Pbmom's Blog

On Sunday, January 29, 2012, the 2-hour finale of Rachel Vs Guy Celebrity Cook-Off will be aired on the Food Network Channel. The 10 celebrity contestants, playing for various charities, have been filleted down to the Final 4.

The underdog, Taylor Dayne, should not be underestimated. She has had the “Floor on Fire” and will try to “Carry Your Heart” to the finish line. However, “You Can’t Fight Fate.” She will be “In the Darkness” “Upon the Journey’s End.”

Coolio, a surprisingly inventive think-on-your-feet cook, has had a “Fantastic Voyage” in a “Gangsta’s Paradise.” Even though he is “Bright As the Sun” I think he’ll be seeing “The County Line.”

Joey Fatone has impressed with his skills in the kitchen while he was “Dancing With the Stars” but “This I Promise You”, Joey, you can “Do Your Thing”, and “I’ll Be Thinking of You”, but it will be “Tearin’ Up My Heart” when I say “Bye, Bye, Bye” and you will be “Gone” leaving….

Lou Diamond Phillips, for the win. Having been crowned King of the Jungle, “The Beast” of the kitchen, this “Young Gun”, having shown “Courage Under Fire” is within “Striking Range” of the finish line and will “Stand and Deliver” and “Takedown” the competition for the victory. It’s his “Destiny!”

Actually having seen the Rachael Ray Show the Friday prior to the show commencing, Joey and LDP were guests. This leads me to one of two possible conclusions: Joey and Lou were in the bottom two and Rachael had them on so they had an opportunity for their charities of choice to receive some money, or Joey and Lou were in the final 2.

This show has been a pleasure to watch. Even though they were competing for their charities, they exhibited great team effort without the backstabbing you see on other cooking shows. They were rooting for one another and this was quite obvious when Summer and Taylor had to compete against each other last week. The blind taste-testing was a segment I enjoyed because it allowed the contest to be fair, based on the food only. During the team competitions, Rachael and Guy deferred to guests as to which were their favorites to decide who had to go to the 10-minute cook-offs.

Here is a list again of the charities. If you are a fan, consider making a donation to their choices below and don’t forget to watch the exciting conclusion of this fun show.

Alyssa Campanella – Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Cheech Marin – Hispanic Scholarship Fund

Aaron Carter – Kids Beating Cancer

Coolio – Music Saves Lives

Joey Fatone – Fatone Family Foundation

Lou Diamond Phillips – No Kid Hungry

Summer Sanders – Right To Play

Taylor Dayne – Cambodian Children’s Fund

Rachael vs. Guy Celebrity Cook-off (or Guy versus Rachael depending on with whom you speak) premieres tonight with some of your favorite celebrities. Film, television and Broadway star, Lou Diamond Phillips will be joined with Alyssa Campanella, Cheech Marin, Aaron Carter, Coolio, Joey Fatone, Summer Sanders, and Taylor Dayne to compete for $50,000 for their charity of choice. The show will be divided into teams, Team Rachael and Team Guy. There will be competition among the individuals, but Rachael Ray said on her talk show on Friday that the team dynamic changes things from a regular cooking competition. Rachael also stated she and Guy put their teams through hell. To give us a taste of what we might see Lou Diamond Phillips and Joey Fatone appeared on the show for an 11-minute competition called, “Sauce Boss.” Although Joey Fatone put up a good fight, the well-seasoned, nerves-of-steel LDP won, as did his charity, “No Kid Hungry” (a sweet $5,000). If the banter on the show is anything like the exchanges between Joey and LDP on the talk show, this show will be a joy to watch.

Lou Diamond Phillips was most recently a star on the show Stargate Universe. He hosts a series called “An Officer and a Movie” on the Military Channel, and will be seen in 2012 as Longmire (TV) and Filly Brown (movie). Anyone following LDP’s Twitter feed or seen him on Iron Chef and Iron Chef: America knows what a big foodie he is. He often shares what he is cooking at home, and sometimes gives out the recipe to create it. He also has a terrific sense of humor.

Alyssa Campanella is the 2011 Miss USA. Cheech Marin also has a long history in film and television with fans from the show “Lost” remembering him as David Reyes. Singer Aaron Carter is currently working on The Fantasticks off-broadway and can be most recently remembered as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. Hip-hop artist, Coolio, has been in a long-list of movies and has a cooking show called, “Cookin with Coolio.” Joey Fatone, formerly of the band ‘N Sync”, was recently in The Producers on Broadway and fans will remember his appearance a few years back on Dancing with the Stars. UNICEF Goodwill ambassador, Summer Sanders, is also an Olympic gold medalist in swimming, and a sports reporter and commentator. Singer powerhouse, Taylor Dayne, has been on several reality shows of late, being paired with Jai Rodriguez in Fox show, “Celebrity Duets.” She released her last CD in 2008 to critical acclaim.

These are the charities the contestants will be playing for over this 6-episode show:

Alyssa Campanella – Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Cheech Marin – Hispanic Scholarship Fund

Aaron Carter – Kids Beating Cancer

Coolio – Music Saves Lives

Joey Fatone – Fatone Family Foundation

Lou Diamond Phillips – No Kid Hungry

Summer Sanders – Right To Play

Taylor Dayne – Cambodian Children’s Fund

With the guest-star line-up, along with hosts, Guy Fieri and Rachael Ray, both known for their rowdy enthusiasm, Rachael Vs Guy: Celebrity Cook-off will be a wonderful way to kick off the New Year with your family. Be sure to watch it starting January 1, 2012 at 9 p.m. eastern, 8 p.m. central time, on The Food Network. Check your cable/satellite providers for the exact channel.

Guest-stars on Rachael Vs Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off, Jan 1, 2012 on Food Network at 9 ET/8 Central