For the last few seasons, I have been a recurring judge on Iron Chef America, one of the most highly rated shows on Food Network. Over the last couple of weeks, we taped for the upcoming season and I was once again asked to judge multiple battles. While I can't tell you who the contestants are, who won, or if the Chairman will give me a karate chop, I can share some photos and answer a few questions I am frequently asked:

1. Is it real?

100 percent; nothing is rigged. The producers are amazing and they never affect the judges' decision. The Iron Chefs, the challengers, and the judges take it very seriously. The competitors sweat--it is a battle! As a judge, it is extremely exciting to watch the competition every time.

2. Does it really happen in an hour?

Yes, the actual challenge happens in exactly one hour--there is a large clock and a woman, over a loud speaker, counting down the minutes so the chefs can manage their time. That said, filming an episode will take hours. The judging for each chef takes about 45 minutes, coupled with intros, deliberation, and the reveal of the secret ingredient--it's a long but fun day.

3. Is it hard to eat all that food?

Yes, very. I just filmed a bunch of episodes so I will be going on a cleanse. It is difficult to eat all the courses and often there are many components to one plate, so it will require a few bites for each dish to truly assess and give a fair and informed opinion, but the chefs work really hard and I must eat every bite!

4. Do the chefs know ahead of time what the secret ingredient is?

I get this question most often, and the answer is a few days before the challenge both Iron Chef and challenger receive a list of several very different ingredients, one of which is the secret ingredient. Therefore, up until the reveal neither chef is sure what they are going to get; trust me, it is incredibly challenging to do in one hour.

5. Does Alton Brown really know all that stuff about food?

He sure does! He is amazing and his knowledge is encyclopedic. He is so intelligent and he is constantly doing research and learning. He also has a wicked sense of humor --often at my expense.

--Donatella

P.S. The photos are from my perspective at judges' panel. We have a video prompter in front of us because we can't see everything that is going on.

photos: donatella arpaia

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