My family and I are big on cooking shows. British bakers were our gateway, and we've sampled the full gamut now. Kids shows, grown-up shows, competitions, all the different cake engineering shows. The new NBC show, yes, chef, also caught our attention. Like many, a cooking show before it, there's a group of really talented people dealing with ridiculous constraints

and time and ingredients

in front of a bunch of cameras.

But here, the contestants

are also expected to work out

their psychological demons.

Jeff Jake needs to control his anger.

JetT has a short views.

You're more driven by the drama than the dish.

It's hard to hear.

This is a chance to transform yourselves.

Yes, Chef.

This is a challenge to transform yourself.

Chef Jose Andres tells the group of contestants. He is a judge alongside Martha Stewart. You can guess the good cop, bad cop dynamic there. And so far, this show is really good family viewing. There's the intrigue of a cooking show alongside the lessons of how to deal with insecurity or anger issues or perfectionism that holds you back

and how to deal with teammates that are jerks. And I actually trust Jose Andres to help these people.

I interviewed him several years ago, and he made quite an impression. Our conversation first came out in 2019, and I re-listened recently and was struck by his charisma and big personality, yes, and also how that extended outward with a generous spirit and humility about the help he's needed from others, whether from brothers in a household that could be erratic,

or from investors to open new businesses, or from Google when he had to figure out how to be a parent in a different way than he saw growing up.

When we talked, he had already started World Central Kitchen, the organization that cooks and distributes meals in areas affected by natural disasters and war, and its grown sense, including in Gaza, where in 2024, seven World Central Kitchen workers were killed when their envoy was struck by Israeli airstrikes.

Jose Andres eulogized them at a service in Washington's National Cathedral.

They risk everything to feed people they did not know.

They were the best of humanity.

World Central Kitchen suspended, then resumed food service in Gaza after that attack.

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