Atlanta home cook is competitor in Food Network’s “All-Star Academy” season two, premiering Sunday
Food Network's "All-Star Academy" is back in session on Sunday, Feb. 14. Among the nine contestants battling for bragging rights as a top home cook and the $50,000 grand prize is Atlanta native Lisa Washington.
The avid home cook watched the show last year and was inspired to vie for a spot in the show’s second season. “I cooked a lot and posted food photos on Instagram,” Washington said. She got a call from Food Network within 30 minutes of applying as a contestant, she said.
In the cooking competition series, culinary mentors guide contestants through intense kitchen challenges to teach them to cook like pros. During the eight-episode season, each star chef leads a team of students in school-themed food lessons. The dishes are then judged by a rotating cast of expert “guest professors.” Each week, the cook ranking last is eliminated.
This season sees Robert Irvine and Andrew Zimmern join Alex Guarnaschelli and Curtis Stone as mentors. Judges include Richard Blais, Scott Conant, Haylie Duff, Duff Goldman, Carla Hall, Katie Lee, Jeff Mauro, Debi Mazar, Adam Richman, Aarón Sánchez and Geoffrey Zakarian.
Washington called the experience “amazing, fun, busy, high intensity, and above all, an adventure.” The biggest challenge, she said was “taking my home cooking skills and elevating them to another level.” She credits the “All-Star Academy” mentor chefs with teaching her skills such as finding the right flavor combination and plating that have made her more confident in the kitchen.
The Atlanta native has a bit of culinary prowess in her blood. Her father, Frank Kemp, was a chef at the now defunct Davis Bros. Cafeteria in Forest Park, Ga. She credits her father with teaching her technique. It was Washington’s mother, however, who taught her about flavor, she said. She continues to keep the family cooking tradition alive with her 15-year-old son, Tyler. “We cook together all the time,” Washington said.
If she wins the $50,000 grand prize, Washington plans to go on a shopping spree and take a trip to Paris with her husband.
Is a ride up the Eiffel Tower is in Washington’s future? Watch the season premiere of Food Network’s “All-Star Academy” on Sunday, Feb. 14 at 10 p.m. ET. Following the premiere, the show will air in its regular timeslot on Sundays at 9 p.m.
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About the Author
Ligaya Figueras is the AJC's senior editor for Food & Dining. Prior to joining the AJC in 2015, she was the executive editor for St. Louis-based culinary magazine Sauce. She has worked in the publishing industry since 1999 and holds degrees from St. Louis University and the University of Michigan.
