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There is exciting news about Hallmark star Jonathan Bennett as he announces his newest venture. He will be hosting a brand new series called Battle of the Decades on Food Network. The Mean Girls alum is returning after a number of years to be the ringleader as contestant teams compete in cooking challenges. Each team will be comprised of two chefs dating from different generations. Meanwhile, their challenge is to use popular ingredients and gadgets from kitchens past.
Hallmark star Jonathan Bennett heads back to Food Network
Food Network first shared news of the series on its Instagram account, captioning the post: “Coming Soon #BattleOfTheDecades hosted by @jonathandbennett!” adding:
This all-new series will feature teams of two chefs from different generations as they face off to bridge the culinary gap between the years using popular ingredients and old-school gadgets. Don’t miss the premiere on Wednesday, Aug. 16 @ 10|9c! Click the link in our bio to get all the details.
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After Food Network made the post, Bennett was quick to comment, writing, “I can’t wait for the world to watch Old School VS. New School in a battle of the decades!”
Meanwhile, Jonathan also shared the post to his Instagram, where Jonathan’s husband, Jaymes Vaughan, was also thrilled. He gushed, writing, “Yay! A show I would watch even if I wasn’t your husband. Can’t wait for this!”
Moreover, Bennett’s co-star in The Christmas House, Robert Buckley wrote, “About freaking time. Congrats!” On top of that, the show’s producer commented, “We are working hard on it! Can’t wait for everyone to see” and Bennett replied, “yaaaaaas”
What is the Battle of the Decades about?
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The new Food Network show, Battle of the Decades will challenge chef duos to use formerly trendy gadgets, retro ingredients and techniques to prepare their recipes. The show will feature eight, one-hour episodes, where three teams will face a series of challenges, trying to make it to the final round.
According to the Food Network, in the first round, Bennett will reveal what is inside a time capsule that must be used to prepare their first dish. This includes a cooking gadget from a particular year, like an Easy Bake Oven or Snoopy Sno-Cone machine, as well as the required ingredients.
The second round will see the two remaining teams challenged to improve viral food trends from the past. These trends will include 1950s gelatin molds, spicy vodka pasta and smiley fries.
The final round sees the remaining team split up and facing off against each other, cooking their version of a “timeless dish like Chicken Kiev and Beef Wellington.” At the end of each episode, the winner goes home with $10,000.
Panel of judges for the Battle of the Decades
Jonathan Bennett isn’t doing it alone, as in each episode he will be joined by a “rotating panel of judges” representing the different generations, including:
- Former NFL player and “Food Network Star” winner Eddie Jackson with his father Eddie Jackson Sr.
- Cookbook author Antonia Lofaso and her daughter Xea Myers.
- San Francisco restaurant owner Peter Fang and his daughter, two-time “Chopped” champion Kathy Fang
- Dallas restaurant group owner Julian Rodarte and his father and business partner Beto Rodarte
When does the show premiere on Food Network?
Battle of the Decades is set to premiere on August 16 at 10 pm ET on Food Network.
Readers, are you a Food Network fan? Will you be tuning in to watch Jonathan Bennett host the Battle of the Decades? Let us know by dropping a comment below.