The Biggest Loser's First Openly Gay Contestant

After the controversial last season of  "The Biggest Loser," viewers complained that they wanted to see more positive contestants and less drama. Hard to say whether that will happen or not. But we do know that Jillian Michaels is back as a trainer, and that three adolescents (who can't be eliminated) will lose weight along with the adult contestants.

And, according to NBC, a Utah man is the first openly gay contestant on the show. 

According to the NBC press bio, Jackson Carter of Layton, Utah is a volunteer coordinator for a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth outreach center known as OUTreach.  He's also a movie theater assistant manager and a student at Weber State University. 

Carter's primary motivation for going on “The Biggest Loser” is the kids he mentors at the youth outreach center.

“I want to be a role model for those kids so that they grow up to lead successful, healthy lives,” said Carter.

He was born in Roosevelt, Utah, a small town on a Ute Indian reservation, and raised there with his two younger siblings before moving at age seven to Layton. 

Except for a brief period in high school when he was very fit, he has always been overweight. He said he experienced bullying both for his weight and his sexuality after coming out at age 14.

Now 21 years old and 328 pounds, Jackson is majoring in theater education with a minor in social work.  With work, school and mentoring, he has little time to plan nutritious meals or follow an exercise routine, and the convenience of fast food and his tendency to eat when stressed haven’t helped.

Once he loses weight, Jackson looks forward to participating in physical activities with his OUTreach kids,  being able to go to the beach and take his shirt off, and changing the lives of those around him who are also struggling with their weight.
Of course, the show is about losing weight, so sexual preferences shouldn't be a huge focus anyway.  But the trainers often delve into the contestants' emotional issues —  especially Jillian, who screams and swears one minute and then hugs and psychoanalyzes the next.  I suspect that somewhere along the line, the bullying Carter experienced as a teen may be discussed as a contributing factor to his weight gain.  

During Season 13, many viewers complained that contestant Conda Britt was a bully, and that the treatment of Adrian and Daphne Dortsch had some racial undertones. But the Dortsches didn't help matters with Adrian's loud personality and Daphne's chip on her shoulder. 

I hope this next group of competitors are able to avoid that type of drama and keep the competition fair, friendly and fun to watch.

Winners of Cafe Rio Meal Cards

Thanks to all of you who left comments on my Cafe Rio giveaway post.

I put all the names of the commenters in a soup bowl and pull out ten winners.

They are:

Hharris

Perfect Particle

Putter's Mama

Pam

Bev

Casey at the Bat

Shawna B

Johanna

Julie Bakker

Chonk

Congratulations, you have won a Cafe Rio T-shirt and meal card!

Please email me at valeriephillips55@hotmail.com with your snail mail and address. I will pass it on to Cafe Rio so they can send your freebies.

Thanks for playing!

Daily Bread Donating $80,000 in Food to Shelters

'Tis the season for giving, and that is what the Daily Bread food storage company is doing for four Utah-based organizations that help those that are hungry, homeless or suffering. Tomorrow, December 20, Daily Bread has rented a truck where a few of their employees will distribute $80,000 worth of food.

The Daily Bread “Santa sleigh” truck will be stopping at Salt Lake Community Action Program’s warehouse (404 West, 6100 South) in Murray to unload $20,000 worth of food. This organization operates six locations to feed the hungry.

 “I was in tears when we got the call that we would be getting that large of a donation of food,” said Cathy Hoskins, Executive Director of Salt Lake Community Action Program, according to a press release from Daily Bread. “This generous donation from Daily Bread will literally help hundreds, if not thousands of people for a lengthy period of time. We could not be more grateful. We have seen such an increase this year in the amount of people that are homeless and hungry, so this will help our organization out a lot.”

The second stop will be the Family Promise of Salt Lake (814 West, 800 South). This organization helps many families get back on their feet. 

Stop number three will be at the YWCA, which has the Women in Jeopardy Shelter Program (322 East, 300 South). This organization is housing 300 women and kids a night on average. 

Last stop is The Road Home (210 South Rio Grande St.), which assists homeless individuals and families.

“We could not be more pleased to be able to give these Utah charities and organizations a lot of our product to be able to serve and give to those who need it most”, says Sarah Barnes, Daily Bread, Vice President of Marketing. “Personally, I look forward to riding along on the Daily Bread “Santa sleigh” truck tomorrow and being a part of the experience. Knowing we can help these organizations that do so much good for the people in these Utah communities means the world to me and everyone in our company.”

