Mariano won't unlock secret of where his new show will air

Hosting a reality show is not Rob Mariano's first inclination.

"I want to compete, because I've competed on 'Survivor' and 'The Amazing Race.' I'm an adventure junkie," Mariano said recently, when in the Twin Cities on a casting stop for "Tontine." It's a reality game show with a $10 million prize for the one holding all the keys in the end; Mariano can't divulge what network it will air on, however.

When "they talked to me about hosting a show on a major network, where you could potentially give away the biggest prize in the history of television, it became a no-brainer.

"'Tontine' is an ancient French word that dates back to the 17th century," said Mariano. "A Tontine was an investment plan a group of individuals would enter into. Over time, that fund would grow and pay annuities. Kind of like a pyramid thing." Count me out.

The show is scheduled to be taped in September. "It's a 100-day competition. They finish up right before Christmas time. It will be on the air in the spring. It is similar to 'Survivor'; it's similar to 'The Amazing Race.' It's a combination of what everybody likes about their favorite reality shows, and this combines them into a super-reality show."

There is apparently no singing or dancing in this reality show, but Mariano said it will have some "physical and mental challenges, travel elements with it being held on all seven continents; like 'The Apprentice,' it's going to have a strategic element."

Mariano said, "I hope so," with a giggle, when asked if he was getting paid anything close to $10 million to be host.

Taking a peek inside "Tontine's" lived-in armored truck, a rolling prop that gets about 8 miles to the gallon on this cross-country trip, it was hard to believe that Mr. Adventurous, who has become a celebrity in the process, was spending much time in these Spartan confines. "I catch a plane and meet them in the next city," Marino said.

Unlike most armored trucks, this one pretended to show off the cash behind glass.

"It says right in the corner, the money inside isn't real," he said pointing to the fine print. Other print stated that the money "could be yours" -- but will somebody actually win? "Somebody is definitely going to win $10 million."

So which network is going to hand over $10 million for this show?

"Nondisclosure," Mariano said.

Oh, the Nondisclosure Channel?

Mariano, who seems too laid back to host an exciting show, didn't fall for this, saying, "Not until they finish the casting."

Tafoya & 'CCO again

Word has it that "Monday Night Football" sideline reporter Michele Tafoya will do some special projects for her former employer, WCCO-TV. A WCCO staffer before she went network, Tafoya probably won't have sports-related projects.

Verbal Assault

THE QUOTE: "We'll just reduce this and then add some of that butter to give it a nice richness. Once it gets reduced down, we'll let that sit," said "Iron Chef America's" Cat Cora on Fox 9 Thursday, shortly before adding, "So once that gets reduced down, look how beautiful that is."

THE PROBLEM: There's no need to say down after using reduce or reduced, because a reduction is by definition a lessening.

I couldn't hold my tongue after hearing Cora say this twice in under two minutes, even though she got it right once. After she finished her cooking segment with anchor Alix Kendall, I politely asked Cora to promise to work on eliminating the phrase from her vocabulary.

Being quick, Cat noted that it's a phrase you hear all the time when you're around chefs.

Yes, one Saturday when I was watching hours of the "Food Network," I heard it about 20 cringing times.

While preparing a meal on Fox 9 is nothing like the pressure cooker of being on an "Iron Chef" show, Cora was still amazingly cool before going on air.

One reason may have been Joe Holmes, exec chef of Macy's catering, who did all Cora's prep and later the cleanup.

C.J. is at 612.332.TIPS or cj@startribune.com. E-mailers, please state a subject -- "Hello" doesn't count. Attachments are not opened, so don't even try. More of her attitude can be seen on Fox 9 Thursday mornings.