Worst Cooks in America

Celebrated chefs mentor amateur cooks in an attempt to transform them from rookies to kitchen experts. Twelve to 16 contestants (referred to as "recruits") with very poor cooking skills are put through a culinary boot camp to earn a cash prize of $25,000 and a Food Network cooking set. The recruits are trained on the various basic cooking techniques, including baking, knife skills, temperature, seasoning and preparation. The final challenge is to cook a restaurant-quality, three-course meal for three food critics.