cooking this week
Cake countdown: Food
rolls out new NYE special
By Michelle Rose
TV Media
G
et ready to pop some bub-
bly and count down the
final moments of 2019!
We’ve seen the return of
favorites like Alton Brown’s
“Good Eats,” and we witnessed
a few missteps, too, (remem-
ber the tension of “Buddy vs.
Duff”?). We’ve watched the
rise of emerging Food Network
stars like Molly Yeh (“Girl Meets
Farm”) and, judging by the rat-
ings, we remained fiercely loyal
to some familiar faces, too.
In terms of food trends, 2019
may very well be the year of the
Keto diet, avocado toast and
plant-based alternatives. (My
predictions for 2020? You’re
gonna hear more about oat
milk, zero waste and flexitar-
ian diets.) Still, cake continues
to reign supreme on Food
Network, which is winding
down one of its most ambitious
holiday lineups yet — but not
before debuting a new end-of-
year special.
“Cake-Off: New Year’s Eve”
premieres Sunday, Dec. 29.
This hour-long special pits four
professional bakers against one
another in a heated competition
that’s more about design than
flavor (but a terrible-tasting
cake never wins).
A cake is the ultimate com-
bination of food and visual arts,
and bakers are constantly push-
ing the boundaries. Expect no
less from the “Cake-Off” com-
petitors, whose creations must
reflect the theme of change
through the years.
There’s a catch, of course:
Each cake must also embody the
spirit of New Year’s Eve by trans-
forming from old to new. And
to win the $10,000 grand prize,
the bakers will have to impress
fellow top-tier cake artist Duff
Goldman, who is joined by fel-
low judges Dan Langan (“Win-
ner Cake All”) and Waylynn Lu-
cas (“Cake Wars”). Not an easy
panel of judges to impress.
Goldman, who got married
in January, is coming off a busy
year, and he shows no sign of
slowing down in 2020. In April,
the Food Network star added
yet another new series (“Duff
Takes the Cake”) to his cake-
making and TV empire. And
in the past few months alone,
there’s a good chance you’ve
seen him on TV as a judge, co-
host or contestant on a number
of other series, including Food
Network’s “Holiday Baking
Championship” and “Kids
Baking Championship,” which
returns with a new season on
Monday, Jan. 6.
So while the “Cake-Off: New
Year’s Eve” contestants will be
scrambling on Dec. 29 to create
cakes that say “out with the
old, in with the new,” it appears
Goldman has mastered the art
of continuity heading into 2020.
Dan Langan, Waylynn Lucas and Duff Goldman in “Cake-Off: New Year’s Eve”
WEDNESDAY
SATURDAY
3:00 p.m.
FOOD Guy’s Grocery Games Chefs
must create a dish in a single aisle
showdown. (CC)
4:00 p.m.
FOOD Guy’s Grocery Games Four
cheese experts create their signature
dishes. (CC)
5:00 p.m.
FOOD Guy’s Grocery Games The mar-
ket has been turned into a midway. (CC)
6:00 p.m.
FOOD Guy’s Grocery Games Chefs
may only use ingredients from the middle
aisles. (CC)
7:00 p.m.
FOOD Food Network Challenge The
granddaddy of all food competitions is
back. (CC)
8:00 p.m.
FOOD Guy’s Grocery Games Pro
athletes team up with Flavortown judges.
Noon
FOOD Trisha’s Southern Kitchen (N)
Trisha Yearwood takes brunch to the next
level. (CC)
12:30 p.m.
FOOD Guy’s Ranch Kitchen (N) Guy
asks his friends to prepare a Parisian
brunch menu. (CC)
1:00 p.m.
OPB Christopher Kimball’s Milk
Street Josh Mamaclay makes Greek
White Bean Soup (Fasolada). (CC)
FOOD Holiday Baking Championship
The remaining bakers make a Christmas
morning brunch. (CC)
1:30 p.m.
KTNW tasteMAKERS Freshly milled
wheat, rye & corn become artisan bread.
(CC)
THURSDAY
3:00 p.m.
KVEW The Rachael Ray Show (CC)
FRIDAY
3:00 p.m.
KVEW The Rachael Ray Show (CC)
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Guy checks out places that are keeping
the past alive. (CC)
3:30 p.m.
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Guy is trying out their sandwiches. (CC)
4:00 p.m.
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Guy looks for home cooking on the east
coast. (CC)
4:30 p.m.
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Taking childhood favorites to a gourmet
level. (CC)
5:00 p.m.
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Guy’s checkin’ out the combos that are
a hit. (CC)
5:30 p.m.