Daily Bread is a Utah-based company that provides 25-year, freeze-dried food storage at www.dailybread.com.

Cafe Rio Meal Card & T-Shirt Giveaway!

The Cafe Rio restaurant chain is letting me give away 10 Cafe Rio T-shirts with a free meal ticket attached!  It's part of the company's holiday gift card promotion. From Dec. 21-24, you can buy a $25 gift card at Cafe Rio and receive a free meal card.  

Yes, I realize this isn't the only chain that offers some type of bonus when you buy a gift card.  Subway, Panda Express, Costa Vida, Zupas, Applebee's, and Outback are some that I know of.  

But, Cafe Rio is the only one offering this special giveaway! And it's so very easy to win.  All you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post by Saturday. You can use your full name or just a first name.

I will put all the names in a bowl and draw out a winner. Please check my blog on Saturday for the list of winners. If you're one of them, you'll need to email me with your full name and mailing address so I can give it to the folks at Cafe Rio!  Can't you taste that sweet pork burrito already?  

My Last Deseret News Column

For 12-plus years, I've written a weekly column for the Deseret News Food section. What a great time I've had, and how much I've learned during that time! 
Whether I was sick, on vacation, whatever, I somehow always managed to write my column. The only exception was the last day of August in 2010 when I was laid off from my job as Food editor. Since then, I've continued writing my column for a freelance fee instead of being on the company payroll. 

Today is the end of my Deseret News era, as I announced at the end of my last column here - 
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765618139/Family-mealtime-cant-happen-unless-someone-cooks-dinner.html?pg=2 . In January, my column will appear in the Standard-Examiner. You can find it on Standard.net. 

In a future blog post, I'm going to look back on some of the memorable people I've met and stories I've covered. But in the meantime, let me state my case for the importance of a Food section, although it seems to be a losing battle with many newspapers across the country. Even as the topics of food, cooking and nutrition are becoming big business on TV (Food Network, Cooking Channel, etc.) and online (blogs, blogs and more blogs!) some newspapers have laid off  food writers and shrunk their food coverage. (Funny, but nobody ever thinks about downsizing the sports pages. Could it be that most of the decision-makers at newspapers tend to be competitive men?)  

Years ago, two-time Pillsbury Bake-Off finalist Janet Barton told me she became a good cook because it brought her kids home around the dinner table.

"Especially as my children became teenagers, I wanted them to have a decent meal, and I wanted them home," said Barton, of Sandy. "Cooking brings them home for dinner and brings your family together. I just think it's important that a mother or father, or someone, be home and put a good meal on the table so everyone can sit down together."

I heard the same thing when I interviewed Kelsey Nixon, BYU grad who now hosts her own show, "Kelsey's Essentials," on the Cooking Channel.

On her show, she not only shares cooking skills, but memories of her North Ogden family's mealtime traditions.

She talked about the "magic" that happens at the table when the whole family sits down to eat together.

"We believe in the power of food, how it can build stronger families and communities," Nixon told me last year. "I grew up in a home where family mealtime was very important, and it affected me so much. My mother worked full-time, and yet she came home and prepared a home-cooked meal nearly every day. Instead of looking at it as drudgery, she considered it a hobby and almost therapeutic after a day of work. Her attitude and approach to cooking is what made me fall in love with cooking in the first place."

I, too, have grown to believe in the "power of food," as Nixon puts it.

In past articles, I've mentioned the book, "The Surprising Power of Family Meals: How Eating Together Makes You Smarter, Stronger, Healthier, and Happier," by Miriam Weinstein. According to Weinstein's research, regularly eating an ordinary, every-day supper with your family is strongly linked to emotional stability and lower incidence of teenage drug and alcohol use. It correlates with kindergarteners being better prepared to learn to read. It discourages both obesity and eating disorders. It supports a connection to your extended family, your ethnic heritage and your community of faith.

Family mealtime can't happen unless someone cooks dinner.

Food is so much more than just fuel for our bodies. 

Since God first commanded man not to eat the forbidden fruit, food has also been an expression of faith and religious beliefs. Some examples are the dietary laws of Jews, Hindus and Muslims, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Word of Wisdom. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ used food as a teaching tool — fig and olive trees, loaves and fishes, water and wine, wheat and tares.

Culinary education is valuable for self-reliance, and it is crucial in helping the poor.  The old "teach a man to fish" saying holds true for cooking. If you offer someone a meal, you've fed them for a day. Teach a person to cook, and they can find ways to feed themselves all their lives. Teach them about nutrition, and they can keep themselves and their families healthy as well.

