Umm…Please Use a Clean Spoon

Caution: Rant Ahead
Although this blog is about positive food experiences for the most part, I find that I can no longer be silent about a . . .well, let’s call it a pet peeve of mine.

I will confess that I like to watch cooking shows.  It started as a child watching Julia Child and the Galloping Gourmet on public television.  I enjoy the modern shows as well, including the competition programs.  However, in recent months (maybe years) I have developed an issue with some of the chefs/cooks  competitors.

What has me so fired up?  The way they taste the food.

Let me clarify. . .I do not have a problem with chefs/cooks tasting the food as they cook. I think they should taste it. They need to make sure the seasonings are correct, cooked enough, etc. The tasting is not the problem; it is how some of them taste the food that causes me to cringe.

There are three techniques I finddisgusting disturbing.

First, tasting food with their fingers then continuing to handle the food before washing their hands. I believe in washing your hands after tasting something like spaghetti with your fingers before you handle any more food (yes, even if they don’t come that close to your mouth). In fact, I practiced what I purport the other night when I was preparing spaghetti for a crowd.

Second, tasting a liquid by drinking out of the bottle before using it in the dish. I witnessed this one on a contest program where the participants were unfamiliar with the ingredients. Although the show’s judges normally admonish the contestants for tasting violations, this offense was never mentioned. I think a small drinking glass would eliminate the sharing of various germs.

Last, and frankly most often, tasting food with a utensil (usually a spoon) and placing it back in the food after removing it from their mouth. To me, the best way to taste food while cooking (especially not for people in your immediate family) is with clean tasting utensils.  You get a clean utensil every time you taste the food. I did notice judges admonishing the chefs/cooks on two different programs for this double dipping. However, on an other television show that is supposed to be a competition between master chefs no one ever mentions that it occurs or that there is a problem. The judges just eat the food and often rave about how good it tastes.

It gives me pause about eating out again, especially in a higher-end restaurant as many of these chefs are executive chefs and/or owners of nice restaurants. I keep wondering if they do it on television with everyone watching, what are they doing in the confines of their kitchens?