Priest Chef Out Cooks Renowned Chef Bobby Flay

Father Leo Patalinghug beat world-famous chef Bobby Flay in a steak fajita cook-off on the Food Network’s Throwdown! With Bobby Flay. Father Patalinghug works at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, where some of our Archdiocese of Hartford seminarians train for the priesthood. Bobby Flay visited the seminary to challenge Father in a head-to-head cooking competition.

Father's Grace Before Meals cooking show airs on Boston's Catholic TV. You can also find his show on his website, which receives 10,000 hits a day. He also penned a book with the same name as the show. Father tells the Archdiocese of Baltimore's The Catholic Review, “Having Bobby Flay challenge me to a throwdown was a complete surprise and shock. I’m a huge fan of his and the Food Network, so it was an honor just to be on the show and cook alongside of an Iron Chef.” Flay is a former altar-server.

If you missed the original episode on September 9, you still can check out Father's victory on the Food Network on Sep 20 at 11 p.m. and Sep 21 at 2 a.m. Check times here. Congrats, Father Leo!

PBS's Faith and Ethics Newsweekly just did a nice profile on Father. It is worth checking out.