I've been seeing lots of promotion on the FoodNetwork for the new, souped-up version of "Iron Chef" premiering on January 16. It looks like a rollicking good time - sharp knives, intensely competitive
chefs, a dramatic narrative, and so much flash in the pan. Mario Batali, Bobby Flay, and Masaharu Morimoto are each participating, as well as a surprise chef.
Beyond the vision of crème
caramel, raw fish, and the raspberry coulis, we hear that fans of the show are encouraged to go online while they're watching to get the complete "Iron Chef America" experience.
Fans of the show
who log on will get a chance to vote on the best cuisine, rate the show's judges, chat with the chefs, participate in trivia games, and receive cooking tips. They'll also be able to vote by wireless
phone via an application from GoldPocket Interactive with the aggregated results from all interactive platforms appearing on-air.
The show's producers have also developed an interactive bingo
game based on highlights from the show, and a special application that will keep track of all the show's battles and offer biographical information on each chef. To participate in the Iron Chef
America Interactive, fans tune in to the show, log on to their computers when the show is airing, or text message their votes to short code FOOD1. On-air prompts will instruct users when to log in and
how to vote.