Food Network Challenge - Season 1

Go behind the scenes of the exclusive World Pastry Cup, an 11 hour marathon in which 45 International teams of Pastry chefs compete for the title of Wold Pastry Chef. Follow the Canadian and American team as they work there way to this Championship.

Go behind the scenes of the upcoming Bocuse d'Or 2001 competition as two young North American chefs try to break the stranglehold held by the European powerhouses of cuisine over the past decade.

Jim White of Casa Vieja in Corralis, NM, and Paula Deen of the Lady and Sons Restaurant in Savannah Georgia joins Gordon as he invades the fraternity and sorority-rich Union Street at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ.

Premier pastry chefs from twelve different countries travel to Las Vegas for a two-day competition that's known for setting new standards in the industry. Each team shows its artistic talent with a sugar showpiece and a chocolate showpiece, and its culinary prowess with pastries

It's a cake competition with a mystery twist. The best cake makers in the country came to Phoenix with no idea what they'd be asked to do. Just hours before the competition, the theme was announced: sports cakes! Watch as the pros squirm under the pressure, with just a few hours to plan, and 7 hours to build world-class cakes.

Haunted houses, ghostly pumpkins and edible eyeballs make for a Halloween thriller, when five top cake teams gather for an intense cake and candy competition. Elaborate cakes, some weighing 80+ pounds, must impress a panel of tough judges with their delectable craftsmanship and creative use of candy decorations.

Forget the good cheer, these cake artists just want to win! Six of the nation's top cake teams come to Sea Island Georgia to make the best holiday cakes they can create in just six hours. The icing is flying and the air is sparkling with glitter as the nation's best create grand holiday masterpieces

Twenty-five barbecue teams are invited Reno, Nevada to compete for a $16,500 purse in one of the biggest rib cook-offs in the country.

For the first time in America, the top bread and pastry artists join forces to compete in a two-day competition that showcases both their unique talents and combined creativity.

Four teams compete in a unique competition that combines ice sculpture and pastry art. Each team consists of two competitors. Our experts have to come up with a sculpture that combines two very different elements under the umbrella theme of Fire and Ice. There will be many forces at work against the teams .heat, the clock and for some, almost no time to practice.

It's a bride's fantasy and a cake decorator's dream. Dozens of decorators travel to Tulsa to compete for a cut of the $10,000 purse. Art is the name of the game at this show, only these sculptures and paintings are done with sugar and icing. It is three days packed with taste, style and beauty, making for one grand reception with a sweet reward in the end.

Beautiful homes, amusement parks, rustic barns, and ornate churches all made of America?s favorite holiday treat: gingerbread! A record 300 gingerbread creations (decorated with gum drops, Necco wafers, and chow mein noodles!) were brought to this 12th annual championship in Asheville, North Carolina. Watch as participants spend months planning their structures and then cringe with every pothole as they drive their creations to the show.

Their moves are mesmerizing, and their speed and accuracy mind-boggling. They're the top bartenders in the country, and they're in Las Vegas to flair their way to fame at the World Bartending Championships. Bartenders go through three grueling rounds of speed, accuracy, and flair tests, cheered-on by a huge crowd. The eleven who make it to the finals get a chance at the title and the grand prize of $6,000.

It's the biggest BBQ event in the nation - And our own Al Roker - a BBQ expert and cookbook author -- has entered the contest! See how Al's ribs stack up against the real pros, and see what it takes to compete in one very tasty cook-off.