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San Diego firefighter stands the heat and loves the kitchen

The heat is on. A San Diego firefighters is hitting the kitchen as a contender on a new reality TV baking competition.

SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - The heat is on. A San Diego firefighters is hitting the kitchen as a contender on a new reality TV baking competition.

"The American Baking Competition" pits amateur bakers against one another for a chance at kitchen supremacy -- and $250,000.

We met up with Jeremy Cross at Station 44 in Mira Mesa. He made us apple cranberry pie, Oreo cheesecake and his famous chocolate chip cookies, which apparently don't last long.

"The show was an experience. The show was like nothing I have ever done before," Jeremy said.

Jeremy comes from a family of cooks, but admits he wasn't really into it until he had to do it for all his coworkers as the new guy at the fire station. And they loved pretty much everything he made.

"Unfortunately they don't have as distinguished a palate as the judges so it was a little more difficult," he said.

Jeremy says the hardest part was leaving his wife and four kids for a month to film the show, but his wife understood his passion. After all, he once traded in her cool birthday present for a kitchen gadget.

"I gave up a Corvette weekend for a stand mixer," he said.

For the show, Jeremy got to cook some of his favorites, but other challenges forced him to use some crazy stuff.

"When thy just gave you ingredients, good luck. That's when you said this isn't fun anymore," he said.

And while the judges were tough, Jeremy says host Jeff Foxworthy couldn't have been nicer.

"Jeff Foxworthy is a class act, real stand-up guy," Jeremy said.

"The American Baking Competition" premieres Wednesday at 8 p.m. on CBS 8. Jeremy can't tell us how he did, but judging from his cookies, he's going to be around for awhile.

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