Need To Know: Food Network's Chopped All-Stars

Think Iron Chef looks hard? Try competing against three other talented contestants with not one but four mystery ingredients you're required to use (and they're always doozies -- everything from sea urchin in your appetizer to Fruit Loops in your dessert) and only 20 to 30 minutes to come up with a delicious, original -- not to mention fully cooked -- dish.

That's the challenge set forth on the Food Network's culinary competition Chopped. And, as if the show wasn't already exciting enough, now there's Chopped All-Stars which pits a delightfully motley crew -- featuring everyone from Food Network celebrity chefs to the original Chopped judges -- against each other until only one contestant remains and he or she claims $50,000 for the charity of his or her choice.

We recently dropped by the Food Network to chat with the Chopped All-Stars host, Ted Allen, and one of the show's judges, Food Network personality and restaurateur Alex Guarnaschelli, and find out exactly what we're in store for this season:

Chopped All-Stars airs on the Food Network on Sunday nights at 9pm ET. For more info, visit the show's official website.

-- NOAH MICHELSON

Previously > Need To Know: Mitten