Little Master Chefs
Chief Dieter
Plan Z Diet
When I was six years old I specialized in baking chocolate chip cookies. I kept up that march to greatness in cookie baking until I was in my 20’s. My more adult friends called me the local Debbie Fields. Everyone loved my chocolate chip cookies.
In my mid-twenties I bought a subscription to Bon Appetit magazine and began reading in earnest. My mother told me at six that if I could read I could cook. Turns out she was right. I became a skilled cook and began to entertain – a lot. I used to do upwards of 40 or even 50 dinner parties a year.
At ten, I was not using a bain marie or making crème brulee. I didn’t even taste my first crème brulee until I was in my 30’s and had dessert at Arnaud’s in New Orleans. I didn’t even order it myself. I was not that adventurous. A waiter had to insist I try it.
Compare that to the kids on MasterChef Junior. It’s a hit TV show on FOX. Those kids are so far ahead of anything I was doing at their age I am just astonished.
I suppose if I had grown up in a family with a foodie for a parent, I might have had some of the same experiences as these kids. I grew up in an Irish family that ate roast beef, mashed potatoes and peas. The only cookbook in the house was Betty Crocker and my mother didn’t reference it very often. She had her recipes and she was skilled at them. My father preferred simple food. Nothing should even touch on the plate; hence, meat, potatoes and a veggie. Not even a casserole.
The last episode I saw of MasterChef Junior, the kids were making crème brulee. They were also competing against each other and cooking in front of TV cameras, knowing millions would watch their efforts. I’m almost jealous of their stamina, their poise and of course their talents.
And their talents go all across the board. One week they’ll make crème brulee and maybe the next week they’ll be asked to do sushi. What 12 year old knows how to make an expert-level sushi roll or sashimi? These kids DO!
And the judges. Talk about intimidating. I know two of them by reputation. Gordon Ramsay is known across the culinary world as one of the most foul-mouthed, hard-driving chefs you could imagine. I have eaten at some of his restaurants in London and quite enjoyed his food. He’s had other shows where his “my way or the highway” reputation and expectation level come out; but that’s involved adults. With these kids he’s one of the most nurturing mentors you could ask for. He’s not mushy sweet. He still has standards but he handles those kids with kid gloves.
And Graham Elliott. He has a restaurant in Chicago. Two of them in fact. I’ve eaten at his original one. He introduced the candy-coated lamb pop to Chicago diners. I didn’t really like it, but you have to give him credit for creativity. He’s a sweetheart in the craziest white glasses you’ve ever seen. And he’s a hoot.
Watch the clip above to get a glimpse of the kind of fun these kids have as part of the show. For all the skills shown by these kids that make them look like seasoned adult chefs, they are all still, in fact, kids.
If I had a young child or a grandchild I’d be watching this show with them. This is family-oriented TV and a culinary academy combined.
I pulled this week's recipe out of my file and my trusty assistant made it for a meeting group. I love it...all over again. It is so simple to do; even a novice can handle whipping up my Plan Z Diet Fluffy No Bake Lemon Cheesecake.
Cheers,
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