The show's title "Cut Throat" reveals a focus less on cooking and more about creative sabotage, including surprise auctions while cooking in the "Kitchen." The auctioning and bidding seems to bring out the best/worst in contestants as well as the host, in that the host has his favorite chef in each show which is natural. Thankfully the judging is done by another chef to lend fairness. Perhaps blind judging of not knowing which chef did which dish might increase objectivity. If anything, the auctioning that seems to interrupt food preparation does emulate the unexpected situations that occur in restaurant or catering businesses. I'd like to see focused (meaning fewer)auctions, and a greater variety of foods used in the competition. I like the variety of chef contestants who have been featured on the show.