Alexandra Donnadio is bringing out the big guns as she takes on 11 other contestants from around the country on season 6 of Food Network’s “BBQ Brawl.”
The show, which premiered on June 1, airs 9 p.m. Sundays on Food Network and streams on Max the next day.
In “BBQ Brawl: Flay V. Chauhan V. Lofaso,” grillmaster Bobby Flay aims to defend his title this season against two new captains Maneet Chauhan and Antonia Lofaso. Both chefs are Food Network judges, hosts and “Tournament of Champions” winners.
Over the course of 10 episodes, the three mentor teams of BBQ pitmasters in a series of grilling challenges at the Star Hill Ranch in Austin, Tx. This season features everything from live fire cooking to an all-night overnight cookout challenge to a first time-ever Brawlers vs. Captains battle.
“This season has something for everyone, whether you are a professional grill master, a weekend warrior or simply love the smokey char of barbecue done right,” Flay stated. “Summertime heralds outdoor cooking, and ‘BBQ Brawl’ celebrates all that entails with a healthy dose of competition to keep it exciting.”
Central Jersey’s ace-in-the-hole is Donnadio, of Hillsborough, who is fired up to take on her fellow grilling aficionados and impress returning judges Carson Kressley, Rodney Scott and Brooke Williamson.
On Team Maneet, she is joined by Texan grillers Jason Dady, Greg Gaitlin and Arturo Ramon. Team Antonia is comprised of Tyler Anderson, Thyron Mathews and Aarthi Sampath while Team Bobby is made up of Kyle Bryner, Brad Leighninger, Rosalie Bradford Pareja and Orchid Paulmeier.
Contestants are eliminated weekly. Episode 1 saw Alabama’s Tim Van Doren sent home after a side dish went … sideways.
Known as Chef Zandge on social media, Donnadio is the owner of Iron & Oak Catering, which specializes in live fire experiences that range from private dinners to large-scale festivals. Not many do what she does, especially in the Garden State.
“I love getting creative with leftovers and sharing my passion for open fire cooking,” Donnadio said.
The 10-episode competition determines which Brawler will be crowned the “Master of ‘Cue” and have their BBQ skills featured on Food Network social platforms. The first episode featured introductions to the new players as they competed for the advantage of choosing their team captain and two intense live-fire cooking challenges.
Donnadio said she stuck to her roots for the first dish − showcasing signature flavors on Texas toast − and added “a little open fire touch.”
“If you gave me five ingredients for the rest of my life it would be olive oil, salt, garlic, lemon and steak,” Donnadio said. “That’s all I need. That being said, that damn Texas toast − I put way too much butter on, and it wasn’t toasting the way I wished.”
For the second dish, Donnadio confessed she was “a little nervous.”
“I have never played around with Indian spices but having Maneet by my side and adding a little garam masala onto the broccolini was a game changer,” said Donnadio, who grew up as the eldest of five siblings in a tight-knit Italian American household.
A former contestant on Gordon Ramsay’s “Next Level Chef,” where she made it to episode 7, Donnadio recently earned third place at an international cooking competition in Taiwan.
She’s served as a VIP Pitmaster at QBBQ Fest, the Kentucky Derby, and was an emcee for the Future of Q event and conducted live cooking demos for Budweiser at Memphis in May. Donnadio also hosted and coordinated “Embers of Valor,” an event that brought more than 20 pitmasters together to raise money for veterans and suicide awareness.
When she’s not over an open grill, Donnadio is an officer with the New Jersey Institute of Technology Police Department and a trained hostage negotiator.
email: [email protected]
Cheryl Makin is an award-winning feature, news and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: [email protected] or @CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
发表回复