Watch Me on Cutthroat Kitchen!


CUTTHROAT-HEADSHOT

First things first: it’s my birthday today. I’m fifty-seven. That’s right. Fifty-freekin’-seven. In my head I’m somewhere around 32. My lower back and knees and skin are not agreeing with that little trick of the mind that keeps me going and doing crazy things like Cutthroat Kitchen, but I’m doing my best to ignore all physical limitations and keep on stirring things up. So watch the hilarious outcome of such denial-oriented thinking this coming Sunday, October 6 on Food Network, 10 PM EST. (Check local listings.) Of course, I can’t tell you anything about the show or the outcome, except to say that it was NOT as much fun as my appearance on Chopped. Nevertheless it was a blast—getting flown out to L.A. for the two-day shoot‚ being put up in a swanky hotel and fed well, and mostly treated like a celebrity chef (hair! makeup!) for a brief moment in time, is no stick in the eye. I met some cool chefs and got to act all bad-ass for a day.

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Not to mention meeting Alton Brown…

CUTTHROAT--LOGO

…who is as you’d expect him to be:  a real pro at what he does…wry, intimidating, and just a little diabolical for the purposes of this show. If you haven’t seen the show yet, be ready…it’s no Chopped. It’s more menace and mayhem and less focus on the food and skill, but I suppose it makes for fun TV. The show has already been picked up for a second season, so they are doing something right, though, as a chef, I feel like it’s more “game show” than a cooking show. I think one of the reasons chefs from all over, whether at the Michelin star or backyard BBQ level, respect Chopped as a show, is because of the culinary skill exhibited from show to show and the outcome almost always seems fair…the best chef of the day usually wins. The competition is interesting because you see people rise to the level they need to in order to win, and they usually have a compelling story. With CTK, it’s a different game…in fact it’s more about the game than the food. Watch and let me know what you think by leaving a comment below this post!

CUTTHROAT-FOOTSHOT

So, with CTK behind me, where do my red Converse sneakers take me from here? I’ve got some plans that will keep me busy in the coming year. My 57th year! In a month or so I’ll open my “garage kitchen”…the culinary teaching studio I’ve been wanting to have for years. I’ll be cooking and teaching a regular schedule of classes, continuing do write here and post recipes, doing culinary and literary (more about my novel in another post!) appearances, try (of course) to get back on TV somehow (hello, Next Food Network Star!), taking photos, traveling to see my son at The French Laundry (next post!), helping my daughter finish her college applications, seeing her off to college (weep) and whatever else comes my way, including snubbing my whining back and creaky knees and insisting on acting as though I’m somewhere around 32.

 

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