Favorite/Least Favorite Food "Celebrities"

[MatthewB]

Don't think I have any least favorites. I'm kind of a neophyte in the food celeb category. Have heard of people like Iron Chef and Naked Chef, but don't really know what they do, or why they do it!

You really need to get out more.

[fresco]

Don't think I have any least favorites. I'm kind of a neophyte in the food celeb category. Have heard of people like Iron Chef and Naked Chef, but don't really know what they do, or why they do it!

You really need to get out more.

Could the problem be that she gets out too much to be a really effective couch potato?

[NHCountryGirl]

Wow, I'm flattered two dueling opinions over me!

MatthewB's response that I need to get out more: I thought yeh, he's probably right. I'm showing them all what a real country girl I am. I should at least go to Boston once in a while. I've heard of the Blue Ginger in Wellesley. Think that chef has a TV show. I could experience it first hand!

Then fresco (cool name - wasn't he on General Hospital a long time ago? oh, maybe that was frisco. I know short for al fresco. See, I really do know a lot about food and the overall dining experience, just not big on the trendy stuff) Anyway fresco says maybe the problem is I get out too much to be an effective couch potato (don't know if that was a jab at MatthewB or any other "foodies", but I'm playing neutral here). I thought yeh, he/she's right I don't stay home much. And I definitely don't watch that much TV. I keep very busy with a myriad of activities, leading a pretty wellbalanced life. (except when I can't get away from the computer)

So, I'll just happily stick with my original answers, and chat with the ladies at the farmer's market this weekend about their favorite food celebs. And, I'll check in here once in a while to see if there's anyone who sounds interesting enough to check out.

Thanks for your feedback!

[Toliver]

Rachael Ray seems to be universally disliked...

Another thing that REALLY bugs me about her "30 Minute Meals" program: She goes to get the ingredients (with the fake labels) out of either the refrigerator or the cupboard and she piles it all into her arms and says "Let's see if I can make it back to the counter without dropping anything." HELLO?? It's a TV show fer crikey-sake...have your production assistants put it all on the counter for you, that'll save you gobs of time and maybe make it "27 Minute Meals" for once. Yeesh!

[FoodZealot]

As long as I'm complaining, can I just mention Joanne Weir (?) who does some show called wine country living or something, and seems like a horrible person both because of her food and her personality (i.e., the simulacrum as presented on TV).

She really sticks in my craw as well. One of the shows had a horrible pun in it, like Weir Cooking Now or something similar. [click]

~Tad

[Raynickben]

How about when she "adds a little e.v.o.o" ?

I think she's only saving herself 3 syllables there.

talking about Rachel Ray here

Edited August 27, 2003 by Raynickben (log)

[hjshorter]

As long as I'm complaining, can I just mention Joanne Weir (?) who does some show called wine country living or something, and seems like a horrible person both because of her food and her personality (i.e., the simulacrum as presented on TV).

She really sticks in my craw as well. One of the shows had a horrible pun in it, like Weir Cooking Now or something similar. [click]

~Tad

She's much much too smiley, but her recipes are fantastic.

And her show is Weir Cooking in the Wine Country, I think.

[Jinmyo]

Julia Child ?? - I don't know, she's certainly well reputed, but watching her used to freak me out. She's kind of like a charicature of herself. Shouldn't a food celeb, like any other celeb, have good presentation and audience performance?

Julia has done enough for us all for her to be able to be however she pleases.

You should have seen her in the early 1960s on PBS, weilding a cutlass.

Dan Akryod did a famous parody of her (that she is said to have really enjoyed) on Saturday Night Live in the 1970s.

Oh, and Blue Ginger is Ming Tsai's place.

[Nick]

Dan Akryod did a famous parody of her (that she is said to have really enjoyed) on Saturday Night Live in the 1970s.

Saw that (back when I had a TV.) It was great! He sounded and almost acted just like her. Ended up cutting himself (not really), blood all over the place and it was still Julia carrying on. Great piece.

[Mottmott]

Oddly, no one has mentioned Charlie Trotter's series. It made some of his food more accessible than his "big" books. What I liked was how he'd ring changes on a recipe, showing more and less complex variations. Another show no one's mentioned is Bugialli'sl. I liked what he was doing, but (alas) his accent was so strong that it interferred.

Personally, I prefer shows with more emphasis on cooking and less on the chef's "personality." If they're dorky, so be it. People like Child and Pepin are high on everyone's list because they've got the goods AND are charming, gracious people. Some, like Kamman, Stewart, Kimball, English, Weir have a lot to teach us, but may have annoying persona. (I think it's often the way they enunciate their words and their serious mien, looking and sounding like old fashioned home ec teachers. ) I can overlook that better than those with so much "personality" one can hardly see the food.

