Ultimate Recipe Showdown

[Doodad]

Did anybody else catch that dog? I appreciated some of the cooking, but between the contrived suspense, weird format and (mostly) the hosts it was all pretty bad. I have to say the prize was generous if weird that you have to compete against completely unrelated food to yours.

And the review with the hipster and the contestant was painful to say the least.

Edited March 3, 2008 by Doodad (log)

[nliedel]

Caught five minutes of it and turned it off. My son is a big Marc Summer's fan. They have a similar issue they have had to deal with and he uses Marc Summer's as a hero, along with David Beckham, of all the odd combinations. Even my son's odd fanship could not save this turkey for us. It was boring, silly and GF drives me to drink.

Edited March 3, 2008 by nliedel (log)

[gfweb]

Uggh. Spectacularly terrible. Almost a spoof of a FN show. Summers must be the worst voice-over guy on TV with his bizarre and monotonous phrasing. And Fieri....

[tino27]

What I particularly thought was poignant was the fact that at the very end when Guy is in the TGIF test kitchen, the comment was made that they "deconstructed the winning dish". So I guess $25,000 is the going price for selling your soul to TFN?

You: Yay! I just won $25,000 for my winning dish!

TGIF: We're just gonna make a few changes. *Wink, wink*

[handmc]

Wow this show is a mess! And to see Russ Parsons one of EGullet's own contributing author as a judge that was more of a shock!

French onion soup mac and Cheese. When did this sound like a good recipe, after a few bong hits?

I wish Guy, his tatts and his collection of bowling shirts would just go away. Its like he is everywhere. How did this no talent hack, who knows nothing about food float to the helm of FN. Now that he has crossed over to advertise with TGI Fridays his obnoxious voice and ugly mug is on everywhere YUCK!

[Doodad]

Wow this show is a mess! And to see Russ Parsons one of EGullet's own contributing author as a judge that was more of a shock!

French onion soup mac and Cheese. When did this sound like a good recipe, after a few bong hits?

I wish Guy, his tatts and his collection of bowling shirts would just go away. Its like he is everywhere. How did this no talent hack, who knows nothing about food float to the helm of FN. Now that he has crossed over to advertise with TGI Fridays his obnoxious voice and ugly mug is on everywhere YUCK!

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Did you hear his explanation of the difference between lager and stout? I almost threw something.

[gfweb]

What I particularly thought was poignant was the fact that at the very end when Guy is in the TGIF test kitchen, the comment was made that they "deconstructed the winning dish". So I guess $25,000 is the going price for selling your soul to TFN?

You: Yay! I just won $25,000 for my winning dish!

TGIF: We're just gonna make a few changes. *Wink, wink*

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Actually I find that encouraging. Some of the winning recipes so obviously sucked that I was concerned for TGIF...their cuisine might fall even lower.

[cathrynapple]

He explained the difference as "lager is something people are drinking. Then when you get to stouts, that's a real strong beer." wtf??

There is no cooking demonstrated on this show. I haven't seen a dish presented that I'd ever order in a restaurant or diner yet. And it's run like a crappy ESPN show or something.

Remember the days when one could learn to cook a bit from watching the food network?

[Zeemanb]

French onion soup mac and Cheese. When did this sound like a good recipe, after a few bong hits?

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I am offended! Really! I happen to have part of the transcript from MY appearance on the upcoming “Showdown: Trail Mix”, that will hopefully put you haters back on track……

Guy: So Jerry, I know we’re all familiar with G.O.R.P…..good old raisins and peanuts, but can you tell us what your inspiration was to add Raisinets into your mix? That is off the hook!

Jerry: Yeah Guy, most of my fan mail comes from people who really think the Raisinets set our trail mix apart. Funny story about how I came up with the idea…basically, some friends and I were driving back from SXSW in Austin, and we had run across a PARTICULARLY potent strain of white widow while we were down there…

Guy: Oh, I like where this story is going!

Jerry: Yeah, so we’ve all been up for a few days and this weed really isn’t helping matters. So anyway, my buddy Maurice is driving and all of a sudden he just SWERVES in order to dodge this Weeble……it IS Weebles right? That the right word?

Guy: They wobble but they don’t fall down!

Jerry: Right! They do NOT fall down man, they just DON”T!

Guy: Off the hook!

Jerry: So yeah, Maurice swerves to dodge this imaginary Weeble Village in the middle of the road. I mean, none of the rest of us saw it, and he’s just like that…he won’t even hurt a Weeble. So this box of Raisinets he’s eating just goes FLYING all over the rest of the car……and some of them go STRAIGHT INTO my bag of Corn Nuts!

