Chef Roger Mooking returns to Cooking Channel with the hottest season yet of Man Fire Food, premiering Tuesday, July 14th at 8:00pm ET/5:00pm PT. The smoke signals take Roger across the country as he continues to discover the most inventive ways cooking with fire adds flavor and whole lot of heat to delicious dishes. Whether it’s cooking over an open fire, grilling over charcoal, barbecuing low and slow, or smoking in the pit, the heat is on!
Trinidadian-born Roger Mooking is no stranger to combining various influences to new and exciting culinary adventures. He is the host and co-creator of his internationally broadcast television series Everyday Exotic. His award-winning cookbook, based on the show, explores pairing ingredients from all corners of the globe with everyday meals. Mooking is also the co-host of the hit show Heat Seekers on Food Network, as well as a recurring judge on Chopped Canada. He recently opened Twist By Roger Mooking, a restaurant that incorporates global flavors into locally sourced, North American comfort food, making him a third generation restaurateur. Taking his talents outside of the kitchen, Roger released his most recent album, “Feedback Acoustic”. For this Juno award-winning recording artist, the music and epicurean world are seamless. One feeds the body, the other the soul; it is all food in all its various forms.
Episodes Include:
Premiering Tuesday, July 14th at 8:00pmET/5:00pmPT – “Pigging Out on Pork” – SEASON PREMIERE!
One of the great wonders of the barbecue world is smoked pork shoulder. First, Roger Mooking heads to Grand Rapids, Michigan to visit the Pit Stop, a barbecue take-out famous for their unconventional, yet scrumptious, sandwich called the Green Menace Wrap, filled with pork chili and pulled pork, cilantro cream and barbecue sauce. Then, it is over to the barbecue institution, Top Hat Barbecue in Blount Springs, Alabama for a classic Southern-style pork sandwich that has been served the same exact way for 50 years. Low and slow and on a bun is the best way to devour this succulent cut of meat!
Premiering Tuesday, July 21st at 8:00pmET/5:00pmPT – “Alabama BBQ”
Roger heads to the heart of The American Barbecue Belt – Alabama. He stops by the family-run restaurant serving Alabama-style ‘cue for four generations, Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur. The award-winning Pit Master Chris Lilly shows Rogers how to make their legendary smoked chicken, dunked in a unique white sauce. Next up is The Brick Pit in Mobile, where Roger meets the owner, Bill Ambrecht, who has been serving old school, Alabama-style ‘cue for 20 years. Locals and visitors from across the country stop in for the chicken and ribs, but the thing everyone talks about is the pulled pork which cooks for almost 30 hours in a smoker called “The Big Red.”
Premiering Tuesday, July 28th at 8:00pmET/5:00pmPT – “Low Country Cookouts”
Roger is in South Carolina for two spectacular low country cookouts – a traditional backyard pig pickin’, and a classic oyster roast. In the seaside town of Beaufort, Roger meets Jim Gibson who has been doing pig pickin’s for family and friends for the last 40 years. Together they build the outdoor pit, smoke a whole pig and then serve it with the traditional side of hash and rice. Then it is over to Bowen’s Island, where the only thing on the 14-acre peninsula is a restaurant that specializes in low country cooking. Roger meets the owner Robert Barber, and together they build an impressive fire to cook a massive pile of local cluster oysters.
Premiering Tuesday, August 4th at 8:00pmET/5:00pmPT – “Lone Star Load-Up”
Roger is loading up on the best brisket, pork steaks and sausages the Lone Star state has to offer. Ronnie’s BBQ in Johnson City houses an open outdoor kitchen with two barbecue pits, two pipe smokers and one giant burn barrel. Roger helps Pit Master Ronnie Weiershausen smoke brisket, pork steaks and sausages. Ronnie’s wife, Cindy, teaches Roger how they combine all three meats for a one-of-a-kind breakfast treat. Then, it is over to the Pecan Lodge restaurant in Dallas, where dynamic duo Justin and Diane Fourton smoke some of the best barbecue in town. They show Roger how to make their popular sandwich, the Pit Master, packed with brisket, pulled pork, sausages and then topped with coleslaw, jalapenos and barbecue sauce.
Premiering Tuesday, August 11th at 8:00pmET/5:00pmPT – “Meat on a Stick”
Roger visits two chefs in Texas who created the craziest cooking contraptions, and prove that everything’s bigger in Texas. Chef Johnny Hernandez designed a massive grill for his restaurant El Machito in San Antonio that takes fire and food to the extreme. Roger and Johnny skewer every meat imaginable — chickens, pork and beef sausages, racks of ribs and whole goats. Homemade salsas and warm corn tortillas complete this carnivorous spread. Next, Roger heads to Vintage Heart Farm in Stockdale to meet Chef John Russ who designed a 7-foot tree made out of stainless steel that can roast food over a wood fire. Roger and John fill the tree with quails and sausages for an outdoor feast.
Premiering Tuesday, August 18th at 8:00pmET/5:00pmPT – “Rib-A-Licious”
Roger is on the hunt for lip-smacking barbecue ribs and he found two places where the racks of meat stack up to perfection. The first is Leatha’s Bar-B-Cue Inn in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where Roger learns how to make these Southern-style ribs from Brian Jackson, a third generation pit master who continues the barbecue legacy that his grandmother Leatha created. Next, Roger heads to New York’s Hometown Bar-B-Que where Brooklyn native Billy Durney gives his ribs an ethnic spin. The Jerk Baby Back Ribs are seasoned with the earthy, spicy flavors of Jamaica, while the Sticky Korean ribs are glossed with a sweet and savory Asian glaze, and then topped with cashews and scallions. It’s a finger-licking mash-up of Texas low and slow, Jamaican Grilling and Korean-style barbecue.
Premiering Tuesday, August 25th at 8:00pmET/5:00pmPT – “Backyard Blowouts”
Roger is in Southern California for two unbelievable backyard blowouts. Roger meets Chef Ben Ford in Tarzana for a unique New England meets California-style clambake. Instead of burying their seafood feast in the ground, they use an old wine barrel as the cooking vessel for clams, mussels, crabs, artichokes, corn, potatoes and onions. Hot rocks provide the heat, while fresh seaweed helps creates steam. In Chula Vista, Roger meets Francisco “Paco” Perez for traditional Mexican barbacoa which is a whole lamb cooked in the ground, low and slow. Together they preheat an underground brick pit with a wood fire, and then season the lamb with a bright red chili marinade. The next day, they serve the barbacoa with fresh corn tortillas, and different salsas for family and friends.
Plus much more this season on Man Fire Food.
Man Fire Food is produced by IW Productions LLC.

