You are my Master, Chef
You may have missed it in an earlier blog, but the Master Chef series is on. Those of you who know how I feel about cooking shows will be very surprised that I have not blogged about the show or contestants the way I normally do. Why is that you think? (Or maybe you're not thinking that at all...but read on anyway!)This year, the regular heats of Master Chef have been like watching high school home economics courses. The contestants are only marginally better than those 'can of soup' cooks - You know, those people who make casseroles from cans of cream of mushroom soup, canned green beans and flavourless hygienic chicken breasts. Or people who can make whole meals from Ritz crackers, a few pimentos, spam and a can of processed cheese whiz. (no offense or anything..)
This year's contestants are generally terrible. their skill levels are below the standard of the show - truly. Judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace have to argue each night about who is the lesser of all 3 evils and therefore allowed to win the heat. One woman in heat 2 or 3 showed such promise. She did funky creative things like make a chocolate mud-pie dessert with delicate chocolate tuille biscuits and deep dark creamy chocolate pudding decorated with sugared herbs to look like grass. The taste and creativity was apparently stunning. She fell flat in her mud pie when she grilled a few slices of blood pudding for her finale and lost to two completely mediocre cooks who got points for knowing how to mash potatoes without lumps. The bar is set very low indeed.
Last week, there was a guy who wilted like a wet noodle in the professional kitchen test and admitted to John and Gregg he didn't want to go forward because he couldn't stand the kitchen work. Well, then dude...WTF are you doing entering Master Chef then? Did you misunderstand the show's purpose? Hey, if you can't stand the heat - then by all means get out of the kitchen - BUT For crying out loud - You should not be there at all - your Master Chef spot could have gone to someone who WANTS to win -and yes, wants to win the MASTER CHEF prize - which is -...wait for it..... to be a MASTER CHEF in a famous kitchen. Grr. breathe...
This week - FINALLY - there's some skill. This week is known as 'Comeback week'. Contestants who won their heats in Master Chef last year are invited to come back and try again - this week the 'comeback kids' who really ant to try again are competing against eachother. They know the Masterchef pressures, they have been through the food mill already - and they want more. These cooks are in it to win it. And they are REALLY GOOD!
This week's contestants want the title. They have practised, they have quit their day jobs to cook all day, they have cooked for friends, family and co-workers to perfect their dishes, they have struggled with improving flavour and presentation, they have done everything to improve their knowledge of food. They are passionate and it shows.
Now John and Gregg fight over every detail of every dish served - desperately trying to find some crack in their work which will help them separate the damned good from the extraordinarily excellent. Someone has to win the heat. Sadly. I wish each one of these wannabee chefs could replace the winners of the previous weekly heats.
Anyway - I am back in love with my Master Chef for the time being.
posted by Brussels Confidential @ 10:40 AM
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