See what show this Baldwin man joined on Food Network

Baldwin resident Denz Mooney was invited to appear on a new Food Network series with two main requirements — to be single and a bad cook.

The show, “Worst Cooks in America: Love at First Bite,” premiered last Sunday at 8 p.m. In the eight-episode season, chefs Anne Burrell and Jeff Mauro, the show’s co-hosts, lead a team of participants through culinary boot camp to transform them into skillful cooks. Mooney and his fellow participants learned how to make date-friendly dishes, with a grand prize of $25,000 awaiting the series winner.

“Before picking teams, Anne and Jeff kick off the competition by having the recruits make their signature ‘seal the deal’ meals to show off their skills, or lack thereof, in the kitchen,” according to FoodNetwork.com. “Then in the Main Dish challenge, the recruits learn how to make duck paired with a fruit sauce. After assessing everyone’s skills, Anne and Jeff reveal a unique twist when choosing their teams.”

Mooney then revealed, “This season is all about singles, where we come learning how to cook while also looking for love.”

Mooney added that participating in the romantically themed food show was really fun, and that he not only learned how to cook meals, but also made some “memorable moments.” He also said that many viewers would be able to relate to this show, as people interact with one another, learning how to navigate through various relationships.

Mooney’s brother, Dustin, actually recommended that he try out for the show. The brothers have created videos online together and are known as the “Mooney Bros.” In addition, in 2020 they appeared together in the show “Twin My Heart.”

“I told him that I will never do a dating show again,” Denz Mooney said.

Denz Mooney said that reality shows are really stressful, and he wasn’t planning on participating in another one. However, Dustin Mooney convinced him that the Food Network show would be perfect for him, telling him, “You got to do this because, one, you don’t know how to cook, but you could also go there looking for love.”

Denz Mooney said he thought the show was a fun twist on “The Dating Game,” and said, “Why not?”

“I had to do this whole audition tape where I had to make this meal and even that was a disaster,” Denz Mooney said.” So they saw me in my element in the kitchen, and a few weeks later, we filmed the show in Brooklyn.”

Denz Mooney said he thought that the boot camp he went through was stressful, comparing it to being in school and taking many notes so he can become a better cook. The boot camp lasted a week, and Denz Mooney said that he had a lot of fun doing it.

He said he was excited when the producers of the show told him that he was going to be one of the featured contestants. While on the show, he made dishes such as sushi, duck and hotdogs. He said these were dishes that he couldn’t even imagine making on his own.

“I think my favorite part, besides the cooking and getting yelled at by chef Anne Burrell and Jeff Mauro, was connecting with my cast members,” Denz Mooney said. “We all were going through this experience together. Whether it’s nerves, stress and excitement, we definitely all share a bond.”

Denz Mooney shared some of his favorite restaurants to take dates, including The Farm Italy in Huntington, Prime 39 in Lynbrook and Adventureland in Farmingdale.

“If you’re from Long Island, just have fun,” Denz Mooney said. “Some of us still live at home with their parents, and you should try to have fun while doing that because life is stressful.”