TLC's New 'TAKE HOME CHEF' Adds a Surprise Ingredient to Cooking Series

TLC's New 'TAKE HOME CHEF' Adds a Surprise Ingredient to Cooking Series

- Master Chef Curtis Stone Surprises Unsuspecting Grocery Shoppers With Gourmet Meals for Family and Friends -

SILVER SPRING, Md., May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- TLC has the perfect recipe for hot summer nights: take one harried grocery store shopper, add one hunky chef -- and simmer. Australian master chef Curtis Stone ambushes unsuspecting customers with an offer they simply can't refuse in TAKE HOME CHEF, a new series premiering Friday, June 16 at 8:00 PM (ET/PT) on TLC. (Note: TLC Viewers will get a sneak peek at TAKE HOME CHEF, before its primetime premiere, with a late afternoon run beginning Monday, May 15 at 5:00PM ET/PT). The series marks a milestone for TLC, as the network presents its first-ever primetime cooking series.

Each episode begins with a covert Curtis racing through a grocery store as he searches for the perfect culinary partner. Once he's found his target, Curtis turns on the charm, suggesting a special meal to prepare, selecting ingredients and wine for a gourmet meal-and then he offers to go home with the shopper to help cook the feast! This TAKE HOME CHEF is one amazing pick-up artist. Once signed on for the adventure, the shopper takes Curtis home and they work together in the homeowners' kitchen to create a delicious dinner ranging from seared swordfish with fresh fennel and onion and a chocolate mousse/creme brulee for dessert to oven roasted lobster partnered with chocolate and chili soup. Along the way, participants learn his master culinary techniques and Curtis will learn how to function in an average American kitchen.

Said Curtis, "Cooking in someone else's home can be quite an adventure; it can be a complete success or a total disaster. It's the fear of the unknown that makes it so exciting."

Once the meal is complete, it's time for one more surprise ingredient. How will the participant's friends and family react when they walk through the door to see a young, handsome Australian chef cooking them dinner?

Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Curtis Stone is the former head chef at London's critically acclaimed Quo Vadis, and author of the cookbook "Surfing the Menu," which combines his dual passions of cooking and surfing. Curtis hosts a television series by the same name on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), and he also writes a regular column for the Australian magazine Delicious. Curtis is 30, single and, while based in London, currently resides in Los Angeles.

Curtis' cooking style reflects his experiences: both high-end and purely gourmet and also down-to-earth, relatable and fun. Experienced and comfortable in some of the world's top kitchens, Curtis' easygoing, Aussie demeanor also makes him feel right at home whipping up a last-minute barbeque for a beach party. In TAKE HOME CHEF, he must often work with ingredients that are readily available, but he prefers working with local, organically grown foods whenever possible. Through the series, shoppers will learn how to choose fresh ingredients, prepare a special meal for their family as well as how to turn an average evening into an extraordinary and memorable experience.

On TLC.com, viewers can access recipes from each episode of TAKE HOME CHEF, find out more about Curtis, see exclusive videos and more.

TAKE HOME CHEF is produced for TLC by Mike Mathis Productions. For Mike Mathis Productions, Mike Mathis and Mark Waxman are executive producers. For TLC, executive producer is Terri Johnson.

TLC is the only television network dedicated to lifelong learning for viewers who want to grow up, not old, on their terms. Featuring programming that explores life's key transitions and turning points, TLC presents high- quality, relatable and authentic personal stories. TLC connects more than 94 million homes in North America to the human experience with life's lessons you can't learn from books. TLC is a property of Discovery Communications, the leading global real-world media company. Discovery has grown from its core property, the Discovery Channel, first launched in the United States in 1985, to current global operations in more than 160 countries and territories with 1.3 billion cumulative subscribers. DCI's over 90 networks of distinctive programming represent 25 network entertainment brands. DCI's other properties consist of Discovery Education and Discovery Commerce, which operates 120 Discovery Channel Stores. DCI also distributes BBC America in the United States. DCI's ownership consists of four shareholders: Discovery Holding Company (NASDAQ:DISCA)(NASDAQ:DISCB), Cox Communications, Inc., Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, the Company's Founder and Chairman.

Source: TLC

CONTACT: Don Halcombe, +1-240-662-2952, or Karen Baratz,
+1-240-497-1811, both of TLC

Web site: http://www.discovery.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: High-resolution photography is located at www.press.discovery.com

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