{{Infobox chef , name = Alex Guarnaschelli , image = , caption = , birth_date = {{birth date and age, 1969, 6, 20 , birth_place =

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

, Missouri, U.S. , birth_name = Alexandra Maria Guarnaschelli , education=

Barnard College Barnard College of Columbia University is a private women's liberal arts college in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a group of women led by young student activist Annie Nathan Meyer, who petitioned Col ...

(BA), spouse = Brandon Clark (2007–2015) , children = 1 , known_for=Chef, cookbook author, television personality, alma_mater =

, ratings = , restaurants = {{Unbulleted list, Butter , prevrests = {{Unbulleted list, The Darby , television = {{Unbulleted list, ''

The Best Thing I Ever Ate ''The Best Thing I Ever Ate'' is a television series that originally aired on Food Network, debuting on June 22, 2009 (after a preview on June 20). The program originally aired as a one-time special in late 2008. After being cancelled by The Food ...

'', '' The Cooking Loft with Alex Guarnaschelli'', ''

Food Network Challenge ''Food Network Challenge'' is a competitive cooking television series that aired on the Food Network. In each episode, professional chefs vie in a timed competition in their professional specialty. The winner receives a cheque for $10,000 and a gol ...

'', '' Chopped'', ''

Iron Chef America ''Iron Chef America'' is an American cooking show based on Fuji Television's ''Iron Chef'', and is the second American adaptation of the series, following the failed ''Iron Chef USA'' that aired in 2001. The show is produced by Food Network, whi ...

'', '' Alex's Day Off'', '' All-Star Academy'', '' Supermarket Stakeout'', ''

Worst Cooks in America ''Worst Cooks in America'' is an American reality television series that premiered on January3, 2010, on Food Network. The show takes 12 to 16 contestants (referred to as "recruits") with very poor cooking skills through a culinary boot camp, to ...

'', ''Alex vs. America'', ''

The Kitchen The Kitchen is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary avant-garde performance and experimental art institution located at 512 West 19th Street, between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It was foun ...

'' , awards = , website = {{URL, www.alexguarnaschelli.com Alexandra Maria Guarnaschelli{{cite episode, title=Italian Holiday Battle, series=

Iron Chef Showdown ''Iron Chef Showdown'' is an American cooking show based on Fuji Television's ''Iron Chef'', and is the fourth American adaptation of the series, following '' Iron Chef USA'' and ''Iron Chef America'' and '' Iron Chef Gauntlet''. The show is pro ...

, url=http://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/iron-chef-showdown/episodes/italian-holiday-battle, network=

Food Network Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a joint venture and general partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Networks (which holds a 69% ownership stake of the network) and Nexstar Media Group ...

, time=36:39, airdate=December 6, 2017, accessdate=July 31, 2019 (born June 20, 1969) is an American chef, cookbook author, and television personality. She currently serves as an

executive chef A chef de cuisine (, French for ''head of kitchen'') or head chef is a chef that leads and manages the kitchen and chefs of a restaurant or hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilitie ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

's Butter restaurant and was executive chef at The Darby restaurant before its closing. Guarnaschelli had studied cooking extensively in France. She appears as a television personality on the

shows ''

'', '' Chopped'' (as a judge), ''

'', ''All Star Family Cook-off'', ''

Guy's Grocery Games '' Guy's Grocery Games '' (often nicknamed ''Triple G'') is an American reality-based cooking television game show hosted by Guy Fieri on Food Network. Each episode features four chefs competing in a three-round elimination contest, cooking food ...

'' (as both a judge and a competitor), and ''

''. She hosts ''Alex's Day Off'', ''The Cooking Loft'', and '' Supermarket Stakeout''.{{cite web, date=March 30, 2014, title=Alex Guarnaschelli, url=http://thechefsconnection.com/alex-guarnaschelli, url-status=dead, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304022112/http://thechefsconnection.com/alex-guarnaschelli/, archive-date=March 4, 2016, access-date=May 25, 2015, publisher=TheChefsConnection.com, quote=Born:1969 In 2012, she won that season of ''

The Next Iron Chef ''The Next Iron Chef'' is a limited-run series on the Food Network that aired its fifth season in 2012. Each season is a stand-alone competition to select a chef to be designated an Iron Chef, who will appear on the Food Network program '' Iro ...

