Ever wonder why ice cream is so addictive, or why it gives you a brain freeze when you eat it too fast? And how about that restaurant menu item that sounds so irresistible that you have to order it, even if it means paying a premium? In Food Network’s new series Hungry Games, premiering Monday, Oct. 20, 2014 at 8|7c, Chef Richard Blais reveals how you taste, choose and crave your favorite foods.
In fun, often hidden camera experiments, Richard interacts with people on the street, in supermarkets and in restaurants, testing the way they experience food. You’ll be surprised about the inner workings of the brain when it comes to food — it may just change the way you think about how you eat.
Throughout the season, Richard investigates the psychology and science behind our decisions and cravings when it comes to food. He shows how expectations play a role in tasting new foods, and how the psychological connection between rooting for your favorite sports team ties into the amount of food you consume during a game. He explores how creative language can stimulate cravings for a slice of pizza, and he’ll discover the X-factor of juicy burgers and the appeal of other greasy, salty foods. Richard also gets to the bottom of why comfort foods are actually so comforting, and why Mom’s cooking always tastes the best.
Stay tuned for fun food trivia, interactive quizzes, photos from the show and more, plus connect on Twitter with the hashtag #HungryGames. [READ MORE]
THE HOST
Richard Blais
Perhaps most recognizable as the winner of Bravo’s Top Chef All-Stars, Richard Blais is a successful chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and television personality. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, he went on to train at The French Laundry, Daniel, Chez Panisse, and el Bulli.
Blais has appeared on Top Chef, Top Chef All-Stars, Iron Chef America and Chopped All-Stars as a competitor and judged episodes of Guy's Grocery Games, Top Chef Canada and Rachael vs Guy. Blais has particularly enjoyed his hosting duties for the shows Burger Lab and Cook Your A$$ Off.
He currently owns and operates Trail Blais, a forward-thinking culinary company that has consulted on, designed, and operated popular eateries including multiple outposts of Flip Burger Boutique, The Spence and most recently, Juniper & Ivy.
He resides with his wife Jazmin and their two daughters Riley and Embry. When not behind the stove, Blais may be found training for his next marathon, working on his next cookbook or cheering on his favorite English Premiere League soccer team.
Upcoming Episodes
Richard Blais gives the inside scoop on why we all scream for ice cream, through testing the Pavlovian power of the ice cream truck jingle, creating an addictive new flavor with ice cream guru Sam Mason and learning how expectations play into cravings with a bizarre new variety of ice cream.
How much would you pay for a pizza? Richard Blais is throwing a pizza party to test out just how powerful language is in getting you to crave and pay more for a perfect, cheesy pie! And you'll never believe the surprising role of smell when it comes to tasting your favorite pizza toppings.
Get ready to explore the surprising x-factor in burger juiciness, and test out the one menu item that gets people to order more fries. Richard Blais uncovers the science and secrets behind this classic meal-between-two-buns and works with a team of burger chef veterans including Justin Warner, Pat LaFrieda Jr. and Kat Odell to unveil what makes the ultimate burger.
Did you know that there's a secret diner language that cooks use to keep track of tons of orders from memory alone or that when it comes to menu length, less is more? Richard Blais takes us to the all-American diner to help answer these questions and to finally understand the truth behind the breakfast syrup debate.
Richard Blais gets the lowdown on bar food, investigating how rooting for a winning sports team might be good for your diet, testing out how far people will go for free food and putting the myths about spicy food fixes to the test by cooking up some seriously spicy wings with Chef Dale Talde.
Richard Blais aims to smoke out the secrets of why we crave barbecue, setting up an experiment to see just how much that smoky smell can get us hungry, the psychological reason why mom's home-cooked food tastes the best and what it takes to create the perfect barbecue sauce that hits each of your fives primary tastes, making your brain crave more.
