Ingredient Swap

Professional chef Lish Steiling and home cook Lorenzo are swapping recipes and hitting the kitchen! We set Lorenzo up with the finest ingredients from chef Lish’s kitchen along with her recipe for an unforgettable $226 roast chicken. Always up for a challenge, Lorenzo consulted with food scientist Rose for a quick pregame to help him get started. Meanwhile over with chef Lish, a much more typical $18 worth of ingredients were being finessed up to gourmet status via sheer skill and professional know-how. Which one looks best to you?

Rise and shine! Pro chef Saul Montiel and home cook Onika are swapping recipes and hitting the kitchen to start the day off right with a breakfast sandwich. We provided Onika with all the ingredients necessary to make chef Saul’s over-the-top $107 sammy, sending only $11 worth of materials back the other direction. Could our home cook rise to the challenge or did chef Saul outshine his budget and deliver a winner with his "Croque Montiel?"

Pro chef Esther Choi, owner of Mŏkbar in New York and home cook Daniel are swapping ingredients and hitting the kitchen to make each other’s ramen recipes. We set Daniel up with all of the supplies he’d need to make Chef Esther’s luxurious $116 bowl of ramen while sending his more modest $11 worth of ingredients back the other direction. While Esther was using her expertise to elevate Daniel’s recipe, food scientist Rose dialed in to assist our home cook with a few questions he had along the way. Which one looks best to you?

The original Ingredient Swap duo is back! Expert chef Frank Proto from the Institute of Culinary Education and home cook Lorenzo are trading pot pie recipes and hitting the kitchen. We set Lorenzo up with $250 worth of ingredients and Frank's recipe while sending a modest $20 worth of goods back the other way. Now, $20 worth of supplies is usually more than enough to make a solid pot pie - but we’re talking about Frank here. What tricks does he have up his sleeve to improvise his way up to gourmet?

Expert chef instructor King Phojanakong from the Institute of Culinary Education and home cook Onika are trading pad thai recipes and hitting the kitchen. We set Onika up with $209 worth of ingredients and King’s recipe while sending a modest $18 worth of goods back the other way. To assist Onika with King’s massive ingredient list, food scientist Rose dialed in to lend some expert advice. Which pad thai are you itching to try?

Professional chef Lish Steiling and home cook Beth are swapping chocolate chip cookie recipes and hitting the kitchen! We set Beth up with the finest ingredients from chef Lish’s kitchen along with her recipe for an unforgettable batch of $108 cookies. With her cookie-baking credentials on the line, Beth dialed up food scientist Rose for a quick consultation. Meanwhile over with chef Lish, Beth’s recipe and $14 worth of ingredients were being remixed up to gourmet status with a little skill and professional know-how. Which cookie are you having before bed?

Professional chef Bill Clark and home cook Lorenzo are swapping ingredients and hitting the kitchen for Thanksgiving dinner! We set Lorenzo up with $240 worth of ingredients from chef Bill’s kitchen along with his instructions on making an unforgettable holiday spread. To lend a helping hand, food scientist Rose dialed in to offer some of her trademark wisdom and encouragement. Over with Bill, a thrifty $32 recipe from Lorenzo was being augmented and tinkered with in a quest to make it something gourmet. Which of these Thanksgiving dinners are you taking a nap after?

Professional baker Vallery Lomas and home cook Daniel are swapping ingredients and hitting the kitchen! We set Daniel up with $161 worth of ingredients from chef Vallery’s pantry along with her instructions for making an out-of-this-world apple pie. To lend a helping hand, food scientist Rose dialed in to offer some of her trademark wisdom and encouragement. Over with Vallery, a more customary $9 recipe from Daniel’s arsenal was being augmented and altered in a quest to make it something gourmet. Which of these apple pies are you dying for a slice of?

Pro chef Esther Choi, owner of Mŏkbar in New York and home cook Gabrielle are swapping ingredients and hitting the kitchen to make each other’s crab fried rice recipes. We set Gabrielle up with all of the supplies she’d need to make Chef Esther’s decadent $242 creation while sending a modest $13 worth of ingredients back the other way. While Esther was using her expertise to elevate Gabrielle’s recipe, food scientist Rose dialed in to assist our home cook with a few questions he had along the way. Which one looks best to you?

Professional baker Bill Clark and home cook Emily are swapping ingredients and hitting the kitchen to take on each other’s extremely different cupcake recipes. We set Emily up with $218 worth of supplies - everything she’d need to make Bill’s decadent German chocolate cupcakes with coconut pecan caramel filling. Meanwhile, a modest $17 worth of ingredients was sent back the other way for Bill to elevate into something gourmet. As is customary, food scientist Rose dialed in to assist our dear Emily with a few questions she had along the way. Which one of these cupcakes is your cup of tea?

