Do you really care what Aarón Sanchez thinks of your risotto?
April 12, 2010 6:53 PM Subscribe
So, what do chefs really think about all those FoodNetwork competitions?
Whenever I happen across yet another of the endless competition shows on FoodNetwork, I find myself thinking "Who in the hell would do that to themselves?" To me, shows like Chopped really demean a chef and his/her skills (And, honestly, why a contestant hasn't taken an iron skillet across Alex Guarnaschelli's head, I really don't know.)
So, what's the scuttlebutt among working chefs out there? Would they willingly put themselves through Chopped? Would they kick Bobby Flay's ass out the door when his Throwdown crew shows up? And one for the pastry chefs...Would you really go through one of those damned FN cake competitions?
Whenever I happen across yet another of the endless competition shows on FoodNetwork, I find myself thinking "Who in the hell would do that to themselves?" To me, shows like Chopped really demean a chef and his/her skills (And, honestly, why a contestant hasn't taken an iron skillet across Alex Guarnaschelli's head, I really don't know.)
So, what's the scuttlebutt among working chefs out there? Would they willingly put themselves through Chopped? Would they kick Bobby Flay's ass out the door when his Throwdown crew shows up? And one for the pastry chefs...Would you really go through one of those damned FN cake competitions?
If I were a chef and a camera crew showed up at my restaurant - a business that may very well be on the bare edge of survival - promising me free national TV advertising, I would have a hard time saying no.
Oddly enough, I have a friend who is head chef at a local restaurant and he competed 9with other chefs) against Bobby Flay in a mock Iron Chef competition for charity. He did it willingly and with the support of the owner of his restaurant. He got to meet Bobby Flay and wasn't especially impressed with his people skills. Still, the show must go on...
posted by plinth at 7:10 PM on April 12, 2010
Oddly enough, I have a friend who is head chef at a local restaurant and he competed 9with other chefs) against Bobby Flay in a mock Iron Chef competition for charity. He did it willingly and with the support of the owner of his restaurant. He got to meet Bobby Flay and wasn't especially impressed with his people skills. Still, the show must go on...
posted by plinth at 7:10 PM on April 12, 2010
Keep in mind that every contestant thinks they will go in, win handily and dazzle the audience. Who would say no to that?
Plus any national tv, even the Food Network, turns into a big deal at the local level. Your local newspaper will do a writeup, and maybe the local news, and THAT is worth quite a lot.
posted by smackfu at 7:15 PM on April 12, 2010
Plus any national tv, even the Food Network, turns into a big deal at the local level. Your local newspaper will do a writeup, and maybe the local news, and THAT is worth quite a lot.
posted by smackfu at 7:15 PM on April 12, 2010
I wonder about all those contestants who make terrible sanitation decisions (like bleeding in the salad), and why the judges almost never "chop" them for it. These shows help populate a growing list of restaurants that I will never eat in.
posted by hammurderer at 7:22 PM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by hammurderer at 7:22 PM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
I know two chefs that have been on food network shows, and one who has his own show on a different network. It's mostly ego that drives them to do it from what I can tell, with a splash of desire for fame and riches thrown in.
Both chefs were on competition style shows, and both were the first chef eliminated in their respective shows. Before the actual competition, they were both very excited and were talking about the doors that being on this show were opening for them and how their future looked awesome. Afterwards, one chef was talking to a lawyer about trying to prevent the show he was on from airing, and the second had nothing to say whatsoever about the show, good, bad, or otherwise.
From my impressions, I think that the chefs are getting their ego fed a bit by the people trying to coax them onto the shows, maybe feeding them some false hope of their own independent show (I know this is a fact in at least one case). I also think that chefs that go for this type of thing their egos are already a bit bloated, so they couldn't fathom that they wouldn't win.
The chef that has his own show on a separate network may have indeed used his appearance on Iron Chef as a springboard to get his own show, but his strikingly good looks and the fact that he has sleeves which makes him "edgey" certainly didn't hurt him as a brand, either.
Chefs at NYC restaurants that get pegged as hot or upcoming often get approached by food network about appearing on one of their shows or another. Sometimes they do a hard sell, sometimes the owner of the restaurant pushes them to do it for the publicity.
posted by newpotato at 7:32 PM on April 12, 2010 [3 favorites]
Both chefs were on competition style shows, and both were the first chef eliminated in their respective shows. Before the actual competition, they were both very excited and were talking about the doors that being on this show were opening for them and how their future looked awesome. Afterwards, one chef was talking to a lawyer about trying to prevent the show he was on from airing, and the second had nothing to say whatsoever about the show, good, bad, or otherwise.