Food plays a major role in financial responsibility. Monthly house and car payments or utilities are pretty set, but there's a lot of wiggle room in a food budget. How you grocery shop, and whether you choose to cook at home or eat out can make or break a family financially.

Food also offers values in the media when so much of today's TV programming is drowning in violence and sleaze. The old TV cooking shows pioneered by Julia Child have morphed into popular culinary education programs on the Food Network, as well as reality series such as "Chopped!" and "Iron Chef." Utah has been a part of this trend, with Kelsey Nixon on the Cooking Channel, Salt Lake City chef Viet Pham competing on "Extreme Chef" and "Iron Chef," and three different Utah bakery owners winning episodes of the Food Network's "Cupcake Wars." Several local contestants have also done well on NBC's "The Biggest Loser" which combats obesity through nutrition and exercise.

Food has political implications, with city governments trying to legislate the size of soda pop cups, trans fats, nutrition information and even the toys in Happy Meals. The organic movement, community-supported agriculture, and the rise of local artisan products all speak to the influence of food in the community.

Food is a barometer of the economy, as food prices go up or down, and as food banks strive to feed the hungry.

Food is friendship— as the terms, "breaking bread together," or "dinner and a movie" imply.

As most readers have probably realized, the Deseret News is making some changes in its Features pages, and this is my last column for the Deseret News.

Food is fascinating. Over the years I've been fortunately to cover such a wide variety of food topics in the Deseret News Food section, and I've appreciated he opportunity to share what I've learned with you, the readers.  Bon appetit!

Longhorn Steakhouse Stampedes Into Utah

Longhorn Steakhouse on Ft. Union in Midvale.

Whenever a well-known restaurant chain opens its first location in Utah, there's usually some buzz. Remember those days when an opening of a McDonald's was a small-town triumph? 
It was a statement that your town was finally "on the map." And over the years, certain openings have generated chain-mania frenzy, such as In-N-Out Burger and Cheesecake Factory.

The ribbon-cutting party for the new Longhorn Steakhouse a couple of weeks ago offered some fanfare, with Governor Gary Herbert declaring it a "red letter day" and Grammy-nominated country music singer David Nail serenading the guests.

 The Longhorn brand is new to Utah, but its parent company is not. Darden Restaurant Group operates more than 1,900 full-service restaurants, including Red Lobster and Olive Garden. As Governor Herbert pointed out in his remarks, it's the largest company-owned and operated full-service restaurant company. And, more Longhorn Steakhouses are coming.

Located on the site of a former Marie Callender's at 963 E. Fort Union in Midvale, the restaurant has an "Old West" ambience that's more polished than Texas Roadhouse or Ruby River, but more rugged than Ruth's Chris. The walls sport paintings of the open range. There's a lot of dark wood and stone, and the booth dividers are topped with ironwork depicting galloping cowboys herding their steers.

This is the third location for Michael Southworth, managing partner, who opened his last location in Connecticut.  He now lives in Salt Lake's Millcreek area.

"I recently relocated from the East Coast, and this is the place where I wanted to be," Southworth said. "I think it represents the perfect setting for Longhorn Steakhouse, with the ideals of the American West. The landscape here is amazing."

Southworth said he's worked in the restaurant industry most of his life, and for Darden the past 11 years.

"Our goal is to become America's favorite steakhouse," he added. "We can say with confidence that our food is fresh, never frozen, and perfectly seasoned and grilled to order."

Guests were able to sample some of the menu items that are listed in the leather-bound menus. A moist 7-ounce filet of grilled salmon ($16.49) was propped on a bed of well-seasoned rice. The whipped potatoes accompanying the fork-tender 7-ounce steak filet had just enough tiny potato lumps to let you know they're the real deal instead of instant.

The generously portioned Porterhouse for Two at Longhorn Steakhouse.

Steak prices range from $11.99 for a 6-ounce "Renegade Sirloin" to a $39.99 "Porterhouse for Two" that comes with a special tableside-prepared steak sauce. The Rancher's Sirloin ($13.99 for 6-ounce) is topped with bacon, a sunny-side up egg, and bordelaise sauce.

David George, president of the Longhorn chain, said the company plans to open several more Utah locations in the next couple of years. "Utah is a perfect state for us," he said, noting the growing economy and the amount of families who might want to enjoy a nice steak. The company website shows that an Ogden location is "coming soon" on 3647 Wall Avenue.

