Here is the official companion to cable television’s most challenging food fight. Food Network Star: The Official Insider’s Guide to America’s Hottest Food Show is your all-access, behind-the-scenes pass to Food Network’s highest rated series ever—where intense tests of talent and exciting guest stars steer a handful of finalists towards the ultimate dream job: his or her own Food Network show. Food Network Star: The Official Insider’s Guide to America’s Hottest Food Show brings you all the drama of seasons one through seven—plus winning recipes, candid photographs, revealing bios, trivia, and insider stories about the contestants and celebrity judges, including Bobby Flay, Susie Fogelson, Guy Fieri, Rachael Ray, Wolfgang Puck, Melissa d’Arabian, and Hollywood luminaries like Courtney Cox and Eva Longoria.
Food Network Star
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Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
From the Back Cover
An all-access pass for fans of television’s most challenging food fight . . . and the Food Network stars it has created
For seven delicious seasons, Food Network Star finalists have endured weeks of grueling and complex cooking challenges to compete for the biggest prize in television: their own Food Network show. Each finalist is put to the test to determine his or her culinary competence and on-screen star potential, and the stakes are high. The last finalist standing is launched into food and television celebrity.
Now, for the first time ever, go behind the scenes with the finalists as they compete to win a life-changingspot on Food Network. From the drama of the challenges to the delicious winning recipes, Food Network Star: The Official Insider’s Guide to America’s Hottest Food Show showcases hundreds of photosand stories from the finalists and celebrity judges, including the selection committee:
Susie Fogelson
Giada De Laurentiis
Bob Tuschman
and Food Network personalities:
Alton Brown
Cat Cora
Paula Deen
Duff Goldman
Robert Irvine
Rachael Ray
Michael Symon
Ina Garten
Tyler Florence
The Neelys
Plus recipes and stories from Season Seven
You’ve watched them compete to earn their spot in Food Network’s lineup—now you can cook the star’s recipes in your own kitchen.
Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh’s Lobster Potpie
Guy Fieri’s Jackass Rolls
Amy Finley’s Eggs en Cocotte
Aaron McCargo Jr.’s Stuffed Pork Chops
Melissa d’Arabian’s Flexible Four-Step Chicken for Family and Company
Aarti Sequeira’s Ground Lamb Kofta Kebabs with Pomegranate Glaze
About the Author
Ian Jackman is the author of numerous books, including The West Wing: The Official Companion and Eat This!: 1,001 Things to Eat Before You Diet.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Food Network has always been very generous with posting recipes featured on their shows. FNS has its own section with behind the scenes sections, interviews with eliminated finalists, blogs featuring Susie and Bob. With all that free access you might wonder if it's worth buying FNS: the official insider's guide, especially, if, like me, you've been watching it since the beginning.
The answer is a resounding yes. This book full of interesting tidbits, interviews, what are eliminated finalists doing now, and winning recipes. It's fun to walk down memory lane and even though I have watched FNS from the first episode I still learned new things about the show and the people involved.
Having sometimes wrinkled a brow and tilted my head questioningly at some of the decisions made by the judges when it comes to elimination (or who to keep!) I'm glad FNS addresses some of those questions and interviews guest judges. We only see what made it on the show, the book shows a lot more about what goes into a decision, what they were thinking with challenges etc.
Like its website, Food Network is generous with the amount of information in this book, the pictures, the interviews, the recaps, the recipes, all make this a great book to own no matter if you've watched from Season One or just caught season 7 this year.
The answer is a resounding yes. This book full of interesting tidbits, interviews, what are eliminated finalists doing now, and winning recipes. It's fun to walk down memory lane and even though I have watched FNS from the first episode I still learned new things about the show and the people involved.
Having sometimes wrinkled a brow and tilted my head questioningly at some of the decisions made by the judges when it comes to elimination (or who to keep!) I'm glad FNS addresses some of those questions and interviews guest judges. We only see what made it on the show, the book shows a lot more about what goes into a decision, what they were thinking with challenges etc.
Like its website, Food Network is generous with the amount of information in this book, the pictures, the interviews, the recaps, the recipes, all make this a great book to own no matter if you've watched from Season One or just caught season 7 this year.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
When I noticed this book I was in the process of watching season seven of The Next Food Network Star so I wondered exactly how much "insider's" information would actually be revealed in a book like this. Turns out, really quite a bit. I had never watched the entire season of the show before the seventh, but I thought I had tuned in for some of the programs for all the previous six. As it happens, I was wrong because I had missed season three completely.