Expert chef instructor King Phojanakong from the Institute of Culinary Education and home cook Lorenzo are trading breakfast burrito recipes and hitting the kitchen. We set Lorenzo up with $206 worth of ingredients and King’s recipe while sending a modest $13 worth of goods back the other way. To assist Lorenzo with King’s surprisingly extensive ingredient list, food scientist Rose dialed in to lend some expert advice. Which breakfast burrito are you starting the day with?

Expert chef Penny Stankiewicz from the Institute of Culinary Education and home cook Onika are trading doughnut recipes and hitting the kitchen. We set Onika up with $176 worth of ingredients and Penny’s decadent recipe while sending only a modest $11 worth of goods back the other way. To assist Onika with her deluxe dessert task, food scientist Rose dialed in to lend some expert advice. Which of these doughnuts would you attempt to make at home?

Professional chef Yuji Haraguchi of Okonomi and Yuji Ramen and home cook Daniel are trading Japanese curry recipes and hitting the kitchen. We set Daniel up with an eye-popping $339 worth of ingredients and Yuji’s recipe, sending only a modest $14 worth of goods back the other way. To assist Daniel with Yuji’s extensive ingredient list and intricate recipe, food scientist Rose dialed in to lend some expert advice. Which curry are you asking for a second serving of?

Professional chef Chris Cheung, owner of East Wind Snack Shop and home cook Emily are swapping ingredients and hitting the kitchen to rustle up some eggs and bacon for breakfast. We set Emily up with $143 worth of supplies - everything she’d need to make Chris’ decadent wok scrambled eggs with caviar and bacon. Meanwhile, a modest $14 worth of ingredients was sent back the other way for chef Chris to elevate into something gourmet. As is customary, food scientist Rose dialed in to assist our dear Emily with a few questions he had along the way. Which egg and bacon bonanza are you most interested in?

The original Ingredient Swap duo returns as expert chef instructor Frank Proto and home cook extraordinaire Lorenzo are trading carbonara recipes and hitting the kitchen. We set Lorenzo up with $174 worth of ingredients and Frank's recipe while sending only a modest $10 worth of goods back the other way. How do Lorenzo's skill stack up against Frank's expert level recipe? What tricks can Frank break out to improvise his way up to gourmet with only ten bucks?

Professional chef Saúl Montiel from Cantina Rooftop and home cook Emily are swapping ingredients and hitting the kitchen to make a calzone that nonna would be proud of. We set our home cook Emily up with $196 worth of supplies - everything she’d need to make Saúl’s recipe. Meanwhile, a modest $13 worth of ingredients was sent back the other way for chef Saúl to elevate into something gourmet. As is customary, food scientist Rose dialed in to assist our dear Emily with a few questions he had along the way. Which calzone would make you shout “mangia?”

Professional baker Bill Clark and home cook Daniel are swapping ingredients and hitting the kitchen to have a crack at each other's loaded waffle recipe. We set Daniel up with $112 worth of supplies - everything he’d need to make Bill’s marbled pumpernickel waffles with citrus-cured salmon and homemade cream cheese. Meanwhile, a more modest $14 worth of ingredients was sent back the other way for Bill to elevate into something gourmet. As is customary, food scientist Rose dialed in for a conference call to answer some questions Daniel had along the way. Alright, no more waffling: which one of these loaded waffles looks best to you?

Professional chef Chris Scott from the Institute of Culinary Education and home cook Beth are trading fish & chips recipes and hitting the kitchen. We set Beth up with $220 worth of ingredients and Chris’s recipe while sending a more modest but still respectable $19 worth of goods back the other way. Food scientist Rose dialed in to lend Beth some expert advice while chef Chris worked some magic to improvise his way up to gourmet. Which fish & chips are you pairing with a pint?

Pro chef Saúl Montiel from Cantina Rooftop and home cook Lorenzo are swapping recipes and hitting the kitchen to whip up a plate of nachos. We provided Lorenzo with all the ingredients necessary to make chef Saúl’s over-the-top $135 nacho recipe, sending only $13 worth of materials back the other direction. Could our all-star home cook rise to the challenge or did chef Saúl’s nachos reign supreme?

Professional chef King Phojanakong from Cook Like King and home cook John are trading recipes and hitting the kitchen to make some of the best hot dogs you’ve ever seen. We set John up with $228 worth of ingredients and King’s over-the-top recipe while sending a more modest (but still pretty respectable for a hot dog) $19 worth of goods back the other way. Food scientist Rose dialed in to lend John some expert advice while chef King worked some magic to take his simpler ingredients to the next level.

