Is the Hot Chef Challenge 2010 about being sexy?

It can’t hurt.

It’s a contest open to cooks, chefs and foodies at the National Restaurant Association‘s NRA Show 2010. It’s also yet another opportunity to use that DVD you made of yourself cooking a recipe using fresh produce as the key ingredient. Your 2-minute video could win you, according to the website:

…a chance to cook alongside celebrity chef and Bravo TV’s Top Chef Masters 2 contender Marcus Samuelsson in the World Culinary Showcase on Saturday, May 22 at NRA Show 2010. The winner will also receive accommodations at Affinia Hotel Chicago and a special dinner for two at Chef Samuelsson’s C-House restaurant, and the winning recipe and photo will be included in American Airlines American Way magazine.

It seems that the NRA, and practically everyone else, values the ability to perform well on film more than the real thing (live). They are not the same, otherwise there wouldn’t be so many TV coaches catering to chefs and the like.

Maybe culinary schools should give classes on TV performance and making your own inexpensive video that will win you a shot at a TV show?

If you are interested, you must submit your video on YouTube by April 29th. Click here for more.