Alton Brown takes a closer look at the king of spices, pepper, goes in search of the perfect peppermill, and examines the peculiar (but delicious) properties of pepper's essential oils. With recipes for Black Pepper Mango Sorbet, 4-Pepper Deviled Eggs, Slow Cooker Pepper Pork Chops and Pepper Vodka.

Guy Fieri, Susan Feniger, Aarti Sequeira and Scott Conant reveal their best ever can't-miss dishes. Spicy Cajun Alfredo, creamy truffle-infused Polenta, Indian spiced Lamb Kebabs, and sweet Coconut Toast are the recipes they turn to when th

Adam Richman's at the famous Jersey Shore to try a Jersey original: Trenton-style tomato pie plus a colossal octopus-shaped ice cream sundae and the insanely spicy Ludicrous Wings Challenge at Chicken or the Egg.

It's down to the final three teams of cake artists, sugar sculptors and master food carvers, and in the first round they need to help out Santa with a very important gift... the one for Mrs. Claus! Then, in the second round, Santa has stepped out of the office, and the teams are taking over to create the ultimate Santa's Workshop! Special guest judge and candy queen Jackie Sorkin helps to determine which teams will continue to face off in the finale.

Michael Symon is challenged with the secret ingredient, eggplant.

Smoke signals lead Roger Mooking to two popular food trucks in Texas serving up delicious ethnic eats. In Grapevine, Texas, Roger meets pitmaster Trey Sanchez of Vaqueros Texas Bar-B-Q, who's known for combining authentic Texas-style barbecue with Mexican dishes. Roger and Trey season and smoke briskets for Birria Tacos and prep Cowboy Potatoes for a pop-up with hungry locals at Hop and Sting Brewing Co. The chopped brisket is served in griddled corn tortillas with melted cheese, onions and cilantro, plus beef consomme for dipping. The smoked potatoes are diced and sauteed with onions, bell peppers and salsa in a metal disco set over hot coals, and both dishes are served with Trey's signature fiery, smoky salsas. In Austin, Texas, Justin and Lakana Trubiana park their food truck DEE DEE at Radio Coffee and Beer and serve authentic northeastern Thai dishes inspired by Lakana's family recipes. Roger and Justin light coals and preheat a massive, custom-built rotisserie that can cook up to 36 whole chickens that have been brined and rubbed with a flavorful paste of Thai aromatics and seasonings to create Gai Yang. As the succulent chickens spin and cook for two hours, Roger and Lakana grill Moo Ping, thinly sliced pork marinated in a top-secret family recipe and cooked on wooden skewers. Both dishes are served with Thai sticky rice and sauces that are both sweet and spicy.

Host John Henson's best friend, Puss in Boots, checks into Hotel Henson for three cat-tastic challenges. First, the bakers will honor Puss by turning a croquembouche into "croquem-boots" before redesigning an old school dessert to represent a method of death. Finally, two bakers on dessert death row must create cat-sized cakes that display Carla Hall, Zac Young and Stephanie Boswell's last wish desserts. Cats have nine lives, but one baker is about to get the boot.

Lynn Winter opened Lynn's Paradise Cafe in the early 1990s it became known for having the best breakfast in Louisville and she has no idea that Bobby is showing up to her "Customer Appreciation Day" for a Breakfast Throwdown! Bobby's betting his Tex-Mex flair can trump Lynn's country style, but it's anyone's game until an expert judge does a blind taste test to determine who's the short-order champ.

We travel from the east coast to the west, discovering restaurants that are creating truly innovative dishes with vegetables. This isn't just about a healthy diet, it's about completely changing the way you eat your veggies.

Michael Symon meets a chef bringing the Indian street food flavors of his childhood to Asheville, N.C., with his own take on a sloppy joe that he calls a Sloppy Jai, with lamb hash and 30 Indian spices. Then, a burger spot in Seattle is serving up towers of Japanese-American fusion with katsu-style deep-fried burger patties. And finally, in Houston, Texas, Michael finds pastrami-spiced burnt ends pork belly and spicy, jalapeno-glazed lamb "pops" fresh out of the smoker.