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MasterChef

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apskip:
This is a new FOX network series about cooking training by Gordon Ramsay. Here are the FOX press releases on it:

"MASTERCHEF" PREMIERES TUESDAY, JULY 27, ON FOX

Gordon Ramsay stars in MASTERCHEF, the new series that takes amateur chefs - many of whom simply cook as a hobby - and attempt to turn one of them into a culinary master. Contestants on MASTERCHEF will be put through the paces with various challenges as they compete head-to-head to create delicious dishes. The series will serve as a unique platform for people from all walks of life who want to follow their dream of working as a professional chef. These contestants will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to show their passion and excitement for food as their skills and palate are tested with the hopes of becoming the winner of MASTERCHEF.

Gordon Ramsay Reveals Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliot Bowles
as Fellow Judges on New Culinary Competition Series

Gordon Ramsay announced that restaurateur wine maker Joe Bastianich and four-star chef Graham Elliot Bowles will join him as judges on MASTERCHEF, premiering Tuesday, July 27 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Bastianich is a partner of Mario Batali and has established some of New York's most-celebrated restaurants, including Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca, Lupa Osteria Romana and Del Posto. Bowles is the youngest four-star chef in the U.S. and the mastermind behind Chicago's first "bistronomic" restaurant, Graham Elliot. With Ramsay at the helm of the competition, Bastianich and Bowles will coach and judge the contestants along the way.

"I'm hugely excited to have Joe and Graham join me as judges on MASTERCHEF," said Ramsay. "Both bring a phenomenal wealth of expertise and professional experience to the show."

Joe Bastianich opened his first restaurant, Becco, with his mother, Lidia, in 1993. Soon after, he partnered with Mario Batali, and together they have established some of New York's most-celebrated restaurants, including Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca, Lupa Osteria Romana, Esca, Casa Mono, Bar Jamón, Otto Enoteca Pizzeria and Del Posto. Expanding their horizons beyond Manhattan, Bastianich and Batali opened Enoteca San Marco, B&B Ristorante and Carnevino in Las Vegas and Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles. The duo also purchased a vineyard in Italy with the goal of creating the world's finest wines and olive oils. Their latest venture, a revolutionary retail food concept called Eataly, will be debuting this summer in New York. Eataly will be a resto-market featuring the best of Italy - from Italian products to Italian dining. Bastianich is an accomplished author whose passion for the culinary arts has been recognized with professional awards from Bon Appétit magazine and the James Beard Foundation.

Chef Graham Elliot Bowles is the culinary mastermind behind Chicago's first "bistronomic" restaurant, Graham Elliot, which tempers four-star cuisine with humor and accessibility. In a very short time, the 33-year-old chef has accrued accolades, including Best New Chef in 2004 from Food & Wine magazine and three James Beard Nominations. At age 27, Bowles was the youngest four-star chef in America. In May 2008, he opened the aptly named Graham Elliot, a restaurant that would not only bear his name, but become an extension of his passionate personality embodying his core principles of humility, courage, vision, respect and focus. He is also the chef/culinary ambassador for Lollapalooza, a three-day music festival, in which he cooks for bands backstage as well as oversees all of the restaurants at the Lollapalooza Chow Town.

You can look it up with major effort: Graham Elliott Bowles appeared in Top Chef Masters I and Top Chef Masters II, not making the champions round either time but finishing second in the preliminary rounds each time. Joe Bastianich has not appeared yet on Top Chef Masters, but his mother Lidia Bastianich was a guest judge for Top Chef season 4. I expect that they will be fine as judges.

On its surface the concept of MasteChef is absurd, as nobody including Gordon Ramsay can turn a novice into a Master Chef in the one month of intense instruction that the students will get. The Culinary Institute of America takes 2 years to turn novices into chefs who are not close to readiness as master chefs. That title is typically reserved for those possessing the Certified Master Chef credential. The CMC level is the highest and most demanding level of achievement of all American Culinary Foundation certification levels, granted only after the candidate has passed an intensive 8-day test of culinary skills and knowledge.  Prerequisites to register for the CMC credentialing process are a current ACF Certified Executive Chef (CEC) or Certified Culinary Educator (CCE) credential plus references from 2 CMCs. The CEC requires experience of 3 years as a Chef de Cuisine, Executive Sous Chef, Pastry Chef or chef in charge of food production in a foodservice operation including supervision of at least three full time people in the preparation of food. The CCE requires experience of a minimum 2 years as a Chef de Cuisine (chef in charge of food production in a foodservice operation supervising at least two full-time people) or two years as a working pastry chef. It is virtually impossible to go to the CIA or any other equivalent instruction full-time and also work full-time, so the effective minimum time to reach the skills and experience required just to take the CMC exam are at least 4 years. Ramsay is mocking the process by indicating that a master chef can be created in one month. It just isn't going to happen no matter how carefully he selects his novices.

However, MasterChef may still be an enjoyable summer TV program. That remains to be demonstrated. You can expect tor read about it in this thread starting late July.

I should add that BRAVO has a whole series of culinary shows in the works for the future, so the success of Hell's Kitchen, Top Chef and Top Chef Masters has spawned an entire industry of culinary competitions. We have yet to see Top Chef Juniors or Top Chef: Just Desserts. I can wait. I learned last night that Schwan's Home Service started is currently offering Top Chef—branded frozen meals for recipes seen on the show. The worst instance of this trend is Top Chef: the Game

TexasLady:

--- Quote ---However, MasterChef may still be an enjoyable summer TV program. That remains to be demonstrated. You can expect tor read about it in this thread starting late July.

I should add that BRAVO has a whole series of culinary shows in the works for the future, so the success of Hell's Kitchen, Top Chef and Top Chef Masters has spawned an entire industry of culinary competitions. We have yet to see Top Chef Juniors or Top Chef: Just Desserts. I can wait. I learned last night that Schwan's Home Service started is currently offering Top Chef—branded frozen meals for recipes seen on the show. The worst instance of this trend is Top Chef: the Game
--- End quote ---

I'm willing to give it a try.

While Central Market here in Austin has classes for children, I'm NOT ready to watch Top Chef Juniors or Top Chef: Just Desserts. (Well maybe TCDesserts...)  :lol:

ugot2bekidinmeny:
Master Chef is FOX's bite off of Chef Academy- Bravo +  Worst cooks in america- Food Network. :lol3:

apskip:
ugot2bekidnmeny,

That's nice to know, but I will wait to actually see an episode  before I conclude that it is as worthless as Chef Academy proved to be. I thought Chef Academy was a potentially interesting concept based on the pre-show-airing hype, but I agree that its actual execution proved to be dull, boring and not worth my time. I am also reminded of Chef Marco Pierre White, whose Chopping Block show on NBC was a complete waste of time.

TexasLady:

--- Quote from: apskip on June 07, 2010, 12:38:28 PM ---ugot2bekidnmeny,

That's nice to know, but I will wait to actually see an episode  before I conclude that it is as worthless as Chef Academy proved to be. I thought Chef Academy was a potentially interesting concept based on the pre-show-airing hype, but I agree that its actual execution proved to be dull, boring and not worth my time. I am also reminded of Chef Marco Pierre White, whose Chopping Block show on NBC was a complete waste of time.

--- End quote ---

I thought the same thing.  :lol:  Chopping Block was a total waste of time.  I can still see him sitting in his chair waving his pointy finger at us while uttering some inane comment.

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