Two R.I. men are 'Worst Cooks' contestants
Gail Ciampa Journal Food Editor gailciampa
Peter Smerlas of Newport and Father Adam Young of Cranston tackle kitchen boot camp under Food Network chefs Anne Burrell and Bobby Flay.
Peter Smerlas has learned to use equipment in his kitchen, mastered a few techniques and now knows how to make tostadas with his own salsa and guacamole.
The Newport man is one of two Rhode Island contestants on the 17th season of the Food Network's "Worst Cooks in America," premiering on Sunday, Aug. 4, at 9 p.m. They are competing against 12 other bad cooks.
Smerlas is a musician, a rapper performing with the Dunnas, a contractor who specializes in shoring and rigging, a dad and Instagrammer, and until recently, a notoriously bad cook.
"It was valuable for me to be able to learn from chef Bobby and chef Anne," he said in a phone interview.
That would be chef Bobby Flay and chef Anne Burrell, hosts of this season's "Worst Cooks."
"I'm a little bit more confident and my range is a little bit stronger," said Smerlas, who can't divulge if he won the show's $25,000 prize. The episodes have all been taped.
He can tell us "I know a few more utensils, tricks and techniques."
What utensils?
"I use my cast iron skillet that was passed on from my mother and her mother. It used to just sit on my stove as a decoration. Now I know how to cook with it and how to clean it," he said.
A native of Waltham, Massachusetts, and relative of Fred Smerlas, the football legend and owner of Fred & Steve's Steakhouse at Twin River Casino Hotel in Lincoln, he moved to Newport with his fiancée Crystal. He is the father of two, Ayla, 5, and Harrison, 19 months.
How did he get on "Worst Cooks"?
"I lacked a lot of skills in the kitchen," Smerlas said. "But for what I lacked in the culinary department, I made up for with some personality," he said.
A friend who saw his videos on his Instagram @oaklonestagram suggested he send in a tape to the Food Network and it all worked out.
He said the screening process evaluated how bad a cook he was.
" I walked them through making a dish," he said. It must have been very bad, because he got the green light.
Competing was a great experience and lots of fun.
He said he enjoyed the other contestants, including Father Adam Young, also of Rhode Island, who was not available for news interviews.
Smerlas said the priest, who's been ordained for nine years, "was awesome, a really sweet, very personable nice guy."
Here's what the Food Network says about the pastor at St. Paul Church in Cranston:
"Father Adam is a man of the cloth who entered the clergy nine years ago. His unique sense of humor distinguishes him in his field, as does his lack of cooking ability. He is very anxious in the kitchen and never bothered to try and overcome it, until now. He has high hopes to improve his culinary confidence in boot camp.
"He says that God seems to abandon him in the kitchen. He doesn't know how people find cooking comforting, and in this competition, he needs all the prayers he can get."
In the first episode, teams are picked and then the 14 recruits are shown their team leader's signature date night dish and are tasked with replicating it exactly. Then, the recruits on each team with the worst dishes are sent home.
Upcoming episodes include an ice cream battle to beat the summer heat, a plate-smashing game with Greek cuisine, and a retro-themed fondue challenge. The season culminates in the finale on Sunday, Sept. 22, with the final two most-improved recruits preparing a three-course restaurant-quality meal for guest judges Vivian Chan, Martina McBride and Donal Skehan in a blind taste test.
In the end, the contestant who makes the most impressive culinary transformation wins the $25,000 grand prize.
Learn more at FoodNetwork.com/WorstCooks.