Supermarket Stakeout: Food Network asks chefs to think on their feet

Sometimes a chef is more than an expert cook. Supermarket Stakeout is the new Food Network show that proves chefs need many key ingredients.

What’s in your grocery bag? On the new Food Network show, Supermarket Stakeout, chefs are willing to put their skills, all their skills to the test. As culinary competitions grow in popularity, food TV fans are looking for more excitement, more intriguing challenges and more opportunities to be food inspired.

According to the Food Network, this new culinary competition is unlike other popular competition shows like Chopped or even the celebrity chef battles. In Supermarket Stakeout, the competing chefs must source their ingredients, directly from grocery store shoppers. Can that chef negotiate for your groceries?

Hosted by Alex Guarnaschelli, this show should be the ultimate test of a chef’s resourcefulness. Through three rounds, the chefs must get ingredients from grocery shoppers. Plus, the chefs must cook right outside the store. While each round is slightly different, the concept is quite interesting.

While these contestants are professional chefs, the concept has good value for the home chef. Sure, most people won’t do a mystery basket challenge like Chopped, but they can challenge themselves with different ingredients and a willingness to think on their feet.

Why not take this concept to your local grocery store. Granted, you won’t ambush another shopper. But, travel down an aisle that you don’t normally shop and experiment with a new ingredient. The final dish doesn’t have to be perfect, but you could learn something. It could make your favorite dish a little more exciting next time.

Thinking about Supermarket Stakeout, it sounds like an entertaining show. Guarnaschelli won’t let these chefs slide. With the rotating panel of judges, it will be fun to see if the contestants thrive or succumb to the pressure.

It is interesting to see how the Food Network continues to evolve its food TV programs. The competition style shows are more popular and fans tend to enjoy the culinary battles. While classic shows like Iron Chef might have run its course, these culinary competitions offer something new while still appealing to the food fan.

Supermarket Stakeout premieres on Tuesday, August 13th at 10pm EST. Will you be watching this new Food Network competition?