Food Network Obsessed

Chef Michael Jenkins joins Jaymee to talk about his festive return to Beat Bobby Flay: Holiday Throwdown and how he channels calm in the chaos of high-pressure TV kitchens. He shares the pivotal moments that shaped his culinary journey from discovering food through wrestling and travel to training under Alex Guarnaschelli at Butter. Michael also breaks down his modern American style, the dish that best represents him, and why holiday cooking brings out both nostalgia and big creative swings.  Follow Food Network on Instagram: HERE Follow Jaymee Sire on Instagram: HERE Follow Michael Jenkins on Instagram: HERE Learn More about Beat Bobby Flay: Holiday Showdown: HERE 

Actor and host Oliver Hudson joins the podcast to kick off the holiday season and share the heart-warming (and hilarious) stories behind his family’s legendary Christmas traditions. From Kurt Russell’s unforgettable sleigh-track illusion to Goldie Hawn’s famous biscuits and gravy. Oliver opens up about stepping into his first-ever hosting role for Gingerbread Land: The Biggest Little Holiday Competition, Food Network and Magnolia Network’s newest holiday spectacle. He reflects on the creativity and emotion behind the builds, the surprising depth of the contestants’ stories, and why this show feels like “a big, cozy hug in TV form.” Follow Food Network on Instagram: HERE Follow Jaymee Sire on Instagram: HERE Follow Oliver Hudson on Instagram: HERE Learn More about Gingerbread Land: The Biggest Little Holiday Competition: HERE

TV personality and Bachelor in Paradise alum Wells Adams joins Jaymee to talk about his new Food Network role hosting Sweet Empire: Winter Wars, where sugar, teamwork, and big personalities collide. He shares how his radio roots shaped his hosting style, the lessons he’s learned from judges Jacques Torres and Yolanda Gampp, and why dessert competitions might just have more drama than dating. Wells also opens up about life with wife Sarah Hyland, the tacos that sparked their romance, and his newfound love of all things sweet, from Michelin-level desserts to his mom’s “nuclear dip.” Follow Food Network on Instagram: HERE Follow Jaymee Sire on Instagram: HERE Follow Wells Adams on Instagram: HERE Learn More about Sweet Empire: HERE

Chef and multisensory mastermind Jozef Youssef joins Jaymee to talk about transforming food into emotion through his immersive dining studio, Kitchen Theory. He shares how science, storytelling, and a little curiosity turned him into one of the most innovative voices in modern gastronomy. Then Jozef takes us behind the scenes of Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking Season Two, where he returns as a judge alongside Carla Hall and the Phelps twins. He dishes on the magic of filming inside the Great Hall, what makes a dessert truly enchanted, and why sound might be the most powerful ingredient of all. Follow Food Network on Instagram: HERE Follow Jaymee Sire on Instagram: HERE Follow Jozef Youssef on Instagram: HERE Learn More about Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking Chapter Two : HERE 

Chef and James Beard–nominated baker Kareem “Mr. Bake” Queeman joins Jaymee to share the story behind his iconic banana pudding and the Harlem roots that shaped his nostalgic, heartfelt desserts. He opens up about using baking as both therapy and storytelling, and what it meant to make history as the first Black man nominated in the Pastry Chef/Baker category. Next Kareem reflects on his Food Network journey, from sharing his story on Dig In With to competing on Beat Bobby Flay. Plus the lessons, laughs, and dance breaks along the way.  Follow Food Network on Instagram: HERE Follow Jaymee Sire on Instagram: HERE Follow Kareem Queemen on Instagram: HERE Learn More about Dig in With : HERE 

Chef, restaurateur, and Top Chef Masters champ Rick Bayless joins Jaymee to talk about the mission that’s guided his kitchens for decades: celebrating regional Mexican cuisine through technique, nuance, and joy. He shares the “why” behind signature sauces and masa, and how insisting on real control over sourcing and recipes helped turn Tortas Frontera into an airport game-changer. Then Rick previews his turn in the judge’s chair on Bobby’s Triple Threat and what he looks for first. He talks about how risk pays off only when rooted in skill, and the advice he’d give any chef walking into that kitchen. Rick also reflects on his day-one Iron Chef America duel with Bobby Flay, what he learned from that battle, and wraps with rapid-fire favorites from go-to chiles to perfect street bites.  Follow Food Network on Instagram: HERE Follow Jaymee Sire on Instagram: HERE Follow Rick Bayless on Instagram: HERE Learn More about Bobby’s Triple Threat : HERE