It's Getting Hot in the Kitchen

I think I have an addiction to cooking competition shows. Not Chopped, that one just stresses me out with it's multiple cameras flashing between contestants and angles. But Guy vs Rachel and Cupcake Wars and The Great Food Truck Race. If you make people compete with their food, I'm probably going to be interested. If the contestants are celebrities or kids? I don't even need to know the entire premise of the show, I'm already in.

I think the biggest fascination that I have with these shows is that they always seem to know what this and that are used for and the tastes that they compliment. This just amazes me because other than mac and cheese and spaghetti and meatballs, I have no earthly idea what is supposed to be paired with what. And what is with truffle oil? I couldn't even begin to tell you what the purpose of this stuff is and yet every contestant on these shows is so blase saying, "Ah yes, truffle oil goes marvelously with beef carpacio." ( I had to look up a relevant reference for that. Sadly, I don't know what beef carpacio is either.) In my world, a truffle is a delicious chocolate confection that should NEVER be paired with beef. Maybe some wine and a good book perhaps.

Or they have things I night have heard of, but would never know how to cook. Arugula and Gruyere cheese? Where would I even find those in the grocery store? What recipe would I ever have in my Betty Crocker cookbook that uses flax seed or pine nuts? Again, does it come with a map of my grocery store showing me where to find these? Is there an aisle titled "Things only found on cooking shows"?

Even if you give them regular food, they always come up with something exotic and flavorful and have the judge chefs giving rave reviews. Things that have me scratching my head and wondering if I would actually eat that combination. All the people that try the dish think it's fantastic and creative and a bold use of flavors! All I think is that my poor blue collar unsophisticated palate would probably wish it was a cheeseburger or something.

So even though I can't appreciate gourmet cuisine, I appreciate television networks who pit cooks against each other in an effort to best one another. C'mon, it's America, land of competition! As for me, I'll just munch on my movie theater microwave popcorn while these talented culinary experts wow me with foods I'd probably never eat anyway.