But the chefs who succeed on TV are the ones to keep an eye on, because the innovative flavor profiles and interesting food combinations that originate in the world of food TV are the ones that ultimately allow anyone to find their own inner chef.
Their creations are lovely on a plate and inspiring for at-home cooks, who get a chance to see trained chefs at work and can glean information to take into their own kitchens.
Especially helpful are the judges' opinions about the food, which allow viewers to learn from the experts and see what works and what doesn't.
How to bring inspiration home: When chefs on Bravo's Top Chef or Top Chef Masters use an unfamiliar item in a familiar way, use it as a springboard for going beyond the familiar at mealtime. Experimenting with food items like plantains or sea bass keeps meat-and-potatoes boredom at bay.
Make It At Home
One of the most inspiring shows is Food TV's The Best Thing I Ever Ate, which this season is focusing on specific categories such as bacon and barbecue, taking a nationwide tour of restaurants that specialize in everything from beef ribs to bacon-infused donuts with tart apples and a maple glaze.
How to bring inspiration home: Select your favorite meal, and using the hints from the chef who created it, craft your own at home using favorite ingredients and the tips you learned on TV, such as boiling bacon before grilling it, to render more fat and make it a crunchier, more flavorful addition to an upscale bacon burger.
Find Your Own Inner Chef
Chopped gives four chefs a chance to win $10,000 and bragging rights, offering up mystery ingredient baskets and a time limit in three courses, forcing chefs to find their creative edge while still creating tasty appetizers, entrees and desserts using challenging items like celery root, squid, fish sauce and tomatillos.
How to bring inspiration home: Find your own inner contestant by trying to determine what you might create with the mystery ingredients, or select only a few and create your own Chopped inspired meal that will wow your own judges.
Learn From the Masters
Secrets of a Restaurant Chef offers recipes for restaurant favorites, giving at-home cooks a chance to create restaurant-worthy meals at home.
Each episode, chef Anne Burrell brings her favorites into your kitchen, provides step-by-step instructions to creating m
How to bring inspiration home: Once a month, select something new from the show's Web site at www.foodnetwork.com, creating a restaurant-style meal without breaking the bank. Burrell specializes in flavorful sauces, innovative sides and luscious desserts, and offers tips along the way to help you avoid mistakes that might result in unsatisfactory results.