The restaurant is open for both lunch and dinner. 

Restaurateurs Honored by Utah Restaurant Association

Several restaurateurs were honored at the Utah Restaurant Association Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner on  December 3 at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City. 

Dave Parrish, a McDonald’s owner/operator received the prestigious Golden Spoon Award. Parrish, who is also Mayor of Ephraim, told those in attendance that he worked his way up through the ranks of McDonald's and now owns 9 McDonald's franchises in Southern Utah. The Golden Spoon is given to an individual owner/operator who has devoted his or her life to the restaurant industry creating high standards that impact for good the restaurant industry and the communities in which we live and do business. 

Bill Mouskondis, chairman of the board of Nicholas & Company was inducted into the Utah Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. 

The Roof Restaurant was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award, which is given to a restaurant operation that has been in business for more than 50 years. The Roof has changed names a couple of times since its inception in 1911, however has been held by the same ownership for the duration of its operation. Temple Square Hospitality president Brent Shingleton along with Spencer Herzog, vice president; Neil Wilkinson, director of marketing; Roof restaurant manager, Barbara Roberts and executive chef Pedro Mauricio accepted the award. 

Sherri Hayashi, Utah Labor Commissioner, presented the Workplace Safety Awards to Café Rio, Hires Big H, Gastronomy, Chuck A Rama and Temple Square Hospitality all who met and or exceeded national workplace safety standards.

Restaurateurs from around the state heard words of encouragement from URA President Melva Sine, who told those in attendance that the restaurant industry is the cornerstone of the economy in the state of Utah and throughout the nation. “The restaurant industry is very resilient,” Melva Sine told restaurateurs. “You are skillful, tactical entrepreneurs who have found ways to move forward regardless of the ever changing economic conditions.” 

The restaurant industry is expected to provide over 110,000 jobs in Utah by 2015.

Dinner at Hyatt Escala Provisions Company

 Last week I was invited to check
out the Hyatt Escala at The Canyons resort, Escala Provisions Company, or EPC.

As to be expected of a AAA Four-Diamond Hyatt, there's an upscale
ambience. A fireplace that gives a sense of coziness, but the polished stone
tables are spaced far enough apart that you don't feel cramped or crowded, or
as if you will be privy to conversations from nearby tables. 

The open kitchen
is far enough away from the dining area that you don't hear all the clanging of
pots and pans. We were there on a Monday night, so there were some empty
tables. But even if the dining area is full, I think you could enjoy a
conversation without having to shout. Lots of windows afford a view of the
mountains, if you're there before dark.

Jesse McDannell might seem young to
be an executive chef at age 31, but he grew up working in his grandfather's bar
and grill in New York. He
has been with Hyatt for seven years, working in nine major Hyatt properties in
four cities. This is the first restaurant he's running on his own.  And yes, he's looking forward to the excitement that will descend next month when the Sundance Film Festival begins.  He's already heard about last year's celebrity guests at the hotel, including Bruce Willis. 

McDannell is passionate about using as many
local ingredients as possible such as Provo River trout, Cox honey and Pierre
Country Bread. 

I tried the pan-seared trout entrée, and the trout was moist and
meaty, and bigger than what I ever remember catching locally. Chef McDannell
told me it's farm-raised. It made me really curious about this, because I was
unaware that there was a fish farm on the Provo River.  The trout was served over Mediterranean
couscous, which were like little pearls. 







My dining partner, Marguerite
Henderson, enjoyed the Willis Farm braised lamb shank with Parmesan Whipped Potatoes, Haricot Verts and a Blood Orange
Gremolata. Willis Farm is located in Laketown, Utah (near Bear
Lake) and is part of the Niman Ranch network of naturally raised meat. 










Although it's not a local product,
I still really liked the jumbo lump crab cakes! The chunks of succulent crab
seemed held together by sheer willpower instead of the starchy breading and
binding that so often weighs down crab cakes. 

The nightly "chef's
inspiration" chili offers a jumping off point for McDannell's creativity.
Instead of offering the same chili, night after night, McDannell said he wanted
to be able to switch things up with different types of wild game. On the night
we were there, it was a hearty buffalo chili — spicy but not too hot. On other
nights, you might have elk or venison. 

Another starter is the short rib ravioli.  I wasn't as enthused about this one — it seemed to me that the pasta was cooked too "al dente" for my taste. 













