Favorite/Least Favorite Food "Celebrities"

[beans]

I got almost beaten to a pulp on those fanantic forums when I agreed with bourdain's comment about salmon caught in the wild....

Those boards catapulted me over to eG.

[Jinmyo]

I got almost beaten to a pulp on those fanantic forums when I agreed with bourdain's comment about salmon caught in the wild....

Those boards catapulted me over to eG.

Heh. Well, beans, I absolutely loathe Bob Blumer and wouldn't mind at all if his toaster van fell into a pool and electrocuted him.

[beans]

ouch!

[elion_84]

Like:

1. Michael Chiarello - his food rocks. The NapaStyle special on FoodTV was somewhat disappointing, but his PBS show is great and his Mission Fig Clafouti is devine.

2. Alton Brown - I never get tired of his schtick

3. Sara Moulton - great recipes and style

Dislikes

1. The crew from Cooks Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen - can't stand how snobby these guys are

2. Iron Chef - ok, so it's not a person. Still can't stand that show, espcially the american version with Shattner.

3. Bobby Flay/Mario Batali/Jamie Oliver - they are way to hyper for my liking. And how many foodtv do you really need?

[beachcove]

I haven't read this whole thread...but does anyone remember a chef named Kathy...?

She was based in Hawaii and she did vegetarian stuff.... I thought her cooking was interesting but she was uneasy with camera....

Could it be Kathy Hoshijo? Or something close name-wise?

Her show WAS really interesting, she may have been one of the first people I ever saw toasting spices in ghee. One of the first TV chefs I ever watched, actually!

Must have been in the early to mid eighties. I think I remember Justin Wilson also being on then.

[Carlovski]

Here are my personnal views - A bit of a UK slant for you.

Like

Nigella Lawsons writing

Nigel Slaters writing

Hugh Fearnley Whitingstall - Absolutely brilliant

Rick Stein - Infectious enthusiasm for all things fishy, and food in general.

Keith Floyd - Of course (Although some of his later shows have been poor)

Simon Hopkinson - Forthright, witty and great recipes.

Don' t like

Nigella Lawson on TV (I think she tries a bit too hard)

Nigel Slater on TV (It just didn't work!)

Ainsley Harriott

AA Gill (If he even counts, 3 lines on the food in a two page restaurant review?)

Delia Smith

Not sure

Gary Rhodes - Fascinating, informative and sometimes incredibly annoying

Jamie Oliver - Good in small doses.....

[TrishCT]

I haven't read this whole thread...but does anyone remember a chef named Kathy...?

She was based in Hawaii and she did vegetarian stuff.... I thought her cooking was interesting but she was uneasy with camera....

Could it be Kathy Hoshijo? Or something close name-wise?

Her show WAS really interesting, she may have been one of the first people I ever saw toasting spices in ghee. One of the first TV chefs I ever watched, actually!

Must have been in the early to mid eighties. I think I remember Justin Wilson also being on then.

Beach, yes! I was thinking of Kathy Hoshijo. She is an interesting cook, and now I am going to order some of her books. For presence on tv though she didn't click. She appeared awkward and monotone. But she definitely has some good styles and techniques.

Thank you!

[howard88]

Here goes:

Like: Alan Richman: like his reviews and his short stint on the food network.

David Rosengarten, loves his food and is thorough in his cooking presentations.

Justin Wilson RIP: Great personality.

Bourdan good books, great show.

Lidia Bastianich has a true feel for southern Italian dishes.

Jacque and Julia: two masters of the culinary world.

Dislike: Mharthha

Barefoot Contessa: one segment had her in a bathtub covered in suds with her feet sticking out.

Real appetizing.

Flay should stay away.

Iron Chef: Nothing like having corn as the main ingredient and then go on with stuffing the cob

with fois gras and white truffles and deep frying it in a lobster infused tempura batter served in a

sauce of veal glace with specks of durian. Most of the audience can certainly relate to those

dishes.

Jamie: is he too old for Ritalin?

