food t.v.

This morning I had the privilege of staying in bed late and watching food network episodes on hulu. There is a particularly hostile attitude towards food t.v. here on campus for a variety of reasons, some reasons are justified, others are not. As for my opinion on food t.v., it was a huge inspiration to me because it exposed me to the possibilities of food. This morning was a sweet reminder of the wonder I feel when I'm around food. I want to share a realization I had this morning as I found myself annoyed with the t.v. host, but first let me explain what food t.v. does well.

The produce featured on t.v. is always of peak ripeness, I don't know how this happens or where this seemingly endless supply of perfect produce is coming from. I will admit, I think it's nice to slip away for 30 minutes into a world where apples don't grow ugly, carrots don't mold, and milk never curdles. The knives on t.v. are always wicked sharp. How do I know that? Have you seen the ease with which t.v. chefs slice through a tomato, or the perfect strings of basil that result from a "quick run through with your knife"? I always struggled way more than they do and never quite got their results when I went to replicate their recipes in my kitchen at home because I didn't have sharp knives like they did. Those thin tomato slices and wispy basil ribbons are thanks to someone who knows their way around a sharpening stone with those sexy knives. I only know this now that I sharpen my knives 2-3 times a week and I can slice a tomato super thin. The kitchen on t.v. is always spotless, and cleaniness is univerisally admirable. Their mise en place is always on point. Ingredients are all individually measured and ready to use, there is no fumbling around to peel the tomatoes while their garlic burns in the sauce pot with olive oil, as they make tomato sauce. Finally, everything always cooks perfectly. Macaroni and cheese doesn't stick to the baking dish and roasted chickens never come out pink or dry. Seeing perfectly prepared food makes me happy.

This morning, the t.v. host was making marshmallows and put the utensil covered in the marshmallow mixture right into the sink. I was immediately appalled because as a cook in a restaurant, you are constantly hearing about a little thing called "food cost". If food cost only applied to restaurants, I would be unreasonable for applying that standard to a situation outside a restaurant. The truth is, food cost applies to everyone, everywhere. It's the cost of food which includes the land and seeds used to grow produce through the cost of fuel used to transport that food to you. Those "scraps" of marshmallow on the utensil were money. So here's the realization: cooking shows are often intended for home cooks, and applying the standards/attitudes taught/practiced in a professional kitchen are often inappropriate. I would be reprimanded for washing that money in the form of marshmallow down the drain at school or in a restaurant, and could a home cook benefit from scarping that marshmallow back into the bowl? Yes. However, criticizing food t.v. based on the expectations of a professional kitchen is unreasonable, and "that's the way the cookie crumbles".