Today is the last programme of "Top Chef" Spain third edition. And the feeling is that it is a programme where food is less important and the one is the show and the sellings... and they sell...
It is a programme with lots of chances to make known all what is around the cooking world, but they are showing the worse side of it.
First of all, the level of the contestants is gettong worse in after every edition. The supposed great chefs, amongst the best is chosen, seem not to be so great. Because they are inept to do basic techniques that are supposed to be known by any professional (cleaning and cutting products) and also because they are almost at a heart attack when a housewife compits with them with a recipe she is expert in... And only two contestants beat her...
It is remarkable that the programme was more interested in the "show" offered by the contestants (disdains, blows, bad treatment...) than in explaining to the audience the techniques used by chefs, didactics about kitchen tools and techniques, spreading of different gastronomies...
The trials did not help to an effective and positive spreading of gastronomy, because it was more important to make a dish while the chef was running a relay race, than cooking with leftovers, in a way cooking a dish can give some others.
And the biggest mistake in this programme is to give a patina of great gastronomy to McDonald’s: during to editions, the fast food company appears. Sincerely, contestants and jury should not commit such an heresy. How can it be possible that from McDonald’s sandwiches, the one by the chef Dani García be the second one more caloric (only behind Grand McExtreme with Bacon) and the one with more saturated fat? Sincerely, I think this partnership is quite dangerous for high cuisine… And from the programme that wants to "spread" the high cuisine, it could not be possible such a mistake.
The personal treatment, before mentioned, also was shown when it was time to treat old glories of kitchen. In this edition, Montse Estruch participated. Estruch is a Lady of kitchens who, apparently, is in a bad moment in the personal and in the professional fields. And she was allowed to participate, but for rubbing her "incompetence" by her face... At least, it was what I perceived. If they really wanted to help Estruch, they should have invited her to the programme as the centre of attention of the contestants. In honour to her career. But the guest chefs use to be the same in three editions. This is more a promotion between friends than a recognition to a career that deserve people like Estruch or Carles Gaig.
With contestants, also it is proved high cuisine is full of snobs. And as a sample of my words, it is necessary to follow the words of Sergio Bastard, the Justin Bieber of the kitchens. A cook who, in several chances, put himself over the rest of his "partners" and who has shown a big ignorance in some other more chances, like the one he said it was easier to cook a good dish with oyster than using mussels. What a stupid thing! Or, possibly, Bastard belongs to the club (cooks, critics and foodies) of the ones who think that the best products are the more expensive and strange ones...
And, at last, desserts have a sad reality in kitchen: underestimated. Because if there was no option, contestants, by themselves, did not cook a dessert. So, if you want to prove you are a good chef, you must forget the sweet area. This fact was proven when contestants had to make a cake in a final trial: both contestants failed spectacularly.
There is no doubt many people with agree with me, others will strongly disagree, another ones will add things and a fourth group will tinge my words... And everybody with reason. But, sincerely, to me, Top Chef should change its way and improve contestats selection; promote trials that allow to ckeck their skills; help to spread gastronomical techinques, cultures and products... they should make people love gastronomy instead of playing to make Gods some ones and let a side appart another sides. As for me, I know wich restaurants I must not go to: the ones of Top Chef contestants.