From my impressions, I think that the chefs are getting their ego fed a bit by the people trying to coax them onto the shows, maybe feeding them some false hope of their own independent show (I know this is a fact in at least one case). I also think that chefs that go for this type of thing their egos are already a bit bloated, so they couldn't fathom that they wouldn't win.
The chef that has his own show on a separate network may have indeed used his appearance on Iron Chef as a springboard to get his own show, but his strikingly good looks and the fact that he has sleeves which makes him "edgey" certainly didn't hurt him as a brand, either.
Chefs at NYC restaurants that get pegged as hot or upcoming often get approached by food network about appearing on one of their shows or another. Sometimes they do a hard sell, sometimes the owner of the restaurant pushes them to do it for the publicity.
posted by newpotato at 7:32 PM on April 12, 2010 [3 favorites]
but his strikingly good looks and the fact that he has sleeves which makes him "edgey" certainly didn't hurt him as a brand, either.
Really? Judging from the last season of Top Chef it seems like having 30% tattoo coverage is mandatory. Is it an elective at CIA or something?
posted by mikepop at 7:39 PM on April 12, 2010
Really? Judging from the last season of Top Chef it seems like having 30% tattoo coverage is mandatory. Is it an elective at CIA or something?
posted by mikepop at 7:39 PM on April 12, 2010
Best answer: I dated a gourmet chef for two years during a time when I was super into these cooking shows. At first he'd watch them with me, pointing out extreme ridiculousness at all levels. Then he quickly got tired of many of them, and would only watch Iron Chef or sometimes Top Chef with me. Then one day he snapped and refused to even be in the house when those shows were on. I didn't blame him, and quickly tired of it all too. They're not very interesting shows once you start seeing how mismatched every facet is with reality, over and over again.
Also, the shows are really about one thing...scrapping together something random, on your own, under a deadline, with a limited timeframe and ingredients. Cooking is so much more than that.
I want to learn about flavor profiles. The difference between baking soda and baking powder. Timing. Ratios. The order of operations. How to cut a weird vegetable. How to fix disasters. The secrets to creating a dessert menu...the chefs on these shows know all these things, but there is no way for them to share it with us. The producers think the audience is vapid, and so they spoon-feed us a bland 5-part formula of challenge, drama, competition, prize, castoff.
posted by iamkimiam at 7:41 PM on April 12, 2010 [3 favorites]
Also, the shows are really about one thing...scrapping together something random, on your own, under a deadline, with a limited timeframe and ingredients. Cooking is so much more than that.
I want to learn about flavor profiles. The difference between baking soda and baking powder. Timing. Ratios. The order of operations. How to cut a weird vegetable. How to fix disasters. The secrets to creating a dessert menu...the chefs on these shows know all these things, but there is no way for them to share it with us. The producers think the audience is vapid, and so they spoon-feed us a bland 5-part formula of challenge, drama, competition, prize, castoff.
posted by iamkimiam at 7:41 PM on April 12, 2010 [3 favorites]
unsurprisingly, anthony bourdain has an opinion about the food network. i've seen another blog/interview where he talks more about "the next food tv star" or whatever that show was.
posted by nadawi at 7:46 PM on April 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by nadawi at 7:46 PM on April 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
From what I have gathered from reading various food blogs, most shows on Food Network are considered pretty horrible by respected chefs, though Top Chef and Top Chef Masters are appreciated. Bravo seems to have capitalized on the vacuum created by FN's move towards the can't-cook-but-love-a-spectacle demographic.
posted by peacheater at 8:10 PM on April 12, 2010
posted by peacheater at 8:10 PM on April 12, 2010
Canadian celebrity chef describes his experience on Iron Chef America. He's pretty flippant about it, except when asked about being judged by soap actor Antonio Sabato Jr.
posted by synecdoche at 8:20 PM on April 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by synecdoche at 8:20 PM on April 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
You can be a great chef or you can be a great 'personality.'. But the two are mutually exclusive. There is not enough time in the day to do both.
Bourdain is exactly the same as Rachael Ray, the only thing different is the kind of person he appeals to. They both sell themselves (and not food), very well I might add.
posted by infinitefloatingbrains at 8:29 PM on April 12, 2010 [3 favorites]
Bourdain is exactly the same as Rachael Ray, the only thing different is the kind of person he appeals to. They both sell themselves (and not food), very well I might add.
posted by infinitefloatingbrains at 8:29 PM on April 12, 2010 [3 favorites]
exactly the same as Rachael Ray
Them's fightin' words.
posted by sanko at 10:13 PM on April 12, 2010 [6 favorites]
Them's fightin' words.
posted by sanko at 10:13 PM on April 12, 2010 [6 favorites]
Best answer: As a chef, I'd say most of the people I work with completely reject all the food shows out there except for Anthony Bourdain's and sometimes Top Chef. (Note that neither show is on Food Network.) I personally don't watch any of them.