Guy: Like those Reese’s commercials!

Jerry: Exactly! So we’re laughing all the way back home about TWO GREAT TASTES THAT GO GREAT TOGETHER! It was classic! So there you have it, that’s how I came up with such a triumphant Trail Mix recipe, and I’m gonna win!

Guy: That’s bananas!

Jerry: No, we tried bananas, but the flavor profile of the BBQ Corn Nuts really carry the mix, and bananas just didn’t work with it.

So, I hope that alleviates any doubts about the legitimacy of this prime time Food Network programming........

edited for spelling, etc.

Edited March 3, 2008 by Zeemanb (log)

[Doodad]

He explained the difference as "lager is something people are drinking. Then when you get to stouts, that's a real strong beer." wtf??

There is no cooking demonstrated on this show. I haven't seen a dish presented that I'd ever order in a restaurant or diner yet. And it's run like a crappy ESPN show or something.

Remember the days when one could learn to cook a bit from watching the food network?

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I liked two things only. The nuts in the veg chili. Call me what you will, but boiled peanuts just might save a veg chili. In the South anyway; not sure about cashews. You would probably get beat.

The plantain as a sandwich bread was decent idea. I would have done it openface with what may have been really good pork stew. It looked right. It's reincarnation as a sandwich (including plantains) in the hands of McFunster's looked like a colonic irrigation appointment.

That teutonic cheesesteak looked like scheisse.

Edited March 3, 2008 by Doodad (log)

[feedmec00kies]

He explained the difference as "lager is something people are drinking. Then when you get to stouts, that's a real strong beer." wtf??

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Well duh, the only kinds of beer are $#!+y pale lagers and stouts. And you forget that Guinness, as the ONLY stout out there, is the HEAVIEST, THICKEST, most EXPENSIVE beer IN EXISTENCE!!!!

WOOOO LETS GET DRUNK@*)(&!@!!!!!

[caroled]

I did not catch this episode, but I am usually off on Sun nights. And as such Have been known to fall asleep with the tv on. Both of the last 2 Sun nights I did this I woke up to the late night episode of URS and just had to see what it was all about.

The first episode was chicken. In each of the 3 segments they had to do a different type. Fried chicken; soup or stew; and whole roast chicken.

2nd episode was burgers. Traditional ( ground beef); poultry; and seafood.

These do make a little more sence when judging one category against another.Comfort foods are very broad and subjective.

[Ndy]

I think Guy is a male version of Rachel Ray. I wonder what horrors they would produce if they somehow married each other...

[handmc]

I think Guy is a male version of Rachel Ray. I wonder what horrors they would produce if they somehow married each other...

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Yum-o MONEY! That would be a union! I wonder if the babies would be born with tatoos?

[Doodad]

I think Guy is a male version of Rachel Ray. I wonder what horrors they would produce if they somehow married each other...

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Yum-o MONEY! That would be a union! I wonder if the babies would be born with tatoos?

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Yep $40 ones.

Can you imagine the kitchen decor? Orange bachelor pad.

[gfweb]

I think Guy is a male version of Rachel Ray. I wonder what horrors they would produce if they somehow married each other...

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Yum-o MONEY! That would be a union! I wonder if the babies would be born with tatoos?

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The babies would be born with their heads up their.....uh nevermind.

[KensethFan]

This show is the biggest trainwreck of all the trainwreck programming we have seen on FN. Listening to Marc Summers and especially Guy Fieri is absolutely, positively painful.

[hungryCAT]

I watched this show for the first time last night - the cake challenge.

OMG . . . I can't believe Food Network has stooped this low.

[divalasvegas]

So I have to ask: would any of you ever submit a recipe to them (TVFN) via this show and accept a challenge if offered, knowing that,

a) You would actually be on TVFN for all your family, friends, and eGulleteers to see and,

b) Your recipe would be sold to TGI-Friday's (which I assume means that they would own it, but I'm not sure) and would probably make changes to it to suit their menu/marketing needs

I don't know, I think it's pretty tempting. I mean, $25,000 is $25K and if they want to pay me that kind of money for a recipe, I'm not sure I'd have the strength to say no.

What say you?

P.S. -- I agree, this show is a real mess! I'm sure he's a real nice guy, but Marc Summers drives me crazy with always speaking in a tone that sounds like he's addressing an audience of pre-schoolers, and not even real smart pre-schoolers.

[chefpeon]

Yeah, I watched this show last night also. The chocolate cake challenge.

I find the concept where Guy and Mark are commenting on the challenge a la sportscasters really stupid. And yeah, I can't say I like Guy a whole lot either. He's downright annoying.