This book will be very interesting for readers on many levels. If you have any ambition for trying to enter this competition, this book will show you just how demanding and difficult the process can be. It will also show you how much fun is involved, how many of the current network stars you will meet, and how the program has evolved over the years. If you are a fan of the program, the book will give you information about what was going on behind the scenes that viewers were not aware of and insight into how the selection committee functions.
I like the way the book is set up. Each season is given an entire section beginning with a picture and short biography provided by each contestant - that helped me keep all the different people separate in my mind. Then each challenge and elimination is presented with quotes from everyone involved, both contestants and Food Network personalities. There are recipes from contestants which were used in challenges. I especially enjoyed this aspect and have found many I want to try and one specific appetizer I'm taking to a party next week. At the end of each season section there is a chronology of the order in which contestants were eliminated and their comments about their experience. Then the winner has several pages of Questions & Answers to allow readers to find out even more about the person Food Network hopes will be their next star.
There actually is information in the book which explains what goes on behind the scenes of this competition. I had no idea that one of the final contestants in the third season resigned from the competition when some unfavorable information about him came to light. It also came as a surprise to me that months pass between the final challenge and the time when the winner is announced. I had some specific questions I would have liked to see answered, but I understand that it might not be in the best interest of the contest for the book to go quite that deeply "inside" the contest. I was satisfied with what I got. As this book was going to press the seventh season was being shown so the only mention is the introduction page with the photographs and short statements by each contestant. There really wasn't any way that could be avoided except by delaying publication of this book.
I enjoyed reading this. There is a wealth of detail in the book, pictures galore, and fans of the show will appreciate learning so much information, reliving their favorite moments, and having recipes to try. In fact, there is so much information here I will probably find myself flipping back through it often. I think that is recommendation enough all by itself.
This book will be very interesting for readers on many levels. If you have any ambition for trying to enter this competition, this book will show you just how demanding and difficult the process can be. It will also show you how much fun is involved, how many of the current network stars you will meet, and how the program has evolved over the years. If you are a fan of the program, the book will give you information about what was going on behind the scenes that viewers were not aware of and insight into how the selection committee functions.
I like the way the book is set up. Each season is given an entire section beginning with a picture and short biography provided by each contestant - that helped me keep all the different people separate in my mind. Then each challenge and elimination is presented with quotes from everyone involved, both contestants and Food Network personalities. There are recipes from contestants which were used in challenges. I especially enjoyed this aspect and have found many I want to try and one specific appetizer I'm taking to a party next week. At the end of each season section there is a chronology of the order in which contestants were eliminated and their comments about their experience. Then the winner has several pages of Questions & Answers to allow readers to find out even more about the person Food Network hopes will be their next star.
There actually is information in the book which explains what goes on behind the scenes of this competition. I had no idea that one of the final contestants in the third season resigned from the competition when some unfavorable information about him came to light. It also came as a surprise to me that months pass between the final challenge and the time when the winner is announced. I had some specific questions I would have liked to see answered, but I understand that it might not be in the best interest of the contest for the book to go quite that deeply "inside" the contest. I was satisfied with what I got. As this book was going to press the seventh season was being shown so the only mention is the introduction page with the photographs and short statements by each contestant. There really wasn't any way that could be avoided except by delaying publication of this book.
I enjoyed reading this. There is a wealth of detail in the book, pictures galore, and fans of the show will appreciate learning so much information, reliving their favorite moments, and having recipes to try. In fact, there is so much information here I will probably find myself flipping back through it often. I think that is recommendation enough all by itself.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
A Happy Serving of Food Network Self-Indulgence ... For Diehard Fans Only
September 8, 2011
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
The Food Network has come from catering to a niche to becoming as mainstream and iconic as ESPN or HBO. While the network has capitalized on competitive cooking shows, The Food Network Star has become the culinary equivalent of American Idol. The FOOD NETWORK STAR OFFICIAL INSIDER'S GUIDE can be interpreted as either a must-have for the diehard fan or, for most, a watered-down cookbook light on recipes and heavy on network aggrandizement.
Having watched the Food Network Star over the last several years, I have seen the show trend from initially being an interesting, exciting, loose and fun program to its current rigid and somewhat arrogant form (complete with name change and network anointed "most watched cable program" accolades). Quite simply, it's not really much different from the majority of the network's other reality programs (Cake Wars, Iron Chef, etc.) and while each season's winner is awarded his or her own network show, only one winner over the last seven years has arguably garnered real fame (Season 2's Guy Fieri). The FOOD NETWORK STAR OFFICIAL INSIDER'S GUIDE tends to characterize the show as being much grander that it actually appears to be.
