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January 2 - 8, 2022 • Terre Haute Tribune-Star • 19 tastytv BY GEORGE DICKIE 'Next Level Chef' – A cooking competition in three dimensions As cooking competition series go, Fox's "Next Level Chef " certainly takes the prize for originality, both in its concept and its set. And the one-of- a-kind set also gets points for most cubic feet occupied. The brainchild of Gordon Ramsay, the hourlong series that premieres Sunday, Jan. 2, pits a wide array of competitors – everything from line cooks and home chefs to social media stars and food truck owners – on a gleaming three-story set, each containing a kitchen with a different level of equipment and ingredients. So while the top level has the best of everything, the middle will have somewhat less and the bottom pretty spartan. Mentoring the contestants through this gauntlet in which they move up and down based on performance will be Ramsay and fellow chefs Nyesha Arrington and Richard Blais, who will each try to bring out the best from their team of competitors. "It's really like the retelling of my career or Nyesha's or Richard's," explains Ramsay, who is also an executive producer here. "We all started at the bottom working in a lousy kitchen before we could make it to the top. So it's a condensed version of any chef 's journey but with a twist, thanks to the ingredients platform. That to me makes this competition unique, because you never know what protein may make it to the basement on that platform." So while a chef upstairs might get a cut of Wagyu beef for their dish, the basement dweller would get ground pork. But that's where the fun begins. Faced with having less at their disposal, the chefs downstairs will have to pull even more tricks out of their hat to compete with those at the top. And that's where the outside-the-box thinking kicks into high gear, according to Arrington. "I'm in the bottom kitchen so I know that there's not a peeler in this kitchen ...," she says. "(So) when you're grabbing ingredients, you might grab the baby carrots because you know that if you just give those a light scrub they're going to be perfect and you don't have to necessarily go and peel away those older layers of the carrot and you can still bring those to life. So I think something like that is very cool to see the ingenuity behind what they were creating." In the end, impressive dishes came out of all three levels, both chefs say. But the moral of the story is a real chef can make a delicious meal no matter what they have to work with. "The bottom level is really about ingenuity and spirit, bringing the spirit of a dish to life ...," Arrington says. "It brought so much emotion out of me just to see the grit and the perseverance that these chefs are bringing to the table. ... You feel like you're on the journey with them." Gordon Ramsay Sunday 7:00 p.m. FOOD Guy's Gro- cery Games Chefs get three turbo-charged games with only 15 to 20 minutes to shop, cook and plate. 8:00 p.m. WTHI-2 Next Level Chef Fifteen contestants work to level up their cooking skills. (N) (In Ste- reo) HIST The Food That Built America A new breed of innovator rises up to ex- pand American industry and push the limits of new technology. (In Stereo) FOOD Guy's Grocery Games Before the move, Guy plays one more twist- ed game. 10:00 p.m. FOOD Alex vs. America Host Eric wel- comes three talented shell- fish experts to challenge chef Alex in two rounds of cooking. (N) 10:05 p.m. HIST The Food That Built America The stories behind major food titans in America like Henry Heinz and Milton Hershey. (In Stereo) Monday 7:00 p.m. FOOD Kids Baking Championship Hosts and judges ask 12 kid bakers to pay homage to the bril- liant transformation of the butterfly. 7:30 p.m. WFYI Roadfood Viet-Cajun crawfish, which unites Gulf and Vietnam- ese influences and ingredi- ents. (In Stereo) 8:00 p.m. FOOD Kids Bak- ing Championship Eleven young bakers must use three snack items in one kitchen sink dessert. (N) 9:00 p.m. FOOD Tiny Food Fight The chefs are chal- lenged to make dishes from Tokyo. (N) 9:30 p.m. FOOD Tiny Food Fight The chefs crafts craft mini sweets with big fla- vor. (N) 10:00 p.m. FOOD Chopped In this taco competition, four chefs attempt to prove who deserves to win the prize money. Tuesday 7:00 p.m. FOOD Chopped Low-calorie chips and leafy greens inspire creativity in the first round. 8:00 p.m. WTHI-2 Gordon Ramsay's Road Trip Gor- don Ramsay and friends Gino D'Acampo and Fred Sirieix go on a vacation through Greece. (N) (In Stereo) FOOD Chopped The chefs open the first basket to find dressed beer and three other surprises. 