What really bugs me? The fact that TGI Fridays is sponsoring it, and they can afford to pay out a great prize. $25,000 to an amateur.

Compare this to professionals who appear on the Food Network Challenge and their prize is $10,000. Their competitions are tougher and far more challenging. They also have to pay out of their own pockets to ship EVERYTHING they need to complete the competition....this includes not only buckets of buttercream (ie. HEAVY stuff=big shipping charges), but soap, bleach and towels.

Other than work surfaces and equipment like ovens and fridges, they provide NOTHING for you. Not even bowls or small utensils. You have to ship it ALL. Add in a few days of lost work time, and the fact that if you're a decent person, you split the prize with your assistant, and that $10,000 prize is whittled down to almost just not being worth participating.

For $25,000 though......now you're talkin'. But not on Guy's show. Meh.

[Zeemanb]

So I have to ask: would any of you ever submit a recipe to them (TVFN) via this show and accept a challenge if offered, knowing that,

a) You would actually be on TVFN for all your family, friends, and eGulleteers to see and,

b) Your recipe would be sold to TGI-Friday's (which I assume means that they would own it, but I'm not sure) and would probably make changes to it to suit their menu/marketing needs

I don't know, I think it's pretty tempting.  I mean, $25,000 is $25K and if they want to pay me that kind of money for a recipe, I'm not sure I'd have the strength to say no.

What say you?

P.S. -- I agree, this show is a real mess! I'm sure he's a real nice guy, but Marc Summers drives me crazy with always speaking in a tone that sounds like he's addressing an audience of pre-schoolers, and not even real smart pre-schoolers.

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Oh HELL yes! It's a terrible show, but terrible enough for someone like me to say "oh, I could do that". As a home cook I'm not invested enough in my craft to really care about how bady TGIMcFunster's would butcher my dish to make it more appealing to the general public. Between the chance at 25K, getting on the teevee, and all of the deviant inside-jokes I would have my friends waiting to hear while I was speaking to Guy.....I can't think of a downside. Just getting the chance to pretend I was a normal enough human being to cheerily participate in a culinary Special Olympics would be enough for me. Hell, where do I sign up?

[dockhl]

I just can't believe this is taking up airtime when they've cancelled Jericho !

[MissAmy]

I don't know, I think it's pretty tempting.  I mean, $25,000 is $25K and if they want to pay me that kind of money for a recipe, I'm not sure I'd have the strength to say no.

What say you?

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Abso-freaking-lutely! I understand all the righteous indignation over 90% of what FTV has to offer, but still. If they were to offer ME a spot hosting, or if I won $25K, it's not like I'd turn it down. I'd let my food friends and the eGullet community scoff while I laughed all the way to the bank.

[JohnnyH]

Yeah, I watched this show last night also. The chocolate cake challenge.

I find the concept where Guy and Mark are commenting on the challenge a la sportscasters really stupid. And yeah, I can't say I like Guy a whole lot either. He's downright annoying.

What really bugs me? The fact that TGI Fridays is sponsoring it, and they can afford to pay out a great prize. $25,000 to an amateur.

Compare this to professionals who appear on the Food Network Challenge and their prize is $10,000. Their competitions are tougher and far more challenging. They also have to pay out of their own pockets to ship EVERYTHING they need to complete the competition....this includes not only buckets of buttercream (ie. HEAVY stuff=big shipping charges), but soap, bleach and towels.

Other than work surfaces and equipment like ovens and fridges, they provide NOTHING for you. Not even bowls or small utensils. You have to ship it ALL. Add in a few days of lost work time, and the fact that if you're a decent person, you split the prize with your assistant, and that $10,000 prize is whittled down to almost just not being worth participating.

For $25,000 though......now you're talkin'. But not on Guy's show. Meh.

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Gotta pay the tax man too, unless FN grosses the winnings up (which I seriously doubt). Might as well cut your $10K in half right there, before giving anything to the assistant.

[divalasvegas]

chefpeon I've been thinking the same thing about the professional level contests; $10K is pretty lame. At that level you would think a $50K or even $100K top prize would be in order.

MissAmy and Zeemanb glad to see that I'm not alone. I now know the price of my soul--at least for a cheesy TFVN home cook recipe contest--and it is TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS! Oh the abject greed and shame................ sort of.

My one question is how do they decide who finalists will be? I've seen a few pretty disgusting concoctions make it to the final round. I mean one of the finalists in the sandwich category was a fried zucchini sandwich with raw onions and processed ham. How the Hell did THAT make it to the final three?