Chef Michael Symon Debuts New Cookbook and TV Show

Celebrity chef and East Hampton resident Michael Symon had some big things in store for the first two Tuesdays in December. His new Food Network television show, Throwdown with Michael Symon, premiered December 7, and his latest cookbook, Fix It with Food: Every Meal Easy: Simple and Delicious Recipes for Anyone with Autoimmune Issues and Inflammation, hits shelves next Tuesday, December 14.

Debuting with a special double episode at 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Throwdown with Michael Symon, is a cooking competition series that pits Symon against the best chefs in the game, and on their own turf. The Iron Chef, author, award-winning restaurateur and former Dan’s Taste of Two Forks co-host is joined by his culinary director and righthand Katie Pickens as they challenge some of the food world’s very best, with Symon taking on that chef’s signature dish and challenging them to a good old-fashioned “Throwdown.” The catch – Symon doesn’t know who he is going up against and the chefs don’t know Symon is coming.

Through four episodes, Symon will cook alongside his opponents, bringing his competitive spirit and creativity to the dishes he’s challenged to make — all under the gaze of a crowd of spectators. Each Throwdown has three total points at stake, with a pair of special guest judges blind tasting the dishes, along with the audience in attendance, to determine the winner and see who earns ultimate bragging rights.

“As a chef, I love being creative and thinking outside the box to come up with new ways of connecting with viewers through my dishes,” Symon says. “On Throwdown, we get to showcase some of America’s greatest chefs and restaurateurs while also getting the opportunity to flex my competitive side, too,” the chef continues, pointing out that he’ll need to think fast and take chances while making another talented chef’s signature dish without having any knowledge of who he’ll face beforehand. “I couldn’t think of a more perfect challenge!” Symon adds.

“As one of the most trusted voices in the culinary world with seven cookbooks to his name, numerous accolades for his restaurants, and the winningest Iron Chef, Michael Symon is a fan favorite and simply one of the best chefs cooking today. But he also might be the most competitive person as well, having competed in countless culinary battles against the world’s premier chefs,” Food Network president Courtney White, says.

The first back-to-back episodes of Throwdown will air at 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., starting with a Burgers and Barbecue challenge against former fine dining chef and Dan’s GrillHampton competitor Matt Abdoo from Brooklyn hotspot, Pig Beach. Then, in the “Georgian Cheesy Bread” episode, Symon will attempt to make a better Khachapuri than Ricky and Maria Dolinksy from hip downtown New York restaurant Tzarevna.

Fix It with Food: Every Meal Easy

Out next Tuesday, Symon’s eighth cookbook, Fix It with Food: Every Meal Easy, puts together more than 120 simple and delicious recipes to help people with autoimmune diseases eat healthily and easily for their particular needs. The featured dishes will satisfy at breakfast, lunch and dinner — plus a​ special, all-new 10-day, 30-recipe reset to identify food triggers.

The chapters are divided by what triggers readers are avoiding, including No Meat, No Dairy, and No Flour. For those who are unsure of their food triggers, Symon’s 10-day reset will help figure out which foods to avoid. After the reset, Symon offers guidance about how to reintegrate foods into one’s daily routine. ​And that’s just the beginning.

Learn about all things Michael Symon at michaelsymon.com.