Food Network Obsessed

Chef Kenny Gilbert joins the pod to talk about his impressive run on this season of Tournament of Champions, from the pressure of the randomizer to cooking in one of the most intense competition formats on TV. He shares how he prepares for the unpredictable nature of TOC, why blind judging raises the stakes, and how he approaches each round with a “swim your race” mentality.

Kenny also takes us back to his early days in the kitchen, from cooking out of a Betty Crocker cookbook as a kid to preparing his first full Thanksgiving dinner at just 11 years old.

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Zoha Malik, the creator behind Bake With Zoha, joins the pod to talk about being named to Food Network’s Hot List and how a weekend baking hobby turned into one of the most popular dessert accounts on the internet. She shares how teaching herself baking from scratch shaped her approach to recipes, why understanding the “why” behind baking matters, and how a single viral brownie video helped kickstart her community.

Zoha also dives into the cultural influences behind her desserts, from growing up in Pakistan surrounded by family meals and cardamom-infused sweets to blending nostalgic flavors with classic American baking.

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Bryan Ford joins the pod to talk about judging Food Network’s new competition series Ultimate Baking Championship and what it was like watching some of the most skilled pastry chefs in the country go head-to-head. He shares why blind judging raises the stakes, what separates technically perfect baking from something truly special, and how storytelling plays a role even in the most precise desserts.

Plus, Bryan opens up about opening Diljan Bakery in Brooklyn, exploring Afghan baking traditions, and how his self-taught path helped shape the way he approaches both baking and business today.

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Chef Kaleena Bliss joins the pod ahead of her return to Tournament of Champions, and she breaks down what it’s really like to step back into one of the most intense kitchens on television. She talks about the adrenaline of competition cooking, the chaos of the randomizer, and why sometimes the only way to survive the TOC arena is to black out and cook on instinct.

Plus, she opens up about how kitchen culture has changed over the years, what makes someone a true badass in the industry now, and why the community she found through Tournament of Champions has become one of the most meaningful parts of her career.

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Duff Goldman returns to the pod for his third appearance, officially earning Food Network Obsessed royalty status. He catches up with Jaymee on life at home, getting ready to become a dad of two, and why he’s embraced his unexpected role on the internet as the guy giving calm, rational dad advice.

Duff also dives into his newest Food Network series Ultimate Baking Championship, where sixteen elite pastry chefs compete in one of the most technically demanding baking competitions the network has ever done. Plus, after years of strong opinions, Duff finally sets the record straight on cupcakes… and whether he actually hates them as much as he says he does.

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