My Weekend Crush

Women who kick ass in the kitchen have been on my mind of late. Stephanie’s triumph and Lisa’s vindication (yeah, I said vindication – I’m no hater) were exhilarating to watch on “Top Chef” this week. Sure, so was Padma, but that’s just a given. Another woman who has quietly, consistently, unquestionably kicked ass in the kitchen has been Cat Cora. She is so many things. The executive chef of Bon Appetit. The first (and still only) female Iron Chef. The author of two cookbooks. The founder of the philanthropic Chefs for Humanity. The mother of two. The partner of Jennifer. And, you know, a hottie. (Also, for the love of Pete, how cute is Cat posing with cats?)

I, as you all know by now, love me some cooking shows. And “Iron Chef America” is one of the best. I particularly love it when Cat competes against the boys. Sometimes she wins, sometimes she loses. But what she proves is that women can go toe-to-toe with the culinary elite. Good food knows no gender. It’s ironic, really, that the rarefied world of haute cuisine should be so dominated by men. Women are, after all, most associated with cooking. But, of course, that’s just home cooking so that doesn’t count. Well, screw that. A woman’s place doesn’t have to be in the kitchen. But that doesn’t mean she can’t run one and be damn good at it. Happy weekend, all.