step up to the

chopping block

Throw your own Chopped Challenge swype more

Could you create an entrée out of a basket of squid, Frosted Flakes, soy milk, and smoked paprika? On the spot? And then present it to a ruthless panel of judges, all in less than 30 minutes?

That's Chopped. And this month, UGUIDE Magazine is proud to feature Food Network's latest culinary fascination. The show combines jaw-dropping creativity with pressure so intense you could make a diamond. Four up-and-coming chefs compete before a panel of three expert judges in an attempt to take everyday items and turn them into an extraordinary three-course meal. Course by course, the chefs are “chopped” from the competition until only one remains standing. For the legions of kitchen-savvy fans and home chefs who tell their friends, “I can totally do that,” this is your call. Step up, pick up the gauntlet with both hands, and throw your own Chopped Challenge at home with UGUIDE Magazine.

LET’S DO THIS How to set up your own Chopped Challenge

Stock your pantry with the basics

You don’t need a pantry as decked out as the one on the show. But you are going to need a few of the basics, like sugar, flour, honey, cocoa, vanilla, vegetable and olive oil, chicken stock, pasta, assorted spices, fruits, veggies, milk, eggs, butter, and condiments.

About baskets, teams, and ingredients

Contestants battle each other for culinary supremacy over three courses. You can compete individually or as teams — the details are totally up to you. Just be sure the baskets for your competition are kept secret until it’s showtime. Depending on kitchen space, you might not be able to compete at the same time. So be sure to keep your score sheet handy, especially if you’re “cooking” with wine. There are no hard and fast rules except all mystery ingredients MUST be used. No exceptions. Attempting to hide or mask any of the ingredients is a definite no-no. How are you going to work chorizo into your dessert? That’s up to you.

Timing

Go easy on yourselves and allow 10 more minutes than the show gives their chefs. That means you need to prepare and present your appetizer in 30 minutes, and entrées and dessert courses need to be completed and plated in a cool 40 minutes.

Scoring

Like the contestants on the show, you will be judged on creativity, taste, and presentation. Everyone involved in your at-home challenge will taste and rate your dish in each of the three categories on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest. The chef with the highest total score will reign supreme. So if your kids are helping judge, you might consider being extra nice to them that week.

Take no prisoners

Your dignity as a home chef is in the balance. This is survival we’re talking about here. Oh yeah, and have fun.

score sheet In order to attain culinary glory, we must first be judged.

quiz

Make your selections and find out the answers

Which of these ingredients did not appear in a basket featured on the show?

You got 50% complete
1.
(a) dragon fruit
(b) durian
(c) pluots
(d) plantains
2.
(a) goat brains
(b) pig’s feet
(c) alligator tenderloin
(d) lamb heart
3.
(a) fruit leather
(b) jelly beans
(c) gummy worms
(d) red licorice
4.
(a) teething biscuits
(b) Cheez-Its
(c) animal crackers
(d) pork rinds
5.
(a) veal
(b) duck confit
(c) quail
(d) caviar
reveal answers reset quiz
Chef's Name:
Course:
Please rate the chef’s course 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest.
Presentation
(Is the plate visually balanced with a variety of colors and textures? Are you impressed with the chef’s artistic abilities? Did the chef rock it?)
Overall Taste
(Is the unlikely combination of food well prepared, seasoned properly, and tasty? Have all of the mystery ingredients been used in some way?)
Creativity
(How unique is the chef’s creation? Is it something truly new and inspiring?)
Total Score:

your mystery ingredients

Need a hand putting together a basket or three for your home challenge? No worries. Simply tap the courses below to reveal suggested surprise ingredients. Drumroll, please.

  • pork belly
  • baby spinach
  • chili peppers
  • soy milk
  • dried apricots
  • vodka
  • chicken breast
  • Cream of Wheat
  • maraschino cherries
  • pistachios
  • cream of mushroom soup
  • frozen pie crust
close

Chef Name:

Course:

Please rate the chef’s course 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest.

Presentation

(Is the plate visually balanced with a variety of colors and textures? Are you impressed with the chef’s artistic abilities? Did the chef rock it?)

Overall Taste

(Is the unlikely combination of food well prepared, seasoned properly, and tasty? Have all of the mystery ingredients been used in some way?)

Creativity

(How unique is the chef’s creation? Is it something truly new and inspiring?)

Total Score:

MEET THE JUDGES

Aarón Sanchez

The son of celebrated Mexican cooking authority Zarela Martinez, Aarón Sanchez’s passion, commitment, and skills have placed him among the country’s leading contemporary Latin chefs.

Signature Style:
Contemporary Mexican cuisine and Pan-Latin
Restaurants:
Centrico and Paladar in New York City and Mestizo near Kansas City
Shows:
Heat Seekers, Chefs vs. City, Best Thing I Ever Ate, Aarón Loves NY, and Iron Chef America

Alexandra Guarnaschelli

There are few American chefs, much less female chefs, who can boast the staying power (in Michelin-starred restaurants!) of Alexandra Guarnaschelli.

