I'm going to be on TV

[batgirl]

If any of you wish to watch me sweat on national television, I competed on a "First Responder" episode of Chopped, a cooking competition. The show gives the contestants three mystery baskets of weird ingredients that they then have to make an appetizer, entree and dessert from while under a time limit. I competed on a episode that featured other paramedics as well as police officers. The episode also gives you a glimpse into what I do as a medic, and how cooking has shaped my life.

If you all want to watch it, the air date is April 14th at 10pm EST on Food Network.

Watch me work in my not so sexy uniform and then watch me cook in a definitely not sexy apron!

[Flarecobra]

My DVR has been set.

[mauve]

Ah, how exciting!! That's awesome, batgirl! I'll definitely be watching when it airs!

[Overcast]

Somebody put it on youtube illeagally so I can see it when I actually can.

[tacticslion]

Somebody put it on youtube illeagally so I can see it when I actually can.

^ This (or something similar that's actually legal) is what I'll be forced to request, 'cause... no tv!

That said, THAT'S SO AWESOME, BATGIRL! WOO~!

God bless you, and good luck! :D

[Red Fighter 1073]

That is so freaking cool

[Tev]

My wife and I love Chopped! DVR is already series recording it so we'll be sure to keep and eye out for you.

After the show airs, it'd be awesome if you could give some more in depth insight into how things work on the show. We gather that it's edited like crazy for TV and would love an insiders perspective.

[Flarecobra]

Well, today is the day. :)

[mauve]

Excite!!

[batgirl]

I saw a commercial with me in it today. It was so odd to watch myself run around.

[mauve]

You did such a good job, batgirl!!! You totally should've won. That's so exciting that you made it onto the show!!

[Shyria Dracnoir]

It's not on until 10 for me, even on West Coast

weeeh

---------- Post added at 10:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:22 PM ----------

I want that meat inside me

---------- Post added at 10:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:06 PM ----------

Knocking more points for presentation than undercooking food is a pile on top of a pile

[tacticslion]

I saw a commercial with me in it today. It was so odd to watch myself run around.

That's SO COOL~!

I take it from Mauve's comment that you didn't win, but that's really daggum exciting!

What did you make? What were the good selling points? Was it hard? Stressful? What about watching yourself after the fact?

Anyway, congrats, and I'm really happy you had this chance! ... and who knows: perhaps it could lead to something else, if you want it to! :D

[MSperoni]

Shyria and I discussed it in chat while we watched it.

I thought the undercooked guy was gonna get chopped first. He shoulda. Since when is presentation more important than edibility!?

[batgirl]

That's SO COOL~!

I take it from Mauve's comment that you didn't win, but that's really daggum exciting!

What did you make? What were the good selling points? Was it hard? Stressful? What about watching yourself after the fact?

Anyway, congrats, and I'm really happy you had this chance! ... and who knows: perhaps it could lead to something else, if you want it to! :D

1- The basket consisted of ground bison, hummus chips, arugula and mixed berry jam. I made a bison meatball slider with heirloom tomato relish and wilted arugula.

2- My selling points as per the judges was that they really loved my slider patty. I put in all sorts of herbs like thyme, sage and fennel and I used the hummus chips as a binder. They also liked the relish. They didn't mention it, but not only did I add tomatoes to it, but I also added lemon juice, fresh garlic, and onions. My problem was that with 1.5 or so minutes left I realized there weren't any buns in the kitchen so I grabbed a loaf of bread and started cutting it with a steak knife, since I didn't have a bread knife. The bread came out uneven and ruined the dish from being too chunky.

3- It was frantic. You really get no time to think. Once you open the basket, you really do start cooking and you really only get 20 mins to cook. The time disappears awfully quick. I didn't really think it was stressful mostly because I came into the competition thinking I'd have fun and didn't really care what the outcome was. In the end, it would have been nice to win 10k, but I still have my job and I had a good time.

4- Watching myself after the fact was so weird. They have 6 billion cameras on you at all times so I really didn't know how I'd come across and what they would show. In the end I realized that I have a really big head on camera and I have very strong facial expressions.

I don't think I'll be doing anything else like this in the future. I'm really not a very big fan of being on camera to be honest, though most of my family and friends said I spoke very well. I'm happy just being me in the end, but it was nice to share my favorite pastime with the world and also showing how much I love my job.

Shyria and I discussed it in chat while we watched it.

I thought the undercooked guy was gonna get chopped first. He shoulda. Since when is presentation more important than edibility!?

I agree 100%. He also undercooked one of the plates. I was actually kind of surprised. The thing is, we didn't get to taste each others' plates so I really don't know how his tasted. I know my burger itself was awesome, I tasted it. I rocked that burger.

[MSperoni]

Watching that show sucks when all you have to snack on are potato chips...

[tacticslion]

1- The basket consisted of ground bison, hummus chips, arugula and mixed berry jam. I made a bison meatball slider with heirloom tomato relish and wilted arugula.

2- My selling points as per the judges was that they really loved my slider patty. I put in all sorts of herbs like thyme, sage and fennel and I used the hummus chips as a binder. They also liked the relish. They didn't mention it, but not only did I add tomatoes to it, but I also added lemon juice, fresh garlic, and onions.

