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NEW YORK, Aug. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Food Network icon and best-selling cookbook author Rachael Ray hosts this six-episode series where the challenges are big and the competitors are – kids! Beginning on Monday, August 24th at 8pm ET/PT eight multi-talented junior chefs will be put to the test through a series of tough cooking challenges and high-pressure obstacles, as they compete for a $20,000 culinary scholarship and their very own web series on FoodNetwork.com. Each week, Rachael and an all-star guest judge, including Sunny Anderson, Scott Conant, Amanda Freitag, Alex Guarnaschelli, Robert Irvine, Jeff Mauro, Daymon Patterson, Marcus Samuelsson and Fabio Viviani will mentor and guide the kidtestants through culinary challenges, from preparing the perfect well-balanced bite, to creating "desserts in disguise" inspired by the new movie Hotel Transylvania 2. In addition, the young competitors must shine in on-camera challenges as they articulate their culinary point of view and bring their food to life. Only one will take home the grand prize and be crowned winner of this cook-off!

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"The kidtestants have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to not only compete for their own web series and a culinary scholarship, but to also learn from one of America's favorite television hosts, Rachael Ray," said Bob Tuschman, General Manager and Senior Vice President, Food Network. "I am not sure whose job is more difficult - the kids, who must survive tough challenges, or Rachael, who must choose between all of these talented young chefs." 

Rachael Ray's Kids Cook-Off competitors include: Chandler (Carnesville, Georgia; age 12), Chris (Ann Arbor, Michigan; age 13), Juliana (Marietta, Georgia; age 11), Nicholas (Edward, Colorado; age 10), Olivia (Yonkers, New York; age 11), Sabrina (Indianapolis, Indiana; age 11), Scarlett (Hollywood, California; age 11), and Zach (Olathe, Kansas; age 12). 

Fans can head to FoodNetwork.com/KidsCookOff to access photo and video highlights, interviews with the winners and much more—all culminating in an exclusive winner's web series! Join the conversation on Twitter using #KidsCookOff.

Episodes include:

Premiering Monday, August 24^th at 8pm ET/PT – SEASON PREMIERE!
"Fusion Impossible"
Eight of the country's most talented kid chefs come together to battle it out in Rachael Ray's Kids Cook-Off. Rachael and guest judge Robert Irvine (Restaurant: Impossible) present the chefs with their first challenge to find out what makes each kid unique to decide who will make it to the next round.

Premiering Monday, August 31^st at 8pm ET/PT
"Fast Food Feud"
After making it past the first elimination, seven kidtestants will put their own spin on a fast-food classic. The competition to win their own web series heats up as food critic and internet video star Daymon Patterson (Daym Drops) joins Rachael to judge this cook-off.

Premiering Monday, September 7^th at 8pm ET/PT
"Hasta La Pasta"
The six remaining kid chefs are put to the test as they show off their signature flavors in a pasta dish, and create their own food product. The competition is fierce, as they must impress Rachael and Fabio Viviani (Cutthroat Kitchen: Superstar Sabotage) to stay in the running.

Premiering Monday, September 14^th at 8pm ET/PT
"Family-Style Showdown"
The five remaining kid chefs cook and present the dish that changed their lives. Sunny Anderson (The Kitchen) joins Rachael to help decide which kids will continue on in the competition.

Premiering Monday, September 21^st at 8pm ET/PT
"Monster Meals"
The kidtestants cook up monstrous meals inspired by the release of Hotel Transylvania 2. The competition is heating up, and guest judge Jeff Mauro (The Kitchen) must choose the three kids who will continue on to the finale for the chance to win the cook-off competition.

Premiering Monday, September 28^th at 8pm ET/PT
"Grand Finale Cook-Off"
In the finale, three kid chefs battle it out one last time to win a $20,000 culinary scholarship and their own Foodnetwork.com web series. The stakes are high as they cook to impress Chopped judges Scott Conant, Alex Guarnaschelli, Amanda Freitag and Marcus Samuelsson. Only one kidtestant will take home the grand prize!

Rachael Ray, syndicated television star, iconic Food Network personality, best-selling cookbook author, founder and Editorial Director of her own lifestyle magazine Every Day With Rachael Ray, and Founder of the Yum-o! Organization, launched her hugely successful syndicated daytime program, Rachael Ray, in the fall of 2006, winning an "Outstanding Talk Show-Entertainment" Emmy® in 2008 and 2009, and scored three Daytime Emmy® nominations in 2010 and 2011. In 2009, Rachael was honored with the American Woman in Radio & Television Tribute Award. 

Rachael's television work includes a series of lifestyle and travel segments, as well as a long-term relationship with Food Network, hosting shows such as Rachael's Vacations, Tasty Travels, $40 A Day, Inside Dish, Week In A Day and 30-Minute Meals, the latter of which earned Rachael a 2006 Daytime Emmy® Award for "Outstanding Service Show" and a nomination for "Outstanding Service Show Host." In 2012, Rachael launched a new competition show with fellow Food Network colleague Guy Fieri called Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off. In addition to her television endeavors, Rachael has turned her 30-Minute Meals concept into a best-selling series of cookbooks, including 30-Minute Meals, My Year in Meals by Rachael Ray, and most recently Week in a Day, among many others.

Rachael Ray's Kids Cook-Off is produced by Jane Street Entertainment.

FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network, website and magazine that connects viewers to the power and joy of food. The network strives to be viewers' best friend in food and is committed to leading by teaching, inspiring, empowering and entertaining through its talent and expertise. Food Network is distributed to more than 100 million U.S. households and up to 35 million unique web users monthly. Since launching in 2009, Food Network Magazine's rate base has grown tenfold and is now the second largest monthly magazine on the newsstand, with over 11.6 million readers.  Headquartered in New York, Food Network has a growing international presence with programming in more than 150 countries, including 24-hour networks in the United Kingdom, Asia, and the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), which also owns and operates Cooking Channel (www.cookingchanneltv.com), HGTV (www.hgtv.com), DIY Network (www.diynetwork.com), Travel Channel (www.travelchannel.com) and Great American Country (www.gactv.com), is the manager and general partner.

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SOURCE Food Network