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`Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell`: Host Anne-Burrell and Richard Sandoval, chef and owner of Zengo. (Food Network photo)
"Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell": Host Anne-Burrell and Richard Sandoval, chef and owner of Zengo. (Food Network photo)

Food Network's 'Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell' returns for a second season

by jmaloni
Tue, Dec 18th 2012 05:15 pm

Season premiere is Thursday, Jan. 31, at 10 p.m.

Superstar chef Anne Burrell hits the pavement to help prominent restaurants around the country find their most valuable employee - the executive chef.

In season two of Food Network's "Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell," premiering Thursday, Jan. 31, at 10 p.m., Chef Anne puts four top-level candidates through the ultimate job interview as she tests their culinary chops and business savvy in kitchen challenges that run the gamut. From testing their resourcefulness by creating a delicious dish using only four ingredients, to assessing their ability to pair their own dishes with a signature beer from the restaurant's menu, these chefs are in for the challenge of their lives.

For the final two chefs, it all boils down to one night of service when they are handed the keys to the restaurant and, potentially, the job of their dreams.

"Anne's culinary savvy and tough love come together to put these aspiring executive chefs through the toughest job interview they'll ever face," said Bob Tuschman, general manager and senior vice president of programming for the Food Network. "She brings out the best in these chefs, and viewers can't help but root for their success."

Over the 13-episode season, determined chefs from across the country are put through unpredictable culinary challenges. Whether it's a test of their Italian scratch cooking skills and their knowledge of the regional cuisine at the immense Tuscan Kitchen in New Hampshire; assessing their ability to work with the scraps of high-end ingredients while creating a whole new menu for Mirabelle Restaurant in Los Angeles; or challenging their creativity by preparing a gourmet version of a traditional Puerto Rican dish for Oceano's menu in Puerto Rico, each chef will devote blood, sweat and tears to prove to Anne that they are qualified to be executive chef.

Burrell has always stood out in the restaurant business for her remarkable culinary talent, bold and creative dishes, and her trademark spiky blond hair. After training at New York's Culinary Institute of America and Italy's Culinary Institute for Foreigners, she gained hands-on experience at notable New York restaurants including Felidia, Savoy, Lumi, and Italian Wine Merchants.

She has also battled on Food Network's "Iron Chef America" as Mario Batali's energetic and reliable sous chef. Additionally, Burrell taught for three years at New York's Institute of Culinary Education. She served as executive chef at New York hot-spot Centro Vinoteca from its opening in July 2007 through September 2008.

Burrell stars in "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef" and "Worst Cooks in America" on Food Network. Her bestselling cookbook, "Cook Like A Rock Star" (Clarkson Potter), was released in October 2011.

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