In the family?

I wanted to take a moment to mention one of the cooking shows I watch. I had recorded the first episode for the new season that just started so I had not actually watched it when it first aired. I viewed it later at the end of the week. I knew there was some new twist where two of the Chef contestants chosen to compete on this cooking show were brothers. I am not keeping the show a secret. The show is one of the returning seasons of Top Chef on Bravo. I have watched this show from the very first season and the cooking challenges are always interesting to me. I don’t or try not to get too caught up in the reality drama that goes on but there have been some really interesting cooking going on if you can get past the reality bits.

I had settled in and turned the show on to play when I was finally ready to watch. There are a total of 17 Chefs that have been chosen to compete and at the beginning intro of the show they always play short clips of each Chef and their names. Very good. Like I said, I am settled in and catching the flashing pictures of these new chefs as they appear. Then I push myself to the front of my chair, hands gripping the arm rests, ready to stand, eyes inches away from the TV set as I see the names of these two brothers that are in the competition. Have you seen the show? First one brother is revealed with his name appearing at the bottom of the screen. What? Did I read that right? Then the second brother appears and there is no mistake on the name. Now I don’t recognize either one of these brothers but their name is Voltaggio. Bryan and Michael Voltaggio. Have you seen the show? I am falling out of my chair. Really? Voltaggio? I grew up with a Voltaggio family! I never knew any other Voltaggio’s except the ones related to that family. I know there has to be others but it really struck home. Could they be somehow related? I found out these brothers in the competition are from Maryland which is many, many miles from where the family I know lived when growing up. But the papa of the Voltaggio’s I know so well was from Newark, New Jersey and that’s like a four and something hours drive away. Could there maybe, possibly be a relative or two here?

It’s really interesting that I am going out of town this Saturday to attend an evening party of a good friend of mine from High School. Now get this - I had contacted the youngest of the six children in the Voltaggio family to get together Saturday afternoon since she lives there too! This was before I had viewed the episode. Did I mention we were close? I will have to find out what her take on all of this is. I am amazed. Here I go again. What odds am I playing lately? There just seems to be one coincidence after another with me! Oh – and the name of this seasons show is Top Chef – Las Vegas. Vegas - odds…Go figure.

I am still shaking my head in disbelief.

TT