-runner and a variety of talented chefs have already bid farewell. I never expected Chef Irvine to be defeated just two weeks into the show, but it proves one mishap in the kitchen is all it takes to cost you the title. Each week the super chefs find themselves producing dishes based on the chairman’s challenge which tests the skills that an iron chef must have in order to do battle in Kitchen Stadium. Some of those skills include Resourcefulness, Risk, Storytelling and Ingenuity, to name a few. 

An iron chef has to be able to think quickly and react without panic when surprised with daunting tasks and surprising ingredients. How many of us can actually think of way of incorporating marshmallows and octopus into a tantalizing dish? I’m still amazed by the chefs' abilities to include a variety of yummy sweets like chocolate covered raisins, gummy bears and root beer into their dishes.

Chef Elizabeth Faulkner from "The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs."

If there is one complaint I have it’s the idea behind critiquing the food that is presented to the panel of judges which includes Iron Chef Michael Symon, Judy Joo and Simon Majumdar. When it comes to food, there are some dishes people simply will not like; it's not that it’s a bad dish, but it simply doesn’t complement their palate. This truth is something I think many reality food competitions fail to acknowledge. 

What sets this season apart from previous ones is the caliber of talent in the kitchen: we’re talking about chefs who have their own series on the Food Network and who have done battle in Kitchen Stadium before, notably Chef Anne Burrell.  Not in a million years did I expect Anne to lose to Chef Zakarian in the 30-minute Iron Chef Challenge with secret ingredients Ponzo and Panko; both had to be used to create a dessert.

That’s the fascinating aspect of this series: even if you happen to land in the bottom two you have that second chance to redeem yourself with the judges by cooking one dish using a secret ingredient and that’s a curveball in its own sense. Who knew that bagels could be used in such inventive ways? Not me, but Chefs Samuelson and Faulkner showed audiences with a bit of thought that great things can happen. 

For those who haven’t been keeping track, it's down to the final two chefs, Chef Zakarian and Chef Faulkner, who will do battle this Sunday for the crown, as the Next Iron Chef. It would be nice to see another woman join the panel beside Iron Chef Cat Cora. “The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs” airs Sunday at 9 pm on The Food Network.

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