To the diehard Food Network Star fan, this book is a robust seven-course picture-fest (pun intended) of wannabe cooking celebrities and elaborate recipes with a second helping of face time for the network's iconic stars (Bobby Flay, Giada, Mrs. Deen, Rachel Ray, Alton Brown, etc.). Each chapter in the book represents a season (starting with the first season) and for some odd reason it was deemed necessary to include a chapter on the seventh season which had not finished prior to this book's publishing (you're introduced to the seventh season contestants and basically nothing more). While the chapters outline the general course of the season's challenges (with a results grid at the end), there are plenty of factoids, sidebars and inset interviews that add entertainment value. The factoids alone were educational in that they provide "did you know" information regarding cooking vernacular heard on the show that probably leaves the average viewer clueless as to their meaning. The abundance of photos is tastefully and artistically arranged to depict the seasons as happy and fun events. The pictures of the food/recipes, as expected, are magnificent. Out of fairness, each chapter contains at least one recipe from every competitor (most are recipes that won a particular challenge). While I have not personally attempted to cook any of the provided recipes, they appear to cater to those with more savvy cooking skills. There is also plenty of attention given to the networks actual "stars" with photo highlights from the past season and plenty of text in the form of "Q and A" insets, advice, constructive criticism and highlighted quotes from past seasons. So, for those who can't get enough of Paula Deen's pearly whites or Giada de Laurentiis' refined flare ... this book delivers.
For the casual Food Network Star viewer (like me), the FOOD NETWORK STAR OFFICIAL INSIDER'S GUIDE may come across more as a contrived happy-fest than a true insider's guide. Ironically, the network's weekly promos for almost every season attempt to entice viewers with drama; virtually none of this is represented in the book. In reality, quite a few of the competitors simply did not come across as nice, happy people. Each and every season has moments where competitors lose grip, break down, act like jerks and get scolded by the judges ... the book doesn't go there (and it glosses over the issue of one competitor who flat-out lied about his military service ... and it WAS a big deal at the time). Yes, the book highlights critical moments, but the delivery nowhere near captures the nasty and sarcastic commentary from the judges (who often come across a little arrogant themselves on air) after tasting a particularly unsavory meal prepared by the challengers. While I can't verify it, it would not be surprising to find that a recipe or two in the book was actually subject to such negative scrutiny on the show. While it is perfectly plausible that the network has no intention release a "tell all" book that casts any negativity on its marquis series, the FOOD NETWORK STAR OFFICIAL INSIDER'S GUIDE just strikes as being too squeaky clean and even a little fake. As a subscriber of Food Network Magazine, I could appreciate such an insider's guide presented as a monthly feature in the magazine's summer issues (when the Food Network Star airs) more than a glossy book. Leave the real nitty-gritty "insider's guide" authoring to those not on the company payroll ... a little realistic negativity isn't going to hurt the success of this network or its show.
What the FOOD NETWORK STAR OFFICIAL INSIDER'S GUIDE truly does is market the television program in the manner the network wants it to be showcased ... a friendly competition where everyone is happy, all the time ... and this is fine for some. But, for others, the book may seem to be another hasty and unnecessary method of a big business squeezing quick cash from the corporate cow. Hasty in that the book includes an incomplete chapter on a season that had not yet started. Unnecessary in that one may question whether or not the show actually warrants a book at all.
Having watched the Food Network Star over the last several years, I have seen the show trend from initially being an interesting, exciting, loose and fun program to its current rigid and somewhat arrogant form (complete with name change and network anointed "most watched cable program" accolades). Quite simply, it's not really much different from the majority of the network's other reality programs (Cake Wars, Iron Chef, etc.) and while each season's winner is awarded his or her own network show, only one winner over the last seven years has arguably garnered real fame (Season 2's Guy Fieri). The FOOD NETWORK STAR OFFICIAL INSIDER'S GUIDE tends to characterize the show as being much grander that it actually appears to be.
To the diehard Food Network Star fan, this book is a robust seven-course picture-fest (pun intended) of wannabe cooking celebrities and elaborate recipes with a second helping of face time for the network's iconic stars (Bobby Flay, Giada, Mrs. Deen, Rachel Ray, Alton Brown, etc.). Each chapter in the book represents a season (starting with the first season) and for some odd reason it was deemed necessary to include a chapter on the seventh season which had not finished prior to this book's publishing (you're introduced to the seventh season contestants and basically nothing more). While the chapters outline the general course of the season's challenges (with a results grid at the end), there are plenty of factoids, sidebars and inset interviews that add entertainment value. The factoids alone were educational in that they provide "did you know" information regarding cooking vernacular heard on the show that probably leaves the average viewer clueless as to their meaning. The abundance of photos is tastefully and artistically arranged to depict the seasons as happy and fun events. The pictures of the food/recipes, as expected, are magnificent. Out of fairness, each chapter contains at least one recipe from every competitor (most are recipes that won a particular challenge). While I have not personally attempted to cook any of the provided recipes, they appear to cater to those with more savvy cooking skills. There is also plenty of attention given to the networks actual "stars" with photo highlights from the past season and plenty of text in the form of "Q and A" insets, advice, constructive criticism and highlighted quotes from past seasons. So, for those who can't get enough of Paula Deen's pearly whites or Giada de Laurentiis' refined flare ... this book delivers.