[Singapore]

Faves:

Bourdain. I swear KC is a management how-to book in disguise. Match that up with "Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun", and it's move over Jack Welch!

Morimoto. Went to Philadelphia. Spent bunches of cash at his place. Ate like a pig. The man's a bit geeky, but his food is fantastic!

Oliver. Loved Naked Chef and Pukka Tukka. Recipes from those shows really worked. He sold out with Oliver's Twist, tho.

Rachel Ray. C'mon, she's cute! And she's got that kick ass pinball smile!

Bobby Flay's Texas Girlfriend, from Boy Meets Grill. Hope she comes back as a co-host. Very pretty and yet Texas tough. You can see her hauling back and decking Flay if he gets out of line...

Not so Fave:

Bobby Flay. Instead of standing on the cutting board the second time around, he tosses it onto the floor. Brilliant. Where was his girlfriend when we needed her?

Tyler Florence. If he comes to my house for a Food 911 episode and smirks like that at MY wife...

Anyone who participated in Iron Chef USA. Anyone!

[KatieLoeb]

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.

I find the sound quite a bit less offensive than every possible excuse for a close up of the woman to slowly lick food off of her fingers or a wooden spoon and moaning contentedly. Very exaggerated. Very annoying. All that's missing is the cheesy soft core porn music. Perhaps instead of the loud crackling bags? I realize she's an attractive and clearly "sensually involved" large breasted woman. So what. Really - all that's left is to show is the woman deep throating a balloon whisk, ferchissakes.

Enough already.

[Jason Perlow]

What really drives me berserk about Nigella is that frickin' mezzaluna that she always uses to chop herbs. Doesn't the woman know how to use a chef's knife? Its almost as annoying when Jamie Oliver feels like he has to pummel everything in a molcajete.

[beachcove]

I haven't read this whole thread...but does anyone remember a chef named Kathy...?

She was based in Hawaii and she did vegetarian stuff.... I thought her cooking was interesting but she was uneasy with camera....

Could it be Kathy Hoshijo? Or something close name-wise?

Her show WAS really interesting, she may have been one of the first people I ever saw toasting spices in ghee. One of the first TV chefs I ever watched, actually!

Must have been in the early to mid eighties. I think I remember Justin Wilson also being on then.

Beach, yes! I was thinking of Kathy Hoshijo. She is an interesting cook, and now I am going to order some of her books. For presence on tv though she didn't click. She appeared awkward and monotone. But she definitely has some good styles and techniques.

Thank you!

Trish, please let us know what you end up cooking from the books!

I remember being really frustrated by the book I bought - Kathy Cooks Naturally - because it seemed every single recipe called for fresh mango and coconut, galangal, or something else impossible to obtain in Fort Lee, NJ in those days.

Also, how do you feel about asafoetida?

[bsan]

Anyone who participated in Iron Chef USA.  Anyone!

I agree with you 100%. I dislike the Iron Chefs from Iron Chef USA so much. I saw the first episode, and I thought I was going to throw up. The show was that disgusting. It's a disgrace!

Okay, back to our regular scheduled topic...

[TrishCT]

I haven't read this whole thread...but does anyone remember a chef named Kathy...?

She was based in Hawaii and she did vegetarian stuff.... I thought her cooking was interesting but she was uneasy with camera....

Could it be Kathy Hoshijo? Or something close name-wise?

Her show WAS really interesting, she may have been one of the first people I ever saw toasting spices in ghee. One of the first TV chefs I ever watched, actually!

Must have been in the early to mid eighties. I think I remember Justin Wilson also being on then.

Beach, yes! I was thinking of Kathy Hoshijo. She is an interesting cook, and now I am going to order some of her books. For presence on tv though she didn't click. She appeared awkward and monotone. But she definitely has some good styles and techniques.

Thank you!

Trish, please let us know what you end up cooking from the books!