: Redemption''. In January 2022, she premiered her newest show, ''Alex vs. America'', also on Food Network. In 2013, Guarnaschelli's first cookbook was published. ''Old-School Comfort Food: The Way I Learned to Cook'' mixes autobiographical details with favorite recipes from her professional life that she adapted for the home.{{cite web , title=My Book , url=http://alexguarnaschelli.com/my-book/ , access-date=December 16, 2014 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103062432/http://alexguarnaschelli.com/my-book/ , archive-date=January 3, 2015 , url-status=dead

Early life

Guarnaschelli is the daughter (and

only child An only child is a person with no siblings, by birth or adoption. Children who have half-siblings, step-siblings, or have never met their siblings, either living at the same house or at a different house—especially those who were born conside ...

) of cookbook editor

Maria Guarnaschelli Maria Guarnaschelli (née Maria Albano DiBenedetto; April 18, 1941 – February 6, 2021) was an American cookbook editor and publisher. In a career spanning five decades she worked with and groomed popular food authors including Rose Levy Beranb ...

{{cite web , url= http://www.cookiemag.com/food/2008/05/chefpicks , title= Advice from a Chef: Alex Guarnaschelli, date= May 2007 , website = Cookiemag.com , first = Julie , last = Alvin , url-status = dead, archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080630213202/http://www.cookiemag.com/food/2008/05/chefpicks , archivedate= June 30, 2008 , accessdate = August 6, 2022 and John Guarnaschelli.{{cite web , title=Me , url= http://alexguarnaschelli.com/me/ , first = Alex , last= Guarnaschelli , website = alexguarnaschelli.com , publisher= Alex Guarnaschelli , access-date=December 16, 2014 She was born in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, whic ...

, but the family moved to

when she was just a few days old. Guarnaschelli's culinary experience started while watching her mother test numerous recipes at home while editing cookbooks. She graduated from

in 1991 with a degree in art history.

Career

In 1991, she worked for

minimum wage A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation by the end of the 20th century. B ...

in a restaurant, An American Place, for one year. Guarnaschelli worked under

Larry Forgione Larry Forgione (born 1952) is a chef in the United States. He is known for his work at the An American Place restaurant in New York City and several notable chefs apprenticed with him (including Christina Machamer, David Shalleck, Melissa Kelly a ...

(whose son is Iron Chef

Marc Forgione Marc Forgione is an American chef who formerly competed in Food Network's '' Iron Chef America'' and is now the owner of Restaurant Marc Forgione in Tribeca, New York City. He was born on December 16, 1978, and raised in Bellerose, New York. C ...

), and then at a number of restaurants in France, New York and Los Angeles, including

Guy Savoy Guy Savoy (; born 24 July 1953) is a French chef who is the head chef and owner of the eponymous ''Guy Savoy'' restaurant in Paris and its sister restaurant in Las Vegas, both of which have gained multiple Michelin stars. He owns three other re ...

's La Butte Chaillot. She also worked at

Daniel Boulud Daniel Boulud (born 25 March 1955 in Saint-Pierre-de-Chandieu) is a French chef and restaurateur with restaurants in New York City, Palm Beach, Miami, Toronto, Montréal, Singapore, the Bahamas, the Berkshires and Dubai. He is best known ...

's eponymous restaurant and

Joachim Splichal Joachim Splichal is a celebrity chef based in Los Angeles, California. In 1991, he was declared "Best California Chef" by the James Beard Foundation. Four years later in 1995, he was inducted into their "Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America". Spl ...

's Patina before becoming the executive chef at Butter. She was executive chef at The Darby restaurant before its closing.{{cite web , last1=Wang , first1=Andy , title=Darby supper club to close in a month , website= nypost.com , url= https://nypost.com/2013/06/29/darby-supper-club-to-close-in-a-month/ , access-date=December 16, 2014, date=2013-06-29 She chairs the

Museum of Food and Drink The Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD) is a New York City educational non-profit and museum that seeks to change the way people think about food and drink. The museum's work explores "the ways food and beverage impact our culture, politics, economy, ...

's Culinary Council.

Television appearances

Guarnaschelli was a competitor on The

's ''

'', taking on

Cat Cora Catherine Ann Cora is an American professional chef, television personality, business person, and cookbook author. She is best known for her featured role as an "Iron Chef" on ''Iron Chef America''Yancey, Kitty Bean"'Iron Chef' Cat Cora is out of ...

in the 2007 "Farmers' Market Battle." Cora won the challenge. Guarnaschelli has since appeared as a judge on the program. In 2011, she competed in the fourth season of ''

'', where she placed as the third runner-up. She also competed on the ''

'' Ultimate Thanksgiving Feast episode and lost the competition. After competing in the fourth season of ''The Next Iron Chef'', Guarnaschelli became a sous chef to Iron Chef

Geoffrey Zakarian Geoffrey Zakarian (born July 25, 1959) is an American chef, restaurateur, television personality and author. He is the executive chef of several restaurants in New York City, Atlantic City and Miami. Gillespie, Nick and Amanda Winkler (2013 ...

