Seven skilled chefs aim for the ultimate culinary prize

By Andrew Warren TV Media

last season’s “Gauntlet” winner, Stephanie Izard.

I t’s time to throw down: one of the biggest and most coveted prizes in culinary television is once again up for grabs, and seven incredibly talented chefs are bringing their A games to seize it.

“Iron Chef Gauntlet” returns for a second season on Wednesday, April 4, on Food Network. A companion show of sorts to “Iron Chef Showdown” (which itself is a reboot of the venerable “Iron Chef America”), “Gauntlet” brings together some of the in-

“Gauntlet’s” ultimate goal is to find a chef worthy of the Iron Chef title, but there’s no guarantee that the accolade will even be handed out — that’s where the real suspense comes in. Through several weeks of competition overseen by the incomparable Alton Brown (“Cutthroat Kitchen”), the seven competitors will be whittled down until only one remains, but making it that far is the easy party of the battle.

In that final episode, the sole remaining chef will face three cu- that of the reigning Iron Chefs will he or she join their ranks — and presumably the next season of “Iron Chef Showdown.”

The fact that the top prize isn’t even guaranteed to be handed out is definitely outside of the norm for a cooking competition, but that’s a big part of what sets “Iron Chef Gauntlet” apart from its peers. The chefs looking to take that title run the gamut of culinary styles, and this season there are even two Canadians in the mix. Nicole Gomes and Dale

Mackay are both “Top Chef Canada” winners, and they join Miami’s Timon Balloo; David LeFevre of Manhattan Beach, California; Jeanie Roland of Punta Gorda, Florida; New York’s Hong Thaimee; and Kevin Tien of Washington, D.C., in competing for that sweet chef’s jacket.

“Iron Chef Gauntlet” is a fun twist on cooking competitions, with one of the biggest prizes in the industry up for grabs. The second season premieres Wednesday, April 4, on Food Network.

Videoreleases

Insidious: The Last Key Horror hits close to home when paranormal investigator Elise Rainier (Shaye) investigates a haunting in her own childhood house. When the home’s current owner (Acevedo) begins experiencing paranormal activity in the house, Elise returns to confront the demon that terrorized her as a child and drove a rift between her and her family. As she and her team investigate the strange goings-on within the walls, however, they begin to uncover a secret that proves that sometimes the demons can be far more familiar number of potential fathers who all share their memories of the twins’ mother.

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Thelma

After growing up in a very strict conservative home under the watchful gaze of her fundamentalist parents, Thelma (Harboe) finally strikes out on her own to

Expert Auto Glass Installation

Solution on page 10.

than they might first appear.

Director:Adam Robitel. Stars: Lin Shaye,LeighWhannell,Angus Sampson,KirkAcevedo,Caitlin Gerard,Josh Stewart.2018.103 min. Horror.

Father Figures

When adult twin brothers Peter (Helms) and Kyle (Wilson) learn from their mother (Close) that their father did not, in fact, die when they were young, they set out on a lengthy road trip to track him down and finally meet him. With the additional revelation that their mother was promiscuous in her youth, meaning their dad could be any one of several men, they meet with a attend university in the big city, but after living such a sheltered life, she’s wary of interacting with strangers. Things change when she locks eyes with a woman in the library, leading to a friendship with that stranger (Wilkins) that soon blossoms into a romance. As her love grows, Thelma starts to suffer from frequent seizures. Doctors are puzzled as to what’s causing them, unaware of the latent power that’s awakening inside the young and long-oppressed woman.

Director: JoachimTrier. Stars: Eili Harboe,KayaWilkins,Ellen Dorrit Petersen,Henrik Rafaelsen,Anders Mossling.2017.116 min. Drama.