I remember being really frustrated by the book I bought - Kathy Cooks Naturally - because it seemed every single recipe called for fresh mango and coconut, galangal, or something else impossible to obtain in Fort Lee, NJ in those days.

Also, how do you feel about asafoetida?

Kathy Cooks Naturally and Kathy Cooks Vegetarian are both out of print but I have a cheap source for procuring them.

As for asafoetida, I had never heard of it until your post so I looked it up.... ok...it sounds kinda yucky at first blush...

I assume she makes significant use of it?

Edited September 5, 2003 by TrishCT (log)

[Jinmyo]

Asafoetida stinks. It was traditionally considered to be a cure for flatulence because it smells like flatulence. One name for it is Devil’s Dung.

[beans]

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.

I find the sound quite a bit less offensive than every possible excuse for a close up of the woman to slowly lick food off of her fingers or a wooden spoon and moaning contentedly. Very exaggerated. Very annoying. All that's missing is the cheesy soft core porn music. Perhaps instead of the loud crackling bags? I realize she's an attractive and clearly "sensually involved" large breasted woman. So what. Really - all that's left is to show is the woman deep throating a balloon whisk, ferchissakes.

Enough already.

What she said!

(And I thought it was just me that got bored with all of it!)

[FoodMan]

she's an attractive and clearly "sensually involved" large breasted woman

and "BORING" do not go together

[MsRamsey]

I got almost beaten to a pulp on those fanantic forums when I agreed with bourdain's comment about salmon caught in the wild....

Those boards catapulted me over to eG.

Heh. Well, beans, I absolutely loathe Bob Blumer and wouldn't mind at all if his toaster van fell into a pool and electrocuted him.

Apparently if you consider yourself zany and have Lyle Lovett hair, you're "Surreal."

[jschyun]

Faves:

Flo Braker. She used to have a baking show in the morning. Very good teacher.

Mark Bittman. He's every bit the teacher Flo is.

Jeffrey Steingarten. A little corny, but very enthusiastic.

Iron Chef. I enjoy it when they are beat by little women chefs. I only watch those shows.

Two Fat Ladies. My favorite was when they made all this horrible looking food for a boarding school, and then when they realized it was crap, they took off as fast as their little bike could go.

Grudging Respect:

Jamie Oliver. I can't stand watching him, but his recipes work. Also, I understand his new restaurant is a stunning success (15).

Mixed:

Rachel Ray. She's so perky I wanna slap her, but I like the $40 show because I'm always on the lookout for inexpensive good eats.

Alton Brown. Dude, you're a nerd. But if you can sit through it, show is somewhat educational.

Dislike:

Anthony Bourdain. I read a little of his book and watched his show only as much as I could stand his self-congratulating attitude

Bobby Flay. I hate him

Emeril. He would be great to hang around with, but he's like the Oprah of cooking. I like Oprah but not in the kitchen.

I used to dislike Martin Yan but now after reading your posts, I really like him. After years of white Americans talking down to my immigrant mother, with their flailing arms and loud, obnoxious voices, I feel that Martin Yan's showbiz tactics are just desserts. Very clever, Mr. Yan.

--edited to add Alton Brown, 2 Fat Ladies and Martin Yan

Edited September 5, 2003 by jschyun (log)

[hannahcooks]

What really drives me berserk about Nigella is that frickin' mezzaluna that she always uses to chop herbs. Doesn't the woman know how to use a chef's knife? Its almost as annoying when Jamie Oliver feels like he has to pummel everything in a molcajete.

Ah, see, I love the mezzaluna, which I coveted after seeing Nigella's. I've learned how to use a chef's knife, but the mezzaluna is just more fun.

[jschyun]

Alton Brown may have just been surprised by being greeted by Tony Bourdain and not known how to respond that quickly and Bourdain just misunderstood.  I think I'm being objective in saying this, having done the same thing myself many times - I was a completely socially inept dork for much of my life.    I really find it hard to believe that he's a jerk - I've read MANY nice things from the people who have gone to his book signings.  He'll sign anything, take pictures, and stay until the last person leaves.  (Or the store kicks him out, I guess.)

