Entrepreneur presents twist on French toast at Food Net audition

The eighth season of Food Network Star (airs in Las Vegas on Cox Channel 42 and 1042 in high def) is gearing up with open casting calls across the nation. And in Las Vegas, the casting judges have opened their space for auditions on August 20, a definite dog day. But hey, if you can handle Vegas when it’s this hot, chances are you can stand the heat of the FN cable kitchen during the stress of panels any day of the year.

Certainly heat wasn’t a show-stopper for uniquely-coiffed Henry Weinacker, a twenty-something marketing entrepreneur from San Diego who kicked around in his parents’ upscale eatery in New Orleans and along the way discovered the finer points of “Corn Flake crusted, peanut butter stuffed French toast” topped with fresh berries, whipped cream and maple syrup. You won’t find this on the Grand Slam menu at Denny’s. Anywhere.

So after hearing about the audition opportunity, Weinacker figured the TV foodies would appreciate some Southern flavorings à la Frenchie but first: finding himself straddled between two cities as a transitional Vegan, he needed a handy pan and a good flame.

“I borrowed my friend’s kitchen, prepared and cooked the base, drove it to the audition — it’s like 110 degrees outside as I’m transporting it in my car — plated-it directly from the pan, added the toppings and whipped cream, carried my creation across the hot asphalt hotel parking lot as fast as I could without the cream melting over my shoes, ran it up to the second floor and then – BAM – placed it in front of the cameras for my presentation,” recounts Weinacker.

Let’s hope the judges at the Food Network Star Open Casting Call at The Westin Casuarina appreciate the young chef’s creation. It would be a dog-gone, hot-August, Corn-Flake shame if they didn’t.

By Jay Barber, Catalina Media Group