Professional chef Palak Patel from The Institute of Culinary Education and home cook Lorenzo are swapping recipes and hitting the kitchen to make veggie burgers! We set Lorenzo up with a selection of the finest ingredients from chef Palak’s kitchen, along with her recipe for a $172 meatless burger. Meanwhile over with chef Palak, a relatively modest $14 worth of ingredients were being tweaked and augmented while elevating Lorenzo’s burg to gourmet status. Whose veggie burger are you throwing on the grill?

Professional chef instructor Frank Proto and home cook extraordinaire Emily are trading Fettuccine Alfredo recipes and hitting the kitchen for a cheesy showdown. We sent Emily an eye-popping $1,425 worth of supplies - everything she’d need to make Frank's decadent recipe, cheese wheel and all. Meanwhile, a modest $13 worth of ingredients was sent back the other way for Frank to finesse into something elevated in his style. Food scientist Rose dialed in to assist our dear Emily with a few questions she had along the way. Which Fettuccine Alfredo has you saying "Molto bene?"

The original Ingredient Swap duo returns as professional chef instructor Frank Proto and home cook extraordinaire Lorenzo trade fried chicken recipes and hit the kitchen. We set Lorenzo up with $162 worth of ingredients and Frank's recipe while sending just under 20 bucks worth of goods back to our esteemed expert. As is customary, food scientist Rose dialed in to assist Lorenzo along the way. How did his skills stack up against Frank's expert level recipe? What tricks can Frank break out to improvise his way up to gourmet?

Professional chef instructor Frank Proto and experienced home cook Daniel are trading recipes and whipping up some ice cream sundaes.

Professional chef Saúl Montiel from Cantina Rooftop and home cook Emily are swapping ingredients and hitting the kitchen to make their best ravioli.

Professional chef Alan Delgado and home cook Emily are swapping ingredients and hitting the kitchen to make loaded french fries.

Professional chef Yuji Haraguchi and home cook Joe are swapping ingredients and hitting the kitchen to make sushi rolls. We set Joe up with $279 worth of supplies - everything he’d need for his attempt at Yuji's somewhat intimidating recipe. Meanwhile, a modest $19 worth of ingredients was sent back the other way to be elevated into something gourmet by our esteemed pro. As she’s known to do, food scientist Rose dialed in to assist Joe with a few questions he had along the way. Whose sushi are you rolling with?

Pro chef Saúl Montiel from Cantina Rooftop and home cook Lorenzo are swapping recipes and hitting the kitchen to start the morning right with breakfast tacos.

Professional chef Lish Steiling and home cook Emily are swapping french toast recipes and hitting the kitchen!

Professional chef Alan Delgado and home cook Daniel are swapping enchiladas recipes and hitting the kitchen! We set Daniel up with the finest ingredients from chef Alan’s kitchen along with his recipe for $120 enchiladas. Meanwhile over with our pro chef, Alan was taking Daniel's simpler ingredients to unexpected heights. Which enchiladas are you picking?

Professional chef Taka Sakaeda, owner of Nami Nori, and home cook Gabi are swapping tempura recipes and hitting the kitchen! We set Gabi up with the finest ingredients from chef Taka’s kitchen along with his $311 tempura recipe. Meanwhile over on the other side, chef Sakaeda was taking Gabi's simpler instructions and remixing them up to gourmet status. Which tempura looks most tempting to you?

Pro chef Saúl Montiel from Cantina Rooftop and home cook Joe are swapping recipes and hitting the kitchen to make some chili.

Professional chef Eric Huang and home cook Emily are hitting the kitchen to make hot chicken.

Professional chef Saúl Montiel from Cantina Rooftop and home cook Daniel are swapping materials and hitting the kitchen for a gnocchi throwdown! Director: Chris Principe Director of Photography: Ben Dewey Editor: Manolo Moreno Talent: Saul Montiel Talent: Daniel Victor Director of Culinary Production: Kelly Janke Culinary Researcher and Recipe Editor: Vivian Jao Producer: Michael Cascio, Parisa Kosari Culinary Producer: Jessica Do Culinary Associate Producer: Katrina Zito Associate Producer: Tim Colao Line Producer: Jennifer McGinity Production Manager: Janine Dispensa Production Coordinator: Elizabeth Hymes Camera Operator: Caleb Weiss Audio: Michael Guggino Production Assistant: Alex Mitchell Production Assistant: Jamal Abdinasir Mohamed Post Production Supervisor: Andrea Farr Post Production Coordinator: Scout Alter Supervising Editor: Eduardo Araújo Assistant Editor: Justin Symonds Graphics Supervisor: Ross Rackin Graphics, Animation, VFX: Léa Kichler

Two longtime favorites return as expert chef and chef instructor Frank Proto trades Po' Boy recipes with home cook extraordinaire Lorenzo.

