Holiday helpers: Selena Gomez joined by celebrity chefs in new cooking special
Have a huge holiday meal upcoming and no idea what to cook? No problem — just ask Selena. The brand-new series special, “Selena+chef: Home for the Holidays,” is a seasonal cooking extravaganza, premiering Thursday, Nov. 30, on Food Network.
This upcoming holiday-centric series is set to feature four weekly, all-new episodes led by global superstar Selena Gomez (“Only Murders in the Building”), who will be joined by her best friend, Raquelle Stevens (“Giving Back Generation”), and some expert celebrity chefs as together, they learn how to prepare perfect holiday meals for visiting friends and family.
The network has shared that the season’s guest chefs include Eric Adjepong (“Tournament of Champions”), Alex Guarnaschelli (“Alex Vs. America”), Michael Symon (“Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out”) and Claudette Zepeda (“Top Chef”), offering fans a taste of what’s to come with brief descriptions of each episode.
“In ‘Selena + Alex,’” they share, “chef Alex Guarnaschelli and Selena prepare roast beef and ‘Chantilly’ mashed potatoes for a tree-trimming party.” Next: “Michael Symon pops by for a ‘Surf & Turf ’ Christmas as he and Selena tackle steaks and lobster” and “chef Claudette Zepeda plans a Mexican feast with a traditional Latin Christmas dish of tamales and a unique twist on a historic salad.”
During the final episode — “Selena+eric” — the group make some resolutions and ring in the new year, as chef Eric Adjepong helps Selena (along with Gomez’s grandparents and younger sister, Gracie) prepare a special brunch, including shrimp & banana grits and his own take on malva pudding — redefining what it means to “take the cake.”
When asked about the upcoming series, Gomez shared her excitement, saying, “the holidays have always meant so much to me. It was an honor to have these amazing chefs in my kitchen to introduce some of their favorite foods and what makes the holidays special for them.”
From showrunners Shauna Minoprio (“Top Chef”) and Melissa Stokes (“Craftopia”), the series is produced by Gomez for July Moon Productions, alongside producers Eli Holzman (“Undercover Boss”) and Aaron Saidman (“American Idol”) of Sony Pictures Television’s The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC).
Make the holidays delicious with “Selena + Chef: Home for the Holidays,” premiering Thursday, Nov. 30, on Food Network, and streaming simultaneously on Max.