#top-chef

#top-chef

"Top Chef," a cooking competition show that's been running since 2006 with 23 seasons to its name, takes on a format similar to many other competition-style reality shows.

The barbecue shrimp arrive swimming in Cajun-spiced butter, with slivered shallots for gentle sweetness and sliced radishes for necessary sharpness. It calls to mind a seafood boil, without as much work.

Some chefs can find a way to straddle those two identities, like Laurence, who has pulled both from his Turkish training and his Chinese identity to deliver intriguing food.

I've never been to Charlotte before we arrived here to start filming a few weeks ago,

Da Vinci painted this scene that's been depicted a million different ways, and I feel a little bit that way about my own food.