Professional chef Eric Huang and home cook Emily are trading recipes and hitting the kitchen to make a lobster dinner!

Professional chef Fatima Khawaja and home cook Lorenzo are trading ingredients and hitting the kitchen to take a crack at each other’s meatloaf recipe.

Pro chef Frank Porto and home cook Joe are swapping recipes and hitting the kitchen to make some ribs.

Professional chef Eric Huang and home cook Gabi are trading recipes and hitting the kitchen to make dim sum!

Professional chef Yuji Haraguchi of Okonomi and Yuji Ramen and home cook Emily are trading ingredients and hitting the kitchen to make each other’s omelet recipe.

Pro chef Frank Proto and home cook Beth are swapping recipes and hitting the kitchen to make some ribs.

Pro chef Saúl Montiel from Cantina Rooftop and home cook Jon are swapping recipes and hitting the kitchen to make a quesadilla.

Professional chef Yuji Haraguchi of Okonomi and Yuji Ramen and home cook Joe are trading ingredients and hitting the kitchen to make each other’s udon ramen recipe.

Pro chef Lish Steiling and home cook Lorenzo are swapping recipes and hitting the kitchen to make pizza. We set Lorenzo up with all the ingredients necessary to make chef Lish’s extravagant $363 pizza recipe, sending only $12 worth of your typical, store-bought stuff back the other way. Can Lorenzo keep up with Lish’s restaurant quality techniques? Will Lish turn Lorenzo’s home ingredients into something unexpectedly gourmet?

Pro chef Bill Clark and home cook Emily are swapping recipes and hitting the kitchen to make pancakes. We set Emily up with all the ingredients necessary to make Chef Bill’s mouthwatering $404 pancake recipe, sending only $14 worth of your typical, store-bought stuff back the other way. Will Bill be able to create a gourmet brunch from Emily’s humble ingredients? Will Emily be able to keep up with Bill’s restaurant-quality recipe?

Pro chef Natasha Pickowicz and home cook Emily are swapping recipes and hitting the kitchen to make chocolate cake. We set Emily up with all the ingredients necessary to make Chef Natasha’s luxurious $449 chocolate cake recipe, sending only $18 worth of stuff back the other way. Will Natasha be able to bake up a storm from Emily’s humble ingredients? Will Emily be able to keep up with Natasha’s restaurant-quality recipe?

Pro chef Saúl Montiel from Cantina Rooftop and home cook Gina are swapping recipes and hitting the kitchen to make tacos. We provided Gina with all the ingredients necessary to make chef Saúl’s gourmet $396 quesadilla recipe, sending only $20 worth of your typical, store-bought stuff back the other way. Will Saúl elevate Gina's modest materials into a fancy feast? Can Gina keep up with the demands of Saúl’s recipe? Which taco looks better to you?

Professional chef Yuji Haraguchi and home cook Daniel are swapping ingredients and hitting the kitchen to make a salmon dinner. We set Danial up with a whopping $513 worth of ingredients for his attempt at Yuji's luxury recipe. Meanwhile, a modest $21 worth of ingredients was sent back the other way to be elevated into something gourmet by our esteemed pro. Will Daniel be able to keep up with Yuji's pro recipe? Will Yuji be able to take a humble salmon fillet and turn it into something gourmet?

Professional chef Saúl Montiel and home cook Emily are swapping ingredients and hitting the kitchen to make huevos rancheros. We set Emily up with a whopping $272 worth of ingredients for her attempt at Saúl's luxury recipe. Meanwhile, a modest $18 worth of ingredients was sent back the other way to be elevated into something gourmet by our esteemed pro. Will Emily be able to execute the crispy duck carnitas Saúl intended to make? Can Saúl turn Emily's simple ingredients into a gourmet Mexican breakfast?

Professional chef Frank Proto and home cook Joe are swapping ingredients and hitting the kitchen to make shrimp scampi. We set Joe up with a whopping $349 worth of ingredients for his attempt at Frank's luxury recipe. Meanwhile, a modest $28 worth of ingredients was sent back the other way to be elevated into something gourmet by our esteemed pro. Will Joe be able to execute the restaurant-quality feast Frank intended to make? Can Frank turn Joe's simple ingredients into a grand seafood feast?

Professional chef Eric Huang and home cook Gina are swapping ingredients and hitting the kitchen to make hamburgers. We set Gina up with a whopping $304 worth of ingredients for her attempt at Eric's luxury recipe. Meanwhile, a modest $21 worth of ingredients was sent back the other way to be elevated into something gourmet by our esteemed pro. Will Gina be able to execute the restaurant-quality burger Eric intended to make? Can Eric transform Gina's simple ingredients into something spectacular?