WHY AM I NOT EATING THIS RIGHT NOW~?

My problem was that with 1.5 or so minutes left I realized there weren't any buns in the kitchen so I grabbed a loaf of bread and started cutting it with a steak knife, since I didn't have a bread knife. The bread came out uneven and ruined the dish from being too chunky.

*blink*

O.o

... that... that... uh... isn't that a selling point at some places? I, uh... I just... uh... hm.

*mutters something about really weird judges*

3- It was frantic. You really get no time to think. Once you open the basket, you really do start cooking and you really only get 20 mins to cook. The time disappears awfully quick. I didn't really think it was stressful mostly because I came into the competition thinking I'd have fun and didn't really care what the outcome was. In the end, it would have been nice to win 10k, but I still have my job and I had a good time.

Hah! I bet it's frantic. When I'm at the in-laws I've occasionally seen snippets of the show, or something like it. It always looks kind of insane.

Not being a cook (at all), but having cooked in a kitchen... usually with the microwave, but not exclusively... I can tell you that I can't imagine making anything 'serious' within that time frame. It sounds hideously overwhelming, but I'm glad you had a great time!

And I'm glad for the things you're glad for! :D

4- Watching myself after the fact was so weird. They have 6 billion cameras on you at all times so I really didn't know how I'd come across and what they would show. In the end I realized that I have a really big head on camera and I have very strong facial expressions.

Hah! I'd imagine this, too - the strong expressions part, anyway. I know my wife and in-laws tend to think I've a really expressive face. (Which is funny, as I tend to think that they have much more expressive faces than I. Go figure! Maybe if I saw myself on television, I'd feel the same way as they?) Anyway, that's really cool! I'm sorry I wasn't one of those watching you at the time, but I hope to at some point!

I don't think I'll be doing anything else like this in the future. I'm really not a very big fan of being on camera to be honest, though most of my family and friends said I spoke very well. I'm happy just being me in the end, but it was nice to share my favorite pastime with the world and also showing how much I love my job.

This is really cool. I can understand, and, given your comportment on these threads, I'd suspect you'd do well on camera despite your understandable and natural hesitations.

I agree 100%. He also undercooked one of the plates. I was actually kind of surprised. The thing is, we didn't get to taste each others' plates so I really don't know how his tasted. I know my burger itself was awesome, I tasted it. I rocked that burger.

HAH! It certainly sounds like you did! (I'd ask for some, uneven bread and all, but shipping and refrigeration...)

[Tev]

All in all, I think you got robbed. Yes, the bread on your sliders was a bit big, but I'm totally on the "Unsafe food gets you kicked off of Chopped first" team.

Side questions: Is there like some X's or a tape line on the ground in front of the judges table? I've noticed that when the contestants line up for judging, some of them seem to look down and shift accordingly. Also, did you get a chance to familiarize yourself at all with their pantry before they let you loose on it? Some contestants seem to streak straight for what they need while others meander a bit. I feel like they should at least let you know what's there to work with so that your idea for the basket doesn't completely explode the second you hit the pantry.

[mauve]

That was our thought too, watching the show. The undercooked food should've been chopped first. I'd rather have slightly too much bread than have to worry about consuming raw meat.

[batgirl]

All in all, I think you got robbed. Yes, the bread on your sliders was a bit big, but I'm totally on the "Unsafe food gets you kicked off of Chopped first" team.

Side questions: Is there like some X's or a tape line on the ground in front of the judges table? I've noticed that when the contestants line up for judging, some of them seem to look down and shift accordingly. Also, did you get a chance to familiarize yourself at all with their pantry before they let you loose on it? Some contestants seem to streak straight for what they need while others meander a bit. I feel like they should at least let you know what's there to work with so that your idea for the basket doesn't completely explode the second you hit the pantry.

Yes, there are X's to stand on.

They gave us a tour of the pantry, mostly to show us how to use the machines that were there (trust me, I have no clue how to use an ice cream machine or a blast chiller) and also to show us where they kept the food processors and other portable machines. We did get a 5 min or so chance to walk around the pantry, but there's so much stuff to look at. Since I had no idea what I was going to make before I got my basket, I didn't even bother to check for slider buns, just made a note in my brain where the bread was.


That was our thought too, watching the show. The undercooked food should've been chopped first. I'd rather have slightly too much bread than have to worry about consuming raw meat.

Also, maybe it's just the editing, but the police woman seemed like kind of a jerk. :/

Everyone was actually quite nice. The police woman was very nice to me. To be fair, we all had to tell the camera who we thought would go home and I pretty much said the undercooked guy should, I guess her comments were the only ones that made it to the show.

Just to give you an idea about how much time it takes, my little 15 minutes of fame was around 4 hours of taping at the actual show, and 2 afternoons of taping at my house and job, so a lot gets left on the cutting room floor.

[Tev]

Did you have a favorite moment during the competition that didn't make it past editing?

[batgirl]

We joked quit a bit about the time during the cooking. One of the police officers was a bomb disposal guy so he kept asking about snipping red and blue wires etc.

[Flarecobra]

Some friends watched it with me... we all agree: You were robbed.

[MasterOfMagic]

Oh wow, this is super cool, my wife and I watch this show all the time. I'm going to have to keep my eye out for you.

wowow