. In 2008, she became the host of The Food Network's ''The Cooking Loft with Alex Guarnaschelli'', in which the chef teaches a small group of students how to construct new variations of classic dishes. Guarnaschelli has been a judge on Food Network's competition show ''

'', and frequently appears as a judge on Food Network's cooking competition show '' Chopped'', ''Cooks Vs. Cons'', ''

Young and Hungry ''Young & Hungry'' is an American Romantic sitcom created by David Holden. The multi-camera series stars Emily Osment, Jonathan Sadowski, Aimee Carrero, Kym Whitley and Rex Lee, and premiered on ABC Family (now Freeform) on June 25, 2014. On Mar ...

'', and ''

'', as had appeared on the Food series ''

''. Guarnaschelli starred in the Food Network television show ''Alex's Day Off'', which premiered in October 2009. It ran for three seasons and 32 episodes She competed in season 5 of ''

: Redemption'', winning in the final Kitchen Stadium showdown against chef

Amanda Freitag Amanda Freitag (born May 11, 1972) is an American celebrity chef, and cookbook author. She is known for her frequent guest on Food Network television programs and work as a judge on the television cooking competitions. She is based in New York Cit ...

. Her debut challenge as an Iron Chef on ''Iron Chef America'' aired on December 30, 2012.{{cite web , last1=Chen , first1=Susannah , title=Alex Guarnaschelli on Next Iron Chef , url= http://www.popsugar.com/food/Alex-Guarnaschelli-Interview-Next-Iron-Chef-Super-Chefs-20146025 , publisher= , website = Popsugar.com , access-date= December 16, 2014 Guarnaschelli made two guest appearances: first on the

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...

television show ''

Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn ''Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn'' is an American comedy television series developed by Michael Feldman and created by Matt Fleckenstein that premiered on Nickelodeon on September 13, 2014. It ran for four seasons and 82 episodes, with the final ep ...

'', on the one-hour special "Go Hollywood" on November 25, 2015 and later on the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

television show ''

The Real O'Neals ''The Real O'Neals'' is an American single-camera sitcom that aired on ABC from March 2, 2016, to March 14, 2017. The series, based on an idea by Dan Savage (who also served as executive producer), was picked up to series on May 7, 2015. The ser ...

'' in the episode "The Real Thanksgiving" on November 15, 2016. She later made three appearances: as a judge in episode five of

Iron Chef Gauntlet ''Iron Chef Gauntlet'' is a television series on Food Network that began airing on April 16, 2017. The series is a reboot of the ''Iron Chef'' and ''Iron Chef America'' series that gained popularity on Food Network and is hosted by Alton Brown, w ...

, where chef Gruenberg was eliminated before the final showdown in episode six "The Gauntlet". on the Food Network's ''

Beat Bobby Flay ''Beat Bobby Flay'' is an American cooking competition show on the Food Network. It features various chefs competing against Bobby Flay. The show is taped in front of a live audience. Format In the first round, two guests, often a celebrity che ...

''. She challenged Bobby with her signature lobster dish. She also won that challenge. She made a guest appearance on '' Billions'' and as a mentor on season 20 of ''

'' as the captain of the Blue Team, opposite

Anne Burrell Anne W. Burrell (born September 21, 1969) is an American chef, television personality, and former instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education. She is the host of the Food Network show ''Secrets of a Restaurant Chef'' and co-host of '' Worst ...

. Alex ultimately became the winning mentor. In 2022, she premiered ''Alex vs. America'', also on Food Network.

