What would you do?

[chefpeon]

You would probably know better than I, but I think I remember hearing when I was in school that Mike McCarey did one of these shows himself?

Not just one......several!!! He won the Elvis birthday cake challenge, and the latest wedding cake challenge......he also just recently won the "Villains of Disney" challenge filmed last week. Oh, and he did a sports cake challenge where he did this cool matador holding a cake......and a cartoon cake challenge. Not only that, he's a regular judge at most of the OTHER challenges. Methinks he's almost an employee of the Food Network!!

Hey you guys, I really appreciate your words of support and telling me not to be such a wimp. And I really like that suggestion of beating up my assistant.
No! I wouldn't do that to my poor Robin! Robin rocks. She'll get me through this if anyone will. I'll be freakin' and she'll be as cool as a cucumber......

[Erik]

Originally Posted by chefpeon

Not just one......several!!! He won the Elvis birthday cake challenge, and the latest wedding cake challenge......he also just recently won the "Villains of Disney" challenge filmed last week. Oh, and he did a sports cake challenge where he did this cool matador holding a cake......and a cartoon cake challenge. Not only that, he's a regular judge at most of the OTHER challenges. Methinks he's almost an employee of the Food Network!!

Wow, now I see what I miss by not having cable

[sucrechef]

I don't know whether they would agree or not, but it can't hurt to ask. I would request from the producers a list of potential themes (like they do with the "mystery ingredient" on Iron Chef) That way you could have in mind at least one idea for each potential theme and then be able to hit the ground running when they tell you which of the themes it actually is.

[chefpeon]

Well, Kids.....it's official......
I'm in. I'm going. I may be a fool but......here goes nothin'!!!

March 16th. Denver. May the best offset spatula rule.....!

I know of at least two of the people I will be competing with:
http://www.michelledollcakes.com
and
http://www.michellebommarito.com

My goals:

• to finish my cake and have it be decent
• try not to be a dork, and
• try to enjoy the experience no matter how stressed out I get.

Hopefully if I keep my head on straight I will take lots of behind the scenes pics and write about the whole thing on my blog!!!

As for now, I gotta be doin' some preppin'!!!!

[castironchef]

Excellent!

Just remember, when Duff Goldman totally blew it on one FN competition (his fishing boat cake disintegrated), he lost but got an entire series out of it. Can't remember who won, but Duff's name (and face and laugh) is everywhere.

[chrose]

Can't wait! I'm very excited for you and look forward to seeing the competition. At the very least congratulations on even being picked!

[Frayedknot]

Congratulations, on being chosen. How flattering. What a great opportunity. Go with the plan of enjoying the event, taking it all in, enjoying the commraderie of peers that have similar talents. Put your best spatula forward.


When I compete I take the attitude of "glad to be here" and if I get the call ..hey it's icing (or fondant) on the cake.


I for one will be pulling for ya.. enjoy and best of luck.

[ducky]

Woo-hoo! You're going to be great. Don't fret too much.

[chefpeon]

Thank you thank you thank you everybody!
Your encouragement means everything to me!

I do keep thinking about Duff. He's a fun guy....no doubt!
Just goes to show, it's not whether you actually win or lose,
it's how you play the game!!!

[AprilB]

On the fly creativity is one of my fortes.

From your point of view though, it might just grease some different artistic gears in your head. Facing the beast within...your inner fears...that sort of thing...

Personally I can't see the difference between pressure of creating something spectacular for a wedding or for a challenge. Other than the time constraint and the other stipulations.

The worst thing that could happen? You won't win or you'll get that AWWWWWWWWWW when you drop it trying to get it to the table...

I'd personally love to do it given any chance.

April

[morffin]

Not to be a wet blanket or anything, as I really wish you well, but........

I wouldn't consider doing a show like this, even for the fringe benefits, because I honestly feel it is exploitative of our high level professional talents. The compensation package offered is chump change in the grand scheme of things, considering the sponsor money at stake for the networks. Does a star football player go to the pro-bowl for free? Derek Jeter dosen't get a fat check for the All-Star Game? Sells alot of beer.......or butter, in this case.

I also have a problem with my talent/work being used (for free) to furthur (or keep alive) someone else's career, kinda bothers me for some reason........just not interested. And don't forget about signing away the rights to your image, which can be used ad nauseum and non (self) edited, dependent on the contract signed. It could go on for years, and make a lot of people a lot of money, but not YOU!

sorry, I know most people don't see it that way...........have a nice time, really.......

