México. MasterChef Latino, MasterChef US, MasterChef Ireland.
I’ve watched every season, every episode, at least twice, and have now landed on MasterChef México Junior.
It’s a show with 18 kids, several of them quite small, ages 8-13 years old, competing against each for the title of, wait for it, MasterChef Junior.
They cook amazingly well, better, even than many adults I’ve known. Certainly better than me.
The three judges are so patient, and helpful, not only in their encouragement, but their criticism of the kids end products. They always have something constructive to teach the contestants, something for them to learn.
They also teach them to show pride in their heritage, there state, and their country. There are many foods that contain the colors red, white, and green, the colors of the Mexican flag. Pride. The show is full of it.
It is also full of how proud the judges are of the contestants efforts, and how far each has come since the beginning of the competition. Also, they remind each contestant how proud of themselves they should be, as well.
Many of the kids are little girls that scratch, and spit at each other like angry kittens. She’s copying me; she said I should be sent home. She looked at me. It makes me laugh out loud.
The hardest part is listening to their voices. So high pitched, and whiny. Makes me almost want to watch something else. Not giving up just yet, though.
Side note: Chapo is no longer crying, but is being processed for dinner. Gabi went along with his dad, Jesús, and his Abuelito, Ramón, to a neighbor that slaughters animals for them. He is learning the meat he consumes doesn’t come from a cling film covered piece of styrofoam in the grocery store, but a real, live animal. Good for him. Good for them.
In the meantime, stay happy, healthy, and safe Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
Post script: Liz is pregnant again. Hoping she’ll have another happy, healthy baby. They need a girl this time as their second baby, that died, was a tiny baby girl. Prayers, if you remember. Thanks.
Post post script: one of the young ladies was given a protein known mostly in the Northern states in Mexico as “el rato del campo”, or, as you can probably guess, the field rat. She made a lovely broth, with celery, carrots, a bit of tomato, salt, and pepper, and her pieces of rat legs. The judge said he wouldn’t have minded if she’d shredded the meat off the bones, putting it that way in the soup, but he was really going to have a hard time eating it the way she served it. Let me know what you think.
