NBC'S "FOOD FIGHTERS" KICKS OFF JULY 22 PITTING AMATEUR COOKS AND THEIR SIGNATURE DISHES AGAINST TOP PROFESSIONAL CHEFS

World-Class Chefs Cat Cora, Lorena Garcia, G. Garvin, Duff Goldman, Elizabeth Faulkner and Jet Tila Star in High-Stakes Culinary Battle

Contestants, Including a Homemaker, Teacher, IT Manager and US Army Sergeant, Put Their Treasured Family Recipes to the Ultimate Test

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - July 7, 2014 -- It's the perfect recipe for the ultimate food battle when the best amateur cooks in America put their signature dishes to the test against five professional chefs in "Food Fighters," a high-stakes culinary game premiering Tuesday, July 22 (8-9 p.m. ET) on NBC.

Television personality, author and food enthusiast Adam Richman ("Man Vs. Food," "Fandemonium") hosts the series that takes culinary sparring to an exciting new level. The eight-episode series will feature acclaimed culinary experts, including top chefs Cat Cora, Lorena Garcia, G. Garvin, Duff Goldman, Elizabeth Faulkner and Jet Tila.

In a series of compelling, tension-filled showdowns, a top-notch amateur home cook will face off one by one against five professional chefs from every corner of the world. Armed only with recipes for their best signature dishes, they'll square off against an expert chef who will have to cook the same dish. The completed dishes will then be sampled in a blind taste test by culinary judges known as "The Dinner Party." After the two competing dishes are tested, the verdict determining the winner is given to the host.

If the home cook wins, they earn a cash prize. Even if they don't win, they still get to face off again against another culinary expert, climbing a money ladder with increasing cash prizes for every professional chef they knock out. It's the ultimate food fight, pitting amateur cooks against the most formidable culinary pros in America to see if they have what it takes to beat the very best.

The contestants vying to win up to $100,000 in each episode are:

Melissa Clinton, a High-School Biology Teacher and wife from Scotch Plains, New Jersey, hometown: Piscataway, New Jersey.

Jon Coombs, a U.S. Army Operations NCO and father of seven from Lansdowne, Virginia, hometown: Detroit, Michigan.

Nick Evans, an IT Manager, food blogger and husband from Denver, Colorado, hometown: Green River, Wyoming.

Elisha Joyce, an entrepreneur, writer, and married mother of three from Lake Oswego, Oregon. Hometown: Guam.

Kena Peay, a single administrative assistant from Oakland, California, hometown: Tacoma, Washington.

Cortney Anderson-Sanford, a Homemaker, life stylist and married mother of two from Seattle, Washington, hometown: Lyndeborough, New Hampshire.

Annie Smith, stay-at-home Mom and married mother of three from Corona Del Mar, California, hometown: Corona Del Mar, California.

Jim Stark, a retired Fashion Apparel Executive and married father of four from La Jolla, California, Hometown : Greenville, Mississippi.

Ben Silverman, Chris Grant, Jimmy Fox and Tim Puntillo are the executive producers of the series from Electus and Universal Television.

Please visit the official show site at: http://www.nbc.com/food-fighters

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