5 Life Lessons From an Altruistic Aussie

Now, I'm not much of a cooking show kinda guy, but every now and again I'll find one that intrigues me enough to bring me back for seconds (see what I did there?). Now, since my culinary experience mostly amounts to taking things out of their packaging and, if need be, microwaving them, I don't really like super-serious, ultra-complex shows; in fact, I personally think that the host is just as important as the food, if not more so. You might think I'd thus go for attractive female cooks like Rachel Ray, but you'd be wrong. See, the problem with Rachel Ray and her saucy (did it again!) counterparts, is that the woman is more delicious looking than the food. And, unfortunately, I can't make one of her at home with a few simple ingredients and a little elbow grease.

She comes pre-heated.

So, with the recent blizzard here in the Chicago area (well, all over the place, really), everyone's been snowed in, and I've spent some quality time on the Netflix Watch Instantly page, surfing for some good, lite TV to gorge myself on. I stumbled upon a show called Take Home Chef starring a charming Aussie named Curtis Stone. It's been a lot of fun, and I've picked up a few interesting life lessons to complement all the cooking advice that's gone in one ear and out the other...

5. The Accent is Key ~ First and foremost, I've learned that women will do just about anything for a man with a sexy accent, and as Hollywood has taught us, nothing is sexier in the States than the Australian accent. Pair that with a ruggedly handsome physique, and you've got a heart-melting combination that us "regular" guys just can't compete with.

"Don't even botha, mate."

Alright, so here's the premise of the show, for those of you who aren't familiar, or who just swooned yourself into amnesia: That dude up there (Agh, did I mention he surfs, too? Freaking. Un. Fair.) wanders through various supermarkets in the L.A. area and looks for shoppers (typically lone females), then essentially ambushes them and offers to plan, buy, and cook a gourmet meal for them and their loved ones. Now, to their credit, many of the women start off a little skeptical, and I'm sure there's a good chunk of unseen footage of ladies turning down his "offers"; but there are also over 100 episodes of women who just straight-up agree (some quite eagerly) to take this strange man and his camera crew back to their place on the bare assumption that he's actually there to cook.

This (probably) wouldn't work for any ol' schmuck with a couple of friends and a camcorder in the frozen foods section at Wal-mart. Most of us can't simply approach random women and expect them to take us and our camera-wielding buddies back to their place just because we promised to share some wine and "cook" them a "meal".

"Yeah yeah. Free-range beer. Organic Twinkies. All that crap."

The most definitive conclusion is the lack of suave vocal chords. Well, and the fact that most of us aren't world-renowned chefs capable of exquisite, exotic, and elegant home-cooked meals. But still... it's easier to blame the accent.

4. Measuring is For Chumps ~ This show will not appeal to the perfectionist in anyone. Curtis has a very... carefree method of cooking, which I think works well with his upbeat personality and the spontaneity of his show. Rarely does he use measuring cups, opting more often to just kind of eyeball his ingredients. A pinch of this, a dash of those, a blind drizzling of that - the essence of whatever he may be feeling at the moment.

"The recipe calls for exactly 2 ½ 'whatevers' of this."

The man scoffs in the face of precision, and instead follows the instincts he's honed working as a gourmet chef over the past decade or so. Honestly, I have to admire Curtis here, not only for being bold and adventurous in his culinary escapades, but for his ability to think on his feet. He meets people in the grocery store, grills them about their families' favorite foods, and then comes up with fantastic multi-course meals based on their dietary preferences (and restrictions). His improv cooking skills and near-encyclopedic knowledge of food and recipes are nothing short of impressive. And, while his approach may not fit everyone's taste, and certainly not everyone's profession, the underlying theme of "do what you love and follow your heart" is a good one to keep, no matter who you are.

"Oooh, how about we spice things up and do 800cc's today, huh? Whaddya say? Let's follow our hearts!"

3. Learning Can Be Fun ~ I know it's corny and you've heard it a million times, but I truly believe that if the teacher is a proper fit, any subject can be engaging. I think, deep down, we all have a thirst for knowledge, and we all love to impress our friends with those interesting little tidbits, techniques, and trivia that we learn throughout life. You just need an instructor with the right mix of funny, fascinating, talented, knowledgeable, and crazy. Once you have our attention, our brains become little sponges.

BIOMOLECULAR  NANOSTRUCTURING!!

And Curtis does such a wonderful job keeping the atmosphere of his show fresh and lively - always interacting with his guests; always quipping jokes; and always presenting his food, his techniques, and his smile for the people watching at home. Now, you might think that the formula would get stale after a while, but I've found that the variety of dishes and the assortment of characters he meets at the supermarket, along with his constant, bubbly nature, are more than enough to keep the show new and exciting with every episode.

Breaking & entering always makes for good entertainment.

Also, I think one of the best qualities in a teacher is the ability and willingness to learn from his or her students, and Curtis has just that. While his grasp on the culinary arts is incredibly firm, Stone occasionally runs across a generational technique or a family recipe (like meatloaf) that he's never encountered before, and he's always eager to see what other people have to offer and to add new discoveries to his ever-growing palette of cuisinery (?).

2. Senses Make the World Go 'Round ~ One of the things Curtis stresses throughout the show is the engagement of all the senses. Naturally, taste is going to be the primary concern in a cooking show, but he focuses a lot on all the other senses, as well. Aroma, both in cooking and choosing different foods, herbs, and spices. Sight, in the preparation and presentation of the meals. Sound, in the testing and cooking of certain products (listen for the 'sizzle' of this, or the 'snap' of that). And touch, when mixing and preparing his meals - Curtis is a big supporter of mushing and mixing things by hand when the opportunity arises.

Throughout his show, Stone will encourage his guest(s) for the episode to get their hands dirty and really interact with the food they're preparing, allowing the meal to stretch beyond our regular reactions of "wow, Nancy, that smells divine" or "holy cow, this tastes like skunk vomit, Steve" and into the realm of full sensory perception (perhaps someday, extra sensory perception of food will be possible). The food becomes more than just sustenance... it becomes a life experience.

"Seriously, Steve... how did you mess up cereal?"

1. Everything Has Value ~ Curtis Stone is a bit like the Native Americans, making use of every part of the proverbial bison. While he's not making cloaks from skin or drinking blood and eating testicles for transitive properties, Curtis does make great use of every ingredient and byproduct in the kitchen. See all that crispy garbage fused to the bottom of the pan? Think it's the unusable, charred remains of your attempted meal? Nonsense! Just douse it in a little white wine, toss in some parsnip and ginger, let it boil for a bit and voila! Now you've cleaned up your pan and made a fabulous steak sauce with all those leftover flavors! It's one of the reasons Curtis always insists on using only the finest ingredients (something his parents obviously did when they made him) - there's more flavor to go around. The man's a bit of a self-contained recycling center. Give him a handful of table scraps and watch him turn it into a 5-course meal.

"I scraped a few dog turds off the shoes in your dumpster, mate. Now it's a luscious fruit salad!"

Admittedly, it's one of the cooler parts of the show, watching Curtis turn ordinary ingredients into a variety of extraordinary, unexpected treats. If I were a better man, I would have learned a thing or two about food along the way.

But don't let the chance pass you up! If you want to learn (or just sit back and observe) some astounding cooking skills, and you're a supporter of fun, check out an episode of Take Home Chef and let Curtis Stone teach you about eating - and living - to the fullest.