COOKING CHANNEL SERVES UP SOME SLICES WITH A SIDE OF ADVENTURE IN NEW SERIES "PIZZA CUZ"

Featuring Pizza Aficionados Sal Basille and Francis Garcia

Series Premiere Monday, May 6th at 9pm ET/6pm PT

NEW YORK - April 4, 2013 - Cooking Channel takes viewers along for a mouth-watering exploration of pizza across the country through the eyes and taste buds of two pizza aficionados in Pizza Cuz, premiering Monday May 6th at 9pm ET/6pm PT. Over the course of six episodes Francis Garcia and Sal Basille, owners of the growing pizza empire Artichoke Basille's Pizza in New York City, travel everywhere the smell of pizza can take them, from San Francisco to Philadelphia, Michigan to Oregon, and in their own backyard of Brooklyn, tasting and discovering everything related to pizza along the way.

Cousins and best friends, Francis Garcia and Sal Basille opened Artichoke Basille's(R) in New York City in 2008. Having gotten their hands into the business early working at their family's restaurant, Basille's in Staten Island, the boys and their pizza shop have made more than a name for themselves in Manhattan. In 2010, the cousins opened up their second Artichoke location in Chelsea, New York City, featuring sit-down dining and expanded menu items. And a third location opened to serve up the legendary slices in what was once the heart of American Bohemia, Greenwich Village on MacDougal Street. Their never-ending line of devoted fans includes the likes of Keith Richards and Momofuku's David Chang.

Episodes include:

Premiering Monday, May 6th at 9pm ET/6pm PT - SERIES PREMIERE! "Masters" Francis and Sal meet some of the top pizza masters across the country, as they travel to Portland, Oregon to devour some house-smoked bacon pizza at Apizza Scholls. And after grabbing wild nettles and sausage slices in Oakland, California, Sal and Francis head back to New York City to make their own Burrata cheese for an authentic pizza pie.

Premiering Monday, May 13th at 9pm ET/6pm PT "Neighborhoods" Francis and Sal explore some of America's most legendary neighborhood pizzerias, starting with a venture to Connecticut pizzeria Colony Grill owned by four childhood friends. In Michigan, Sal and Francis receive a lesson on the origins of the 'Detroit Sicilian' as they visit Buddy's Restaurant Pizzeria, and celebrate a 100-year anniversary in New Jersey, home of the oldest, continuously run pizzeria in the country.

Premiering Monday, May 20th at 9pm ET/6pm PT "Dough" Sal and Francis discover unique dough recipes and techniques from across the country. The guys start by making 'no-knead' dough at their Artichoke Basille's Pizzeria & Bar, then try their hands at a sourdough pizza crust in Northern California. Francis and Sal end their trip with a one-of-a-kind cornmeal deep-dish crust at Dove Vivi in Oregon.

Premiering Monday, May 27th at 9pm ET/6pm PT "Toppings" Sal and Francis find some deliciously different pizza toppings, even getting wet and dirty for some of the ingredients. Whether it's trying deep-fried slices at Forcella in Brooklyn, a simply distinctive focaccia pie at Liguria Bakery in San Francisco, or clam farming in Larkspur for a fresh clams and Sopressata combination, Francis and Sal will have their hands full with these mouthwatering toppings.

Premiering Monday, June 3rd at 9pm ET/6pm PT "Girl Power" Francis and Sal visit some of the most successful women in pizza. Starting with a tasty Spicy Jerk Chicken Pizza at Amici's Pizza in Michigan run by Jennifer Stark and Maureen McNamara. Then in Portland, Oregon, the Minnick sisters share their Salted Cod Pizza from Lovely's Fifty Fifty. And then Sal and Francis head to Philadelphia, where two mini-moguls, Valerie Safran and Marcie Turner, share a taste of their Guanciale and Truffled Farm Egg Pizza that has helped them take over an entire city block.

Premiering Monday, June 10th at 9pm ET/6pm PT "Unexpected" The cousins seek out the experimental and unconventional, as Sal and Francis enjoy Indian Tandoori Chicken Pizza at Zante in San Francisco. And if a delectable wood-fired Truffle Oil Pizza from a tiny food cart in Oregon doesn't sound appealing enough, Francis and Sal get their taste buds on a Smoked Brisket, followed by an Ice Cream topped slice, in a wacky pizza museum in Philadelphia.

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COOKING CHANNEL (www.cookingchanneltv.com) is an entertainment brand dedicated to today's passionate food lover. For food people, by food people, Cooking Channel is the answer to a growing hunger for more content devoted to food and cooking in every dimension from global cuisines to international travel, history and unconventional how-to's. Cooking Channel is part of the media portfolio of Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), which also includes Food Network (www.foodnetwork.com), HGTV (www.hgtv.com), DIY Network (www.diynetwork.com), Great American Country (www.gactv.com) and Travel Channel (www.travelchannel.com).