Iron Chef America, one of America’s favorite reality cooking shows on The Food Network, showcases participants who work as world-class and exemplary chefs who compete against the current Iron Chef to win the same title—the highest and most prominent title a chef can acquire in the culinary world. To earn the Iron Chef designation, you have to work for it. You must gain a reputable name as a chef in the country and have enough support earn the Iron Chef title by going through series of challenging and brain-blowing cooking competitions under time pressure.
- Level up to get on top. You have to master everything in and out of the kitchen. Study and get yourself more training. Go to a distinguished culinary school. Read and study cookbooks written by previous Iron Chefs. You can also do some online research, watch cooking videos and try creating your own dishes and specialties. Create your own style and cooking techniques. You must have an artistic style to emerge as a trend setter who has the ability to create new favorites and the talent to come up with new ideas and techniques aside from the classic culinary ways.
- Establish your own trademark of culinary talent. Start your way up by getting a job at a four-star hotel or restaurant; you can start as a line cook until you move up into a position as a respectable chef. You can begin a catering business of your own and share your unique recipes to let people know you have one-of-a-kind culinary skills. Work as a personal chef to celebrities and famous personalities so they can endorse your exceptional knowledge in cooking. You might want to join community food fairs and treat them as opportunities to sell your food to achieve recognition. Connect with food writers and request a review of the food you cook for the establishment at which you working or you offer sample foods you cook for your catering business.
- Write and publish your own cookbook. You can either look for a publisher or publish it on your own; you can also make it an e-Book and sell it through different online marketing sites. Let your culinary acquaintances know about your book so they can recommend it to people they know.
- Submit an application and audition for well-known cooking shows such as Chopped, Hell’s Kitchen and The Next Food Network Star. These TV cooking shows air on cable networks such as Food Network and Bravo. You can choose to send your application directly to their website. The casting department will contact you once they receive your application and will provide you with the information you will need to compete.
