So I'm sitting here waiting for the finale episode of Chopped Champions. It's like the Rose Bowl for me. Or at least that's what I've been told by folks who are more familiar with sport ball.
I talked about this before about my love of these competition shows. And by watching the sheer amount of food shows that I've watched I've figured out who will likely win. Cause at any given episode whose going to win is sort of dependent on fate. Who gets cut? Who burns themselves? Drops their food accidentally? Buggers up some minor technical detail? Is the food cooked? These are all factors in the nature of the show itself.
But... at this level. When EVERYBODY there has already won once. They've all got the luck and the technique. So what's the x-factor that shows what a proper Champion is?
It's love. And baring that... it's respect. Not for the judges or the other people there, but for the ingredients that are presented in front of you. Doesn't matter what you're presented with. The finest cuts of meat? A bizarre spice from someplace you've never heard of? A handful of faintly edible cardboard? Cause I've seen it all. The quality of the ingredients is not something that you have ANY say in. You can't control that.
But what you can control is how you treat it. How you respect it regardless of what it is. That's what makes this so fascinating to watch. It's why I love these shows, why I keep watching them over and over.
I once had a friend that talked about how the food competition shows were a sign that our culture was decadent and on the way out. Hell, maybe he's right.
But I think that the love and the artistry that can be put into this food is something amazing and worth allowing to transcend into something amazing. Yes. There are starving kids in the world, and we need to feed them. But artistry, true artistry needs to be respected in all it's forms.
Which is why I keep watching these shows.
No comments:
Post a Comment