Laptop Television Mom

Well, this working mom gig I have has been keeping me from my blogging. Oh well, even I know when to walk away from the laptop (and the TV) and focus on things like dance recitals, summer camp, client meetings, and a load of laundry or two. That said, I am still a loyal watcher of The Next Food Network Star and have been joining the weekly calls to talk to the judges and eliminated contestants. Lets’s get caught up:

Drama and Divas: There’s been some drama in the show, including some fallen stars and some surprise winners. One thing I have noticed is some lost confidence and some uber-divas. So, during one of our weekly conference calls, I asked Food Network’s Vice President of programming and production Bob Tuschman how he can differ confidence from Diva-ness. Bob quickly pointed out that the two are often “flip sides of the same coin” meaning that most stars on TV and film are “charismatic and demanding.” [LTV Mom: You probably need a little of both to reach the top of your game, but appearing cocky turns me off no matter what you do for a living.]

Points for Bravery: A blogger on the call asked Bob if the contestants got “bonus points” for creating a daring dish, even if the dish was a flop. Of course, this question was in reference to the famous “jerk cabbage” that was created during a challenge in Week Three. Bob response was “ultimately not” and the contestants still have to focus on execution. We also asked what saved the chef behind the nasty dish from getting the axe, and Bob quickly replied “there was somebody worse than him.” [LTV Mom: This was the week Dzintra Dzenis went home.]

Learning from Experts: I love it when guest judges appear on the show, and on Week Three, famed chef Guy Fieri joined the cast. One blogger asked Bob what the contestants can learn from someone like Guy, and I appreciated Bob’s response when he said there is “so much to learn from Guy, he’s a model for what you can do in this competition.” Bob also said “Guy is 100 percent unapologetically Guy.” Bob recommends that aspiring celebrity chef should follow Guy’s lead and not try to imitate other people and “don’t do what you THINK a cooking show host should be. Don’t try to become a TV host, that will get you sent home.” Lastly, Bob underscored that “Guy is Guy whether the camera is on or off.” [LTV Mom: Great reminder for all of us, regardless of our profession.]

Good-bye to DAS: Week Four’s eliminated contestant was cutie-pie Darrell (DAS) Smith, who hails from the Great Midwest. As a viewer, I could see a spark of “something” in DAS, but he just couldn’t get past is nerves to shine on camera. During our conversation this week, DAS admitted that he was so stunned by the serving raw chicken to Wolfgang Punk during the first episode that he never recovered. (DAS called Puck “culinary god.” I asked DAS for his signature dish, to which he replied: “A potato crusted halibut over assorted vegetables, what ever is fresh and in-season, and a rosemary beurre-blanc sauce.” I also asked DAS what goes through his mind when he’s in the middle of cooking a dish for an elimination challenge, only to be confronted by Bobby Flay. DAS admitted that the kitchen creates a very high –pressure situation, but the contestants get to the point where we are comfortable with the judges. He added, “We are all chefs, and it’s like talking to a regular chef.” I tell you what, DAS showed more charaisma and charm on the call than he did on the show. He told stories about being on his grandma’s farm, picking fresh tomatoes, and watching her create tomato-basil soup. Now that would have been a charming story on-camera.

Dishing with Dzintra: Week Three’s eliminated contestant was the eccentric Dzintra Dzenis who famously told her challenge partner to “shhhh” while in front of the judges during an elimination challenge. Manners aside, this Texan beauty is (as my mom would say) an odd duck. Even Bob wisely called her “interestingly quirky” but her downfall is that she can appear “dazed and confused.” On the plus side, Dzintra is a great teacher and she truly loves food. Like previously eliminated contestants, I asked her signature dish, to which she replied: “A nice great big piece of beef tenderloin that’s grilled, steak fries, steamed asparagus and hollandaise sauce.” I also asked her for a favorite restaurant in her hometown of Austin, to which she replied: “Chez moi!” She added there are so many good restaurants in the area, but “I really love my cooking, my family loves my cooking, my friends love my cooking. It’s all about here. It’s home.”

Next Episode: Tune into The Food Network on Sunday night at 9 p.m. PST to watch next week’s episode, and then come back to Laptop TV Mom for another recap!

– LTV Mom