On the show that brought us celebrities such as Guy Fierie and Jeff the Sandwich King, the Food Network premiered its latest season of Food Network Star - however, this time there is a twist. Foodie icons Bobby Flay, Giada de Laurentiis, and Alton Brown have formed teams of five potential food stars, and they will compete against each other as they nurture their teams and individuals toward the ultimate prize - a show on the Food Network and status as the next Food Network Star.
Clearly, coming out of tonight's two hour premiere and competition, Bobby Flay has the most talented team with the greatest potential for victory. Michelle - the spiky haired, nose-pierced, large personality - seems like an early frontrunner. And it was evident from her initial interview with Bobby when she had the banter down, the ease in front of the camera, and the ability to flat out cook. His team is skilled and confident and cool - all the qualities we'd expect from Team Bobby Flay.
Alton Brown's team was every bit as quirky as he is, and while they mostly seem to be eccentric chefs with a point of view, Alton also made the early mistake in his team choices, as his team member Christy was the first to be sent home. And, that was the right choice, for she really had no clue what she wanted to be in front of the camera. Sadly, she turned off the judges with her anger about America's poor nutritional health, but her idea - being "Fed Up" - was actually a great POV. I can just imagine a more positive and free spirited personality being able to sell America on "being fed up with poor quality food and the belief that healthy can't be delicious." She could have been the voice to say "Let's get Fed Up, America! And let's make it taste great while we do." Shame.
Giada clearly has the weakest team - and I was a little put off by her choices, as she seemed far more interested in being popular with her team than in leading them. She seemed to pick the guys that fell all over her and wooed her ... and that was a little inappropriate. Obviously, Josh almost left the show tonight, and will leave it very soon. He is rather crass and somewhat cheesy, and I believe the only reason he made the team is because he seemed cool when he jumped up on the table. Giada fell for some real cheap thrills with that one. Hopefully, other team members can pick up the slack.
One interesting point from early in the show is Alton's statement that he is looking for a teacher's view. He doesn't simply want cooks or personalities - he wants "a teacher ... someone to teach him how to cook." In his auditions, he asked the applicants to "teach him to make Bananas Foster." Truly, to be a Food Network Star, cooks have to be teachers, and they must have a teacher's view. They must, in an engaging and enthusiastic manner, present information and skills in such a way that students will feel entertained and empowered - even inspired - to undertake a task they find intimidating. That's the beauty of the Food Network Star, and that's the magic of a teacher's view.
For a more comprehensive view of the show, make sure to check out Matt's FoodNetworkGossip blog
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1 comment:
I did a recap on this as well at www.foodnetworkgossip.com.
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