Monday, June 29, 2009

The Food Channel Brings Cooking to Life

With the seemingly endless number of channels available on most basic cable networks these days, it can be easy to get lost amidst all the chaos. With a news program here, and a children's cartoon show there, a sports program being broadcast on this network and a made-for-TV movie being rerun on that one, the choices can almost be too much. Rather than enjoy a nice hour of relaxation in front of the tube, all these channels can make for more frustration and indecisiveness than it is all worth. In the end, the point of watching TV is supposed to be for entertainment, and when all you do is flip around from station to station, never settling on anything for more than a few moments, much of the enjoyment can be lost. As a result, many TV watchers have come to have favorite channels that they seek out every time they turn on the TV. As a result, people change between a small collection of channels until they find something they want to watch; by limiting the options, you can in fact increase your level of enjoyment.

One of the more popular channels these days is the Food Network. Weather or not you are a chef, you will undoubtedly love the various shows that are produced and broadcast exclusively on this delicious station. Initially only a few shows, the network has grown to have dozens of very different and original programs. One very popular show is called Iron Chef, which acts as a sort of a game show. Each episode, two chefs are pitted in a single kitchen to face off against one another in a fast paced cooking competition. With one of the contestants already distinguished as being a master chef, the challenger is always pinned as the underdog, having to raise his game if he is to out cook a legendary cook. After an hour of battling it out in the kitchen, a distinguished panel of judges is offered a sample of each and every dish prepared. After careful and calculated deliberation, scorecards are filled out and tallied and the panel ultimately arrives at a winner, awarding one of the two culinary artists the title.

However, Iron Chef is but one reason for the Food Network's continued success. The fact of the matter is, with the network available through most every cable and satellite TV packages, everybody has the chance to enjoy the station's shows without much hassle. But maybe the most important factor into why the network has gained so many fans the past handful of year is that the shows are aesthetically mesmerizing. Watching people cook and prepare magnificent looking dishes right before your eyes is mouth-watering. In its highest quality - as most often seen on a high definition satellite TV -- the shows on the Food Network are worth watching just to get you in the mood to cook something yourself. In fact, since the network has come on the air, more and more people have taken to their kitchens and tried to replicate the simple and easy steps they have seen on the show.

In essence, it has successfully turned a television program - something people watch sitting down when they are relaxing - into a hobby, as more and more people flock to their personal stove tops and ovens in hopes of cooking up something as scrumptious as what's on TV. Just as watching sports leads children into being interested in paying sports themselves, the Food Network has caught the attention of many people recently as has brought to life hundreds of new culinary artists in the process.

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Why Chefs Must Be at the Top of Their Game These Days

I was recently speaking with a former Culinary Institute of America classmate, who is a chef and restaurant owner. We had a lively conversation about why chefs have to be at the top of their game today. Although we talked about many reasons, we ultimately settled on a short list of major forces that have made the food industry more popular, more accessible, and more transparent for everyone. Here's the top 3 forces:

The Food Network - The Food Network has done more to increase the popularity of cooking than anything or anyone since Julia Child. As a result of the Food Network, men, women, and people of every age are more interested and knowledgeable about food today. The wide range of programs and information has created a generation of restaurant guests, who are more sophisticated and more demanding than any before them.

FoodBuzz.com - Is essentially "Facebook For Foodies". This food social networking site brings together restaurant owners, gourmet retailers, professional chefs, home cooks, and everyone in between. Members share recipes, food photos, restaurant reviews, and food news. The quality food posts from some so-called "Amateurs" are one sign that the culinary bar is rising fast. (Here's a sample profile)

Yelp.com - Although Yelp.com has been a source of discontent for some restaurant owners, who have received poor and sometime unjust reviews, the website is a popular place for restaurant goers to find information about restaurants. The site is an up-to-date restaurant directory with names, locations, reviews, and a rating system. Finding out what some thought of a particular dining experience last night or a week ago can take just a few mouse clicks these days.

So, when you add The Food Network, FoodBuzz.com, and Yelp.com (Not to mention food blogs and other popular sites) together, you get restaurant guests who are more knowledgeable , connected, open, and demanding than ever. This means that "Just OK" food won't cut it anymore. As all these food information tools expand and soak-in, all of us who call ourselves Chefs, must bring our "Best Game" to the table in order to survive and thrive.

Shed Wallace is the founder of http://www.EateryCoach.com and the http://www.EateryTribe.com blog. His career highlights include culinary and food & beverage director roles with leading hospitality companies like Darden Restaurants and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. Shed is an author, speaker, and restaurant consultant. For a free strategy session email: eaterycoach@gmail.com