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives A
neighborhood cafe cranks out comfort
food. (CC)
6:00 p.m.
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Guy heads off the Vegas strip. (CC)
6:30 p.m.
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Guy digs into dishes with a personal
connection. (CC)
7:00 p.m.
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Guy is checking out funky foods from
coast to coast. (CC)
7:30 p.m.
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Guy goes off the path to check out some
funky finds. (CC)
8:00 p.m.
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Guy Fieri’s firing up an entire world of
barbecue. (CC)
(CC)
OPB America’s Test Kitchen From
Cook’s Illustrated The perfect roasted
whole side of salmon. (CC)
2:00 p.m.
OPB Cook’s Country From America’s
Test Kitchen Bryan Roof & Julia Collin
Davison make Shrimp Po’ Boys. (CC)
FOOD Kids Baking Championship
The young bakers must make cupcakes
featuring bacon. (CC)
2:30 p.m.
OPB Sara’s Weeknight Meals Grilled
pork with watermelon cucumber salsa.
(CC)
3:00 p.m.
KTNW Cook’s Country From
America’s Test Kitchen Double-crust
chicken pot pie from scratch. (CC)
FOOD Kids Baking Championship
Young bakers create animal print cheese-
cakes. (CC)
3:30 p.m.
KTNW Food Over 50 (CC)
4:00 p.m.
FOOD Kids Baking Championship
Bakers compete in a blondies vs. brown-
ies challenge. (CC)
5:00 p.m.
FOOD Kids Baking Championship
Young bakers create decorative macar-
ons. (CC)
6:00 p.m.
OPB Confucius Was a Foodie Chef
Christine compares foodie beliefs. (CC)
FOOD Kids Baking Championship
Bakers must pair up and each make a
half cake. (CC)
7:00 p.m.
KTNW The Great British Baking Show
The bakers undertake Paul’s recipe for
rum babas. (CC)
FOOD Kids Baking Championship (CC)
8:00 p.m.
FOOD Kids Baking Championship
Bakers turn biscuit dough into monkey
bread volcanoes. (CC)
SUNDAY
Noon
FOOD Barefoot Contessa: Back
to Basics Ina is sharing pro tips for a
seasonal brunch. (CC)
12:30 p.m.
FOOD Giada’s Holiday Handbook (N)
Giada helps her girlfriends jump-start the
new year. (CC)
1:00 p.m.
FOOD The Kitchen The Kitchen is
counting down to New Year’s brunch.
(CC)
2:00 p.m.
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
These homemade dishes will rival
Nonna’s home cooking. (CC)
3:00 p.m.
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Guy Fieri’s eatin’ up all kinds of incredible
Italian. (CC)
4:00 p.m.
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Guy’s traveling the country hitting up real
diners. (CC)
5:00 p.m.
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Guy Fieri visits spots keeping it all in the
family. (CC)
6:00 p.m.
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Guy’s roundin’ up the ultimate pizza
party. (CC)
6:30 p.m.
KVEW Chance of Wine (CC)
7:00 p.m.
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Guy goes to Cali for killer cuisine. (CC)
8:00 p.m.
FOOD Guy’s Grocery Games (N) Guy
Fieri wants to know which culinary form
is best. (CC)
MONDAY
3:00 p.m.
KVEW The Rachael Ray Show (CC)
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (CC)
4:00 p.m.
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives This
trip, Guy is hitting up all things pork. (CC)
5:00 p.m.
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Rocky Mountains to southwestern
specialties. (CC)
6:00 p.m.
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Guy travels the nation for a real-deal
taste of home. (CC)
7:00 p.m.
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Guy’s piling plates with pork from across
the nation. (CC)
8:00 p.m.
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Guy orders the last course first diving
into dessert! (CC)
TUESDAY
3:00 p.m.
KVEW The Rachael Ray Show (CC)
FOOD Chopped Alton challenges the
chefs to use smoky infusions. (CC)
4:00 p.m.
FOOD Chopped Alton challenges the
chefs to work with dehydration. (CC)
5:00 p.m.
FOOD Chopped Alton has the chefs
explore molecular gastronomy. (CC)
6:00 p.m.
FOOD Chopped The chefs are chal-
lenged by transparent ravioli. (CC)
7:00 p.m.
FOOD Chopped A fish and condiment
puzzle Challenge champions. (CC)
8:00 p.m.
FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Guy is traveling the country for local hot
spots. (CC)
Pendleton East-Oregonian, OR: Food Dec 25,
2019 to Dec 31, 2019
East Oregonian and Hermiston Herald | December 25, 2019
Screentime | 21