A confession. In general, we’re not big Food Network Fans. We do make an exception for Iron Chef (it always sucks us in), and we love it’s latest incarnation. Last week on the premiere of The Next Iron Chef (9pm on the Food Network, Chef Traci Des Jardins got the ax, brought down by her salmon roe dessert (ick). Read the Amateur Gourmet's unique and often hilarious take on things on his blog on the Next Iron Chef site (“We all know the whole Iron Chef universe is a fabrication, right? That the chairman is an actor? What? You didn’t know that?”). Judge Michael Ruhlman is happy with episode one; says the kitchen was so hot during filming that one of the chefs had to be hospitalized afterwards for dehydration.

Also on this week:

No Reservations is on tonight in another repeat (10pm on the Travel Channel), in which Bourdain goes to French Polynesia. Martha Stewart is on Monday through Friday at 1pm (NBC). On Wednesday, she’s got chocolatiers John Doyle and Kira Baker-Doyle. Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares is on Wednesday at 9pm (Fox). This week, Ramsay makes over The Olde Stone Mill in Tuckahoe, NY.

On Sunday After Hours with Daniel (Boulud) is on at 9:30pm on MOJO. And on PBS’ Sunday late afternoon food lineup (4-6:30pm, Channel 13), we’ve got Chef’s Story, featuring Chef Dan Barber of Blue Hill, then Complete Pépin, with an episode on lamb and veal. The Best Recipes in the World with Mark Bittman follows with an episode on steak á la fiorentina, with a guest appearance by Mario Batali. Next up is Lidia Bastianich’s Lidia’s Italy, then Daisy Cooks! With Daisy Martinez.