Favorite/Least Favorite Food "Celebrities"

[dougw]

Guy Fieri says "Mmmmkay" too much.

[nibor]

I have never seen Rachel Ray, possibly the only person who has not.

←

i want to live where you live.

←

That's easy - turn off the TV!

[chezcherie]

I have never seen Rachel Ray, possibly the only person who has not.

←

i want to live where you live.

←

That's easy - turn off the TV!

←

it's not just tv...can't look at magazine covers. or cracker boxes. or shop in cookware stores. not that easy to avoid rr anymore.

Edited December 17, 2007 by chezcherie (log)

[dougw]

She's just getting hers. Hard to begrudge her that. At the end of the day, she is getting people to make food at home instead of buying nasty Big Macs. That's gotta count for something.

[slo_ted]

Yikes!  I can't believe it took me so long to remember these guys!  From the syndicated, never ready for prime-time cooking shows, came Larry Bly and the late, lamented Laban Johnson, with 'Cookin' Cheap.'  It originated with Blue Ridge Public Television and was syndicated among other public TV stations.  What a hoot that show was!  Very, very down-home recipes.  I imagine the production costs for the entire series would probably still be less than that for one episode of FoodTV's shows.

←

Our PBS station showed Cookin' Cheap briefly more than 20 years ago, and I loved it. I still remember some of the cookin' and the pleasant banter which was definitely home grown, but I could not remember the names of the players. Thanks for the memory, JM

[salsa72]

Great thread!

Jacques Pepin is _it_ for me-- the best technique with the best explanations. I'd learn something from watching him fill an ice cube tray, I swear...

I don't care to watch Chris Kimball on TV in spite of generally enjoying his magazine. It's unnerving how he "presides" over the cooking segments, acting like the boss.

Must mention that I saw Rick Bayless doing a Burger King commercial a few year ago and he has been dead to me ever since.

[Pebs]

If I think back on what shows taught me the most about cooking in my socioeconomic level it would have to be:

The Frugal Gourmet - I learned about using fresh herbs and spices at a time when almost everyone used dried herbs and garlic powder. He also taught me a lot about other cultures and that you could actually reproduce their dishes at home for an affordable price.

Martin Yan - He demystified asian cooking without dumbing it down. It got me to try new things.

Julia Childs - She taught high end cooking skills without the pretense of exuded by many of today's Top Chefs.

Sarah Moulton - I think every high school student should go through basic training in the kitchen with her. I never heard a question called in that she couldn't answer.

Then there are those that I may find annoying, but in all honesty I have picked up an idea or two from.

Rachel Ray (Go ahead. Flog me.) In spite of her overly perky antics and strange lingo, her show 30 Minute Meals is exactly what the show professes to be. In fairness, it's probably why they didn't name it "30 Minute 3 Michelin Star Meals". To me, she isn't trying to teach executive chef wannabe's anything new. She' trying to prove to the average foodie that you can make a meal at home instead of making reservations.

Emeril Lagasse - "Bam" and "Smellivision" got really old. But if I have to be honest, I've looked up more than one of his recipes on FoodTV.com and had huge success with them.

Least Likely to Watch?

Barefoot Contessa - I think most people watch it for the glimps of life in the Hamptons. Nothing she makes really wows me.

Michael Ciarello - Like the above, I watch it more for the lifestyle than the food ideas.

Shows I just don't get:

Sandy Lee Semi-Homemade - It professes to keep it simple, keep it sweet, keep it semi-homemade. What is simple about redecorating your kitchen for every party and setting a table that looks like it's out of a department store display? It sort of defeats the purpose of the time saving efforts with the food.

Simply Delicioso - Otherwise known as "Turning Food into Sex". Everything is "hot" or "steamy" or "We're going spice things up" as she bends over the counter, boobs dangling and ass in the air. And where the hell do they even get the clothes she wears?

Paula Deen - On a recent trip to Savannah, almost everything I read and everyone I talked to said to stay away from Lady and Sons. And yet she has her own stores, multiple shows and now her sons are traveling around eating "noteworthy" food in grungy kitchens across America.