For the casual Food Network Star viewer (like me), the FOOD NETWORK STAR OFFICIAL INSIDER'S GUIDE may come across more as a contrived happy-fest than a true insider's guide. Ironically, the network's weekly promos for almost every season attempt to entice viewers with drama; virtually none of this is represented in the book. In reality, quite a few of the competitors simply did not come across as nice, happy people. Each and every season has moments where competitors lose grip, break down, act like jerks and get scolded by the judges ... the book doesn't go there (and it glosses over the issue of one competitor who flat-out lied about his military service ... and it WAS a big deal at the time). Yes, the book highlights critical moments, but the delivery nowhere near captures the nasty and sarcastic commentary from the judges (who often come across a little arrogant themselves on air) after tasting a particularly unsavory meal prepared by the challengers. While I can't verify it, it would not be surprising to find that a recipe or two in the book was actually subject to such negative scrutiny on the show. While it is perfectly plausible that the network has no intention release a "tell all" book that casts any negativity on its marquis series, the FOOD NETWORK STAR OFFICIAL INSIDER'S GUIDE just strikes as being too squeaky clean and even a little fake. As a subscriber of Food Network Magazine, I could appreciate such an insider's guide presented as a monthly feature in the magazine's summer issues (when the Food Network Star airs) more than a glossy book. Leave the real nitty-gritty "insider's guide" authoring to those not on the company payroll ... a little realistic negativity isn't going to hurt the success of this network or its show.
What the FOOD NETWORK STAR OFFICIAL INSIDER'S GUIDE truly does is market the television program in the manner the network wants it to be showcased ... a friendly competition where everyone is happy, all the time ... and this is fine for some. But, for others, the book may seem to be another hasty and unnecessary method of a big business squeezing quick cash from the corporate cow. Hasty in that the book includes an incomplete chapter on a season that had not yet started. Unnecessary in that one may question whether or not the show actually warrants a book at all.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Polished recap of a fun show
I started watching this show just a few years ago, so this book was an excellent way to quickly see the contestants & what happened in the earliest shows. Read more
Published 3 months ago by MDP
4.0 out of 5 stars
delightfully insightful
This book is a delightful glance into the workings of a major new genre of broadcast entertainment -- the reality cooking shows. Read more
Published 4 months ago by jane
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice Gift for Fans
Recipes, interviews and behind the scenes. If you are a fan of the network, or any of its stars, you (or someone on your gift list) will love it. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Ken
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sneak Peak at a Fun Reality Show
Although paperback, this book is stuffed with bright color photos, similar to a cookbook. It takes the reader from Season 1 (Who? Read more
Published 16 months ago by Fly By Light
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great for Fans of Next Food Network Star
Full disclosure: Although I have watched quite a bit of Next Food Network Star, I'm not quite a fan of the show, and I was a little skeptical about this book. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Joseph
2.0 out of 5 stars
More dishes than dish
I was hoping for more of the contestants' reactions to the show or behind-the-scenes moments, but although there are a few Q&A's with judges and former contestants, it doesn't... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Jennifer Donovan
5.0 out of 5 stars
The PERFECT Gift For Fans Of The Food Network
My wife watches The Food Network about like I breathe--ALL THE TIME! And what's not to love about it? Read more
Published 17 months ago by Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Man
4.0 out of 5 stars
Food Network Star: The Official Insider's Guide
Fun book! Lots of photos and the inside scoop behind the show. Some great recipes, too. I enjoyed reading this and have it on my coffee table for guests to check out when they... Read more
Published 18 months ago by *rose*
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you're a fan, you'll love this
There's a lot more to this book than you would expect. For those of us who enjoy the program, it's a treat to find the recipes, contestant backgrounds and judges' comments, but it... Read more
Published 18 months ago by C. G. King
5.0 out of 5 stars
An engaging, not gimmicky, look behind the scenes of one of my...
I remember seeing the ads for this on the Food Network when the most recent season of the show was on, and groaning internally, thinking, "Good Lord, ANOTHER capitalistic book that... Read more
Published 18 months ago by M.D. Edwards
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