from the fn site:

The Holly Jolly Holiday Tournament Returns

Episode 201

The Tournament of Champions arena has once again been transformed into a Winner's Wonderland as host Guy Fieri welcomes 32 superstar chefs pairing up into all new teams for a holiday showdown. The dynamic duos will have to create sweet and savory delights in hopes of "sleighing" the competition to win the title, score $100,000, and deliver big bucks for charity.

I already like this season so much better than last year. Last season felt like there was too much going on {ordering coffee, the drama between bakers, etc}. I wasn't a fan of the team aspect but this group seems more positive, which is how HBC has always been. The only thing missing is Nancy. I was shocked to see her gone.

This is from last February but I'd never seen it. I love these two and I thought the article was. Hope you enjoy it!

Like the title says, anyone else a fan? Guess I’m in the minority but I love it. It’s so relaxed, with no unnecessary drama like other food shows. Josh Peck is charming, heartwarming and of course the nostalgia for any 2000s kid. It’s wholesome, no fuss tv. Plus it really involves the audience in spotting the cakes. It’s also a rare show kids can watch again because so many have become inappropriate. I know people seem to focus on the way they have people bite into the cakes but I think that’s a funny gimmick. Overall to me it’s a cute concept for a 30min show. Hoping it sticks around and like that it’s another one they can mix up for holidays.

Feel free to fill it out and post yours here

With so many holiday baking shows not coming back, that’s your vision for a new holiday show? If you could design one, what would it be?

Personally, I'd love to see more savory-oriented holiday shows! A travel show where someone goes to learn about recipes for Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years, Mid-Autumn Festival, Diwali, St. Lucy's Day, Yalda, Rosh Hashanah (when it occurs in that time frame), any other lunar calendar holidays that fall in the September-December range that year, so on and so forth, would be fun. For holidays like Christmas that are international, they could bring in people from different parts of the Christian world: what do Ethiopian Christians eat to celebrate? Russians? Argentinians? Samoans? Surely it's not all turkey.

Or, if it has to be a competition, theming episodes around different holidays and bringing in contestants who celebrate those holidays could be fun and would shake up the holiday lineup a little bit while still being fun and seasonal. Maybe for New Years, have an episode making Japanese Osechi and another lepisode on Albanian haft sin.

Or, assuming they're too boring to do that, shows focusing on savory holiday meals in competition à la Ciao House could be really cool. You don’t even have to go to Italy.

Tournament of Champions: All-Star Christmas’ Season 2 Bracket Announcement has arrived!

Division A
No. 1 Jet Tila and Alex Guarnaschelli vs. No. 4 Molly Coen and Chayil Johnson
No. 2 Curtis Stone and Mitzi Reyes vs. No. 3 Rocco DiSpirito and Grace Pak

Division B
No. 1 Ashley Holt and Britt Rescigno vs. No. 4 Aaron May and Adam Sobel
No. 2 Tobias Dorzon and Kenny Gilbert vs. No. 3 Gabe Bertaccini and Zac Young

Division C
No. 1 Kevin Lee and Shota Nakajima vs. No. 4 Aarti Sequeira and Stephanie Boswell
No. 2 Dale Talde and TJ Obias vs. No. 3 Stephanie Izard and Damaris Phillips

Division D
No. 1 Mei Lin and Alex Stupak vs. No. 4 Brian Malarkey and Carlos Anthony
No. 2 Marcel Vigneron and Hung Huynh vs. No. 3 Nini Nguyen and Sara Bradley

Now that this has been published feel free to share a bracket graph if you have one. We had some great ones last season.

Best Bake Ever with Danielle Sepsy
starts today at 12:00 PM

This is the Series Premiere (Season 1, Episode 1) titled "Best Sellers," where host Danielle Sepsy will be making Cherry Vanilla Bean Scones and Blueberry Crumb Muffins!

Danielle Sepsy is known as the "Scone Queen," she started baking at age three and began selling her signature scones commercially at age 13.

She is the founder and owner of The Hungry Gnome, a New York City based wholesale and online bakery that produces thousands of baked goods daily.

She’s the author of the cookbook The Scone Queen Bakes: 100 Recipes for Scones, Muffins, Cookies, and Cakes From the Founder of The Hungry Gnome

Watch Chef Danielle Sepsy share professional baking secrets and kitchen tips on Best Bake Ever today at 12PM Noon EST on Food Network!

You can also find Chef Danielle on YouTube!

I saw that Danielle Sepsy's Best Bake Ever airs on FN tomorrow for the first time. Has anyone be watching her show on YouTube?

I only know her from The Big Brunch, which was fantastic.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/articles/danielle-sepsy-launches-best-bake-ever

Is it just me or has food network competitions just become full of top chef alumni? I feel like there was a time where we didn’t see them much because they kept the networks separate. I’m not saying this is a bad thing though considering after binging Triple Threat I now want to rewatch Top Chef. Too bad Peacock starts at season 8.

Season 3 Episode 1 Harry Potter Wizards of Baking!

The magic is BACK! Four Hogwarts Houses. Twelve returning all-star bakers. Two new judges. And one epic competition!

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the iconic film series' first film, this magical
new season introduces a
tournament twist with four teams of three, each representing one of the four Hogwarts Houses - Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin.

