Alejandra Ramos (“Today Show”) and esteemed judges Tim Hollingsworth (“Tournament of Champions”), Tiffany Derry (“Bobby’s Triple Threat”) and Francis Lam (“Top Chef Masters”) get their fill of comfort foods from across America in Season 4 of “The Great American Recipe,” premiering Friday, July 11, on PBS.
Returning to film at Green Door Gourmet, a 350-acre farm and market located in Nashville, Tennessee, the group continues its mission of celebrating the diverse tastes, flavors and cuisines America has to offer, welcoming eight talented home cooks to share unique, homegrown recipes with their fellow chefs, the series’ judges and with us viewers watching from home.
“Mixing camaraderie with competition, the uplifting cooking competition celebrates the incredible variety of tastes and traditions from around the country, revealing the rich personal stories behind the home cooks’ signature dishes and favorite recipes,” PBS explains in a press release regarding the upcoming season. “With a range of cooking styles infused by their backgrounds — from Bangladeshi to Belizean, Puerto Rican to Southern, Cajun to Afghan, Filipino to Thai — the eight home cooks reflect the wealth of diversity that makes American food so vibrant and delicious.”
As always, episodes will follow as the chefs compete in two weekly challenges, each made to determine whose dish outperforms the rest. The most impressive competitors continue forward, until the final episode reveals the top three cooks, who will then battle in Season 4’s grand finale, each hoping to earn the distinction of winning “The Great American Recipe.”
This season, contestants include Rex Alba (Columbus, Ohio), Coby Bailey (Lafayette, Louisiana), Anika Chowdhury (New York City), Brie Jamieson (Great Falls, Montana), Suwanee Lennon (Spokane, Washington), Waigal Safi (San Diego), Carlos Tiburcio (San Antonio) and Fran Wescott (Durham, North Carolina). Together, the cooks start the “GAR” gauntlet with a challenge asking them to share their most treasured recipes, including, according to PBS, “a dish that reflects their perfect meal and a regional dish that represents the place that they call home.”
During the first episode, the cooks in question will also be judged by special guest Al Roker (“Today”), known as a beloved TV personality but also for his 2024 cookbook, “Al Roker’s Recipes to Live By: Easy, Memory-Making Family Dishes for Every Occasion.”
With plenty more excitement — and delicious food — to come, Season 4 of “The Great American Recipe” premieres Friday, July 11, on PBS and also streams on PBS.org and the PBS app.