PBS joins food TV competition series with ‘The Great American Recipe’

Judges Tiffany Derry (second from left) Graham Elliot, host Alejandra Ramos and judge Leah Cohen gather around d a contestant’s station in a scene from the competition series “The Great American Recipe.” (AP)

NEW YORK — America has perfected the stressful TV cooking competition, pitting amateur or professional chefs against each other in such high-pressure, scream-filled shows as “Chopped,” “Cutthroat Kitchen” or “Top Chef.”

PBS hopes to change that with an original food competition show, “The Great American Recipe,” which dispenses with the angst and scary knife graphics. It’s more “The Great British Baking Show” than “Hell’s Kitchen.” The series debuts at 8 p.m. June 24 on WTTW-Channel 11.