Well, we move from looking back to the present.

John Rhodes spent years blending food and fitness into one mission - helping people live healthier lives.

Now, he's taking that passion to the stage with "Can You Cook," a live cooking showdown that's part culinary battle, part nutrition class, and all about celebrating local chefs, farmers, and sustainable food.

Carolina Impact's Chris Clark takes us there.

- [Chris] At Charlotte's Farmer's Market, the stalls overflow with crisp vegetable, sweet fruits, and golden eggs.

Now, people gather for something even juicier.

"Can You Cook" is a competition where culinary creativity takes center stage, as local chefs go head to head in a battle of flavors and ingenuity, - It gives the audience two different versions of recipes and meal ideas that they can use in their homes with real whole foods.

- [Chris] The rules are simple: armed with a pair of mystery ingredients, the chefs have 15 minutes to scour the market for the perfect accompaniments and 45 minutes to turn their finds into a showstopping dish, all in front of a live audience, keeping the crowd engaged.

And the heat turned up is host chef Gillian Howard.

- I talk us through what the chefs have.

I introduced the ingredients to the audience.

We are sharing our recipes, and we're also sharing those cooking moments.

- [Chris] Before the intensity rises, let's meet the chefs bringing their A game to the kitchen.

First in the spotlight is Caleb Bass from Orangeburg, South Carolina, a Johnson and Wales grad with 10 years of cooking and catering experience.

Caleb's no stranger to the kitchen.

Even this season pro though, he can feel the heat when the stakes are this high.

- It's the intensity that comes with it, right?

That you don't know what ingredients are behind that basket.

You don't know what you're gonna do.

- [Chris] Facing off against him is Charlotte's own, Nehemiah Taylor, a kitchen prodigy.

Since the age of nine, Nehemiah honed his craft, teaching himself through online cooking videos.

Not just a vegan chef, but a dedicated vegan.

- Back when COVID happened, I spent a lot of time inside, a lot of time playing video games, and I noticed that I lost the ability to run.

I started exercising and switched over to veganism and I feel so much better.

- [Chris] It's a good thing he's back on his feet, because once the secret ingredients are revealed- - [Speaker] Red cabbage.

And North Carolina-grown sweet potato.

- We always like to throw a curve ball at the chef to test their creativity level.

- [Chris] They are off, as the clock ticks, minds race, and feet fly.

It's a sprint from strategy to execution.

- Mine's rolling, man.

- $10, right, $10 baskets?

- We only got 40 bucks though, so we gotta make it happen.

Do you guys have any Thai chili?

Still thinking mushrooms.

I want a meatiness.

- That's a giant piece of ginger.

Usually, larger ginger's less potent.

- We got Daniel's now.

Let's do onions, onions, onions, onions.

- We're looking for chilies.

- I think this will be great.

550, yeah, thank you.

Alright, we're gonna go back into the building C. There's definitely something I want over there.

- [Chris] As the chefs dash through the market snagging fresh ingredients, the competition spirit comes to life.

It's reflection of the vision behind the show, where the art of cooking meets the pursuit of a healthier, more inspired lifestyle, a stark contrast to the path founder Chef John Rhodes once followed.

- I would get off of work and I would go to McDonald's or Cookout or Wendy's.

I realized that I was 300 pounds.

While working in the industry while still smoking a pack a day of cigarettes, while still going to the bar after work.

- [Chris] The breaking point came from a picture that just couldn't be ignored and a flight of stairs that left him breathless.

- Saw a photo of myself that I look a little hefty, as well as me walking up a flight of steps one day and barely, by the time I got to the top of the steps, I could barely catch my breath.

And I realized like, hey, this is not the life that I wanna live.

- [Chris] During the pandemic, John turned his health around and found the motivation to help others do the same.

- I realized we live in a broken food system, and fitness industry is also broken as well.

- [Chris] Then inspiration struck, blending his passions with a bold idea.

- I said, hey, why not start a live cooking show here?

- [Chris] Thus start of the series, "Can You Cook?"

Let's check in on the chefs as they seem to be done shopping.

- We're gonna split these mushrooms.

- Oyster mushrooms, if you cook them well enough, they have a nice meaty texture.

- Gonna get this cabbage and these sweet potatoes cut up for our succotash.

We're gonna serve a steak dinner.

- [Chris] With just 45 minutes on the clock, it is all about chopping, cooking, and plating perfection.

Both Nehemiah and Caleb dive into the challenge, bringing their unique styles to the kitchen chaos.

Multitasking is the name of the game.

Knives flash, pots sizzle, and ingredients come together in controlled chaos, with chef Gillian jumping in with questions, keeping the chefs on their toes and the audience engaged.

- It's education, it's entertainment, and it's nutrition.

It's about coming and learning and sharing and growing and building.

- This is actually my first one, so kinda amazed at actually watching them cook in front of me.

But I am excited to try.

I think one of the chefs is doing like a vegan steak type of idea.

- [Chris] The sweet potatoes, cabbage, and other ingredients took on new identities in the hands of each chef.

Caleb is making a mushroom steak with a sweet potato succotash.

Nehemiah's making sweet potato medallions with braved purple cabbage, adding in ginger, garlic, and basil.

The heat from the burners mixing with the pressure of the relentless tick, tick, tick of the clock, pushing them toward the final seconds of the showdown.

When the clock hit zero, the cooking was done, but the real pressure had just started.

Now, it was time to let the dishes and the audience do the talking.

- I don't know if you saw it, but I was definitely sitting in the corner, watching their face reaction, and then getting a verbal reaction.

- I didn't feel pressured.

I felt confident when I was making, I might've cooked the potatoes a little bit extra, but they tasted good.

- [Chris] On this day, Nehemiah's dish earned in the top spot.

But the real feast was the show itself.

These two didn't just cook, they dazzled, delivering creations that left every plate spotless.

- The salt and sweet, they mix together very well.

- It was good to be around people that enjoy cooking, that enjoys food.

Makes me feel warm inside, and full.

- Food is a universal language that we all find common ground in.

- I would love for us to be able to expand to different farmer's markets.

Just really putting a face to these fruits and vegetables.

- [Chris] "Can You Cook" isn't just a competition, it's where creativity meets community.

Bold flavor, sizzling pans, and shared passions leave everyone inspired and hungry for more.

For Carolina Impact, I'm Chris Clark.