Listening to that sizzling oil in the skillet, listening to that spatula flipping the battered fish or chicken in the sea of oil and seeing the other side turning as crispy golden brown, which is one of the common phrases hosts like to be claiming. The finishing touch'd always be the kiss of lemon.. to show the audience 'that' Ta-da! moment and to notify them the cooking is officially done and meal is just about to be served. Or even hosts going their knives through the bun to cut into halves, so that the skin of meat patty now facing the camera, juicy liquid bleeding from every pore tucked in the meat, was starting to tempt me.
Cooking shows were like that to me. Those types of listening and seeing were strangely comforting me.
They planted the fantasy of not only food but its pretty visual side on me.
Back in 2008, I was so into Project Runway (It was fashion designers' competition, in case if you didn't know) in Bravo channel, which shows the fierceness in fashion.
Right after, Top Chef in the same channel caught my eyes.
In my opinion, Top Chef differentiated itself from any other cooking shows existed at that time, because cooking shows, like where Ina Garten or Giada de Laurentis were in, showed people HOW TO cook, but Top Chef. showed us how ordinary contestants crave and fight for the title of Top Chef.
Later I found out that the format of Top Chef was very similar to that of Project Runway.
Even the contestants' arms across the chest while a cheerful opening music played were overlapping images I could find on both of shows.
There were always less than 20 contestants and were 4 judges including the host.
Now, here's the thing. Everyone knows that 4 is even number. If the judges vote, there'd be no crossroad upon their decision making challenges, therefore, the difficulty might fall, deciding who should be the winner.
Yes, there's a host included there, but still, I think the bravo treats and allows host to be exercising the right of choice, like what other official judges do.
So among those four judges on each show, one is always the host, usually slender and good looking female model, and coincidently they both weren't born in the U.S. The other one is the expert in that field, like an acclaimed chef or famous fashion designer. The third person is always the journalist, the one who has to say things, normally critics or magazine editors. The last one is always the guest and this changes by each episode.
***Top Chef - Padma Lakshmi(model, borned in India), Tom Colicchio (chef), Gail Simmons (food critic/food and wine magazine editor), Guest
***Project Runway - Heidi Klum (model, borned in Germany), Michael Kors (designer), Nina Garcia (fashion critic/director at elle and marie claire magazine), Guest
As you can see, the two shows were laying on different spheres, but were designed in similar formats.
And the emergence of so many similar but different programs after Top Chef were like a proof of its success.
The next food competition program.. I'd like to talk about is Chopped.
Literally, I thought Chopped was the exact clone of the Top Chef.
But as a matter of fact, the more I watched, I started to realize it wasn't.
First of all, Chopped run by episode whereas Top Chef run by season.
And the most distinguishable thing is Chopped's mystery ingredient basket. Chopped is keep brainwashing the viewers by saying that the basket may look like a picnic basket, but in fact, it's a mystery ingredient basket. But seriously, the visual is not even close to any of picnic baskets. It's the ugliest basket I've even seen. So as soon as the mystery ingredients were revealed, the contestants can rest their imaginations on a kitchen, in time limit. Some Chefs' creativeness is exceptional.. Some chefs' creativeness seemed like they shouldn't even deserve to come out in a competition.
Same mystery ingredients and same amount of time were given in Chopped.
Top Chef, however, didn't. The given conditions in Top Chef could vary among one another. The ingredients, which they're cooking, were different depends on which knives they draw in. Also, some of challenges.. they have to work in teams.. So if contestants were paired with wrong people, umm.... you don't have much options other than having readiness of mind to pack your knives and go home.
And there are even 3 judges in Chopped, the odd number.
Well, there's still the host, Ted Allen, but he totally acts as middleman and never intervene the judges' decisions, even though he himself has a lot of knowledge in food.
I liked Chopped.. Now, more than Top Chef.
Chopped gave a birth few days ago, and the child was Food Network's new series, Sweet Genius.
My grandma and I were sitting side by side and just watched it.
At certain point, my grandma started to slap my lap, like her instrument, or.. the sign of emergency.
"Ouch!" I looked at grandma once and then look at the TV and her slapping made sense to me.
The contestants mounted the stairs and finally arrived in front of the host of Sweet Genius, Ron Ben-Israel, and they all placed their food in front of Ron Ben-Israel.
I was struck by this scene. I can't still forget the feeling I got from that scene.
It was like people devoting food to the temple of the Greek Gods or something.
Ron Ben-Israel.. I don't know who is he.. and it was my first time seeing him on Sweet Genius, but I knew that Food Network placing him as host AND judge (one and only judge) was a huge mistake. There was no other judges other than him.
He.. was in charge of everything, literally. Everything he was responsible for, everything he could be blamed for the result. One judge in competition program like this. I mean, I still can't get it.
Three or other odd number of judges would be ideal. to discuss and to make a decision.
But one???
Well, people, including me, may perceive Ron Ben-Israel as Goddess of pastry or something.
His authority as judge.. is way too powerful. It's like giving all authority to this one man.
One man.. is going to decide the winner of each episode and to deliver his criticisms.
But.. aren't people, in general, have different opinions?
Trusting his intuition only was too risky.. Too risky and I don't even want to watch it.
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