Regarding 'The Next Iron Chef'

If you follow me on Twitter, or are a friend of mine on Facebook, you'll know, that since August,  I've been posting and tweeting about 'The Next Iron Chef-Redemption' and the contestant that I've been supporting, Chef Jehangir Mehta.  Which reminds me.   Go vote for him.  Here. NOW.  I'll wait.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/next-iron-chef-fan-vote/package/index.html
Finished?  Good, then I'll continue. :P
This Sunday, 3 days (or 2, if you want to be picky )  from now,'The Next Iron Chef-Redemption' starts, at 9pm EST on Food Network.    If you've never watched it, it's really a fun show.  Think of it as combination of 'Survivor' and 'The Amazing Race' only with cooking challenges, and somewhat bigger egos, where some of the chefs are concerned. And I'd be lying if I said I won't be watching to see what Alton Brown will be wearing every week, along with the fact he makes a great host, and his interactions with the chefs are always for lack of a better word, interesting.  There'll be drama, backstabbing, tears, and of course, Redemption for one person.
  I'm hoping it's Chef Mehta, and if you'll indulge me, as there are three days left, here are three reasons -(musical fanfare)
Chef Jehangir Mehta Should Be The Next Iron Chef

1. He Loves NYC, and He Does Tons of Charity Work
2. He Has Fantastic Cooking Chops And Skills
3. He's a Beautiful Person, Inside and Out     

To elaborate on each point
He really does do TONS of charity work.  There's hardly a week that goes by that I've not seen him either tweet or post on his Facebook page about some event he's either involved in or hosting.  He's done dinners for Autism Speaks, and for Breast Cancer Research, to name two.  He's also spoken about Childhood Literacy, a cause very near to my heart.   He gives often of his time, and of his talents.
Speaking of his talents, the man can COOK.  Watching him cook and create is fascinating, but that's not all that makes him Iron Chef worthy, in my opinion. Yes, he did start out as a pastry chef, and he is still is a (pardon my French) damned good one, he's so much more than that, and he demonstrates that every day at his two restaurants, Graffiti and Mehtaphor, both in NYC.   I've had the pleasure of eating at Graffiti twice so far this year, and none of the dishes I've tasted have disappointed me.  Again, though, it's more than that.  It's the way the food is prepared, and the way it's presented, with such care and love.  You can tell that cooking is not only the man's profession, but he is truly passionate about what he does.  If and when you get a chance, go.  I'm actually headed to Mehtaphor this coming Thursday, provided the trains are running, and the world isn't set on it's ear again.
His skills, combined with that passion would make him an excellent Iron Chef.
Finally, as I said, he is truly a beautiful person, inside and out, and this is not only what I feel, but what others have told me about him.  As I've said before, I've followed his career since 2009, when he was on NIC the first time.   Throughout the competition, as the contestants were eliminated I saw them display a variety of emotions, from sadness to rage.  When, however, Chef Mehta lost to Chef Jose Garces in the final battle, his reaction was one of the most gracious I have ever seen.  It impressed me.
That's one of the reasons that, when I found out back in August, that he was returning this year, I decided to support him, and when I asked him to follow me on Twitter, I was beyond pleased that he did.  I had the pleasure of meeting him in September, and as nervous as I was, he took it all in stride.  He even followed me outside Graffiti when I left that night, and thanked me again for coming.
  This will probably embarrass him, and if it does, I apologize, but he is, as I like to say, a real person, very humble, completely without guile.   The best example of this is something that happened last week, when I was having a very bad day, and I asked him for a few encouraging words.  He took the time, not only to tweet me back, but say something that made me feel a million times better.  I am happy to call him a friend.
  Okay, so these reasons aren't exactly unbiased, but they are honest.
I wish all the competitors good luck on the show, and I look forward to seeing how it all unfolds.
Happy watching, everyone!n