[CONTEST] Watch the Next Food Network Star and Win a Food Network Prize Pack

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WHAT WILL THE NEXT FOOD NETWORK STAR COOK UP THIS SEASON?

Ten Finalists Compete To Star in Their Own Series; Premieres Sunday, June 7th at 9pm ET/PT

Season Five of Food Network’s Most-Watched Series Sizzles With Guest Appearances by Bobby Flay, Rachael Ray, Ina Garten, and Many More!

NEW YORK – APRIL 7, 2009 – The stakes are higher than ever when The Next Food Network Star returns this summer with a star-studded fifth season on Food Network. As television’s most challenging food fight, the series provides 10 hopeful TV chefs the chance to compete for the ultimate dream job: his or her own Food Network show. Iron Chef Bobby Flay leads the selection committee that ultimately decides the winner’s fate and launches one lucky man or woman into a food and television celebrity. The series kicks off on Sunday, June 7th at 9pm ET/PT as the finalists cater Food Network’s “Sweet 16″ party with network talent and media there to judge.

“This season we’ve created the biggest and toughest challenges the show has ever seen,” said Bob Tuschman, Senior Vice President, Programming and Production. “We have an incredibly competitive group of finalists who are hungry to become Food Network stars, and they all came to win.”

The 10 finalists include: Brett August (Washington Heights, N.Y.), Katie Cavuto (Philadelphia, Pa.), Melissa d’Arabian (Keller, Texas), Teddy Folkman (Alexandria, Va.), Eddie Gilbert (Los Angeles, Calif.), Jen Isham (Orlando, Fla.), Debbie Lee (West Hollywood, Calif.), Jamika Pessoa (Atlanta, Ga.), Michael Proietti (City Island, N.Y.) and Jeffrey Saad (Los Angeles, Calif.).

This season’s finalists must prove their culinary expertise and star potential through a series of complex challenges. In each episode, their cooking chops will be put to the test to see who can handle the pressure and present the most mouth-watering food. Challenges include catering a party for a roomful of Food Network stars, impressing the “Barefoot Contessa” herself in the Hamptons and preparing a comforting meal for returning soldiers on the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum. The show also flies to sunny Miami – for the first time – where the finalists must survive a beachside wood-grilling challenge for Red Lobster and create a delicious dinner for a group of culinary elite at a screening of Columbia Pictures’ movie Julie & Julia (in theaters August 7). Throughout the season, they will also have to prove they have star quality and dazzle a variety of media outlets with their personalities, including Access Hollywood, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Food Network Magazine, and USA WEEKEND.

Rachael Ray, Giada De Laurentiis, Alton Brown, Guy Fieri, Ina Garten, Emeril Lagasse, Gina and Pat Neely, Masaharu Morimoto, Ted Allen, Tyler Florence, Michael Symon and the season four winner, Aaron McCargo, Jr., will appear throughout the season to help guide the finalists through the challenges. The selection committee comprised of Flay and Food Network executives, Bob Tuschman (Senior Vice President, Programming and Production) and Susie Fogelson (Vice President, Marketing and Brand Strategy), will narrow the field down until the finale. The winner will be revealed during the series finale on Sunday, August 2nd at 9pm ET/PT, and he or she will receive a six-episode show that will premiere in August 2009. The Next Food Network Star is produced by CBS EYE too Productions.

Prime Time Pulse was able to get a prize pack from the Food Network. The prize pack consists of a Food Network-brand bag (retail value: $50) containing the following items as well:
– 1 copy of Bobby Flay’s “Burgers, Fries, and Shakes” cookbook
– 1 Gadget
– 1 Poster
– 1 Generic Postcard
– 1 Magnet

To enter your name into the drawing, all you have to do is send in your name and mailing address and answer a trivia question for your chance to win. But be sure to follow the rules below. All entries MUST be sent to the following e-mail address:

joshc316@hotmail.com

Be sure to include the phrase NEXT FOOD NETWORK STAR CONTEST in the subject line or your email will not be received.

Trivia Question: Which finalist this season competed against Bobby Flay in an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay?

Giveaway Rules

In order to qualify for the prize drawing, all you have to do is answer the question correctly and send us a quick e-mail. The following rules apply:

1. Your full name and mailing address MUST be included with your entry. (This is necessary to notify the winner, and to arrange shipping of the prizes. Specific mailing address information will be kept confidential.)

2. Only ONE entry per person, per sweepstakes please!

3. The sweepstake IS open to both U.S. and non-U.S. participants.

4. Family and friends of the InsidePulse staff are not eligible.

This contest will run for FOUR WEEKS. So entries will be accepted until Saturday, July 4, 2009, and the winner will be shipped the winning prize pack soon afterwards.

Again, all entries MUST be sent to the following e-mail address: joshc316@hotmail.com

I'm not embarrassed to say that my favorite television show of all-time is The O.C. I live by the motto "you can't fight fate!" More importantly, I watch WAY too much television, but I do so for the benefit of everyone reading this now. So to my mom and my wife, I say thanks for reading! To everyone else that might stumble across this, remember TiVo should be your best friend!