Tuesday, August 16, 2011

MasterChef Finale and Season 3 Casting

It has been a busy couple days in the world of reality cooking shows.

First we had Jeff The Sandwich King (not to be confused with Chuck The Evil Sandwich-Making Guy from Word Girl) being named the winner of Food Network Star. I'm not so sure that The Sandwich King has more legs and potential as a marketing vehicle than runner-up Susie's Spice it Up! (or whatever it was called), but Bobby Flay appeared to be the only one on the judge's panel not swooning under Jeff's spell.

I'm not sure it matters, though, as I don't think I've seen more than a handful of promos for Aarti Party or Ten Dollar Dinners over the last couple years. I love a good sandwich but not sure how many times I'll be switching off NFL pre-game coverage in order to watch TSK at 11:30 on a Sunday morning. (Especially if he's going to continue to refer to them as "sammys".)

I still haven't watched the premiere episode of The Great Food Truck Race but I have it on the DVR. Ooops. Guess I shouldn't have pulled up the show's page to get the link.

Last, but certainly not least (at least for me), comes the two-night, three-hour finale of FOX's MasterChef. I'm not 100% positive I'd tune in this show each week if it wasn't for Joe Bastianich and his captivating presence at the judge's table (witness last night's chiding of a quiver-lipped Christian and Suzie). Forget the fact that, as one wag pointed out, Joey Polka Dots looks like a villain for a B-grade 80s action flick, he makes the normally outrageous Gordon Ramsey look like a pussycat.

Who knows who will win tonight's two-hour culinary showdown? Will it be Christian (obnoxiously arrogant stay-at-home dad with a drug addict past who says the show taught him to "be myself" ... yikes!), Jennifer (toothy former beauty queen -- from Delaware -- who talks in visible exclamation points!) or Adrien (a surprisingly strong competitor who might win it all with his ability to deliver powerful flavors)?

Oh, who cares?! With two hours of Joe B on tap we're all winners!

Think you've got the stuff to make a dish that Joe won't throw in the trash? Casting is underway for Season 3!

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