"the next food network star" news and stories

This past summer, fans of The Next Food Network Star got familiar with out-of-work chef Tom Pizzica, who despite an initial flare for the slacker persona, finished as runner-up to Aarti Sequeira. Dubbed "Big Chef," Pizzica's enthusiasm for food translated well onto screen -- he often displayed a boyish grin whenever he spoke about his creations, even if it was that ill-fated bacon steak he served during the Iron Chef portion of the competition.

Those behind the Food Network were charmed enough by Pizzica to employ him outside the confines of a reality cooking competition by giving him his own series, Outrageous Food. In this series, Pizzica takes viewers on culinary explorations of unusual items like the 72-inch burrito from Gus's Mexicana Cantina in Franklin, Wisconsin, to the rattlesnake pierogies at Church Brew Works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In other words, if it's big, expensive or just sorta out there, Pizzica's trying to track it down.

As The Next Food Network Star winds down its sixth season, we here at Slashfood are taking time to chat with the final contestants about their experience on the show.

Click through for our interview.

As The Next Food Network Star winds down its sixth season, we here at Slashfood are taking the time to chat with the final contestants about their experience on the show.

Click through for our interview.

This Sunday marks the return of Food Network's talent search, The Next Food Network Star.

Since its inception five years ago, the show has found on-air food talent from the likes of Aaron McCargo, Jr. and Adam Gertler to last year's winner, stay-at-home mom Melissa d'Arabian. And let's not forget Season 2's winner: Guy Fieri, who's exploded into a brand of his own since launching Guy's Big Bite and Diner's, Drive-Ins and Dives.

For Season 6, The Next Food Network Star is going Hollywood. "By moving it to L.A. and giving it that backdrop, it gave us many more locations to work with," Bob Tuschman, General Manager and of the Food Network tells Slashfood. "We got to open up a whole new world of challenges." Prior seasons have featured New York as the main backdrop but now contestants will be seen at a Grammy party for pop musician Colbie Caillat, working with Paula Deen in conceptualizing their own food trucks and cooking at Eva Longoria-Parker and Todd English's restaurant Beso.

While the show relies on a revolving cast of Food Network stars making appearances and helping out with challenges now and again, the mainstays are the judging panel. Joining Tuschman once again are Susie Fogelson and Bobby Flay. Tuschman evaluates the overall promise of transitioning into a television personality, Fogelson looks at the marketing and branding potential of each contestant and their "culinary point of views" and Flay makes sure their cooking skills are up to snuff.

Starting this Friday, October 3rd, Food Network will be holding tryouts for the next season of The Next Food Network Star. They'll be auditioning people in the flesh over the next four weeks in Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angeles, Charleston, S.C., Portland, OR and Philadelphia. For those of you who don't live in one of the cities they'll be visiting, you can also apply on online by filling out the application form and uploading a short video, stating why you want to be TNFNS.

Complete details about the casting calls is after the jump.

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