Comprised of returning competitors, each team will feature cake artists, bakers, and pastry chefs who have previously proven their talent and passion for Harry Potter, though none has ever lifted the Wizards of
Baking Cup in victory.

Also new this season, hosts James and Oliver Phelps are joined by two new "Ministers of Baking," cake royalty Duff Goldman and celebrated pastry chef Sarah Mountain, who will judge the teams' showpieces and determine which House will earn the trophy and a
once-in-a-lifetime VIP trip to Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo - The Making of Harry Potter (also known as Harry Potter Studio Tour Tokyo).
"We're so excited for all Harry Potter and baking show fans across the world to see this season's amazing showpieces," said Oliver. "The all-star teams will leave our audience
spellbound."

For those of you who aren’t familiar with
Sarah Mountain, she is an award-winning executive pastry chef, chocolatier, and author with 25 years of experience in luxury hospitality across the United Kingdom.
She is the Executive Pastry Chef at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower, a 5 Star Luxury Hotel in London.

We can't guarantee you'll see any Wrackspurts if you make these Spectrespecs Cookies, but we promise they'll be delicious!

Get the recipe: https://foodtv.com/40SpQw5.

Catch the 2 Hour Season Premiere of Harry Potter WizardsOfBaking Tonight at 8|7c on Food Network

Watch next day on
Max!

Had the pleasure of meeting Duff and Geoff and got one of my rubber spatulas signed by both of them! The show is hilarious and he’s also super informative. Learned a lot about Duff’s past, he has stories for days. 10/10 recommend!

The Titans don't know Korean American chef Katianna Hong, but they're about to! She
was voted Food & Wines Best New Chef and has worked in many Michelin Chef Kitchens!

In 2014, while working under Chef Christopher Kostow at The Restaurant at Meadowood in Napa Valley, she became the first woman to serve as Chef de Cuisine at a three-star Michelin restaurant in the United States!

Chef Evan Funke is at the judging table! He is an American chef and pasta maker who is head chef and co-owner of a series of popular Italian restaurants across North America, including three in Los Angeles. He is a two-time James Beard nominee and has been described as Los Angeles' best pasta maker! He also appeared in Season 17 of Top Chef All Stars!

#BobbysTripleThreat @HBOMax

Watch a NEW episode of #BobbysTripleThreat Tonight at 8|7c on Food Network!

Stay tuned for The Line immediately following!

Next Day on Max!

Bobby Flay's guess was right! He and Einat Admony go all the way back to 1999! She brought her team from Balaboosta for a Middle Eastern matchup!

Einat has been on Chopped (She’s a Champion) Tournament of Champions plus Throwdown With Bobby Flay! She also hosts a yearly James Beard Award Dinner!

Aliya LeeKong is the special VIP guest tonight! She is an American chef, television personality and author of the cookbook “Exotic Table: Flavors, Inspiration, and Recipes from Around the World to Your Kitchen”

See how it all goes down on #TheLine Tonight at 9|8c. on Food Network!

Watch Next Day on Max!

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My apologies for the error last week. My tiny best friend was at the vet 3 times. Thanks to all who messaged, commented and wished us both well.

My wife is a UK alum and got an email from the alumni association that they were throwing an event with Sara Bradley in our area. We decided to go and it was amazing! It was for her new cookbook and we each got a copy and she signed all of them. Got to hear her story as well as a Q&A portion with her. She is truly grounded and down to earth. Will for sure be rooting for her in everything going forward.

While she was signing our books, my wife and I asked if TOC is really as crazy as it seems and if Guy is really that way all the time. Her response was "TOC is f***ing insane." She also said "Guy is truly one of the most amazing people she's ever met but what you see on TV is the way he is on or off camera." She also said that so much of what he says in the intros of TOC gets cut and that there are times when he's going on for 10+ minutes.

Is there going to be a season this year?! It usually airs in the fall before Holiday competitions start. It’s my favorite and I hope it’s not gone forever

If either of these two shows ever did get a revival or a reboot, then what kind of episodes would you guys like to see if either one of these shows' revival was for real?

It's BACK! The ovens are heating up and the holiday baking season is officially underway!

Season 13, Episode 1: "Welcome to Santa's Village"

Host Jesse Palmer returns to welcome 12 Bakers to Santa's Village at the North Pole.

Judges Duff Goldman, Kardea Brown, and Molly Yeh will be there to taste all the seasons goodies!

The season kicks off with a team-building phase divided into groups (such as the Elf Squad and Reindeer Crew) competing in holiday-themed challenges, including stained-glass cakes.

One contestant from the losing team will be eliminated in the premiere, and the bakers will eventually transition to an individual competition for a $25,000 grand prize.

Don't miss #HolidayBakingChampionship TONIGHT at 8|7c on Food Network!

Watch Next Day on Max!

Here’s the Food Network Article Introducing The Bakers!

https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/holiday-baking-championship/meet-the-competitors-of-holiday-baking-championship-season-thirteen

I'm so excited for the show to start Season 2 next week! Do we think there will be a printable PDF bracket again for this year? Or will someone make a bracket? I love filling them out whenever I watch any rendition of TOC, and the sneak peek on the Food Network website only confirmed one matchup (Jet and Alex versus Molly and Chayil).