Adam Richman talks 'Food Fighters': 'It's a culinary Mortal Kombat'

Ever wondered how well your favorite home cook would stack up against a Food Network star? That’s the question at the center of NBC’s new series Food Fighters.

Hosted by Man v. Food‘s Adam Richman (who recently made news when he went on an anger-fueled Instagram rant), Food Fighters pits home cooks against professional chefs in a battle to win over a dinner party full of taste testers—think Throwdown with Bobby Flay, but with bigger prizes than just being able to say, “My dish was more popular than Bobby Flay’s!” The winning home cooks do get bragging rights, but they also win cash prizes that increase as the competition goes on.

“For me, it’s to see the home cooks get a chance to shine and get their respect in the same arena as true culinary titans,” Richman said. “I mean, there are chefs … that are legends in the industry.”

Some of those legends include Cat Cora (famous for her work on Iron Chef America) and Duff Goldman (best known for his role as executive chef at Ace of Cakes‘ Charm City Cakes). Despite the stiff competition, things aren’t going to get too brutal on the show: “It’s a culinary Mortal Kombat,” Richman said, “but with a heart.”

Food Fighters premieres Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.