FOOD NETWORK'S "CHEF WANTED WITH ANNE BURRELL" RETURNS FOR A SECOND SEASON

Season Premiere Thursday, January 31st at 10pm ET/PT

NEW YORK -- December 18, 2013 - Superstar chef Anne Burrell hits the pavement to help prominent restaurants around the country find their most valuable employee - the Executive Chef. In season two of Food Network's Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell premiering Thursday, January 31st at 10pm ET/PT Chef Anne puts four top-level candidates through the ultimate job interview as she tests their culinary chops and business savvy in kitchen challenges that run the gamut. From testing their resourcefulness by creating a delicious dish using only four ingredients, to assessing their ability to pair their own dishes with a signature beer from the restaurant's menu, these chefs are in for the challenge of their lives. For the final two chefs it all boils down to one night of service when they are handed the keys to the restaurant and, potentially, the job of their dreams.

"Anne's culinary savvy and tough love come together to put these aspiring Executive Chefs through the toughest job interview they'll ever face," said Bob Tuschman, General Manager and Senior Vice President Programming, Food Network. "She brings out the best in these chefs, and viewers can't help but root for their success."

Over the thirteen-episode season, determined chefs from across the country are put through unpredictable culinary challenges. Whether it's a test of their Italian scratch cooking skills and their knowledge of the regional cuisine at the immense Tuscan Kitchen in New Hampshire; assessing their ability to work with the scraps of high-end ingredients while creating a whole new menu for Mirabelle Restaurant in Los Angeles; or challenging their creativity by preparing a gourmet version of a traditional Puerto Rican dish for Oceano's menu in Puerto Rico, each chef will devote blood, sweat and tears to prove to Anne that they are qualified to be Executive Chef.

ABOUT ANNE BURRELL:

Anne Burrell has always stood out in the restaurant business for her remarkable culinary talent, bold and creative dishes, and her trademark spiky blond hair. After training at New York's Culinary Institute of America and Italy's Culinary Institute for Foreigners, she gained hands-on experience at notable New York restaurants including Felidia, Savoy, Lumi, and Italian Wine Merchants. Anne has also battled on Food Network's Iron Chef America as Mario Batali's energetic and reliable sous chef. Additionally, Anne taught for three years at New York's Institute of Culinary Education. She served as Executive Chef at New York hot-spot Centro Vinoteca from its opening in July 2007 through September 2008. She stars in Secrets of a Restaurant Chef and Worst Cooks in America on Food Network. Anne's bestselling cookbook "Cook Like A Rock Star" (Clarkson Potter) was released in October, 2011.

Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell is produced by Smart Dog Films and Mannahatta Productions.

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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 and empowering through its talent and expertise. Food Network is distributed to more than 100 million U.S. households and averages more than 9.9 million unique web users monthly. Since launching in 2009, Food Network Magazine has tripled its rate base and delivers a circulation of 1.5 million. Headquartered in New York, Food Network has a growing international presence with programming in more than 150 countries, including 24 hour networks in Great Britain, India, Asia and Africa. Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), which also owns and operates Cooking Channel (www.cookingchanneltv.com), DIY Network (www.diynetwork.com), Great American Country (www.gactv.com), HGTV (www.hgtv.com), and Travel Channel (www.travelchannel.com), is the manager and general partner.