What a terrible chef Geoffrey Zakarian is

Uh, not really, no. Geoffrey Zakarian is pretty much a badass chef, I have no idea why you would say that. He worked as Chef de Cuisine for Daniel Bolud at Le Circue, worked in France for Alain Passard (a highly regarded Michelin 3 star chef), and currently operates a 3 star NY Times reviewed restaurant (and had another that closed a few years ago). He's pretty much been near the top of the chef world for like 20 years. 

 

A lot of chefs that work and train in very high end fine dining type places don't like a lot of heat in their food. They think, maybe rightly so, that it blows out your palate and makes it hard to taste food after you eat spicy things. Also, if chili is used, it is most likely used near the end of the meal and in moderate amounts. 

 

Whether you agree with him or not is personal opinion, but I don't think that making blanket statements about how good of a chef he is based on the fact he doesn't like spicy food is kinda...stupid. 

 

Now, he doesn't really come off to me as a likeable person, and I understand he is involved in some pretty harsh lawsuits and whatnot, but I don't think his ability as a chef has ever been in doubt. 

Realize too that "Chopped" is staged to some degree and the judges have on a few occasions let it slip that at times they are laughing quite loudly to themselves as they react, or not, to the food being presented.

I don't watch the show much but I'd have to agree that using heat in a dish is a cop out many times.  Personally I don't like much heat in my food.  My mediterranean palette wants to taste food, not heat.  When I do taste heat I can't taste anything else.  Similarly I have an Indian friend who whenever he comes over for dinner really makes a big to do about how my food doesn't taste like anything at all to him.  He claims that there is absolutely no flavor at all in my food and douses it with chili peppers.

Zakarian is not a terrible chef by any reasonable standard. Someday is absolutely right. As a cook and chef he's a known quality -- and extremely highly regarded by people who are in a position to know. "Chopped" aside, I hear he's not a bad guy either.

Not a bad guy aside, I doubt the producers of Chopped put a lot of pressure on the judges to make them say controversial things. They use the TV magics of editing and multiple camera angles to choose which looks to use and to edit out some some repetitive comments, but what you see is probably pretty close to the way things are -- at least if you understand production -- because it's fast and cheap.

Which leaves us with some people don't like Zakarian as a "celebrity judge." I doubt he cares all that much, or that Food TV finds it a negative since the show -- like most contests -- thrives on controversy. Like Someday I have the utmost respect for Zakarian.

Further, if I were a cheftestant, I wouldn't mind having him (or Conant or Guarnaschelli) as a judge. Knowing and understanding a judge's (or anyone else's) tastes is a tremendous advantage, and I'd COOK to them. Pros don't cook for themselves they cook for customers.

On the other hand, Koukouvagia's "friend" is a jerk. Unless she's specifically inviting him over to sample and comment on her cuisine, a dinner party is not a reality show. There are things an adult should know better than to say in a social situation. Criticizing the hostess's cooking is rude.

BDL
Edited by boar_d_laze - 8/28/11 at 9:22am

+1

Thanks.  And you know my cooking is not bad!

 

 

I guess you decided to finish the bottle

 

Let's remember this is TV.. as in Not Real!!

It's not only Staged,, it's scripted.   I guess 3800. a take is worth it