Monday, July 02, 2007

Chef Competition Shows

I do not watch Survivor. I watched it in its first season and I believe I watched one other season. It was their 'all star' season of sorts. But I'm not a fan. I've never watched the show American Idol and the only person I know who was on there was the guy named Sanjaya. If they all sing like him, wow.

But I've become a fan of Top Chef and The Next Food Network Star. Part of my problem is that I like to eat and so I've come to love cooking shows. I used to be a big fan of The Frugal Gourmet years ago. He was my favorite TV minister.

Top Chef and The Next Food Network Star are quite different. The contestants on Top Chef are competing to be high level chefs in great restaurants. They don't need to have endearing personalities, but they must perform, culinary wise, in a very high level with complex recipes.

The Next Food Network Star requires people who can make very tasty, but simple food that the average person can make at home. The thing that stands out about this show is that they must cook well, but they must perform on camera at a very high level. Personality is important.

Some things have impressed me greatly.

I enjoy cooking and can be decent at it. Watching these people, on both shows, and the level that they cook at, I am very much an amateur. When I see them, especially on Top Chef and what they create, I'm dazzled. On the other show the ability to put things together quickly, on camera, wow.

A lot of these competition shows are pretty bogus to me....but this is a show where very skilled people compete with one another at very high levels. They've hooked me for sure.

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