For dessert, there's a wonderful
apple cobbler, and a berry cobbler studded with little blueberries. The S'more
dessert, served in a pint jar, is an ooey-gooey mashup of flourless chocolate
cake and marshmallows. For me, it too was teeth-achingly sweet. (Another option
is to buy a s'more"kit" at the shop on your way out of the
restaurant. It's a paper bag with Hershey bars, marshmallow and graham
crackers, and guests can make their own s'mores at the outdoor fire pit. 

Portions are OK, but prices are
"Park City resort." If you want to splurge, this might be the place. 

Taste Awards Honor Andrew Zimmern as Tastemaker of the Year

The 4th Annual Taste Awards, which honors the best in Food, Fashion and lifestyle programs on TV, film, online and radio, announced this year's award winners. Winners were announced via livestream and will receive their awards at the Taste Awards Red Carpet gala and reception in Los Angeles on January 17. The awards are voted on by a number of food writers, bloggers and industry people from across the country.  In fact, was on the judging panel for the awards in 2010. SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT Honoree Awards were announced for Andrew Zimmern [Tastemaker of the Year], Wolfgang Puck, Gordon Ramsay [Pioneer Award], Vice Munchies, Cook Taste Eat, Hungry Channel, Tasted Channel [Kikkoman Breakout Foodies of the Year], About Face: Supermodels Then and Now (HBO), Nowness.com, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Bravo), Styled By June (VH1) [Breakout Fashionistas of the Year], The WIGS Channel [Breakout Storytellers of the Year], Marcus Samuelsson [Outstanding Vision], Fabio Viviani, Joe Ciminera [Outstanding Passion], Jiro Dreams of Sushi [Outstanding Inspiration], Nadia G [Outstanding Entertainer], Chicagolicious (Style), Shahs of Sunset (Bravo), Cooking with Dog [Guilty Addiction of the Year], Laura in the Kitchen, the Naked Wine Show, Small Screen Network [Great Taste], House of Style (MTV) [Stylemaker of the Year], "The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier", and "The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook" [Outstanding Enhanced eBook]. 4TH ANNUAL TASTE AWARD WINNERS: Best Drink or Beverage Program - Classy Ladies with Alie Ward and Georgia Hardstark (The Cooking Channel / National Picture Show Co.) Best Food Program: Television - America's Test Kitchen (America's Test Kitchen, LLC) Best Food Travel Series: Television - Around the World in 80 Plates (Bravo Media/Magical Elves) Best Food Travel Series: Web - Classy Ladies with Alie Ward and Georgia Hardstark (The Cooking Channel / National Picture Show Co.) The Kikkoman Award for Best Reality Series: Food or Drink - Top Chef (Bravo Media/Magical Elves) Best Fashion or Design Program: Television - What Not to Wear (Produced by BBC Worldwide Productions for TLC) Best Reality Series: Fashion, Design or Home Decor - What Not to Wear (Produced by BBC Worldwide Productions for TLC) Best Green or Organic Program - food. curated. (food. curated.) Best City or Regional Program - Check Please, Bay Area (KQED Public Television) Best New Series - Joanne Weir's Cooking Confidence (Joanne Weir Productions) Best Single Topic Series - Best Thing I Ever Ate (Authentic Entertainment) Best Chef in a Series - Top Chef Masters (Bravo Media/Magical Elves) Best Travel Program - Rick Steves (Rick Steves) Best Home Decor and Design Program, presented by Ferrara Flame - Flipping Out (Authentic Entertainment) Best Ethnic Program - Mexico: One Plate at a Time with Rick Bayless (Frontera Media / Luminair Media) Best Health & Fitness Program - Bikini Lifestyles featuring the Bikini Chef Susan Irby (Pink Bikini Productions, LLC) Best Branded Video Promotion or Campaign - Average Betty / Idaho Potatoes (Average Betty) Best Mobile Apps - How to Cook Everything (Mark Bittman, Culinate, Inc.)   Best Beauty Program - How Do I Look? (Style Network) VIEWERS CHOICE CATEGORY WINNERS: Best Food Program: Web - Food Wishes (Food Wishes Video Recipes) Best Home Chef in a Series - Food Wishes (Food Wishes Video Recipes) Best Film or Documentary - The American Chef (A&E Networks / Warner Hanson Television) Best Food or Drink Radio Broadcast - America's Test Kitchen (America's Test Kitchen, LLC) Best Fashion or Design: Web Program or Video - Fashion News Live (RLG Productions) Best Comedy - Nadia G's Bitchin' Kitchen (b360 media) A full list of Award Winners, Honorees, and Nominees, plus event photos and coverage, can be seen on the site, www.TheTasteAwards.com. Congratulations to all Nominees, Honorees and Award Winners!

