Worst Cooks in America vs. Iron Chef America

The Food Network aired two cooking competition shows Sunday night, a special Iron Chef America and the premiere of a new series, The Worst Cooks in America. The first was fun to watch; the latter someone degrading.

Iron Chef America is a show based on a long running show, Iron Chef, which aired in Japan. The format is that two teams of skilled chefs must prepare five dishes, including a secret ingredient revealed only at the start of the show, and present them for judging in one hour. The pace is frenetic, to say the least, and anything can happen in the kitchen/battleground.

Last night's Iron Chef America pitting Food Network star and Iron Chef Bobby Flay and White House Chef Cristeta Comerford against Food Network Star and Iron Chef Mario Batali and Food Network Star Emeril Lagasse. The twist on the episode was that the "secret ingredient" was anything the chefs could carry off from the White House organic food garden. First Lady Michelle Obama greeted the competitors on the White House lawn.

The battle, with its chopping, stirring, baking, sautéing, and so on was a wonder to behold. Four professionals produced meals that one would be proud to be presented to in any five star restaurant in the world.

The format of the Worst Cooks in America is somewhat different. People were encouraged to nominate a family member or a friend as the Worst Cook in America, the idea being that a number of people would go through a "cooking boot camp" in which they either learn to cook edible meals or else be eliminated in various rounds.

It would have been better for most of these "Worst Cooks in America" to have taken a few continuing education courses in the culinary arts. The humiliation, visited upon them by their children, spouses, and no doubt former best friends by nominating them to a network show, would have been far less.

The angst and the nervousness exhibited by the contestants were almost as difficult to watch and the "meals" they produced (who boils and entire chicken??!!) It was like watching those horrible parts of American Idol, where people who clearly cannot sing get to perform and then be humiliated by Simon Cowell.

Mind, a reality show in which bad cooks get to learn to be good cooks would be interesting to watch. But one in which week after week, the losers get to slink off in shame, no doubt wondering if their family budgets could stand take out for the rest of their lives, was awful. But people, one supposes, will do anything to get on TV, even be exposed as a lousy cook in front of a national audience. For shame.

Sources: Super Chef Battle with Michelle Obama and White House Chef Cristeta Comerford, Dawn Fallik, Wall Street Journal, January 3rd, 2009

Worst Cooks in America, Food Network