Signature Style:
French and eclectic farmers market-inspired American
Restaurants:
Butter in New York City, chef-instructor at New York City’s Institute of Culinary Education, and helms the kitchen at the high-concept New York dining/cabaret venue, The Darby
Shows:
Chef Guarnaschelli has appeared on Food Network’s Iron Chef America (as both a challenger and a judge) and on her own shows The Cooking Loft and Alex’s Day Off

Amanda Freitag

Growing up in New Jersey, Amanda Freitag developed a passion for food that was fostered by everyone from her grandparents to her high school home economics teacher. Today Amanda has emerged as one of New York City’s most celebrated chefs.

Signature Style:
French, Southeast Asian, and Mediterranean
Restaurants:
She’s worked at some of New York City’s most popular restaurants, including Cesca, and was executive chef at Gusto in the West Village
Shows:
Amanda has battled Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America, competed on Season 2 of The Next Iron Chef, and frequently appears on Unique Eats on Cooking Channel

Chris Santos

Chris Santos got his first job at the age of 13, washing dishes at a small restaurant in his hometown of Bristol, R.I. He admired the tough, confident chefs who surrounded him in the kitchen and decided that he wanted to pursue cooking as a career.

Signature Style:
Chris takes an imaginative approach to small plates-style cuisine, serving playful, boldly flavored dishes that draw from his Lower East Side neighborhood’s culinary ethnicities (Latin, Asian, and Eastern European)
Restaurants:
Executive chef at Suba and chef/partner at Wyanoka before opening The Stanton Social in New York in 2005; opened Beauty and Essex in December 2010

Geoffrey Zakarian

An accomplished chef who has presided over some of the country’s top kitchens, Geoffrey Zakarian travels the world on a never-ending quest for new ingredients, techniques, and challenges to enhance the dining and hospitality experiences at his establishments.

Signature Style:
American cuisine
Restaurants:
Patroon, Town, Country, The Lambs Club at The Chatwal Hotel, and The National at The Benjamin Hotel, all in New York City; Tudor House at Dream South Beach in Miami
Shows:
Geoffrey appears on Food Network’s Iron Chef America and The Best Thing I Ever Ate and is a recurring judge on Hour Restaurant Battle; he recently emerged victorious on The Next Iron Chef

Maneet Chauhan

Maneet Chauhan executes a provocative melding of Indian and Latin cuisines inspired by insight, originality, and a zest for experimentation.

Signature Style:
Indian-Latin fusion cuisine
Restaurants:
Executive chef at Vermilion in New York City and Chicago
Shows:
After being an Iron Chef challenger, she competed in Season 3 of The Next Iron Chef

Marc Murphy

In his youth, Marc Murphy realized that he didn’t have the funds to become a professional race car driver, so he followed his brother to the Institute of Culinary Education — and he never looked back.

Signature Style:
Accessible, contemporary cuisine
Restaurants:
Landmarc in Tribeca and Ditch Plains in the West Village, both in New York City
Shows:
Marc has made appearances on Iron Chef America, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, The Best Thing I Ever Made, and Cooking Channel’s Unique Eats

Marcus Samuelsson

Marcus Samuelsson is the 2010 Top Chef Master, a James Beard Award winner, and Chopped All-Stars Champion. Not to mention an award-winning restaurateur, cookbook author, philanthropist, and food activist.

Signature Style:
Ethiopian-Swedish soul food
Restaurant:
Red Rooster Harlem
Shows:
Chef Samuelsson has appeared on Iron Chef, Chopped All-Stars, Top Chef Masters, 24 Hour Restaurant Battle, The Martha Stewart Show, the Today show, and his own television show, The Inner Chef, on Discovery Network

Scott Conant

One of New York’s most beloved and respected chefs, Scott Conant brings a deft touch and unwavering passion to creating food that is unexpected and soulful.

Signature Style:
Contemporary Italian
Restaurants:
L’Impero and Alto in New York City; Scarpetta in New York, Toronto, Miami, Beverly Hills, and Las Vegas
Shows:
Scott serves as the host of Food Network’s prime time competition series Hour Restaurant Battle

Inside Ted Allen’s Kitchen

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  • Ted Allen’s Kitchen

    Ted Allen’s longtime partner, Barry Rice, dreamed up all the fun features of the space: a huge island, hands-free faucets, a ridiculously powerful ventilation hood, pullout pantry shelves, a special area for baking, even a restaurant-style cleanup zone with double dishwashers.

  • Exposed Tools and Pans

    Ted can find anything he needs in this prep zone: It’s stocked with more than a dozen knives, plus bins of tools and an industrial food processor and juicer. “I like that the tools are out, so I can grab anything I need,” he says. “And guests can jump in and help: They know where the pots are; they know where the knives are.”

  • Patio Dining

    Big glass doors open into this indoor-outdoor dining area, where the couple entertains before heading to the garden. That's Flo, one of their cats, who is not allowed on the table.

  • Fantasy Island

    The big island keeps the guests on one side of the kitchen and the cooks on the other. Barry chose pietra cardosa (like a cross between granite and slate) for the top: “It looks like soapstone but it’s not as soft.” Ted’s laptop is a fixture here. “I never cook without music,” he says.

Watch a promotional clip of the show:

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