Bambara Specials Benefit Utah Avalanche Center

With the opening of Utah's ski resorts, executive chef Nathan Powers of Bambara (202 Main St. in Salt Lake City) has created a "Snowstorm" lunch special to benefit the Utah Avalanche Center. 

The Utah Avalanche Center provides the daily advisories to help make educated decisions in the backcountry. Throughout the entire month of December, for each three-course lunch special purchased, Bambara will donate one dollar to the center.

The daily three-course lunch special, priced at $13, includes a choice of organic greens or cup of the daily soup selection, one of three entrée selections and one of chef Powers’ special house-made warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies. Entrée choices are a house-ground 9 oz. burger, a smoked turkey wrap or the special of the day.

“The Utah Avalanche Center is integral to our safety as it provides critical avalanche and mountain weather information to help people make life-and-death decisions in the backcountry. The goal of the organization has been to keep people on top of the Greatest Snow on Earth® instead of being buried beneath it,” said Chef Powers. "I love Utah for the unsurpassed mountain recreation here. As residents and business operators, I think it’s important that we give back and support the organizations that help us to safely enjoy the luxuries of winter sports.”

The Daily Avalanche Advisory can be obtained at (888) 999-4019 or http://utahavalanchecenter.org.

Reservations for Bambara are recommended and can be made by calling 801-363-5454 or on Open Table. More information is available at http://www.bambara-slc.com / facebook.com/BambaraSLC.

Sweet Tomatoes Offers 20% Meal Discount in Canned Food Drive

A can is your coupon at Sweet Tomatoes restaurants across Utah during the company’s December food drive to support those in need. Each Sweet Tomatoes guest bringing in canned foods during the month will receive 20 percent off the entire meal.  Food collected will be donated to the Utah Food Bank.

With the theme “It’s Better to Give AND Receive” this holiday season, the fresh soup and salad restaurants are orchestrating the food drive to give back to the communities they serve. Sweet Tomatoes locations have partnered with over 25 food banks across the country to collect food donations for those in need in their communities.

“Many of our neighbors continue to struggle during these challenging economic times,” said Joan Scharff, VP of Brand & Menu Strategy. “We wanted to do something significant to give back during this season of giving, while also thanking our guests for participating. We hope all of our patrons will join us in this important effort.”

Suggested canned food items include hearty soups, chili, canned meats, canned fish, nuts and seeds, rice and beans, canned fruits, canned vegetables, canned juices, pastas and canned sauce and any non-perishable items.

Biggest Loser Brings Back Jillian for 2013

An NBC press release says  "The Biggest Loser" kicks off in early January 2013 with the return of Jillian Michaels and a few teenage participants in addition to adult contestants.

The press release says that Michaels, who will work with trainers Bob Harper and Dolvett Quince, has recently become a mother of two. 

After last year's disastrous Season 13, it will be interesting to see if there are changes made in how contestants participate. While controversy and conflict is part of any good story, the bullying and backbiting made the show nearly unwatchable, with few likable contestants to root for. 

In Season 14, contestants will be divided into three teams and supervised by trainers Harper, Michaels and Quince. Each trainer/team will be paired with at least one child participant (age 13-17) who will compete with and contribute to their respective teams, but the kids will not be eligible for elimination. 

They will work at both the ranch and at home, and their progress will be featured in every episode. 

Tom Call Appointed as New Grand America Chef de Cuisine

          Grand America Hotels & Resorts CEO Bruce Fery announced the appointment of chef  Tom Call as chef de cuisine for the Grand America Hotel, the collection’s flagship property and Salt Lake City’s only AAA five diamond hotel.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Chef Call,” said Phillip Yates, Executive Chef at the Grand America.  “He is a classically trained chef with imagination, passion and experience across many different cuisines, and thus a perfect fit for our culinary team.”

A native of California’s gold country, Call graduated from California Culinary Academy and interned in Lucca, Italy, where he fine-tuned his European cuisine skills and learned first-hand how to infuse each dining experience with a spirit of “la bella vita.”  

Call worked for over a decade in San Francisco's finest Michelin-starred restaurants. He served as saucier at Campton Place, and sous chef for Coi, Aqua, One Market and the San Francisco Hotel Monaco. 

Most recently, Call was chef for Trio Restaurant Group in Salt Lake City.