"Top Chef: Just Desserts," takes on the pastry world after seeing multiple chefs eliminated on "Top Chef" due to producing less than stellar desserts. The show premieres Sept. 15 at 11/ 10c.
Bravo just released the names of all of the competitors, with Chicago's own Malika Ameen among them.
Photos: Meet the entire cast of Top Chef: Just Desserts
Much like "Top Chef," this newest spin-off will feature 12 chefs going head-to-head in an effort to outbake their competition, as the contestants are whittled down each week
Watch the season preview below
Presiding over the show will be "Top Chef" judge Gail Simmons who will be taking on hosting duties. Joining the judging panel will be famed French Chef Hubert Keller, familiar to fans of the show as a former guest judge, and a finalist on "Top Chef Masters." Also on the panel are Johnny Iuzzini, one of the most celebrated chefs in the pastry arts world and Executive Pastry Chef at Restaurant Jean George, along with Dannielle Kyrillos, Editor-at-large at DailyCandy.
"Everyone expects the world of desserts to be as beautiful, fluffy and sweet as the food," said Jane Lipsitz, executive producer and one half of production team Magical Elves. "But what we got was one of the most competitive and dramatic seasons of 'Top Chef' ever."
The show's format will be the same as "Top Chef" with both quickfire and eliminations challenges. The winning prizes include $100,000 furnished by Godiva Chocolatier, a feature in "Food & Wine" magazine, a showcase at the Annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival, and a 2011 German Engineered Sport Injected Buick Regal.
Multiple Chicago chefs have done a good job of representing our city's culinary prowess on Bravo's "Top Chef," and "Top Chef Masters," including winners Stephanie Izard and Rick Bayless, along with Graham Elliot currently appearing on FOX's "MasterChef," among others.
Chicago-native Ameen is the former co-owner and pastry chef of Aigre Doux, whose doors were shuttered back in August of 2009 much to the dismay of many Chicago foodies. Aigre Doux, which Ameen ran along with her husband Mohammad Islam, opened back in 2007 to much acclaim and fanfare, with Ameen's ice cream being one of the menu's standouts, winning an award for her honeycomb ice cream from "Time Out."
It'll be interesting to see the level of fan interest in this newest spin-off given that reaction to "Top Chef Masters" seemed to have been split, with half finding the focus only on the food and the camaraderie between the chefs refreshing, while the other half found the lack of drama to be less engaging. With this newest member of the "Top Chef" universe there will be at least one incarnation of the show on the air year-round, which could potentially lead to fans experiencing "Top Chef" fatigue.
Will you be watching?
"Top Chef: Just Desserts" will premiere on Sept. 15 after the finale of "Top Chef," before moving to its regular time slot of 10/ 9c on Wed., Sept. 22 on Bravo.
Video: Preview of "Top Chef Just Desserts"
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