In the season premiere of season 1, the chefs arrive at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. where they are greeted by the Chairman and host Alton Brown (Iron Chef America), who gives them their first two tests: Speed and Artistry.

Host Alton Brown gives the chefs their next test: Resourcefulness. Starting at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, the chefs secretly select ingredients for one another out of a harvest of wild ingredients. They are taken outdoors to a location with meager supplies and cooking equipment, where they must create a delicious meal on the fly.