Food Network Features Three Utah Chefs in This Week’s Shows

So, last week I mentioned that two Utah chefs are on the Food Network this week. Make that three.

Houman Gohary, owner of the Indo-Persian Good Karma Restaurant in Park City, will be trying to “Beat Bobby Flay,” on Flay’s popular throwdown tomorrow night (Thursday, Dec. 17). Check your cable carrier’s listings for the schedule.

According to his bio, Gohary has made guest appearances on NBC’s “Today Show” and the Discovery Network.  He was an international culinary trainer for the Ritz Carlton chain of hotels in Osaka, Shanghai, Barcelona and Dubai. He also was a chef at The Cabin at Canyons Resort.

On Tuesday night, Jason Talcott of Ogden Golf & Country Club was the runner-up on the Food Network’s “Guy’s Grocery Games,” making it through three pretty crazy 30-minute cooking races. Although he didn’t win the big prize money that he’d hoped to use for a family vacation, he earned a $5,000 donation for USO charities. Talcott shared thoughts on his experience and host Guy Fierri, in an interview here.

Then Sunday night, Dec. 20, Adalberto Diaz Lambrada, of Fillings and Emulsions Bakery in Salt Lake City, is in the final episode of “Holiday Baking Championship.”  He won the challenge last week with a “regifted” flourless chocolate cake topped with phyllo-wrapped goat cheese. So he’s got some confidence going into the final stretch, where a grand prize of $50,000 is at stake. The two other finalists are Maeve Rocheford, a San Diego bakery owner, and Steve Konopelski, a pastry chef and bed-and-breakfast owner from Maryland.

As a fun bonus, each week Fillings and Emulsions has been featuring the items that Adalberto created during the show. So you can taste what the judges tasted and judge for yourself.

I first heard of Adalberto about 14 years ago, when he was working at Granato’s in Salt Lake City. Owner Sam Granato raved about the fabulous artisan breads that he was turning out. He was also a popular cooking class instructor. In 2012, when he was named the American Culinary Federation’s National Pastry Chef of the Year. At the time, he was the executive chef at for the Harmons grocery store chain.

A native of Cuba, Diaz Labrada graduated from the International School for Tourism Entertainment in Havana. He opened Calle Retiro Bakery in Havana, but ended up leaving the country because private businesses were forbidden in Cuba. He immigrated to the U.S. in 2000 and settled in Salt Lake City, where he got the job as a baker at Granato’s. He later worked at several Salt Lake City restaurants and was associate professor/chef-instructor at Utah Valley University.

So is it that Utah’s chefs are getting more recognition, or simply that there are so darn many culinary competition TV shows out there that are in need of good chefs willing to throw their toque in the ring? Maybe it’s both.

Utahns have had success on various Food Network reality contests. In addition to Adalberto Diaz Labrada’s turn on “Holiday Baking Championship,” Utah-based Waffle Love came in second place in “The Great Food Truck Race” in September. Centerville blogger Ashlee Prisbrey competed on the Halloween Baking Championship in October.

Utah chef Viet Pham beat chef Bobby Flay on an episode of “Iron Chef,” and was the season runner-up on “Extreme Chef.”

Utah winners of “Cupcake Wars” include Leslie Fiet of Mini’s Cupcakes, Meagan Faulkner Brown ofThe Sweet Tooth Fairy Bakery and Janell Brown of One Sweet Slice.

Although North Ogden native Kelsey Nixon didn’t win the 2008 season of “The Next Food Network Star,” she was voted the “Fan Favorite,” and eventually ended up becoming a Food Network star anyway, with her Emmy-nominated “Kelsey’s Essentials.”