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Gail: How 'Top Chef' Changed the Way Americans Eat
'Top Chef' judge Gail Simmons explains how the show is inspiring children to take on a career in culinary.
With new cooking shows popping up on TV all the time, it's no surprise that we're starting to breed a nation full of foodies. But beyond that, these shows are inspiring some to pursue career in culinary arts that they may otherwise not have considered.
According to Gail Simmons, Top Chef set out to accomplish just that. "There's more interest in food. It sort of becomes a cycle," she explains to Fort Myers Florida Weekly. "I think that Top Chef has been a huge influence in that way. I can't tell you the number of times someone has said their child wants to become a chef."
Beyond that, children are becoming much conscious about what they're eating. "Six-year-olds eat kale salads now," says former Cheftestant Lindsay Autry. "It's amazing that as a nation we're so aware of what we eat. I think it's because of the abundance of knowledge because of technology."
Technology that certainly includes television, and is teaching young aspiring chefs quite a bit. "They know what a chiffonade is or what a quince is," Gail explains. "I think that kind of expanding the horizons in the culinary landscape is why Top Chef was started in the first place. It was a way to get our voices heard by a much wider audience."
[Source: Fort Myers Florida Weekly]