Send us a postcard!

[chefpeon]

Originally Posted by morffin

Not to be a wet blanket or anything, as I really wish you well, but........

I wouldn't consider doing a show like this, even for the fringe benefits, because I honestly feel it is exploitative of our high level professional talents. The compensation package offered is chump change in the grand scheme of things, considering the sponsor money at stake for the networks. Does a star football player go to the pro-bowl for free? Derek Jeter dosen't get a fat check for the All-Star Game? Sells alot of beer.......or butter, in this case.

I also have a problem with my talent/work being used (for free) to furthur (or keep alive) someone else's career, kinda bothers me for some reason........just not interested. And don't forget about signing away the rights to your image, which can be used ad nauseum and non (self) edited, dependent on the contract signed. It could go on for years, and make a lot of people a lot of money, but not YOU!

sorry, I know most people don't see it that way...........have a nice time, really.......

Send us a postcard!

Actually a lot of what you say is some of what I was saying to myself as I was in the process of trying to talk myself out of it. Companies like Food Network do, in a way, trivialize our profession and tend to make it more glamorous than it is.

But on the other hand, when has it been a better time to be a chef? In the past, unless you were the type to make your own cooking show, like Graham Kerr and Julia Child, most chefs, even though talented and sometimes high profile, went largely unnoticed. Our career choice will always be somewhat unglamorous and **** hard work, no matter how good you are, but at least now, food, and careers in food are held in much higher regard than they used to be. When I was growing up in the 70's there wasn't one kid I knew who told me they wanted to grow up and be a chef. Now kids not only aspire to be chefs, there are even kids' cooking classes! I believe the quality of food, and the expectations from the public about food are much higher. That forces us to elevate our skills and our craft.....and that's a good thing, right?

Regarding exploitation, I feel I've been exploited by most of my employers by the quality and volume of work I put out vs. what I'm paid. For as hard as we work, wages are low, and if that isn't exploitation, I don't know what is!

I could turn down the whole opportunity and cry "exploitation!" and worry about how much money FN and their advertisers are making compared to me.....or.....I could participate and find that it might open a window to some new kind of path in my life......or not. I'll never know unless I go. Even if FN uses my image and makes millions and I see none of it, it makes no difference, because I'm not going to see millions of dollars anyway.....I chose this career for the enjoyment of it, not the money.

I've always concentrated on building up my resume, and being able to put a Food Network appearance on it is like sticking on a gold star. Experience and a nice resume gets you better job offers and better money......and that's all good, right? It's a heck of a lot better than blowing off a chance of a lifetime and being bitter......!

[Short St. Cakes]

wow, this whole conversation is amazing to me: first, i went to your website chefpeon and was TOTALLY blown away!!!
xo
jodi

[SGMChef]

Well, well, well! So you’re going to be on Food TV! Congratulations!!!

You have the skills and talent, I have seen your work!!!

You have the passion, I have seen your work!!!

You are humble, I see your online name as Chefpeon. Not exactly bragging to the world about how great you are!

I have to assume you don’t have a wild and outgoing personality, which accounts for your nervousness in front of a camera or a crowd. The thing going for you in this area is your ability to focus and concentrate! You won’t have time to notice the very things that make you uncomfortable! Once they turn you loose to produce, you are going to wonder where the time went!

You’ll do great, trust me!

[chefpeon]

So, after mentally psyching myself up for this personal and professional challenge, baking a boatload of cake, cleaning, sorting and packing my equipment, buying ingredients, getting my airline tickets and hotel booked, release forms signed, recipes submitted, arrangements with my employer made, I got a call from the producer of the show who told me that due to "budget cutbacks" they can only afford to have four people compete in this challenge. Since I was the "new kid" on the block and relatively "unknown", I was the first to go. So I'm out. Not going.

Mr. Producer said I was on the list for future challenges, but who knows what that really means......maybe it's true, maybe not.

To say that I'm really bummed out at this moment is a great understatement. I really was getting mentally ready for this and almost at peace with it actually. I was getting some great ideas in my head for the kinds of cakes I might be able to pull off. I really feel like the rug has been pulled from under me. I guess that's TV for you.

The good news is that I'll be able to concentrate more fully on my new job, although I'm sure my new employers will be equally bummed to find out I'm not going either....they were psyched about it.