Movie
Upcoming NTR Junior projects

Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao Jr., affectionately known as Jr NTR, has consistently enthralled audiences with his dynamic performances and versatile acting prowess. Following the successful release of “Devara: Part 1” on September 27, 2024, fans are eagerly anticipating his forthcoming projects. Here’s an overview of what’s next for this action superstar.

1. Devara: Part 2
After the resounding success of “Devara: Part 1,” which grossed over ₹466 crore globally, the sequel is highly anticipated. Director Koratala Siva has hinted that “Devara: Part 2” will be even more intense, stating that if Part 1 showcased 10% of Jr NTR’s capabilities, Part 2 will unveil the remaining 90%. Filming is slated to commence in the first half of 2026, with a targeted release by the end of that year.

2. War 2
Expanding his horizons, Jr NTR is set to make his Hindi film debut with “War 2,” directed by Ayan Mukerji. This sequel to the 2019 blockbuster “War” will see him sharing screen space with Hrithik Roshan and Kiara Advani. The film is part of the YRF Spy Universe and is scheduled for release on August 14, 2025, coinciding with the Indian Independence Day weekend.

3. NTR 31 (Tentative Title: Dragon)
In collaboration with acclaimed director Prashanth Neel, Jr NTR will star in a period drama tentatively titled “Dragon.” The film is set to delve into themes of immigration and is expected to be one of the most expensive projects for both the actor and the director. The movie is slated for a grand release on January 9, 2026.