I'm certain I'm a dork - when I watch a food show, I watch it for the food. Anyone with something to teach me is on my favorites list, the others I don't care to visit with.

:

[rgruby]

Been mostly a lurker here for months, but I'll add my $.02 to this one.

Faves include:

Jeffrey Steingarten

Michael Ruhlman - both for his narrative stuff and cookbook collaborations

Rick Bayless and Julie Sahni's cookbooks (liked Tom Collichio's as well, we'll see if he does more and if they are good as well)

Mixed feelings re: John Thorne - I'm mentioning him here to see if he piques anyone else's interest - don't think he's been mentioned yet on this thread.

TV faves include Mario, a show on the Canuck Food Network called Cook Like a Chef (with a rotating cast of chefs), and jeez, I'm running out of steam on this one. I liked Ming Tsai when he was on up here. Prefer AB in print to TV - but still watch religiously. I think Jamie Oliver and Nigella are ok because the food looks good and doable - ie can be cooked by a regular, non-chef-trained person.

Dislikes:

OK - I'll start with the obvious and apparently just about universally reviled, at least here:

Emeril, Rachel Ray and Marfa. Flay too, just a hair below those three.

And, a couple of Canuck ones that'll give the others I mentioned a run for their money.

Ken Kostick - I dunno how to even describe the horror that is his show - actually I could, but I won't.

And lastly and perhaps least, Carlo Rota, the host of The Great Canadian Food Show. Smug doesn't even begin to describe this blight on the tv landscape. Flay, you ain't even in this guy's league. Truly, truly unwatchable.

Cheers,

Geoff Ruby

[fresco]

Been mostly a lurker here for months, but I'll add my $.02 to this one.

Faves include:

Jeffrey Steingarten

Michael Ruhlman - both for his narrative stuff and cookbook collaborations

Rick Bayless and Julie Sahni's cookbooks (liked Tom Collichio's as well, we'll see if he does more and if they are good as well)

Mixed feelings re: John Thorne - I'm mentioning him here to see if he piques anyone else's interest - don't think he's been mentioned yet on this thread.

TV faves include Mario, a show on the Canuck Food Network called Cook Like a Chef (with a rotating cast of chefs),  and jeez, I'm running out of steam on this one. I liked Ming Tsai when he was on up here. Prefer AB in print to TV - but still watch religiously. I think Jamie Oliver and Nigella are ok because the food looks good and doable - ie can be cooked by a regular, non-chef-trained person.

Dislikes:

OK - I'll start with the obvious and apparently just about universally reviled, at least here:

Emeril, Rachel Ray and Marfa. Flay too, just a hair below those three.

And, a couple of Canuck ones that'll give the others I mentioned a run for their money.

Ken Kostick - I dunno how to even describe the horror that is his show - actually I could, but I won't.

And lastly and perhaps least, Carlo Rota, the host of The Great Canadian Food Show. Smug doesn't even begin to describe this blight on the tv landscape. Flay, you ain't even in this guy's league. Truly, truly unwatchable.

Cheers,

Geoff Ruby

Too true. Ken and Carlo make the worst US TV chefs seem positively adorable and charismatic.

[Wild Pegasus]

Dislikes:

...

And, a couple of Canuck ones that'll give the others I mentioned a run for their money.

Ken Kostick - I dunno how to even describe the horror that is his show - actually I could, but I won't.

And lastly and perhaps least, Carlo Rota, the host of The Great Canadian Food Show. Smug doesn't even begin to describe this blight on the tv landscape. Flay, you ain't even in this guy's league. Truly, truly unwatchable.

Cheers,

Geoff Ruby

Kostick is by far the worst food personality I've ever encountered. My wife used to intentionally torture me by changing the channel to "What's for Dinner?". I can't even imagine how god awful his solo show is.

For Canadian shows you missed Rob Rainford. His vocabulary is limited to about four or five different phrases. Every ingredient he uses "brings it all together" and every thing he makes is "absolutely perfect" while he's always "letting the grill do the work". There's some interesting information on the show but the obviously fake friends, brutal premises behind the "friends" coming over, and the worst sidekick on a food show, that guy that brings the fish over (he makes Rooney look like the Fonz), that the show is barely watchable.

[FoodMan]

Indeed: I got a very nice communication from Alton--via an interested and trusted third party--and my pique over an imagined snub quickly evaporated. For the record: I always thought the show was pretty decent--and filled with useful and even enlightening information.

TOLD YA!!

thanks for clarifying this, Tony

FM

[wawairis]

Favorites:

Julia

Jacques Pepin

Tony Bourdain (of course! Read all of his books, even Bobby Gold!)

