Food Network Judges, Can They Do A Cake Challenge?
Decorating By HamSquad Updated 29 Jul 2009 , 10:48pm by cheekygirl
I would like to see that.
I ALWAYS think of that when I see them critique the competitors! Can THEY do what they ask of the competitors?! Perfection, under hot lights & cameras, with things going wrong sometimes, AND all in 8 hours?! And not just the cake challenges, I wonder about that with things like "Chopped", "Top Chef", "Americas Top Model", and a lot of the other competitive reality shows. Can the judges do what they expect of the competitors and I really don't think so. I think on "Hells Kitchen" Gordon Ramsey can, but then again they are asking competitors too good food, nothing crazy.
I would definitley love to see this! I don't think they could do it in the time alotted. I have to say that I would LOVE to be one of the judges if that competition did happen! 
Michele
Kerry could probably make a decent go at a challenge, but I doubt that Patrick Coston could. Ironically, pastry chefs often get little training or experience in cake decorating.
I've never understood this debate. What difference does it make if a judge can do it, or not? They only need to know how it has to be done or should be done.
Truth be known, most experienced cake decorators--like Kerry--would make fine judges for the challenge. The rules are pretty straight forward and many of the winners are very obvious, sometimes within the first 2 hours.
I think Kerry's expertise comes into play when it's close. She can speak to problems with construction, technique, and accepted practices. After all, these are not even meant to be perfect competition pieces.
Just my .02
Rae
Kerry could probably make a decent go at a challenge, but I doubt that Patrick Coston could. Ironically, pastry chefs often get little training or experience in cake decorating.
I've never understood this debate. What difference does it make if a judge can do it, or not? They only need to know how it has to be done or should be done.
Truth be known, most experienced cake decorators--like Kerry--would make fine judges for the challenge. The rules are pretty straight forward and many of the winners are very obvious, sometimes within the first 2 hours.
I think Kerry's expertise comes into play when it's close. She can speak to problems with construction, technique, and accepted practices. After all, these are not even meant to be perfect competition pieces.
Just my .02
Rae
I know that Kerry can come off as a bit brusque, and I think the production company edits it that way. She's there to give her insight and opinions, as an accomplished decorator, and to JUDGE. She's not there to swoon over certain decorators, or to gush compliments. I agree 100% with Blakescakes comments.
I would like to see her in a competion too. I think she is way to critical of others. She rubs me the wrong way. I know she is tallented though.
I would like to see her in a competion too. I think she is way to critical of others. She rubs me the wrong way. I know she is tallented though.
It's her JOB to be critical! She has to find the faults in each cake, because it's sometimes the little mistakes that will determine which cake loses out to another. She gets portrayed as the bad guy, when all she's doing is pointing out the flaws so the cakes can be judged and weighed against the others. They all can't win the big prize!
Hers my things on the critiques. Cake decorating is also an artist interpetation of how they want to do something. Now there are guidelines on what the design should have, but whos to say how they will carry out that guideline. For example: can't remember the exact competition or decoraator, but she did the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. She made the Grinch a little bigger then proportioned to the rest of the piece, I assumed she did it that way to make the Grinch stand out more. Turns out thats exactly what the decorator had in mind. She wanted the Grinch to stand out more. Kerrie Vincent shut her down, cause her Grinch was a little bigger then the rest. That was the only problem she had with the cake. If thats how the decorator wanted it to be, how is that a bad decorator move? Isn't it open to iterpretation? And I do think the judges should be able to do what they ask. I'm not gonna tell someone how to do something unless I know how to do it myself.
I cringed when I saw the topic. I knew some people were going to be defensive of Kerrie. I made the mistake of being critical of her once on the site and actually got an email from her. She actually accused me of threatening her life and said she was going to keep my posting "In case anything happened to her". I laughed my butt off when I read that. I just think people take postings a bit to serious. They are opinions and everyone has one. I would love to see any of the judges on any of the Food Network shows compete and yes I would truely love to see Kerrie in action. I do believe she is as abrupt as she is shown. They do not make up the things she says. I doub she says things like "Your rolled fondant work was just horrible BUT I know you only had 5 minutes left to fix it". Just my 2 cents and I hope this does not turn into another thread where her followers start yelling at people abbout thier opinions.
I cringed when I saw the topic. I knew some people were going to be defensive of Kerrie. I made the mistake of being critical of her once on the site and actually got an email from her. She actually accused me of threatening her life and said she was going to keep my posting "In case anything happened to her". I laughed my butt off when I read that. I just think people take postings a bit to serious. They are opinions and everyone has one. I would love to see any of the judges on any of the Food Network shows compete and yes I would truely love to see Kerrie in action. I do believe she is as abrupt as she is shown. They do not make up the things she says. I doub she says things like "Your rolled fondant work was just horrible BUT I know you only had 5 minutes left to fix it". Just my 2 cents and I hope this does not turn into another thread where her followers start yelling at people abbout thier opinions.
Your joking right?!?!? I can see how not agreeing with someon is a threat on their life.
Sorry, I ment to say CAN NOT see how disagreeing with someone is a threat on their life.
Labella, Nope I am not kidding. I kept the email just so I can read it when I need a laugh. The entire email was so typical on air Kerrie, it was worded just as you see her on the shows and just cemented my opinion.
