Who’s Momma? My Momma! TV One today announced two new series that will join the primetime lineup in second quarter 2012: My Momma Throws Down, the fast-paced cooking competition featuring a weekly face-off between kitchen matriarchs.
Hosted by comedian and actor Ralph Harris (On Our Own, Last Comic Standing, Dreamgirls, Evan Almighty) and produced by Triage Entertainment, the producers of Iron Chef America, My Momma Throws Down each week will feature two mothers, nominated by a family member and backed by a lively team of family supporters, competing in a cook-off in the Throwdown Kitchen for cash and prizes, and judged by a panel of esteemed culinary experts, celebrities and food-loving personalities.
The competition is fierce, with each mother not only providing her signature dish for both the judges and her adversary to rate, but she will race the clock to create an entire meal on a moment’s notice. The families will prove to be more than moral support, with their knowledge, skills and talents playing a role in just how much time their beloved matriarch will have to create her meal. Each “Mominator,” or family member who originally put forward his family’s matriarch, will also take part in a special “smack down” challenge, the winner gaining valuable prep time for his mom in the kitchen. Each mom will also select a family member to serve as a “blind” taste tester, who will be sequestered and blindfolded, and whose vote for the most delicious dish will count as part of the final judging process.
Among the culinary experts expected to participate as part of the panel of judges will be Marcus Samuelsson, James Beard award-winning chef, cookbook author, chef/owner at the acclaimed Red Rooster Harlem and winner of Top Chef Masters; Marvin Woods, the celebrity chef, host, and author of cookbook Home Plate Cooking; Jessica Harris, educator, culinary historian, and writer of eleven cookbooks documenting the foods and foodways of the African Diaspora, including The Welcome Table: African-American Heritage Cooking and her latest, High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America; Melba Wilson, who, after getting her start at the renowned Harlem restaurant Sylvia’s, went on to open her own eatery, Melba’s, the Harlem fixture known for its signature chicken and waffles; Tanya Holland, the noted French-trained chef and owner of Brown Sugar Kitchen in West Oakland, CA and the author of New Soul Cooking: Updating a Cuisine Rich in Flavor and Tradition; and Chef Brian Hill, who initially rose to fame from his appearance on Top Chef and later in Food Network’s Private Chefs of Beverly Hills. He operated the famous Comfort Truck in LA, and now caters for a host of celebrities including the likes of Eddie Murphy and Mary J. Blige. Executive producer for TV One is Kaye Zusmann, and executive in charge of production is Tia Smith. My Momma Throws Down is scheduled to premiere in April 2012.
“At its core, My Momma Throws Down is a true celebration of the matriarch of the family, placing her passion, skills, down-home expertise, and reputation as a great cook on the line for all of America to witness,” said TV One President and CEO Wonya Lucas.
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