Personal life

On April 29, 2007, Guarnaschelli married Brandon Clark.{{cite news , last1=Sipher , first1=Devan , title=Alexandra Guarnaschelli and Brandon Clark , url= https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/20/fashion/weddings/20vows.html , newspaper=

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

, access-date= December 16, 2014, date=2007-05-20 The two met in 2006 at New York's

Institute of Culinary Education The Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) is a private for-profit culinary college in New York City. ICE is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), and offers career training diploma programs in the ...

while Alex was teaching a fish class. Their daughter, Ava, was born in July 2007. The couple's marriage eventually ended, and in June 2020, Guarnaschelli announced her engagement to chef Michael Castellon, a '' Chopped'' winner who had proposed to her on her birthday over the weekend of June 19–20. In February 2022, it was announced that the couple ended their engagement.{{Cite web, date=February 21, 2022, first=Greta , last=Bjornson, title=Alex Guarnaschelli and Fiancé Michael Castellon End Engagement After 5 Years Together, url=https://people.com/food/alex-guarnaschelli-and-fiance-michael-castellon-end-engagement-after-five-years-together/, access-date=2022-02-21, website=PEOPLE.com, language=en

Filmography

{, class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:90%;" ! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" , Television , - align="center" ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" , Year ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" , Show ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" , Role ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" , Notes , - , 2007–2018 , ''

'' , Herself / Iron Chef
Sous Chef / Judge , Was a sous chef under

before becoming an Iron Chef , - , rowspan=2, 2008 , ''The Cooking Loft'' , Host , , - , ''Dear Food Network: Thanksgiving'' , Herself , , - , 2009 , ''

Food Detectives ''Food Detectives'' was a food science show hosted by Ted Allen that aired in North America on Food Network from July to September 2008. Ted Allen, backed by research conducted by ''Popular Science'' magazine, investigated food-related beliefs, ...

'' , Herself , Season 2 episode 1: "Tastes Like Chicken" , - , 2009–2011 , ''Alex's Day Off'' , Host , , - , 2009–2018 , ''

Food Network Star ''Food Network Star'' is a reality television series that premiered June 5, 2005. It was produced by CBS EYEtoo Productions for seasons 1–8 and by Triage Entertainment for subsequent seasons. It airs on the Food Network in the United States ...

'' , Host / Judge , , - , 2009–present , '' Chopped'' , Herself / Judge / Competitor , 216 episodes , - , 2009–2019 , ''

'' , Herself , 45 episodes , - , rowspan=2, 2010 , ''Dear Food Network'' , Herself , Episode: "Thanksgiving Top Ten 2" , - , ''Chefography'' , Herself , Episode: "Alex Guarnaschelli" , - , 2010–2020 , ''

'' , Herself / Mentor , Blue Team mentor - Season 20
Critic - Season 1 episode 6: "Final Test" , - , rowspan=2, 2011–2012 , ''Thanksgiving Live!'' , Herself , TV special , - , ''The Perfect 3'' , Herself , 4 episodes , - , 2011–2013 , ''

The Best Thing I Ever Made ''The Best Thing I Ever Made'' is an American cooking television series that aired on Food Network. It featured a rotating lineup of chefs demonstrating how to prepare their favorite recipes. The series is a spin-off of '' The Best Thing I Ever ...

'' , Herself , 10 episodes , - , 2012–2015 , '' Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off'' , Herself / Judge , 4 episodes , - , rowspan=2, 2012 , ''

Iron Chef America Countdown ''Iron Chef America'' is an American cooking show based on Fuji Television's ''Iron Chef'', and is the second American adaptation of the series, following the failed ''Iron Chef USA'' that aired in 2001. The show is produced by Food Network, whi ...

'' , Herself , 6 episodes , - , ''

Unique Eats ''Unique Eats'' is a TV series on Cooking Channel about various restaurants across the United States and their signature dishes. The show features talking head interviews with various chefs and food critics who give their judgement about the foo ...

'' , Herself , 3 episodes , - , 2013 , ''Southern Fried Everything'' , Herself , Episode 2: "Fair Fare" , - , 2013–present , ''

'' , Herself / Judge / Competitor , 45 episodes , - , rowspan=2, 2014 , '' America's Best Cook'' , Herself / Mentor , , - , '' Deadliest Catch: The Bait'' , Herself , 2 episodes , - , 2014–2021 , ''

'' , Herself / Judge / Mentor
Competitor / Judge and Competitor , 28 episodes , - , rowspan=4, 2015 , ''Best. Ever.'' , Herself , Episode 3: "Best. Burger. Ever." , - , ''Burgers, Brew and 'Que'' , Herself , Season 1 episode 3: "Finger-Licking Good" , - , ''Thanksgiving at Bobby's'' , Herself , , - , ''Christmas at Bobby's'' , Herself , , - , rowspan=3, 2015–2016 , ''All-Star Academy'' , Herself / Mentor / Judge , 16 episodes , - , '' Chopped After Hours'' , Herself , 14 episodes - 1 episode as host , - , '' Guilty Pleasures'' , Herself , 8 episodes , - , 2016 , ''

'' , Herself , Season 2 episode 5: "The Real Tradition" , - , 2016–2017 , ''Cooks vs. Cons'' , Herself / Judge , 15 episodes , - , 2016–2019 , ''

Chopped Junior ''Chopped Junior'' is an American reality-based cooking television game show series hosted by Ted Allen that pits four adolescent chefs against each other, competing for a chance to win $10,000 and a Chopped Junior chef's coat. The show is a spi ...