Another thing I don't get. Anthony Bourdain, by his own admission, is a lousy chef. Why does everyone want to see him do a cooking show while they trash Emeril, Mario and others for selling out and having over the top personalities? Isn't Anthony selling books and doing travel shows with his over the top personality instead of cooking in a restaurant of his own? Isn't this rather hypocritical? At least the Bobby Flays, Emerils and Marios are still running restaurants sucessfully, even if they do spend a considerable amount of time filming food shows.

[pax]

I often turn on food shows when I am cooking dinner, and will generally just watch whatever I find most appealing. Two things that get the telly instantly switched off or turned to tivo is "Semi-Homemade" and Paula Deen. What is it, "Paula's Party"? *shudder*

I just can't abide either.

[judiu]

She's just getting hers. Hard to begrudge her that. At the end of the day, she is getting people to make food at home instead of buying nasty Big Macs. That's gotta count for something.

←

Um, Dunkin' Donuts? And nasty fried pasteries? But, as you said, she's just getting hers.

Now Lynn Rosetto Casper (sp?) of NPR's Splendid Table is a joy to listen to.

[David Ross]

She's just getting hers. Hard to begrudge her that. At the end of the day, she is getting people to make food at home instead of buying nasty Big Macs. That's gotta count for something.

←

Yes, sadly, she's getting her just desserts-wads of cash and scandalous tabloid headlines about the antics of her husband. And no, sorry, that doesn't count for anything in my book. She's aggravating. 30 Minute Meals and $40 a Day are good concepts-she dumbs it way, way down. Another host, I might watch.

[dougw]

She's just getting hers. Hard to begrudge her that. At the end of the day, she is getting people to make food at home instead of buying nasty Big Macs. That's gotta count for something.

←

Yes, sadly, she's getting her just desserts-wads of cash and scandalous tabloid headlines about the antics of her husband. And no, sorry, that doesn't count for anything in my book. She's aggravating. 30 Minute Meals and $40 a Day are good concepts-she dumbs it way, way down. Another host, I might watch.

←

I hear you.

I'm not a fan. But she does do some nice things with kids.

[PDC]

And she just re-signed with Food Network through 2010. 60 new 30 MM per year (down from 80) and they revamped the travel show yet again to focus "more on travel and lifestyle and less on food". So RR is basically the Samantha Brown of Food Net now I guess.

I bet she got a big raise too.

[mcohen]

Must mention that I saw Rick Bayless doing a Burger King commercial a few year ago and he has been dead to me ever since.

←

i've never understood this.

by doing this, bayless was trying to engage the hundreds of thousands of americans who eat fast food and try to offer them a better, healthier alternative. this sandwich was not perfect, but a small step that has helped open doors and possibly introduce an even healthier sandwich next time.

this route seems a lot more effective and practical than alice waters lecturing people to build their own personal greenhouses and hoophouses in the midwest and sneering at people eating hot dogs at a baseball game.

and, bayless ended up donating the money he received to his frontera farmer foundation, and distributing that money to family farms. compare that to alice waters support and involvement of the controversial ameya project, to build gated multimillion dollar second homes in montana for her fellow elites, where waters only gave one fifth of that money to the slow food movement while pocketing the rest for herself.

Edited December 19, 2007 by mcohen (log)

[qrn]

The PBS "great chefs " (the world or somewhere else) from 8 or 10 years ago. They had real chefs, cooking and demonstrating...Used to put them on DVD (remember that?) to watch later...and Pepin....

Bud

[Doodad]

And she just re-signed with Food Network through 2010.  60 new 30 MM per year (down from 80) and they revamped the travel show yet again to focus "more on travel and lifestyle and less on food".  So RR is basically the Samantha Brown of Food Net now I guess. 

I bet she got a big raise too.

←

That new house in the Hamptons did not pay for itself.

I bet Ina hates her weekend keggers and all the ensuing noise.

