El Paso’s Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack Is Competing on Food Network This Sunday
El Paso keeps showing up on national television, and this Sunday it's happening in the kitchen.
Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack, the El Paso-born cookbook author and food storyteller behind the beloved Muy Bueno brand, will appear on the brand-new Food Network competition series 100 Cooks when it premieres this Sunday, June 7 at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT. The show also streams the next day on Max and Discovery+.
Who Is El Pasoan Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack?
If you're not already following her, now is a great time to start.
Yvette was born and raised right here in El Paso, and her entire culinary identity is rooted in the flavors of the Borderland. After her grandmother passed away at 98, Yvette made it her mission to preserve the family's Northern Mexican recipes so they wouldn't disappear. That mission turned into Muy Bueno, a food media brand that has grown into three cookbooks, national press features in The New York Times, NPR, and Bloomberg, and partnerships with major food brands. She is also an Emmy-recognized producer and writer.
Her most recent cookbook, Muy Bueno Fiestas, is described as a complete journey through her El Paso upbringing. The woman carries this city with her everywhere she goes.
What Is 100 Cooks?
100 Cooks is Food Network's biggest home cook competition ever. Hosted by Terry Crews, with judges Nick DiGiovanni and Alex Guarnaschelli, the show takes 100 of the country's best home cooks through a seven-week elimination gauntlet. The last cook standing wins up to $250,000.
In the premiere episode, more than 50 cooks compete across five different challenges including a noodle dish battle, a rotisserie chicken face-off, an egg challenge, and a best party bite competition. More than 20 cooks will be sent home after the first episode alone.
Yvette is Contestant No. 6. She has already admitted that competition shows give her anxiety and that she is not a restaurant chef. She said yes anyway.
El Paso Has Already Been in This Kitchen
Yvette is not the first person to fly the Borderland flag on Food Network, either.
In 2024, Enrique Lozano, executive chef at El Paso's Ay Dios Mio, pulled off one of the more impressive stretches any local chef has had on national television. He appeared on Beat Bobby Flay in July 2024, then turned around and competed on Chopped the following week. Two Food Network appearances in the span of eight days. Lozano said it best at the time: "You don't have to leave the city to get recognized. Just do things right and people will look at you even here in El Paso."
Yvette is carrying that same energy into Sunday night.
El Paso Does This
And it is not just the kitchen. El Paso has been putting people on national competition stages across the board. Sarah Coria, KVIA 7 meteorologist and the weather voice on Iris and Grizz in the Morning, won a trip to Austria on The Price Is Right. Two El Pasoans competed on The Floor. An El Paso family brought Borderland energy to Family Feud. The city has also had representation on Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune, Let's Make a Deal, The Cube, and Cindy Balandran competed on Amazon's Beast Games earlier this year.
Something about growing up here prepares people for the bright lights. Show up for Yvette this Sunday and remind her she has a whole city behind her.
How to Watch
- What: Food Network's 100 Cooks, Season 1 Premiere
- When: Sunday, June 7 at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT
- Where: Food Network, or stream the next day on Max and Discovery+
- Follow Yvette: muybuenoblog.com | Instagram @muybuenocooking
Meet the El Paso Talent Making Waves in Broadway and Hollywood
Gallery Credit: Getty Images
El Paso Engineer Gabriel Esparza Wins First Latin Grammy Win
Gallery Credit: Courtesy: Gabriel Esparza
Taste of El Paso Year 2 Wing Competition
Gallery Credit: Grizz