FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM NOVEMBER 7, 2019 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 65
buzz
Whitestone fi refi ghter competing in Food
Network’s ‘Ultimate Thanksgiving Challenge’
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com
@jenna_bagcal
Get excited for Th anksgiving as a Food
Network holiday competition returns
chock full of juicy turkey, savory sides
and desserts.
Whitestone resident, fi refi ghter and
Grammercy Ale House co-owner Eric
Howard is one of six chefs competing
for the $25,000 grand prize on the
Food Network’s “Ultimate Th anksgiving
Challenge.”
Th e competition, hosted by Giada De
Laurentiis, will task the chefs with cooking
the ultimate Th anksgiving dishes for
judges Alex Guarnaschelli, Carla Hall and
Christian Petroni.
The four-episode Ultimate
Th anksgiving Challenge premiered on
Sunday, Nov. 3, at 9 p.m. on the Food
Network. Judges will choose the winner
during the show’s fi nale on Sunday, Nov.
24 at 9 p.m.
Howard fi rst saw a casting fl yer for the
show online and decided to apply for an
audition. Following the application, the
network interviewed him and then fl ew
him to Los Angeles to start fi lming.
Eric Howard works with turkey jerky during the fi nal challenge.
“I’ve always loved Th anksgiving. It’s a
time for family coming together and I
love Th anksgiving food,” Howard said. “I
didn’t go to culinary school and I wasn’t
classically trained. But I grew up watching
Food Network and we always cook
at the fi rehouse,” he said, adding that he
and his dad — who was also a fi refi ghter
— spent a lot of time in the kitchen honing
his skills.
Th is is not the fi rst time Howard has
participated in a food competition. In
2016, he appeared on Season 7 of the
American version of MasterChef, an
experience he said made him take his
cooking to another level. MasterChef led
to Howard becoming the co-owner of
Grammercy Ale House and to cook in
several food festivals.
Eric Howard on the second season of
“Ultimate Th anksgiving Challenge.”
Th e Whitestone resident shared that
they fi lmed the show about two months
ago, a few weeks before his wedding. He
recalled that it was “diffi cult to keep a
secret like that” from family and friends
but they were supportive when he broke
the news.
“Everyone was very excited. My family
and friends are big fans of my cooking
and the Food Network. It’s an honor
Photo credit: Food Network
to cook for the judges and compete with
other amazing chefs from across the
country,” Howard said.
His take on Th anksgiving food is
“non-traditional” and he’ll oft en opt to
deep fry a turkey or make something
like roast duck. As a New York City
resident with “expensive taste,” he also
enjoys incorporating elements like shitake
mushrooms, shaved truffl es and foie
gras in his dishes. His Th anksgiving table
even has Italian elements like lasagna in
honor of his heritage.
As an avid Food Network fan, Howard
said that cooking for the judges he’s seen
on television was a surreal experience.
“Getting to cook for them was defi nitely
and honor. Showing them my skills, my
take on Th anksgiving dishes and getting
their feedback is always something
incredible,” he said.
Howard advanced to the second week
of competition along with four other
chefs. Th e Whitestone chef will be back
next week to create “untraditional”
Th anksgiving dishes and cook holiday
meals using the fl avors of a randomly
assigned country.
Visit the Food Network website for
more information on the “Ultimate
Th anksgiving Challenge.”
Eric Howard on the second season of “Ultimate Thanksgiving Challenge.”
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