[Doodad]

And she just re-signed with Food Network through 2010.  60 new 30 MM per year (down from 80) and they revamped the travel show yet again to focus "more on travel and lifestyle and less on food".  So RR is basically the Samantha Brown of Food Net now I guess. 

I bet she got a big raise too.

←

That new house in the Hamptons did not pay for itself.

I bet Ina hates her weekend keggers and all the ensuing noise.

[Doodad]

And she just re-signed with Food Network through 2010.  60 new 30 MM per year (down from 80) and they revamped the travel show yet again to focus "more on travel and lifestyle and less on food".  So RR is basically the Samantha Brown of Food Net now I guess. 

I bet she got a big raise too.

←

That new house in the Hamptons did not pay for itself.

I bet Ina hates her weekend keggers and all the ensuing noise.

[hungryCAT]

Another thing I don't get.  Anthony Bourdain, by his own admission, is a lousy chef. 

←

Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?????

[phil_v]

Definitely agree with the Two Fat Ladies. Wonderful.

And if we can mention critics in this, I'd have to nominate AA Gill and Jay Rayner from this side of the pond. And Michael Winner for that matter. He's a pompous idiot, but a fantastically entertaining one...

[Pebs]

Another thing I don't get.  Anthony Bourdain, by his own admission, is a lousy chef. 

←

Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?????

←

Anthony Bourdain made a statement to that affect on a blog that he did for Top Chef on the Bravo website. To put it in context, he was critical at one point of Rocco Disperito who also judged on the show, and indicated that Rocco had sold out by doing TV shows, endorsing products, having a radio show and the like. When comments posted to that blog expressed a bit of hypocracy on his part he defended his statements by saying that Rocco, early in his career had been a truly gifted chef and it was sad to see him walk away from this gift by getting involved in radio shows and TV shows and stuff. He went on to say that he never felt he sold out because he wasn't a talented chef to begin with. He himself felt he was better at writing, eating and describing the experience than he was at making the experience.

This isn't my opinion. I've not personally eaten either of their creations. I was just pointing that out because I find it funny that we have an aversion to some TV chefs because we think they are all personality and their mugs are all over the TV screen, therefore we tend to overlook any food talent they might have. And then others we seem to give a pass to and in fact want to see even more of them. Maybe it's just because he's so cool we really want to believe he exceptionally gifted in the kitchen.

[Mild Bill]

With the great chefs, I imagine creating the dish is their focal point for innovation and passion...

Their greatest passion(?)

Also, 'I imagine' that with Tony the food was his job and his life, but his greatest passions were in/on the periphery...

The world of...

[gfweb]

Yes- Bourdain, Pepin, Flay, Batali, Chiarello, Lagasse (when he's serious), Moulton

No- Lee, that delicioso woman, Nigella

[olfatback]

No- too many to list

Current Yes list- Heston's show is the only one I go out of my way to watch.

Past Yes List- Jeff Smith, prior to his sexual assult charges and of course the one and only Galloping Gourmet . . .

[Jane Die]

I fell asleep on the sofa last night (I'm pretty sure it was Christmas Eve) and when I woke up, on the tv Sandra Lee was on some beach with an extremely low cut top showing a whole lot of cleavage and making what I think might have been pinkish tinted margaritas. It was surreal, and I don't mean that in a good way. Kinda garish and nightmarish in a cheap and sleazy pornographic kinda way.

She's now number one on my Shite list.

In fact, I think I'm swearing off of Food Network real permanent like.

I hate you, Food TV.

Edited December 26, 2007 by Jane Die (log)

[gfweb]

I fell asleep on the sofa last night (I'm pretty sure it was Christmas Eve) and when I woke up, on the tv Sandra Lee was on some beach with an extremely low cut top showing a whole lot of cleavage and making what I think might have been pinkish tinted margaritas. It was surreal, and I don't mean that in a good way. Kinda garish and nightmarish in a cheap and sleazy pornographic kinda way.

She's now number one on my Shite list.

In fact, I think I'm swearing off of Food Network real permanent like.

I hate you, Food TV.

←

You are right. There is something about the lighting/camera work on her show on her show that accentuates the sleaziness.