I started watching The Next Food Network Star last season and had a hard time finding someone I could like. I thought JAG had promise, but those who watched the show remember how that turned out. In the end, I chose Amy (who won and produced an awful show) over Rory, who probably would have also produced something that no one wanted to watch. Either way the Network was damned.
I couldn’t wait for the new season to start, but once it did I have noticed that again, I am finding it hard to find someone to really root for in the scheme of things. I know who I absolutely want to go home today, but I don’t know who I want to remain on the Network after the show is over. Of course, I realize that it’s just week two, so it’s hard to say that the contestants won’t grow and develop as the show wears on. I am hoping that by the end of the show I will see someone evolve into the Next Food Network Star, which is kind of the point of the entire show.
Currently, there are eight potential winners left. Of the two that have been kicked off, Cory Kahaney (the non-funny comedian) and Kevin Roberts (Mr. Food is Sexy) I can’t say that I was too sad to see them go. However, I would have gladly sent home Nipa and put up with either for an additional week.
In the case of Cory, it wasn’t that she was a comedian or that she wasn’t funny, it was that she looked like she was going for a root canal every time she was put up in a presentation situation. This uncomfortable nature would not have made for a good show and while she might have been a good cook, there is no way that viewers would be able to get past that demeanor.
Next we have Kevin. Kevin wasn’t a bad guy. His cooking point of view was just a little skewed. Crostini isn’t really sexy. Neither are some of the other foods that Kevin made. That is not to say they weren’t okay to suit the purpose. It’s just that he’s the sexy food guy and he wasn’t able to show that in a way that it hasn’t been done a million times over. It comes off boring, pushy, and unappealing in this case.
Now we have the eight that are left. This includes Lisa Garza, Nipa Bhatt, Shane Lyons, Jennifer Cochrane, Kelsey Nixon, Jeffrey Vaden, Adam Gertler, and Aaron McCargo Jr. Those are in no certain order, by the way. Some of them have their positives, and others need to find something else to do that doesn’t involve being a television, celebrity chef.
Lisa Garza
In the first week I absolutely hated Lisa. Her food point of view got on my nerves. Her attitude with the chefs got on my nerves. The whole cooking in heels thing got on my nerves. If you didn’t see the show she proclaimed how she cooked a fabulous meal in heels. I don’t remember if the meal was fabulous or not, because I’ve forgotten it already, but at the time I don’t recall jumping out of my seat. Lisa almost went home in week one. She came back in week two to win part of the challenge and to become more respectful with a better food point of view. I don’t know that I can see her winning just yet, but I definitely think she’s worth keeping around for awhile.
Nipa Bhatt
The self proclaimed spice queen is by far the worst of the bunch. In week one her curry dish wasn’t spicy. She seemed displeased by the fact that the chefs that she was feeding pointed this out. She decided to kick things up by serving something altogether too spicy (she never let us know what was in it, other than to state it was six spices) that was apparently absent of salt. If she’s the spice queen she needs to learn to work her seasonings a little better. However, it’s not even the food that gets on my nerves. It’s Nipa’s attitude.
Nipa is incredibly confident, even though she hasn’t shown skill in the least. She has not proven one thing that could show why she should have a show and yet she acts like she’s doing the Network a favor by being there. She was incredibly rude to Chef Flay and all of the others on the selection committee, and even went as far as to claim she was having trouble because she is “different” before she stormed off, only coming back to apologize. I’m seriously hoping that she doesn’t make it past week three.
Shane Lyons
Shane is the youngest of all of the Food Network hopefuls. At just 19 he already has a degree from the New York Culinary Institute. Shane used to be overweight, but learned to cook better food options and now wants to offer his knowledge to the world. I think he’s a good kid and I certainly hope he sticks around for a few weeks. I am not too sure that he can handle the pressure (he tends to become emotional and cry quite a bit) of being a Network star, but as he matures this may change.
Jennifer Cochrane
Jennifer is a single mother to a three year old and an executive chef. She wants to show the world that cooking with basic ingredients can allow for some amazing meals. She is very accessible when she talks about her daughter, which is nice. I don’t have anything major against her at this point. She hasn’t made any mistakes big enough for me to hope she gets kicked off tomorrow, but that being said, it baffles me that she is an executive chef because of some of the things that she does. I’m somewhere on the fence here, but I want her to stick around because I think she might turn out alright in the end.
Kelsey Nixon
Kelsey calls herself the “Mini Martha Stewart” though I am not sure why because she’s a lot peppier and definitely more fun. Kelsey has been involved in some cooking faux pas, but she certainly has a lot of promise as far as the contestants go. She’s incredibly happy, so much so that when she’s not over-pepping you she has quite an infectious personality that makes you want to watch her.
Jeffrey Vaden
I don’t like him. For one, he seems to think way too highly of himself. If you have to tell me how great you are, then you obviously aren’t showing me. Otherwise, I would know already. He says he does Soul Food, but his food isn’t showing that. In week one he served Deviled Eggs that were over-salted, so much so that some Chefs said they couldn’t eat them. Jeffrey agreed they were too salty, because he tasted them prior to serving, but apparently he either ran out of time and had to serve them or made no attempt to rectify the situation. The second week he did not portion his bread pudding right, so some people ended up with just crusty pieces and others missed out on the sauce that was meant to top things off. I’m hoping he goes home after Nipa.
Adam Gertler
Like Jeffrey, I am definitely not a fan of Adam. Adam has a problem with knowing when to cook something based on time limits. So far he has been a provider of raw potatoes, raw meatloaf (he had to hack it up and give bits and pieces to ensure the Chefs received some that had been cooked), and raw eggs. Despite his partners telling him he wouldn’t have time to make most of the dishes, he didn’t listen and always ended up discovering they were right. Time is of the essence and it’s necessary to respect your limitations. I can understand wanting to be able to do something or having a good idea, but if your diners have to suffer and your food ends up looking poor, then the idea isn’t as good as you thought. At this stage I can’t imagine him being a good asset to the network because he’s yet to finish a dish properly.
Aaron McCargo Jr.
I will admit that I am a fan of Aaron’s currently. His steak in week two looked awesome and he’s got a big, bold, fun personality that carries over well on television. I don’t know if he will remain a favorite or not, but I am guessing he has at least a month if not longer on the show, unless he really does something to mess up, which it currently doesn’t look like.
So, what about you? Who is your favorite and who do you wish they would hurry up and send home?
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