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So much of life in the military requires keeping your emotions in check. After all, losing your cool in battle can mean the difference between life and death. But for Robert Irvine, former member of the British Royal Navy, that proved easier said than done in his new role as mentor to student chefs on Food Network's "All-Star Academy," which kicks off its second season Sunday, Feb. 14. "Keeping calm was definitely interesting for me," the 50-year-old chef, restaurateur and author admits with a laugh. "I'm really good under stressful situations. You know, if you're in the field and you're with a group of guys and you're doing what you do in the military, it's very different from teaching a home cook how to cook from a platform." "With teaching a home cook to cook from scratch and doing the best possible," he continues, "it's not as simple as it sounds. There is some good talent but not a lot of time to do it. And when you're training on this, it's almost training on the fly. It's training as you're doing it and you have to pick up the skills along the way as you need it, to be able to get through the next round or do the next thing. So that was definitely interesting." Season 2 of the competition series picks up with Irvine and "Bizarre Foods" host Andrew Zimmern joining returnees Curtis Stone and Alex Guarnaschelli as mentors as they try to talk their student chef teammates through the steps required to make their school-themed dishes, which will be judged a rotating cast of "guest professors" that includes Richard Blais, Haylie Duff, Katie Lee, Duff Goldman and Debi Mazar. The goal at the end of each of the eight episodes, of course, is to win the $50,000 grand prize, though there is a side objective. "Part of the journey in this series is about growth, for the mentors and for the contestants," Irvine says. "... And you never would think that people bond in a very short period of time like this. So I think it's a really cool thing to watch because you see those relationships grow over a period of time. There is a lot of emotion from both the contestants and the mentors. And I'm talking emotion and passion and feistiness and fear, disappointment, sadness – all those emotions that we feel as human beings, and you're going to see all of that in this season." BY GEORGE DICKIE What book are you currently reading? "I'm reading a book called 'Same Kind of Different as Me.' And at the same time, I'm reading a book called 'The Trident' by Jason Redman." What did you have for dinner last night? "I had noodles. It was a beef bowl with noodles and gyoza." What is your next project? "... I'm working with the Gary Sinise Foundation. We do what we call Invincible Spirit festivals for our troops where I cook for 8,000-10,000 troops at San Diego Naval Medical Center. And that's my next project after – I've got one day with the 101st Airborne in Kentucky." When was the last vacation you took, where and why? "My last vacation was in Afghanistan, and then from Afghanistan to Aruba just before Christmas. (I visited the troops) in Afghanistan and then a little vacation with my wife in Aruba." Irvine feels the heat in the kitchen on 'All-Star Academy' Page 8 February 15 - 21, 2016 Nobody Knows Our Hometown Better! • Carpet • Vinyl • Ceramic Mon.-Fri. 8-5 • Sat. 9-1 65669 US 33 East • Goshen 642-4770 TOLL FREE 1-877-642-4770 Area's Largest Selection of Remnants Large Inventory of Carpet, Laminate, Vinyl, and Luxury Vinyl Tiles! On or Off-Site Catering All Occasions Dine under the glow of gas lanterns Breakfast and Lunch Meals also available Open Tuesday through Saturday OEC Super Buffet 4024 Elkhart Rd Goshen IN 46526 Tel: 574-875-1298 Elk Lunch Monday-Friday 11am-3pm Adult $7.25 Children 2 years old $1.99 3-6 years old $3.50 7-10 years old $5.00 *Saturday Lunch $7.75 Dinner Monday-Friday 3pm-9:30 pm Adult $10.75 Children 2 years old $2.99 3-6 years old $4.50 7-10 years old $6.00 *Sunday Dinner Price ALL DAY $10.75 SENIOR DISCOUNT 10% PRICE RETIRE WORK Take Control of Your Future 64825 County Road 31 Goshen, IN 46528 1-866-764-1601 www.QualityDriveAway.com See America and Supplement Your Income!! Get Paid to Deliver Vehicles Throughout the U.S. & Canada Retiring Doesn't have to be Scary We Have Vehicles for Every License Type! Call Us Today!

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