Reality's Cooking!

So, here's the thing.  My little sister is on Summer break from college.  She lives with me when she's not living on the university campus.

She begged me to start watching a couple of her favorite shows with her:  Hell's Kitchen and Master Chef.  Admittedly, I didn't want to watch them.  I had no desire to see a boss - in this case Gordon Ramsay - shout obscenities at their crew; I got enough of that in retail and don't feel the slightest twinge of want to watch it happen over and over again.

Surprisingly enough, it's been oddly uplifting.


Don't get me wrong, I still don't like seeing people get verbally abused, but to see trained professionals in Hell's Kitchen burn and undercook items, gives me hope for my amateurish attempts.  I actually found myself speaking to the boneheads for not knowing what they are doing.  For example, on tonight's episode, a chef did not know the ingredients for a California Cobb Salad.  There was an example sitting not far away, and yet he added an abundance of sliced white button mushrooms that should not have been there in the first place.

Ugh!

What's crazier still, is that the menu doesn't seem to change.  Retention in these chefs is sorely lacking. Another chef had cooked scallops perfectly during one challenge and yet ever since then, she can't seem to cook a single one correctly. I don't get it.  Maybe it's the pressure of the situation, but in this instance the old cliche rings true.  "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."

Here's the Kitchenista herself!  Anna!

On Master Chef things are a bit sweeter, for the time-being.  We're just getting to know a few of the amateur chefs.  They were just whittled down to eighteen, including one very tall gentleman, a blind woman, and a single mom.  One woman in particular, touched my heart.  I found her recipe for Tarragon Beef Stuffed Onion Wrap with Shallot Vinaigrette and Horseradish Creme from this evening's episode rather intriguing.  I Googled it to see if anyone else had a similar recipe and was pleasantly surprised to find that she has a blog called "Brave Apron".  She's so adorable, and I find myself really pulling for her.  Her husband was a contestant in the beginning two stages, but sadly he didn't make it through.  He's a sweetie as well, but you could tell from the get-go that his wife was going to beat the pants off of him!

Are there any other shows I should be watching in relation to food?