Master Chef

Recently I have been watching the episodes of Master Chef piecemeal on Hulu. I'm kind of into the show, I have to admit. I am not sure if it is the drama of it all or more the amazement to me that these home cooks--most of whom look like just average people, have such a range of cooking skill without cooking schooling (for the most part).

I could not be a master chef. I just don't have that skill set. Even if my somehow amazing made-up signature dish had gotten me in on the first round, I'd have been out during the apple slicing challenge--my cutting skills--knife or scissors have never really progressed to adult master cutting level. I really can't get even cuts throughout an entire apple. If you think, sure you can, what about all those fancy looking pies with even sliced fruits that you put here on your blog, I guarantee you that you can thank my husband for that. He cuts and cooks with precision. If the recipe calls for 1 inch chunks Joel does that even so far as to pull out a ruler. Me though? I guess what 1 inch might look like and then cut up the item every which way in sometimes one inch chunks.

But after that initial challenge things really got crazy. The usual thinks from cooking shows happen, where the contestants are given a bunch of crazy ingredients and have to make something of it. Or they're given a normal ingredient like pork butt but then they have to cook it in a measly 60 minutes. But that is not my main issue with being a contestant. My problem is that I don't know how to make anything without a recipe. Sure I can whip up a stir fry, and I might be able to recall a crepe recipe or even a batch of chocolate chip cookies--and I'm pretty sure I could make some ice cream...but that's about where I draw the line on cooking without a recipe.

In one challenge, the contestants had to make a cake. A cake? From scratch? So I understand that the cake mixes just house all the dry ingredients like baking soda, powder, flour, sugar and cocoa, but I don't know the measurements. I do not know how to make a cake from scratch, I've never really tried it to be honest. Raise your hand if you have? Could you do it again without a recipe? Do you have a signature cake? And also, in that episode not one person made a chocolate cake! Chocolate cake is the best kind of cake.

So anyway, even though I am in no way shape or form master chef material, I still like to cook for my friends and family and will keep on going. I might even try to make a cake from scratch. But next time you had me a box of live lobsters...well, I think I might give it right back.