My sister went to a Food Network signing and she accidentally gave him Jeffrey Steingarten's book to sign. He was a bit irritated, but signed it anyway. What a guy.

[beans]

I got almost beaten to a pulp on those fanantic forums when I agreed with bourdain's comment about salmon caught in the wild....

Those boards catapulted me over to eG.

Heh. Well, beans, I absolutely loathe Bob Blumer and wouldn't mind at all if his toaster van fell into a pool and electrocuted him.

Apparently if you consider yourself zany and have Lyle Lovett hair, you're "Surreal."

The "Surreal" goes back to his first published book (early 1990's). His surreal artwork sold and it stuck ever since.

Isn't it too easy to make fun of those in the media?

[FistFullaRoux]

Well, here's my list, late as it may be...

Faves:

Alton Brown - Not spectacular dishes, but comfort food explained. He makes it all seem accessable

Tony Bourdain - His willingness to take one for the team (I now know not to get the iguana)

Nigella Lawson - Not so much for the cooking, but she is a lot of fun to watch while she's doing it.

Least faves:

Emeril - Words do not exist. And one of his main collaborators is from my hometown.

Justin Wilson - VERY insulting. I couldn't understand a quarter of what he said, and I'm Cajun

MARTHA "let me wash that before it sets" FARGING STEWART.

On the bubble:

Bobby Flay - I used to find him very very very very very very irritating, but I'm coming around to his style. Although the Iron Chef thing with him still makes me cringe.

Ming Tsai - Interesting to watch, but I don't think I'd eat half of what he makes

Mario Battali - His in-kitchen stuff is great. Rooney needs to be left on the side of the road in Arizona.

[ingridsf]

Winner of the "I'd Like to Feed You Haggis, Black Pudding, and Menudo Not Because They're Bad But Because You're Mad" Award:

The Christina of a loathesome "food" program called Christina Cooks. In the happy event you've never encountered this show, all I can is, you are indeed fortunate. Equal parts nutrition psuedoscience, bizarre flavor combinations, and a cooking philosophy shivering in a cellar of deprivation, guilt, and fear of fat, this program is one I can't even watch for laughs. She reminds us all that establishing Vegetable Protective Services (VPS) may be necessary in a world that allows her on the public airwaves. ("Anyone who treats parsnips the way you do, ma'am, shouldn't be allowed to cook with them.)

Winner of the "Ooh, You Are the Human Equivalent of Duck-Fat Fries" Award:

A split decision, this. It goes to Ant'ny Bourdain and Lidia Bastianich. C'mon, you may have others besides these two, but when the shit comes down, you want the ones who bring it on home, and in most cases, bring it with a generous amount of raw olive oil, good old Parm Regg, and a pack of Luckies. Besides, both of these characters manage to share personal quirks in an endearing way. How many times have I heard that Lidia has "trouble" with garlic? Mystically, paradoxically, being privy to her lower GI problems makes her food more appealing. And Tony, delightful, delightful Tony. The composition of Tony's personality is a startling 90% personal quirk, making him not only more flavorful than other food celebrities but also a real value for your time. You'd have to watch 14 episodes of Ming Tsai's show to get the equivalent personal quirkiness of only one of Tony's shows. Sara Moulton seems like a genuinely nice person but I'd have to sit through 47 hours of her show to equal three minutes of watching Tony eat deep-fried cheesecake, or simply enjoying the silence of waiting for Lidia to finish chewing before she speaks. The greats can break all of the rules.

[BONZO2003]

what i love about tony bourdain is that sometimes all he has to do is look at the camera and you already know what he's thinking. that "deer caught in the headlights" look tells you everything you need to know about a particular dish. there are times when he's trying to be kind but his facial expression is all that's needed to know just what he really meant! haha love it.

lidia's "problem" with garlic was solved so easily. she cooks with it, just doesn't eat it. how simple the solution is.

bonnie