Why Jr NTR is the Action Hero Everyone Wants to See
Jr NTR’s appeal as an action hero stems from his ability to seamlessly blend intense physicality with deep emotional resonance. His performances are characterized by a compelling screen presence, dynamic energy, and a remarkable ability to connect with audiences across diverse roles. This unique combination of skills has solidified his status as a leading figure in Indian cinema, making him the action hero everyone wants to see.
With a lineup of diverse and high-profile projects, Jr NTR continues to push cinematic boundaries and captivate audiences worldwide. His dedication to his craft and ability to reinvent himself with each role ensure that fans have much to look forward to in the coming years.
Movie
“Death of a Unicorn: A24’s Twisted Fairytale You Won’t Forget”

Headed to a wilderness retreat of a wealthy pharmaceutical CEO to hopefully land a lucrative job, widower Elliot and his reluctant daughter Ridley manage to have a car accident with a heretofore-thought creature out of legend, and hijinks ensue!
Oh this is an absolute gem of a movie y’all, brought to you by the genius minds of film production company A24, a delightful blend of horror and campy, almost idiotic, comedy. Make sure your seatbelt is buckled and let’s dive into this!
So Ridley (Jenna Ortega) is you typical teenager, angsty and missing her passed-on mother, full of acne troubles and secretly vaping while her dad Elliot (Paul Rudd) ignores her for much more than appearance purposes, while he schmoozes his way into the good graces of the family they’re going to stay with. Elliot ignores everything but his continued greed, for both money and continuous stability for him and Ridley, really, he swears, so when the misty mountains cause their electronics to go haywire and Elliot’s busy with that crisis, he doesn’t notice until it’s too late and BAM. You’ve hit an actual unicorn with your car.
Like most girls, Ridley can’t help but be fascinated by the poor mythical horse-like creature, and of course she reaches out to grasp the glowing horn, filling her head full of magic and her eyes full of stars and the cosmos, while Elliot has a much more, let’s say visceral, reaction. But rather than calling, I dunno, some sort of wildlife preserve or the cops or even considering burying the unfortunate horned horse, no, the baby is loaded like a downed stag into the back of Elliott’s car and they hurry on to the CEO’s wilderness retreat.
It makes sense that the changes to Ridley’s appearance are the first thing that allows O’Dell (Richard E. Grant) and his greedy, grasping family to understand that the body of the unicorn has healing properties. Wife Belinda (Tea Leoni) is your typical utterly vapid socialite who helps the poor downtrodden of whatever’s currently popular third world country, not for the do-gooder part of it, but for the optics. And their son Shepard (Will Poulter) is a walking poster boy for the arrogant frat boy type who could never settle on just one thing to be or do, and so he tries them all – archery, photography, mixology, music and various forms of pharmaceuticals, all while sporting these terrible fashion choices in shorts and rambling proudly about his nonexistent accomplishments. Griff (Anthony Carrigan) is the family butler and general verbal punching bag, and let us not forget the unfortunate pair of doctoral research scientists who get called in to examine the unicorn, Dr. Song (Steve Park) and Dr. Bhatia (Sunita Mani).
So we have a family of covetous types who all want to divy the unicorn up and sell its various parts for as much wealth and power as they can get, plus the pair of scientists who are flabbergasted to find themselves dissecting an actual unicorn that, hey, guess what, isn’t actually dead for really-real yet. Elliott’s trying to procure his and Ridley’s slice of the action, though honestly, his lawyerly powers of persuasion seem to be rather lacking in this regard, while Ridley is off doing some actual research on medieval unicorns and what the ancient legends in tapestries had to say about them. You know how the modern genie, with his Arabian lamp and his three wishes with their horrifically ironic consequences, actually stems from the ancient legend of that old monster, the creature born from fire that wants nothing more than to destroy all human life on Earth, the Djinn? Our modern legends and beliefs about unicorns is kinda like that.
So everyone, even our scientists with their experiments and O’Dell supposedly being an experienced animal hunter, seems to have forgotten that a horse is a mammal and therefore, has parents. And while everyone is concerning themselves with what to use the babies’ various parts for, only Ridley seems to have realized, that the babies’ sire and dam are coming for it!
We all know horses are smart, and that humans and horses can form an almost mythical bond, but when a stallion or even a dam’s ire is raised, they can attack and defend just as well as any rampaging beast, and do present a very real and dire threat. And these particular horses, with their shaggy midnight-black coats and hooves the size of monster-truck hubcaps, their fangs and absolute righteous rage at their baby being stolen, not to mention both mom and dad’s inherently magical nature, and those utterly badass war-unicorn horns, are here to wreak utter destruction and death upon the humans that would dare to eat, drink and snort, their baby!
Full of utterly ridiculous fun with human greed and the scarcely-remembered wonder of those magical creatures you heard about as a child, cheer along with the Jurassic Park-like screech of our rampaging parents to save their baby, in Death of a Unicorn, in theaters now!
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