Food and TV.

Joy to me is an enormous ceramic mug brimming with English breakfast tea, a whoopie pie, and Top Chef on the television. Breaking up that rich, soft cake and marshmallow filling with my fork then introducing and re-introducing it to my lips, I imagine that I'm simultaneously enjoying one of the pastries or desserts that are being prepared by maybe Malika or Zac or Yigit, my favorite for perhaps obvious reasons, on the 'Just Desserts' spinoff of the original show, which I only caught one season of in its still brief lifespan. The show, unlike my delicious treat, is far from fluffy, and far more watchable than most of those awkward televised competitions on the Food Network, save for Iron Chef. The FN has lately been fancying these types of shows, showdowns and food battles, but hasn't quite found the proper way to best tease out the drama. Chopped is drivel, as has been The Next Food Network Star. I'm not more likely to watch your program just because I watched you outlast other chefs week to week. Iron Chef on the other hand is prime food-related watching, and does an excellent job fetishizing the dishes and ingredients that are and should be the ultimate draw of such shows in the first place. Top Chef is more like a traditional competition-based reality show with a slant in food, which is what makes it so addictive. It did oust Amazing Race from its throne in the reality category at the Emmy's, followed the next year by A&E's Intervention, which is also addictive viewing for mostly the same reasons. Messed up people dealing with substances. In my case, it's messed up shirts covered in chocolate stains.

By the way, I have my money on Yigit to win Just Desserts, and not simply because he's adorable. Ever since I was a wee lad, I've had a knack for picking contestants (Bravo calls them cheftestants for this show, which is silly) who end up winning, most of the time without ever really having a specific reason. I just know how to pick 'em. I called Adrienne Curry and Yoanna House on America's Next Top Model, Fantasia Barrino on American Idol, Guy Fieri on Next Food Network Star. Maybe if Yigit wins and gets wind that my powers of cosmic persuasion on the judges won him the competition, he'll make me a whoopie pie. That would be pure joy.