Cooking competitions have become a mainstay of reality television. But the new Disney+ series "Foodtastic" offers a unique spin on the genre.
"Foodtastic" blazes a new trail because it's not just about food - art and architecture are equally important. Add to that: actress Keke Palmer as host and as inspiration for the whole thing -- your favorite Disney movies.
Palmer taps in to all her creative talents for the new series. She doesn't just host the competition, she also acts in vignettes that introduce the themes of each round.
"All of the acting bits, I can't even tell you how fun those were to do, on top of hosting," said Palmer. "And of course, hanging out with some really amazing artists. So yeah, this was a dream for me."
"Foodtastic" is unlike other food series because it allows artists to show off their skills by making larger than life sculptures, they just happen to be made entirely of food - everything from vegetables, to butter, to chocolate and beyond.
"It was so many things that they used that they transformed food into," said Palmer. "It's like you see a cupcake, it's really made out of vegetables. They could have done a regular cupcake, but no, they went the extra mile."
Pastry chefs Amirah Kassem and Benny Rivera serve as food art experts on the series.
"There's like pairings that you never thought of to create texture. We saw a chocolate chip cookie made of ramen, smothered in peanut butter. It's cool in mixing different ingredients," said Kassem.
"They used to say to us don't play with your food," said Rivera. "But yes, you can still play with it, make it fun and make it beautiful."
Beautiful, for sure, but sadly, Keke says, it's not edible.
"Oh no you wouldn't want to eat this; this is not for tasting. This is strictly about viewing!" laughed Palmer.
"Foodtastic" is streaming now on Disney+.
Disney is the parent company of this station.