Posted Jun 22nd 2009 5:28PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Food/Home/DIY, Watercooler Talk
The hell? I've been really enjoying
Next Food Network Star so far this season, and was all set to watch it last night. And then I just completely forgot that it was on. I can't even remember what I was watching last night at that time. I think it was another
Andy Griffith Show marathon. It was the episode where Barney misunderstood something and screwed everything up.
So how was this "Dinner at Ina's" episode? This is going to be one of those times where I don't even read your comments until I watch the episode, which I'm going to do right now.
Posted Jun 15th 2009 11:32AM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Food/Home/DIY, Watercooler Talk
I'm really enjoying this season so far. It has a good mix of drama, guest stars, good challenges, and actual food being made. What did you think of this episode? Were Brett and Teddy right in what they said about Melissa, or did they only help a little and she probably could have done it on her own? I think she accepted their help not out of panic but just because they offered and anyone would in that situation, though it would have been nice if she had mentioned that to the judges.
Posted Jun 14th 2009 1:01PM by Eliot Glazer
Filed under: Food/Home/DIY, Saturday Night Live, Video, Reality-Free
Once upon a time, Melanie Hutsell was on top of the world. And by "on top of the world," we mean she was on
Saturday Night Live, doing characters whose signature dialogue quietly seeped into the mainstream conscious and were applauded on arrival by the studio audience. And then she vanished, only to become the butt of many a joke among
SNL aficionados.
But we found her via
butter enthusiast Food Network superstar
Paula Deen, who somehow got word that the actress and writer had moved on from the Delta Delta Delta sorority sister, Di, to impersonating Deen herself. In fact, Hutsell had been impersonating Deen
for several years, "anywhere they would have [her], in theaters, churches, temples - you name it."
Continue reading Melanie Hutsell is alive, and she's impersonating Paula Deen
Posted Jun 11th 2009 10:26AM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Food/Home/DIY, Watercooler Talk
So last night we had the premiere of
Top Chef Masters, which is supposed to keep us satisfied until the regular
Top Chef returns. But it's a different show. The judges are different, and the contestants are actually well-known, successful chefs already, so the food is going to be better and the arguing is going to be less. It's not bad. I was hoping for all of the contestants to compete at the same time and not be split up into groups like this, but it's actually refreshing to see the pros do it. What did you think?
Posted Jun 5th 2009 8:17PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Food/Home/DIY, Video, Reality-Free
Not really sure what to make of this cooking show that's coming to IFC,
Food Party, which started on the web. I think host Thu Tran cooks various things (note the fake fire), but there's a dash of
H.R. Pufnstuf and bizarre sketch humor too. In this clip she wants to make Caramel Pork Chops but realizes she's missing one key ingredient and has to make an emergency phone call.
[via
The L.A. Times]
Posted May 6th 2009 4:50PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Food/Home/DIY, Reality-Free
I'm a big eating-in-front-of-the-TV fan. I can't remember the last meal I had away from the television (unless, of course, there wasn't a TV around, like a restaurant or my recent prison stay). I always plan my meals around television, which is why this menu at Epicurious caught my eye. It's their list of
TV dinners, meals to watch while you watch your favorite shows, based on those shows.
Continue reading So, what are you eating tonight while you watch Lost or Idol?
Posted May 4th 2009 2:36PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Food/Home/DIY, Video, Web, Reality-Free
Food Network is launching a bunch of new shows on their web site
Food2.com, but this one looks to be the most promising. It's based on the really fun web site/book
The Amateur Gourmet, and features Adam Roberts, well, cooking food. But it's done in a more realistic way than most food shows, the way that a lot of people cook in real life. Below he teaches us how to make an omelet.
Continue reading Food Network teaches you how to make an omelet
Posted Apr 21st 2009 7:34PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Food/Home/DIY, Programming, Reality-Free
Food Network has a bunch of new shows coming up (along with renewals of shows now on the air). One of them has a former sports figure as the host/star. Can you guess what it is?
a.)
What Would Brian Boitano Make?b.)
Healthy Life with Chris Evertc.)
In the Fridge with William "The Refrigerator" Perry
d.)
Dinner and Dollars with Mary Lou Retton e.)
Let's Make Sandwiches! (with Steffi Graf)
It's
this one.
Posted Apr 21st 2009 12:30PM by Jonathan Toomey
Filed under: Food/Home/DIY, Industry, Lost, Celebrities, Reality-Free
Despite the fact that news about Lost's 100th episode celebratory cake has been bouncing around the 'net since February, I thought it might be worth mentioning it again since the milestone episode ("The Variable", S05E14) airs next Wednesday, 4/29.
As you can see, the cake, created by Duff Goldman and his crew from Food Network's Ace of Cakes, features a ton of characters from the show as well as some iconic items that all Lost fans will recognize. To drum up some buzz for "The Variable," ABC recently released some more pictures from the cast party where the cake was presented.
