Worst Cooks in America: A New Perspective on Cooking and Reality Television

Food Network’s “Worst Cooks in America” gave America not only another reality show and cooking challenge, but a show about regular folks trying to succeed in an area where they obviously fall flat. Instead of great noted chefs or even trained cooks challenging each other for culinary glory, two motley groups of terrible wannabes are led by Food Network chefs. They must improve their skill and impress judges to continue in the challenge.

“Worst Cooks in America” is an interesting take on a popular reality show format, but the addition of terrible chefs, while somewhat mean-spirited, is an attention-getting hook for the show. Millions of people tune in each week, amazed at just how horrible these cooks are and marveling at the ones who excel to the finish. While many enjoy watching the fumbling during the first few episodes, they can also watch in wonder at the obvious growth and improvement the final few contestants have made over time.

Premiering its first season in 2010, “Worst Cooks in America” has seen almost every culinary disaster and mishap including burned food, dirty hands, dropped plates, and smoking pans. Watching the first few episodes could make even the most basic of trained cooks cringe as there are just so many rookie mistakes and well-meant flubs going on in one contained area.

With Food Network stars like Beau MacMillan, Robert Irvine, Bobby Flay, and repeat contender Anne Burrell, the show brings in both the chefs’ normal fan bases and new viewers looking for exciting new food challenges. These chefs share their culinary wisdom and attempt to teach the worst cooks basic preparation skills, kitchen cleanliness, and the secrets of the practice.

The seasons typically begin, of course, with a shuffling line of horrible recruits, each with their own story of a disgruntled spouse or a parent who simply can’t stand their cooking. Chefs taste the dished and choose teams. From their, each of the two head chefs take their teams and teach them basic skills such as proper knife cuts and cooking techniques.

During each episode, the completing cooks are asked to show their skills or recreate a recipe they learned. Some challenges involve cooking for family members or party guests, and some opportunities to create rather than follow directions do arise, allowing cooks to try their hand at pairing flavors and recalling the techniques and skills which they’ve learned over the course of the show without help from their lead chef. The cook that best shows their skills and has retained their lesson the best wins for the week, while the cook who shows the least improvement will be sent home. In the end, the two best cooks will each represent their team in a final challenge.

One of Food Network’s more interesting and enjoyed reality challenges, “Worst Cooks in America” is starting its third season in early 2012.


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