GOLD COAST — Lee Ann Whippen had a pretty sick time taping Food Network's "Chopped Grill Masters" a few months ago in New York — literally.
"Fortunately I took a couple Motrin," Whippen said. "I didn't feel well during the whole thing, but once you're in it you keep going."
Chicagoans and viewers across the country will get to see how far Whippen went when her episode airs at 9 p.m. Tuesday.
Whippen, a veteran pitmaster and executive chef at Southern Cut Barbecue in the Gold Coast, will cook off against three other chefs for a chance at the show's tournament finale and a $50,000 grand prize.
TV is nothing new for Whippen, who has also appeared on Food Network's "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" and TLC's "BBQ Pitmasters," among other shows. She said "Chopped" brought its own new challenges, namely, gourmet chefs as competition on a grilling show.
"It's super culinary-trained froufrou chefs you’re up against, but that makes it interesting," Whippen said.
Like other cooking contests, "Chopped Grill Masters" pits cooks against each other as they race against the clock to impress expert judges. Contestants work with a different mystery basket of ingredients for three rounds: the appetizer, main course and dessert.
Whippen can't share how she fared yet, but did say she had to work on a grill that wasn't as warmed up as she wanted it to be when the contest started. She competed against three other chefs from Des Moines, Iowa; Plymouth, Mass. and Aspen, Colo.
A Food Network spokesman said mystery ingredients in the contest included a frozen daiquiri, an "odd-flavored ice cream" and birthday cake.
"In 20 minutes to cook a protein, to make a sauce, it's super challenging," she said. "You have to make the dish look good, too."
The show will air at 9 p.m. Tuesday on the Food Network. Whippen is hosting a viewing party at Southern Cut, 198 E. Delaware Place, for the occasion and guests can enter a free raffle to win some of her exclusive barbecue sauces.