Continue reading Lost celebrates 100th episode with Ace of Cakes' Duff Goldman
Posted Mar 30th 2009 4:24PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Food/Home/DIY, Watercooler Talk, Reality-Free
Does Food Network think that we don't know that other networks do shows about food? The reason I'm asking the question is this: season four
Top Chef finalist Richard Blais was a guest on Ted Allen's
Food Detectives last week talking about how to freeze alcohol with liquid nitrogen to make really cool looking cocktails.
I recognized Richard right away, as did probably most other foodies who watched the show...but you'd never know about
his Top Chef tenure if you listened to Ted's introduction. It was like the other show didn't exist.
Continue reading Food Detectives doesn't acknowledge Top Chef
Posted Mar 27th 2009 11:15AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Food/Home/DIY, Cancellations
It cannot come as a big surprise that NBC's reality series
The Chopping Block has been chopped after three episodes. The show started poorly in the ratings and have sunk lower in the subsequent two broadcasts.
Ratings alone aren't the reason for
The Chopping Block being sent back to the kitchen, or thrown down the garbage disposal, or any other food euphemism you might want to suggest.
The Chopping Block was dumped and deservedly so because it was not a good reality competition show.
Continue reading No surprise...NBC axes The Chopping Block
Posted Mar 16th 2009 11:02AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Food/Home/DIY, TV Squad Lists
When it comes to cooking competition shows, the two that consistently make the grade are Bravo's
Top Chef and Fox's
Hell's Kitchen. But while the two shows are ostensibly both about aspiring chefs competing for a prime position -- to beat the competition and emerge as number one -- there are really more things about the shows that separate them.
In terms of quality competition, food expertise and cooking skills,
Top Chef is superior to
Hell's Kitchen. They're both fun to watch, and I have followed every season of each of them. But the main thing they have in common is the kitchen. Read my five reasons and see if you don't agree with me that
Top Chef has it all over
Hell's Kitchen.
Continue reading Five reasons why Top Chef tops Hell's Kitchen
Posted Feb 26th 2009 3:02PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, Food/Home/DIY, OpEd
The fifth edition of
Top Chef came to a conclusion last night. I'd like to say it was one of the all-time best seasons, that I was on the edge of my seat with excitement, that I was really rooting for one competitor more than another... I'd like to say that, but I can't. All in all,
Top Chef New York, which became
Top Chef New Orleans in the last few episodes, was kind of a dud.
Before I talk about the winner and what happened specifically in the finale, I have to ask why
Top Chef failed to really make use of the location this time around? New York is all about food and great restaurants and amazing chefs, but I can't think of one episode that really used the city in a creative way. Where was the Little Italy challenge? What about a trip to Chinatown for wild ingredients? Gail Simmons' bridal shower could have taken place anywhere. The Super Bowl challenge was generic. And when it was time for the finale,
TC went to the Big Easy. Is that any way to honor the Big Apple?
Continue reading Top Chef serves up a new winner
Posted Jan 29th 2009 5:05PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Food/Home/DIY, Celebrities
I love British chef Gordon Ramsay. I love watching him on TV, whether it's his Fox shows --
Hell's Kitchen or
Kitchen Nightmares -- or the ones that have turned up on BBC America like
Ramsay's Boiling Point and the most recent show,
The F Word. The F stands for food, by the way. Much as I love him, though, I don't think I want him as a teacher.
Well, that's what he's going to be doing next. The Simon Cowell of cooking is plotting something new for the network.
Ramsay's doing a special cooking show for Fox in the Julia Child tradition, teaching how to do what he does. The idea is for Gordon to create a three-course dinner while giving home viewers instructions about how to do it with him.
Continue reading Gordon Ramsay plans another Fox food program
Posted Jan 14th 2009 12:01PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Food/Home/DIY, OpEd
So last night was the premiere of
Chopped, The Food Network's latest entry in the cook-for-money food competition genre. Is it bad? No, but there's nothing special about it either (rather dull actually, and over-edited). You have your three judges, you have your host (Ted Allen), you have your contestants making meals quickly. It's a lot like
Challenge meets
Iron Chef America, only a player is eliminated after each round, with the winner winning $10,000 for making the best meals out of secret ingredients that are revealed. A lot of the ingredients are pretty basic, and it's fairly obvious what the contestants can make out of them. I'd like to see a show where the host unveils ingredients like smoked salmon, chocolate, 4 limes, and a tin box of Sucrets. There, make something out of that.
While watching the show I asked myself, what shows on the Food Network are my favorite food and cooking shows? And I decided: none of them, really. While I enjoy several shows on FN, my favorite cooking shows are on PBS.
Continue reading My favorite food shows aren't on The Food Network
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TV Squad previews NBC's new shows (part 1)
TV 101: How ESPN controls the world and what the other networks can learn from it
TV Squad previews CBS's new shows