With Kerrie, what you see on TV is the real Kerrie. If you are on her good side she is incredibly nice. If you ever get on her bad side you are there forever and you will be on the receiving end of what you see on the competitions.
Kerrie has done many wonderful things fir the cake decorating world, but it's very noticable that her cakes look pretty much the same all the time. Her cakes can be recognized from a distance. Whether this is good or bad is a matter of personal opinion.
By the way, I know how she is from personal experience AND from reports of others who have not pleased her.
Well, I like Kerry Vincent! I know that she can be abrupt - but think about it, what would the show be like without her? Definitely not as interesting! Plus, she IS the cake decorating QUEEN. So she has a right to make the comments that she does.
Just my two cents.
I'm not saying I'm a huge fan of Kerry, or that I'm "defending" her. She's just doing the job the network is paying her to do. I've also met her personally, when she judged a cake show I had entered. I thought her judging was a bit harsh, but everything she criticized was spot on. I learned more from her negative comments than I would've if the judge had just said "great cake....Love it!"
Thats true. Does she give classes? Do any of you have her books?
Kerry only does about 1 class per year. Her last one was in MN in Feb., 2009. I haven't heard about one for 2010, as yet.
Her book, Romantic Cakes, it beautiful. Full of ideas and some lovely cakes by contributing decorators.
Women who are straightforward and don't couch their judgements and criticisms with sweetness and apologies are often disliked--more so by other women than by men. There seems to be a sad belief that calling a spade a spade is not OK when a woman does so.
A few negative comments by Kerry is worth more than a hundred "Oh, it's wonderful." judgements by others.
Kerry is the first to tell you what SHE'S DONE WRONG, too. She, by no means, thinks that she's perfect, but she does know what she knows--and she doesn't cower in a corner, hiding her knowledge.
She can tell you on one hand that your border is the worst she's ever seen and then go on to spend 5 minutes telling you what you've done right and encouraging you to keep working at it. Her comments aren't personal----unless what you've done has been hurtful personally to her or to one of her judges/compatriots--then watch out.
You learn not only when you find out what you're doing right, but also what you're doing wrong. If you only want to hear the good stuff, you'll never grow. I believe this strongly enough that I virtually never make comments on people's cakes.................. 
Rae
I think for most people its not what you say, but you how say it.
I think for most people its not what you say, but you how say it.
Often, true,..... but when you beat around the bush, diminish negatives, or avoid bringing up negatives so that someone doesn't get upset or hurt feelings, people tend to rationalize that all is good--when, in fact, it isn't.
If you say to someone, "Oh, overall, your cake is beautiful, but the borders could be better." They often only hear, "Oh, your cake is beautiful..." translating into "so I don't need to change or improve much of anything because it's beautiful."
If you say to someone, "Your borders are poorly done. It detracts from what is, overall, a beautiful cake." Ideally, someone thinks, "Oh, I need to improve my borders!" and follows thru with how can I , where can I, etc.
Sadly, nowadays, they usually think, "Well, what does she know? She's a hater. I don't like her. Who asked her anyway? What gives her the right to criticize me?.....................
Rae
A few negative comments by Kerry is worth more than a hundred "Oh, it's wonderful." judgements by others.
...
You learn not only when you find out what you're doing right, but also what you're doing wrong. If you only want to hear the good stuff, you'll never grow. I believe this strongly enough that I virtually never make comments on people's cakes..................
Rae
HEAR! HEAR!
she's like that coach, that teacher who always pushed and pushed and didn't reward you with vacuous, empty praise, but reserved it for when you really, truly had accomplished something and had just cause to be proud of yourself. That when they finally said you had "done good" you knew that the world was yours and you had succeeded beyond any expectations.
and don't forget -- she started the Oklahoma Sugar Arts Show back in the "dark ages" before Duff, Collette, Mike, Toba, Ron, etc. gained national fame.
she pretty much put high-end decorating on the map single-handedly. We have her to thank in great part for raising cake art out of the backwaters and making it very respectable again.
she's EARNED her stripes -- better yet stars (icing or otherwise) and has every right to tell other their shortcomings.
while we make work in sugar -- sugar-coating (ala Mary Poppins) is not necessarily the best way to preform a critique.
(Walter Kerr, the NY theatre critic comes to mind -- noted for his scathing reviews, but -- if it got his stamp of approval -- that box office was swamped with orders and that show, actor got a MAJOR boost) '
we've become overly concerned with protecting "false" self-esteem and ego.
true self-esteem comes from a sense of inner accomplishment - the mountain climbed, the ocean traversed, the challenge beat into submission (take that fondant!) -- not from lavish empty platitudes.
I agree we should be honest, but not rude. I feel if someone ask a question on this site about a design/whatever I am honest, but hopefully not rude. I have seen where I think people are not so honest, but they may be cause some people really aren't asking for a true critique, but a pat on the back.
All of this may be true, but there is a difference between constructive criticism and full on attack. Multiple times I have heard extremely harsh comments that went well beyond corrective comments. Cakes being redesigned because the choice of color or stlye was not what SHE would have done that continues for quite a while with annoyance and disdain is NOT constructive criticism.
I totally agree that she has done a tremendous amount of good for cake decorators and given the craft a lot more respect. This does not excuse harsh and hurtful comments.
Michele
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