'' , Herself / Judge , 11 episodes , - , rowspan=2, 2017 , '' Legend of Iron Chef'' , Herself , , - , ''

Iron Chef Eats ''Iron Chef Gauntlet'' is a television series on Food Network that began airing on April 16, 2017. The series is a reboot of the '' Iron Chef'' and ''Iron Chef America'' series that gained popularity on Food Network and is hosted by Alton Bro ...

'' , Herself , , - , 2017–2019 , ''Guy's Ranch Kitchen'' , Herself , 15 episodes , - , rowspan=3, 2018 , ''

'' , Herself , Season 2 episode 4: "Ingenuity" , - , ''

Ideal Home ''Ideal Home'' is a British home decorating magazine, published monthly (11 times a year) by Future plc Future plc is an international multimedia company established in the United Kingdom in 1985. The company has over 220 brands that span ...

'' , Alex , , - , ''

Young & Hungry ''Young & Hungry'' is an American Romantic sitcom created by David Holden. The multi-camera series stars Emily Osment, Jonathan Sadowski, Aimee Carrero, Kym Whitley and Rex Lee, and premiered on ABC Family (now Freeform) on June 25, 2014. On Mar ...

'' , Herself , Season 5 episode 20: "Young & Yacht'in" , - , 2018–2019 , ''Ultimate Thanksgiving Challenge'' , Herself / Judge , , - , rowspan=5, 2019 , ''Bottle Service'' , Herself , Episode: "Sip, Savor, Spit with Alex Guarnaschelli" , - , ''Martha Bakes'' , Herself , Season 11 episode 12: "Pantry Milks" , - , '' Billions'' , Herself , Season 4 episode 12: "Extreme Sandbox" , - , ''Family Restaurant Rivals'' , Herself / Judge , Episode 8: "Family Freezer Burn" , - , ''

Good Eats ''Good Eats'' is an American television cooking show, created and hosted by Alton Brown, which aired in North America on Food Network and later Cooking Channel. Likened to television science educators Mr. Wizard and Bill Nye, Brown explores the ...

'' , Herself , Season 15 was dubbed on screen as ''Good Eats: The Return''
Season 15 episode 5: "My Shakshuka" , - , 2019–present , '' Supermarket Stakeout'' , Host , - , 2020 , '' All-Star Best Thing I Ever Ate'' , Herself , 8 episodes , - , 2020–present , ''

'' , Herself / Co-host , , - , 2022–present , ''Alex vs. America'' , Herself ,

Bibliography

* ''Old School Comfort Food: The Way I Learned to Cook'' (

Clarkson Potter Clarkson Potter (September 19, 1880 – October 4, 1953) was an American golfer. He competed in the men's individual event at the 1904 Summer Olympics The 1904 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the III Olympiad and also known as ...

, 2013) {{ISBN, 9780307956552 * ''The Home Cook'' (

, 2017) {{ISBN, 9780307956583 * ''Cook With Me'' (

, 2020) {{ISBN, 9780593135082

References

{{reflist

External links

* {{official website, http://www.alexguarnaschelli.com
Alex Guarnaschelli
biography at Food Network. Archived fro

on January 1, 2014. Note; Virtually same content as at TheChefsConnection.com, cited above. *{{cite web, url=https://pursuethepassion.com/who-cares-if-youre-the-clown-as-long-as-you-can-dance-in-the-circus/, title=Alex Guarnaschelli – Executive Chef, Butter, date=October 18, 2007, publisher=PursueThePassion.com, access-date= July 29, 2020, archive-date=July 21, 2020 , archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200721072414/https://pursuethepassion.com/who-cares-if-youre-the-clown-as-long-as-you-can-dance-in-the-circus/, url-status=live {{The Next Iron Chef {{authority control {{DEFAULTSORT:Guarnaschelli, Alex 1969 births American people of Italian descent American television chefs American women chefs Food Network chefs Living people Reality cooking competition winners Barnard College alumni Chefs from New York City 21st-century American women American gastronomes