Throwdown! with Bobby Flay

"Throwdown! With Bobby Flay" is a Food Network television program where celebrity chef Bobby Flay challenges cooks who are particularly renowned for a specific dish or type of cooking. At the beginning of each show, Flay receives - via bicycle messenger - a package detailing the chef he is to compete against as well as the dish. Examples of opponents include a skilled chili maker or a famous wedding cake designer. After practicing and preparing the item in question, Flay shows up for a surprise competition (or "Throwdown"). During the competition, both chefs prepare their particular version of the dish, and both are then evaluated by local judges to determine a winner.

Format

Each show includes a mini-biography about the chef who is to be challenged, shown before the challenge takes place. The content for the biography is actually collected as part of an elaborate ruse or setup, where the chef or cook is told that they are going to be featured on a fictitious Food Network show. As part of the show, the featured chef (and their associated restaurant, if any) hosts a small party, which is then unexpectedly "crashed" by Bobby Flay. Upon Flay's arrival, he reveals the true nature of the show, and the "Throwdown" is initiated. Prior to the "Throwdown", in the Food Network test kitchen, Flay and his two sous-chefs (Stephanie and Miriam) work to concoct their recipe for that particular dish or field of cooking. Since Flay realizes that he may be unable to win a straight "apples to apples" contest, he often opts for a variant of the dish which he feels will impress the judges. In many cases, multiple versions of the dish are tested and later prepared, with Flay deciding which one to submit to the contest only at the last minute.

When Flay makes his appearance at a rival's event, he is usually greeted with surprise and confusion, although there has been one occasion where the challenged chef figured out that Flay would be appearing for a throwdown and ended up challenging him. Flay's comment was that he "had been set up."Fact|date=November 2007 However, the rival usually quickly gets over the initial shock and warms up to the challenge. Since the competition always takes place on the "home turf" of this rival chef, Flay generally has to bring his own ingredients and cooking devices, particularly since he sometimes makes use of ingredients which the other chef does not. After the dishes are prepared, the two chefs taste each other's creations and are usually quite complimentary towards one another. Finally, the dishes are evaluated by one or more connoisseurs or notable veterans in that field (via a blind taste test), with the winner then being announced.

Uniquely, the format of the show does not edit or disguise Flay's lack of knowledge of a particular technique regarding the cooking performed for the challenge. He often makes use of New York City-area experts to teach him basic techniques.

Flay's record is 16 wins, 1 tie, and 34 losses.

Episodes

eason 1

*Highlights aired on "Paula's Party"

eason 4

* * A special "Rematch on the Grill" episode featuring 3 former Throwdown contestants. Ellis showed up at the Throwdown itself to challenge Flay separately.

eason 5

External links

* [http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_bt/0,2857,FOOD_26696,00.html "Throwdown! with Bobby Flay" at Foodnetwork.com]