The Food Network, Iron Chef, Cooking, and Me

This past summer, I was introduced to the Food Network.My granddaughter had been watching "The Next Food Network Star". This show is a cooking competition with the winner receiving a series of their own on the Food Network. I was instantly hooked. It was so exciting and nerve wracking watching the chefs compete. The meals they prepared were judged on taste and presentation. And the recipes they concocted for the competitions were interesting and some seemed so easy. I thought, "Hey, I can do that!" (Well, given a written recipe, with easy to follow directions, and enough time, then MAYBE I could do that!) Most of the contestants were likeable, although I did have my favorites. When the contestants had been narrowed to four, they squared-off in an Iron Chef competition. This was the first time I had seen an episode of Iron Chef. As I said before, I was a Food Network newbie.

Now, Iron Chef is also a grueling competition. It was a popular show in Japan and began airing in the United States in 2004. It is hosted by Alton Brown with commentator Kevin Brauch, with Mark Dacascos portraying the Chairman. The regular series features established, well-known chefs of acclaimed restaurants in big cities who come to Kitchen Stadium and challenge one of the Iron Chefs. There are currently five Iron Chefs, Bobby Flay, Cat Cora, Mario Batali, Masaharu Morimoto, and the newest Chef, Michael Symond. Once the challenger has selected his opponent, the Chairman then reveals the 'Secret Ingredient'. The Secret Ingredient is certain meat, fish, vegetable or fruit, from which the competitors must prepare at least five meals. (One time it was peas, one time a huge fish, and during the week of Thanksgiving, cranberries.) Three judges then rate the dishes on originality, presentation, and taste.

I also discovered the program Top Chef, which is a cooking competition featured on the Bravo channel. Like the Next Food Network Star, this program also pits cooks from around the country in a torturous battle. Quick-fires are little tests that give the winner immunity from the elimination round. As expected, the elimination round is where one of the contestants goes bye-bye. In the elimination challenge, the chefs have to prepare one or more required dishes. The competitions are stressful to say the least. At the beginning, there are fifteen chefs making the kitchen very crowded with boisterous and aggressive personalities. This often causes tempers to flare and clashing between the cooks. At times they are divided into teams and there can be finger-pointing and blame laying for the losing team. Although the winner of Top Chef does not receive a cooking show from this competition, he or she wins $100,000 and kitchen appliances from Sears Kenmore.

I have often thought that I could be a great chef. If only I could cook! HaHa. Well, I can cook. And what I do cook is very good and delicious. (Not only my opinion!) I have cooked at fast food restaurants and small restaurants, diners and truck stops, but I don't really KNOW how. As stated above, if I have a written recipe, I can probably cook it. I have a few recipes in my repertoire that I can actually cook from memory.I passed up on taking home-ec in high school, therefore I have no knowledge of the basics of cooking. Basic sauces and syrups, doughs and the like I can make. But not without a cookbook in front of my face!

So boys and girls, take it from me, you should take at least one home-ec class and get the cooking and baking basics down. At the least, everyone will love what you make. And you never know, you could be The Next Food Network Star, Top Chef, or Iron Chef.