This past winter, my Executive Chef from Pig and Khao had the opportunity to compete on Knife Fight, a cooking competition that is totally badass. The chef’s are given three ingredients and a hour to cook at least two dishes. What makes Knife Fight so much fun is that other than the guidelines I just described, there are no other rules! They can use any additional ingredients from the pantry, they can bring personal tools, and they can even ask for help from the crowd. Luckily on the night they filmed, I also had the night off from work! So I headed to Brooklyn to cheer on Leah, and I witnessed the filming of a cooking competition (or any show for that matter) for the first time in my life.

Below are some behind the scenes photos and commentary from the filming of Knife Fight on the Esquire Network! Watch the new season now, Tuesday nights at 10:00pm!

More of the camera crew in the background, catching some of the action shots from the crowd.

Me holding the winner’s trophy, a cleaver that says “I WON”!

Here is a view of the kitchen where the chef’s cooked during the competition.

Hey there camera man!

She won!

This photo is of Leah and her competition, learning about the wood fired oven in the kitchen. Getting a quick tour of the kitchen was essential!

Lights, cameras, ACTION!

The judges making an easy decision on who had the better dishes!