I've just finished watching my first-ever episode of "Top Chef". What do I remember?
I remember somebody slipping and falling in the kitchen. I remember swamp boats; the young lady who wore very short pants, bent over at the oven; a so-called professional chef who cooled down his dashi (a Japanese broth) by putting ice **into** it rather than applying ice externally. I remember multiple gay contestants.
However, I don't remember the food. That's BAD. The first episode of a season should get its hooks into new viewers and hold the interest of fans from previous seasons with THE COOKING.
Instead, "Soiree in the Swamp" had the contestants each cooking one dish for 100+ guests, apparently with a small amount of raw materials because the ultimate portion size approximated a single spoonful. Every contestant's dish looked basically the same. Very little camera time during the episode was devoted to watching food preparation--I only remember somebody chopping up vegetables.
At the end of the show, when the three worst cooks stood before the judges, I seriously could NOT remember what they had cooked.
Perhaps the producers assume that the audience prefers to watch sensationalist aspects of a reality show rather than the substance.
ONE CRITICAL LESSON LEARNED
Before I came to this show, I read reviews comparing "Top Chef" with "MasterChef". Several people stated that they actually learned useful information from "Top Chef".
What did I learn? When one contestant cut himself, a judge asked, "When was the last time you cut yourself?" The contestant replied, "I don't remember", to which the judge said, "That's good."
My older son is a fifth-year (out of six) Med School student, **and** he also cooks in an Arab vegetarian restaurant owned by an Egyptian man. Recently, my son sliced off a nice chunk from a forefinger while chopping veggies. I was NOT happy.
Thus, the preceding dialog on "Top Chef" taught me that inexperienced chefs cut themselves, but with time, they should grow out of such self-mutilation. I'm relieved.
I remember somebody slipping and falling in the kitchen. I remember swamp boats; the young lady who wore very short pants, bent over at the oven; a so-called professional chef who cooled down his dashi (a Japanese broth) by putting ice **into** it rather than applying ice externally. I remember multiple gay contestants.
However, I don't remember the food. That's BAD. The first episode of a season should get its hooks into new viewers and hold the interest of fans from previous seasons with THE COOKING.
Instead, "Soiree in the Swamp" had the contestants each cooking one dish for 100+ guests, apparently with a small amount of raw materials because the ultimate portion size approximated a single spoonful. Every contestant's dish looked basically the same. Very little camera time during the episode was devoted to watching food preparation--I only remember somebody chopping up vegetables.
At the end of the show, when the three worst cooks stood before the judges, I seriously could NOT remember what they had cooked.
Perhaps the producers assume that the audience prefers to watch sensationalist aspects of a reality show rather than the substance.
ONE CRITICAL LESSON LEARNED
Before I came to this show, I read reviews comparing "Top Chef" with "MasterChef". Several people stated that they actually learned useful information from "Top Chef".
What did I learn? When one contestant cut himself, a judge asked, "When was the last time you cut yourself?" The contestant replied, "I don't remember", to which the judge said, "That's good."
My older son is a fifth-year (out of six) Med School student, **and** he also cooks in an Arab vegetarian restaurant owned by an Egyptian man. Recently, my son sliced off a nice chunk from a forefinger while chopping veggies. I was NOT happy.
Thus, the preceding dialog on "Top Chef" taught me that inexperienced chefs cut themselves, but with time, they should grow out of such self-mutilation. I'm relieved.