But there are two kinds of chefs: those who do what they do and love it for what it is. And then there are those who want to turn themselves into a name/brand. And it's the latter who are attracted to a lot of those shows. You have to realize that none of those shows truly prove anyone's ability as a chef.
Cooking is all about knowledge, creativity, skill, and repetition. TV shows never show you the repetition. And when the judges on the shows are "food writers" or other celebrities, it eliminates any credibility. Tom Colicchio is the only thing that keeps Top Chef from becoming entirely ridiculous.
General rule-of-thumb: if it's on Food Network, chefs don't watch it.
posted by BradNelson at 10:16 PM on April 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
But there are two kinds of chefs: those who do what they do and love it for what it is. And then there are those who want to turn themselves into a name/brand. And it's the latter who are attracted to a lot of those shows. You have to realize that none of those shows truly prove anyone's ability as a chef.
Cooking is all about knowledge, creativity, skill, and repetition. TV shows never show you the repetition. And when the judges on the shows are "food writers" or other celebrities, it eliminates any credibility. Tom Colicchio is the only thing that keeps Top Chef from becoming entirely ridiculous.
General rule-of-thumb: if it's on Food Network, chefs don't watch it.
posted by BradNelson at 10:16 PM on April 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
I don't think Bourdain really considers himself a great chef. If I recall correctly, he's usually pretty upfront about how much more talented other chefs are. He just happens to be pretty funny and engaging as a bonus.
posted by Ghidorah at 3:17 AM on April 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Ghidorah at 3:17 AM on April 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
Mitchell and Webb on Kitchen Nightmares.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 5:23 AM on April 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by robocop is bleeding at 5:23 AM on April 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
Agreed, Ghidorah. Bourdain seems to consider himself a writer who once worked as a chef.
posted by JoanArkham at 6:17 AM on April 13, 2010
posted by JoanArkham at 6:17 AM on April 13, 2010
We had an edible book festival/contest, here in Seattle, to raise money for some local group, and at least two pro bakers entered items, competing against amateurs and kids, so I think some of them just like the challenges for the fun of baking.
posted by nomisxid at 7:36 AM on April 13, 2010
posted by nomisxid at 7:36 AM on April 13, 2010
BradNelson's got it. I'm a former chef and pastry chef (former because I left the restaurant industry but not the field). The last two or three seasons of Top Chef have had really high-quality contestants (along with the ones who are useless). I watch some of the Challenge pastry competitions with my kids because I think the creations they come up with are fascinating, though I would never, ever participate, and my kids like them.
I love Alton Brown, but other than his show, I don't watch the Food Network. Rachael Ray makes me stabby with rage, I cannot believe Sandra Lee has a show where she gets paid for doing stuff with canned goods and table decorations, and the other shows have no interest for me. I do realize the network isn't a vehicle for professional chefs, per se, but it does annoy me, as a whole.
posted by cooker girl at 8:57 AM on April 13, 2010
I love Alton Brown, but other than his show, I don't watch the Food Network. Rachael Ray makes me stabby with rage, I cannot believe Sandra Lee has a show where she gets paid for doing stuff with canned goods and table decorations, and the other shows have no interest for me. I do realize the network isn't a vehicle for professional chefs, per se, but it does annoy me, as a whole.
posted by cooker girl at 8:57 AM on April 13, 2010
Ever since I discovered WETA Create I havent even bothered with Food Network at all, there is nothing useful or compelling on that channel whatsoever.
Viva Jaques!
Viva Julia!
Also Bourdain is an entertaining tool, but I think he is well aware of that so I cant really hold it against him as much as I would like to.
posted by BobbyDigital at 10:14 AM on April 13, 2010
Viva Jaques!
Viva Julia!
Also Bourdain is an entertaining tool, but I think he is well aware of that so I cant really hold it against him as much as I would like to.
posted by BobbyDigital at 10:14 AM on April 13, 2010
One of my wife's co-workers went on Chopped. He thought there was a good chance he'd win, but figured that even if he lost, his appearance on the show would help raise awareness of his budding freelance business, and give him a bit of cachet with potential customers. I suspect it was also a nice boost for his ego. He didn't win. But it has helped him attract business.
posted by zarq at 1:05 PM on April 13, 2010
posted by zarq at 1:05 PM on April 13, 2010
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