If you were unfazed by the impending loss of FX and the Fuel channel tonight, thanks to the News Corp. battle with Time Warner Cable, perhaps the prospect of losing the Food Network will be enough to get your cheeks beet red.

Especially since this Sunday's big "Super Chef Battle" episode was to feature Michelle Obama and a special White House Garden showdown between Emeril Lagasse, Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, and White House Chef Cristeta Comerford.

.biz blog has more details of the dispute between TWC and Scripps Network, which also owns HGTV and the Travel Channel. 

Add Great American Country to the list of channels that could go dark for Time Warner Cable customers at midnight.

Scripps Networks is the parent of that channel as well as the Food Network. Both channels are in a last-minute contract dispute with Time Warner Cable. Losing the Food Network would be a blow over the New Year's weekend, when the channel's fans want an alternative to football games.

This Sunday's big "Super Chef Battle" episode was to feature Michelle Obama and a special White House Garden showdown between Emeril Lagasse, left, Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, and White House Chef Cristeta Comerford.

"We are in negotiations with Time Warner as we speak," said Scripps spokeswoman Cindy McConkey. "We are not going to make any comment while we're proceeding with negotiations."

If a resolution isn't reached by midnight, Time Warner Cable has lined up replacement programming for those channels, said spokeswoman Melissa Buscher.

If you're a Guy Fieri fan, you probably already know that the Food Network star is bringing his road show to Raleigh on November 21.

What you may not know is that Quail Ridge Books & Music is giving away a pair of tickets to the event and two of Fieri's books. The drawing will be held next Tuesday, November 17. Pick up entry blanks at the store.

Duke Law student Andrew Blumberg showed off his "Simpsons" expertise on last night's "Food Network Challenge," and helped cake decorator BethAnn Goldberg earn the $10,000 grand prize.

Andrew, who was introduced on the show as being from Arlington, Texas (no Duke shout out!), was one of four Simpsons Super Fans chosen to compete along with serious cake decorators to craft the ultimate "Simpsons Mystery Cake."

Andrew and BethAnn were assigned a Bart Simpson cake, with instructions to play off the classic Simpsons episode, "Last Tap Dance in Springfield."

Second-year Duke Law student Andrew Blumberg will appear on the "Simpsons Mystery Cakes" episode of "Food Network Challenge" tonight at 8pm.

Blumberg earned a spot as one of the show's four Simpsons Superfans, and was paired with a professional cake designer to create a cake in the likeness of one of the show's main characters: Homer, Marge, Bart, or Lisa Simpson.

Extreme Sweets (9pm, Food) - Food Network host Adam Gertler (right) tries a sweet so spicy that he has to sign a waiver at a Hollywood candy shop before he can taste it. Gertler also visits Hershey, PA.

The Locator (9pm, WeTV) - A woman who has looked for her mother for nearly 15 years calls on Troy Dunn for help. After a bitter divorce, the woman left her daughter with her ex-husband and has not seen her since. 

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (10pm, NBC) - If you're like me and don't watch "L&O:SVU" on Wednesdays because it's opposite "Modern Family" and "Glee," tonight is the official catch-up night. This episode is a heavily promoted one featuring Rosie Perez as the wife of a pedophile caught abusing his son.

Austin City Limits (12 midnight, UNC-TV) - Singer-songwriters Andrew Bird and St. Vincent perform. 

Tune in to the Food Network tonight at 8:30 for the BBQ "Throwdown! with Bobby Flay" featuring the chef taking on N.C.'s own pit master Ed Mitchell.

Mitchell, in case you didn't know, works his magic at Raleigh's The Pit restaurant. Flay, in case you didn't know, works his magic at six restaurants and on several Food Network shows.

You can read Andrea Weigl's account of the visit as it was filmed here. There's a photo gallery too.

After watching the second episode of The Food Network's "The Chef Jeff Project," I had a few thoughts:

1. You can take the gangbanger off the streets, but it's hard to take the street out of the gangbanger.