“The Great Food Truck Race,” “Beat Bobby Flay,” “Dinners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” you name it; if it is on Food Network, I am obsessed.

My exposure to Food Network began in middle school. Whenever I slept over at my best friend’s house, she always had the TV tuned to Food Network at night while we were falling asleep. At the time, I did not understand what she found so appealing about watching people in ridiculous food competitions or a slightly chubby man tasting outlandish food creations at restaurants across the country.

I do not quite remember when my casual encounters with Food Network turned into a full-blown obsession, but now I can understand what my friend found so appealing about Food Network all those years ago.

I cannot cook and I have no real desire to learn how. I can boil pasta, grill chicken and make a mean breakfast sandwich.

I am set in the culinary skills department.

But watching other people cook their way through Alton Brown’s sabotages on “Cutthroat Kitchen” or watching Robert Irving save failing restaurants on “Restaurant: Impossible” is very calming to me.

To someone who has very limited cooking abilities, watching Food Network provides an escape from everyday life.

I can watch the shows without having to concentrate too hard, yet I am still able to follow what is going on.  I can spend a day binge-watching episodes from any show because they are all different enough not to get boring. There are always different challenges, different foods and different locations. Sometimes, I even pick up a new cooking tip, such as how to properly cut an onion, thanks “Worst Cooks in America”.

While I cannot recall when I began compulsively watching Food Network, I do remember, however, the show that sparked my obsession.

“Chopped” is my favorite Food Network show, hands down. I love the fact that the contestants are able to make completely different dishes from the same four basket ingredients. The contestants are able to showcase their creativity and personalities through their food, something I feel that I can relate to as a writer.

The ever-rotating panel of guest judges exposes the audience to culinary experts. My favorite judge is Aarón Sánchez, a restaurant owner and executive chef from El Paso, Texas, who specializes in Mexican and Latin-American cuisine. His comments to the competitors are constructive but not rude like some of the other judges. He brings a sense of humor to the show and all dedicated fans know he has a love for spicy food.

I now understand why my middle school best friend enjoyed watching Food Network. I have her to thank for showing me the culinary light.