THE BULLETIN • FEBRUARY 18 - 24, 2021
TV • PAGE 21
Ali Khan
BY GEORGE DICKIE
Ali Khan embraces the culinary experiences
on ‘Spring Baking Championship’
It stands to reason that if you’re a judge
on “Spring Baking Championship,” you
need to have an adventurous palate.
After all, the confections you’re sampling
may not be to your liking or within your
comfort zone but you do have to be open to
the experience.
Same holds true for the host. While
Ali Khan (“Cheap Eats”) isn’t rendering
a judgment on the confections created
by contestants on the show, he does try
everything. And says he’s the better foodie
for it.
“What’s interesting with being a part of
this show, and really any food show,” he
explains, “is trying things that you would
never actually order. So things that involve
fruit and things like that, I’d be like, ‘I
don’t want that. I don’t want oatmeal raisin
fruitcake. That sounds like a horrible idea.’
But you are on this show and the smell of
butter, I can get over my whole chocolate
crutch right there. ... it’s really fun to try
things that I would never order on my
own.”
As the competition series opens its seventh
season with a fresh batch of 10 episodes
Monday, Feb. 22, on Food Network, Kardea
Brown (“Delicious Miss Brown”) joins the
judging panel with Duff Goldman and
Nancy Fuller as 11 talented professional
and home bakers from across the country
take on two rounds of spring-themed
baking challenges for a shot at a $25,000
grand prize and a spot in Food Network
Magazine.
In Monday’s two-hour opener, the
competitors are tasked with creating farm
stand-inspired breakfast treats, followed by
a dessert challenge that celebrates happy,
dancing cows.
For his part, Khan is a fly on the wall as
he listens to Brown, Fuller and Goldman
deliberate on the strengths and problems
with every dish. He frequently finds himself
blown away by how these seasoned pros
can analyze and pick apart a contestant’s
creation. Goldman’s skills, in particular,
leave him agog.
“I think we called him ‘Professor Duff ’
more than once when we’d introduce him as
a judge,” Khan says. “And I think that just
reflects the fact that he’s a classically trained
chef, his years of experience in the art of
pastry is very, very obvious. And I think
ultimately when you have people who really,
really understand this, they can break down,
when they taste something, certainly where
something goes wrong.
“I watched Amanda Freitag break down
why a sauce tastes like Olive Garden sauce
to me when I was a judge on ‘Chopped,’ ”
he continues. “I was like, ‘This tastes like
Olive Garden.’ She goes, ‘He didn’t cook
the wine enough ... so you’re tasting the
alcohol.’ I’m like, ‘Oh my God, that’s what
that is.’ Duff very much still holds that
role.”
BY JAY BOBBIN
Elisabeth Rohm
OF ‘GIRL IN THE BASEMENT’ ON LIFETIME
WebLinks
Marking the 30th anniversary of
the pair’s original television de-
but, Tim Allen and Richard Karn
return to the shop as hosts of a
competition series where makers
from across the country go head-
to-head to create mind-blowing
builds in “Assembly Required,”
Tuesday on History. Catch a
preview at www.youtube.com/
watch?v_DBpHRaS1XY
Now a single mother of three
trying to get her life back on track,
Punky (Soleil Moon Frye) meets
a young girl who reminds her a
lot of her younger self, as “Punky
Brewster,” a new continuation of
the popular 1980s sitcom, drops
Thursday on Peacock. Get your
first look at www.youtube.com/
watch?v43E2ONFNYQE
After all the acting you’ve done, “Girl in the Basement” is
your first credit as a director. How did it come your way?
I’ve wanted to direct for a really long time. It’s traditionally a
man’s role ... but after being on so many sets and watching
things as they unfold, you finally get the courage to say, “Well,
why not me? I’m ready for this.”
Thankfully, I had an inspiration in (“Grey’s Anatomy” co-star)
Kim Raver, who produced a movie I starred in and said, “You
should ask (Lifetime original-movie executive) Tanya Lopez,
because she wants to be supportive in that way.” So I did, and
she made it happen, and she gave me a film that I truly wanted
to direct. It wasn’t just any movie, but something I was very
passionate about.
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