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PBS is set to launch Season 4 of The Great American Recipe, the popular home-cooking competition that continues to spotlight the stories behind each dish. This season brings together eight new home cooks from across the United States, each drawing from their regional roots and personal culinary traditions.
Alongside their cooking skills, the series emphasizes culture, family, and community — with a format designed to celebrate food and the people who make it. The Great American Recipe Season 4 premieres on Thursday, July 11, 2025, at 9/8c on PBS.
Alejandra Ramos returns as host, guiding the participants through the competition. Judges Tiffany Derry, Timothy Hollingsworth, and Francis Lam return to assess the dishes while also mentoring the contestants.
Francis Lam on The Great American Recipe Season 4
Francis Lam, returning for his second season as a judge on The Great American Recipe. He shared his perspective on the show’s emotional and cultural depth during a conversation with TV Insider on July 9, 2025. Reflecting on what he learned from Season 3, Lam said:
“The experience of The Great American Recipe really brought that to a different place and level. It was so clearly so much more as an experience, for me as a judge and hope for the viewers at home, about the wonderful people. Not just the wonderful cooks, but the wonderful people behind the dishes.”
Lam emphasized that the show is more than just a typical food competition. He said you can genuinely feel the pride contestants have when presenting their dishes.
He was also struck by how supportive the cooks were of each other—eager to learn and help one another throughout the process. While everyone wanted to win, Lam explained that their deeper motivation was the opportunity to continue sharing their personal stories through food.
The Great American Recipe Season 4 was filmed at Green Door Gourmet, a 350-acre farm and agritourism site in Nashville. The location serves as the setting where contestants prepare their signature dishes and compete across multiple rounds while forming bonds with one another.
Lam also discussed some of this season’s notable participants. Among this season's is Coby Bailey, a firefighter and veteran from Louisiana.
“He is the most Cajun person you ever laid eyes on. He is proud of his culture and Cajun cuisine,” Lam said. “You can tell he loved cooking for not only his family but also chosen family. This is a guy who cooks for his firehouse. The bond of being able to feed his brothers really means something to him.”
Lam shared that contestant Rex Alba, a physical therapist and former American Ninja Warrior competitor, channels his Filipino heritage into his cooking. Having grown up in a village in the Philippines, Rex draws on those early memories to recreate traditional dishes.
Francis Lam’s role and judging philosophy on The Great American Recipe
Francis Lam joined The Great American Recipe judging panel in Season 3 and returns in Season 4 with a deeper understanding of his role. In his July 2025 comments, Lam emphasized the unique dynamic among judges Tiffany Derry, Timothy Hollingsworth, and himself.
“Tiffany obviously is the veteran. She’s been a judge for all four seasons. Tim and I started last year, so last year we were kind of getting our feet wet and learning the ropes a bit,” Lam said.
Lam explained that each judge brings unique strengths to the table. He noted that while they focus heavily on culinary technique due to their backgrounds as accomplished restaurant chefs, he also enjoys diving into that aspect.
Lam, who went to culinary school and has restaurant experience, admitted that his own achievements don’t match theirs. However, he emphasized his enthusiasm for the technical side of cooking. Lam noted that his primary focus is to convey the taste of each dish to the viewers.
“I’m really trying to describe the dish so that the viewer can put themselves in my seat for a bit and taste it along with me so they have some sense of what it’s actually like eating the food,” he said.
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The Great American Recipe Season 4 is set to premiere on July 11, 2025, at 9 pm EST on PBS.
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