9:00 p.m. FOOD Chopped The Casino Royale tournament allows competitors to re- place basket ingredients by rolling dice. (N) 10:00 p.m. FOOD Raid the Fridge Dan Ahdoot wel- comes four chefs to face the mystery fridges to make a sweet and savory brunch. (N) Wednesday 7:00 p.m. TNT Fast Foodies The three chefs try to re- create a hot dog known as the Chicago red hot. FOOD Guy's Grocery Games The food wheel de- cides where the remaining chefs get to shop for their regional comfort food dishes. 8:00 p.m. FOOD Guy's Gro- cery Games Guy Fieri invites four chefs to put their skills to the test in two rounds of chicken dishes. (N) 9:00 p.m. WTHI-2 Next Level Chef Teams are challenged to create the ultimate steak dinner. (N) (In Ste- reo) FOOD Worst Cooks in America (N) Thursday 7:00 p.m. FOOD Beat Bobby Flay Superchef Anne Burrell teams up with su- permodel Gigi Hadid to give Bobby a taste of the spotlight. 7:30 p.m. FOOD Beat Bobby Flay Chef Alex Guar- naschelli and actor Lou Diamond Phillips bring in heavy hitters to take Bobby down. what'scooking 8:00 p.m. FOOD Restaurant: Impossible 9:00 p.m. FOOD Beat Bobby Flay JB Smoove teams up with Michael Symon; Mia Castro and Brandon Carter try to take Bobby down. (N) 9:30 p.m. FOOD Beat Bobby Flay Jet Tila and Carla Hall bring in Asian food specialists chef Dan Jacobs and chef Tony Nguyen. 10:00 p.m. TRUTV Fast Food- ies Three world-class chefs try to take orange chicken from fast food to fine din- ing. FOOD Beat Bobby Flay Iron Chef Alex Guar- naschelli shows Bobby Flay no mercy with actress Tina Fey. Friday 6:00 p.m. NATGEO Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted Gor- don discovers that Puerto Rico's cuisine is bouncing back from devastating hur- ricanes. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives A standout burger; roasted oysters and wild mushroom cobble; banh xeo and suon nuong xa. 6:30 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Pot roast and scones; pies; par- mesan pretzels and short rib grilled cheese. 7:00 p.m. NATGEO Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted Chef Ramsay discovers the bounty of seafood found along Maine's rugged coastline. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Hawaiian spe- cialties; a saucy sandwich and spinach dip calzone; artisan doughnuts. 7:30 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Guy grabs some barbecue and Southern comfort, visiting Seattle, Wilmington, N.C. and Oakland, Calif. 8:00 p.m. NATGEO Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back Ramsay and his team attempt to transform a family-owned Italian restaurant in Congers, N.Y. (N) (In Stereo) FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives A Boston beer joint uses beer in its crust; a hangout in New Mexico serves up carne asada pizza. 8:30 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives A hid- den gem serves up seafood and chow-chow; a Filipino joint fires up its spin on pigs' feet. 9:00 p.m. NATGEO Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back Gordon and his team try to renovate a failing Cajun restaurant lo- cated in the heart of New Orleans. (N) (In Stereo) FOOD Guy: Hawaiian Style Guy cooks for Mick Fleet- wood; they go to the Big Island. (N) 10:00 p.m. NATGEO Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back Gordon and his team renovate and create a new menu for a Cajun fusion restaurant in Los Angles. (N) (In Stereo) FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives This trip, Guy Fieri is grabbin' some unique eats. Saturday 7:00 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Sand- wiches, ramen and sticky wings in Norfolk; rouladen and old-fashioned apple strudel in Maui. 7:30 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives In Lan- sing, Mich., an out-of-this- world pizza joint features pie with a surprise. 8:00 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Bison burritos and cornmeal waffles; pho and barbecue pork; monster burgers. 8:30 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Sha- warma and salmon souv- laki; outrageous Scandina- vian specialties; top-notch tamales and tostadas. 9:00 p.m. WTHI-2 Next Level Chef Fifteen contestants work to level up their cooking skills. (In Stereo) FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Guy Fieri digs into both meat and sweet, starting in Sioux Falls, S.D., where a market-butcher eatery is serving a culinary extravaganza; in Fargo, N.D., a bakery cafe makes sticky pecan rolls and a sa- vory French pastry dish. 9:30 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives In Logan, Utah, a Salvadoran spot puttin' out pupusas and a cabeza creation. 10:00 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives An Italian joint serves arancini and veal scaloppini; street food spot serves shawarma and falafel. 812-535-1242 TDD# 1-800-545-1833 3461 St. Mary's Rd. Saint Mary of the Woods, IN 47876 MARYVALE APARTMENTS & Company, Inc. Managed by Immediate Openings For 1 Bedroom Apartments! Call for your tour today! Senior Section 8 Housing