SalleeB Shares: Season 12 of Food Network Star

Creating Some Homemade Happiness on a Plate!

Have you checked out the finalists at Food Network's website yet?
I didn't until after I watched Comeback Kitchen to see which finalists from previous seasons of Food Network Star would be given a second chance to compete on Season 12.

Of course, Food Network execs decided to make everyone wait to find out who the winner was until the premiere of Food Network Star! 

Was the winner Dom from Season 11 or Martita from Season 8?

After that last episode of Comeback Kitchen,
I checked out the thirteen finalists on the Food Network website and I have watched the first two episodes of Food Network Star.

Click Here to see the pics and bios for the thirteen finalists.

Season 12 seems to be concentrating on food professionals, rather than home cooks.
Two finalists seem to qualify as home cooks, Monterey Salka and Melissa Pfeister. However, the rest of the finalists are already in the food business as a restaurant owner, restaurant manager, caterer, bakery owner/manager, executive chef, or cookbook author.

Update: 6/5/2016   I received an email from a reader that informed me that Monterey is definitely NOT a home cook. Thanks Janie!

Camera Savvy Bakers and a Miami Housewife
I was thrilled to see Erin Campbell, the winner of Holiday Baking Championship, and Damiano Carrara who was a finalist in the Spring Baking Championship. These two contestants should be very familiar with having a camera crew around them. Another finalist with LOTS of camera time is Ana Quincoces because she was on "Real Housewives of Miami." Additionally, Martita is another camera savvy finalist.

Immediate Camera Time
 In my opinion, the Food Network executives want to get rid of contestants with camera issues immediately. About 10 minutes into the first episode, thirteen, thirty second videos were made by the contestants to introduce themselves and their style of cooking.

Surprisingly, Ana didn't do well.  However, Martita's lead in was almost identical to her Comeback Kitchen videos. Come on Martita, we know your culinary point of view, give us some new information.

The contestants were right back in front of a camera crew on the second episode. 
Teams of two were formed by the contestants. Each team went to a restaurant and filmed an "on the road" film clip. After viewing the short film clips, each team was judged to have a winner and a loser. Honestly, most of the losers were apparent.

These contestants have already had to make a thirty second intro video,  make a team video, AND sway a live audience to eat their food.

Problem: An Extra Contestant
With Martita's entry, there were fourteen contestants instead of the original thirteen I believe that adds up to one extra contestant. How was this problem going to be solved? Well, viewers found out in episode two, when two finalists, Aaron Crumbaugh and Melissa Pfeister, were sent home.  Problem of one extra contestant solved.  Havird Usry was sent home last week.

Aaron's Stormy Departure
 In the world according to Aaron, Bobby and Giada don't know what they are doing because they sent him home. Aaron was convinced that he is a much better chef than some of the other contestants that the mentors decided were safe. Aaron's last words to the mentors? "Suck it."