Is There Hope for People Who Can't Cook?

Last night I saw the premiere of a new cooking show Worst Cooks in America (10 p.m. Sunday on the Food Network). The premise of the show is simple: round up some really bad cooks (24 total) and the worst of the worst will then be part of a ten-day culinary boot camp lead by two chefs.

The first thing the 24 contestants did was prepare their signature dishes. What the contestants made was, well, horrible. Of course I couldn't smell or taste them (thank goodness!), but seeing them was less than appealing. As I was watching, I kept wondering, "Oh come on, no one can be that bad a cook!" Apparently, I was wrong.

I was struck with the motivation of the contestants to be on this reality show. After all, they will be exposed as inept in the kitchen. But several of the cooks talked about a desire to learn how to cook for their families, or their friends, or even themselves. Most see this experience as an opportunity to become good cooks.

The show is an inspiration to me to continue with the Celebrate Every Day project. The 24 people who agreed to be on are not the only people who doubt their culinary ability. If even one person overcomes their uncertainty and starts to prepare meals to nourish both body and soul through this blog, it will be worth it!

Some tips to help get started:

Taste what you're cooking -- the chefs on the premiere episode echoed this tip I shared in an earlier blog post.

Don't be a afraid; you can do this -- Really, you can. I will do what I can to help. Browse through past posts for recipes and tips. And keep coming back for more. I promise to post at least twice a week.