"Kate Connally" > wrote in message
...
> Disclaimer: I absolutely loath and despise "reality"
> shows. That being said, however, I was intrigued by the
> idea of this show so I had my aunt tape it for me since I
> don't get Food Network. I just watched the first 2 episodes
> this weekend. It's truly fascinating so see how bad anyone
> can be at cooking. The best part was the 1st episode where
> each contestant presents the chefs with an example of their
> "cooking". There was one that the guy was afraid to even taste
> after seeing it. Someone even screwed up macaroni and cheese,
> fer crisakes!
>
> The episode on knifes was quite nerve-wracking. Unbelievable
> how inept they were, for adults. I could see it if it were
> young children learning to handle a knife, but this was ridiculous.
> I mean, I didn't really expect them to do the faster-than-light
> sort of slicing that good chefs do, but they couldn't even cut
> properly at the horse-and-buggy speeds. ;-)
>
> These people are so bad, or were so bad at the beginning, that
> I wonder it they are "faking" their incompetence to make the show
> more interesting.
>
> Very entertaining for a reality show. And it makes me feel
> like a cordon bleu chef. ;-)
>
> Kate

Having my own 'worst chef' at home give me great insight into what these
people are going through. It's mostly not a matter of skill. Most people can
learn anything. Its more a matter of self confidence.

My SO never learned to cook while growing up. Her mother never cooked and
her father thought that army food was high cuisine. In her previous marriage
any attempts she made at cooking were med with scorn and derision, so this
just reinforced her phobia of even trying. She's an accomplished manager
and Actuary with an Ivy league education.

I'm seeing the same thing in most of the contestants on WC. They are more
than just ignorant of technique, they are afraid of the consequences of
trying. Of course in this case, it's warranted. The chefs of both teams kick
their butts up and down the kitchen. Not exactly positive reinforcement.

BTW, my wife is doing GREAT in the kitchen. She's graduated from grilling
and sauté and is making pies from scratch. She will now try almost anything
from a recipe and is starting to try to see what the results are when she
switches up the flavor profile a bit.

Jon
Jon