David Rosengarten

Jacques Torres

Can tolerate:

Sara Moultin

Martha Stewart

Mario Batali (kinda dry)

Disklike:

Wolfgang Puck (probably a nice guy, but his freaking voice drives me crazy! )

Martin Yan (stop all that damn counting and chop!)

Bobby Flay (howdie doodie does the kitchen - I watch his show just because it makes time go by slowly, kind of a catch 22 thingy)

Rocco DiSpirito (Bobby Flay Jr.)

[Bond Girl]

A friend who works in video production said a friend of his (you know how that goes...a friend of a friend of a friend...) worked on Martin Yan's PBS show.  He said Martin Yan speaks perfect English and puts on the "broken English" act for his TV show and public appearances. 

If true, he's at the top of my "Nay" list.

i always was kinda annoyed by martin yan. and if this rumor is true....then he goes onto the top of my list also beating out even surviour-rocco

Martin Yan not only speaks perfect english, he also speaks french with great prowess. Never seen his show though.

My own personal non-favorites:

Nigella Lawson- gives people unrealistic idea of the kitchen.

Emeril-Annoying.

Bobby Flay-reminds me of a greasy mid-70's tennis instructor.

Edited August 27, 2003 by Bond Girl (log)

[Toliver]

A friend who works in video production said a friend of his (you know how that goes...a friend of a friend of a friend...) worked on Martin Yan's PBS show.  He said Martin Yan speaks perfect English and puts on the "broken English" act for his TV show and public appearances. 

If true, he's at the top of my "Nay" list.

i always was kinda annoyed by martin yan. and if this rumor is true....then he goes onto the top of my list also beating out even surviour-rocco

Martin Yan not only speaks perfect english, he also speaks french with great prowess. Never seen his show though.

Then he's at the top of my "NAY" list. "Broken English", my Uncle Pepin!

Guess I will have to wait until the eGCI store is open so I can buy some eGullet stationery and fire off a terse yet strongly worded and thoroughly disdainful letter to him.

Which one of you has the board's thesaurus?

[pete ganz]

Everyone likes to dick on Bobby Flay and yes, he is annoying at times, but the food he makes on Boy Meets Grill usually looks pretty damn good.

[KelMH]

Nigella Lawson- gives people unrealistic idea of the kitchen.

...And how cooks look in the kitchen.

[rgruby]

One thing I hate about Nigella is the sound.

Everytime she opens a bag of something the sound is like someone was opening it right beside your ear. Very crisp. Very exagerated. Very annoying.

Cheers,

Geoff Ruby

[ronnie_suburban]

One thing I hate about Nigella is the sound.

Everytime she opens a bag of something the sound is like someone was opening it right beside your ear. Very crisp. Very exagerated. Very annoying.

Cheers,

Geoff Ruby

...and the musical interludes in her shows are insanely loud too. I crank up the volume to hear her speak and I get my ear drums blown out by the ensuing music.

But, that's not her fault so I still love her

=R=

[tommy]

Everyone likes to dick on Bobby Flay and yes, he is annoying at times, but the food he makes on Boy Meets Grill usually looks pretty damn good.

the food i make is pretty damned good sometimes too. i think people just don't like his persona. although i'm sure i qualify there as well.

[hannnah]

I'll throw out a couple of names I haven't seen mentioned as far as likes (the standard mentions are just that, standards )...

First cooking show I remember watching regularly was on Discovery, with a little Italian guy named Pasquale who sang opera (badly). The food wasn't particularly innovative - basically home cooking Italian - but he absolutely loved what he was doing and it showed.

Also, Madhur Jaffray and Antonio Carluccio are generally worth a look.

As far as dislikes, I'd rather stab myself in the eye repeatedly with a fire-ant-covered-stick than watch Rachael Ray. *aargh* And while I generally adore Iron Chef, the only ones I dislike are the ones with Iron Chef Italian, Kobe. He's just dull.

[erraticninja]

First cooking show I remember watching regularly was on Discovery...

mine was same network different show. I used to **LOVE** great chefs of the ...that was the first time i saw cooking with presentation and creativity i think.

[mcdowell]

Actually, thinking about it, one of my favorite food celebrities would have to be Steven Shaw, F.G.

He needs his own show, he & Sam. Maybe a Sunday morning show on Food TV, opposite Tim Russert and that shady guy who replaced Sam Donaldson.

It should to be a round-table discussion of all things culinary, in the style of the McLaughlin Group, throwing out topics to a regular panel of irregulars culled from the past week's postings to eG.

Could work. Petition the FoodTV folks immediately. I know I will.