Late night TV Cooking and lots of Talking

I was about to shut down my laptop to go sleep but got distracted by what was showing on television. It was the grand finale of a Untied States Cooking Competition on television, TOP CHEF. Where obviously a group of cooks participate and with every episode a cook gets “sent home” till the remaining 2 are left to battle for the grand prize. Every week they are judged by a panel made up of “the who’s who of the culinary scene” limited to the United States of course. There was a similar local one as well with the same cocktail mix for this competitive cooking show.

What makes a judge “qualified” to be able to critic a dish not prepared by him/her ??? As we all know (or should know) that out taste is greatly determined by our moods (even over expectations spoil it. However great chefs always meet pre set expectations). Scientifically, our taste receptors constantly change as a particular dish would seem fine one day and not so another. To be able to constructively critique a person’s dish would be the core factor. Not to one’s own preference but for the dish itself. Sadly, these cooking shows display the total opposite. There is a fine line to critique a dish as a judge on a cooking competition and to critique as a paying guest in a restaurant. In the end, the chefs are NOT cooking to showcase their full potential, but instead to please the judges. Is that not missing the purpose of these competitions?

However there are bravehearted chefs out there who will submit themselves to this level of judging and I truly salute them !!! I’d just tell them judges to find better ways to appear on the tele !!! Goodnight !