Favorite/Least Favorite Food "Celebrities"

[pattimw]

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

that's funny- that's one of the things I LIKE about the show.

I also love the food closeups.

[FoodZealot]

Any thoughts on Giada de Laurentiis - Everyday Italian on FTV? I'm still trying to decide...

~Tad

[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....

[pattimw]

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....

No the one who does the Food TV show now, Cooking Thin??

As for Giada, I've seen the show twice and liked the food, but I am disturbed by how skinny she is! Not that it is bad to be thin, it's just.....does she eat what she cooks? that food is pretty robust. Maybe she just has the elusive high metabolism.

Maybe I'm thinking of that old cliche, never trust a skinny chef.

[TrishCT]

No she's not on tv now... Kathy had long dark hair... and she was ultra mellow

[tanabutler]

A few years back when I first got the Food Channel, there were two shows on there. One, "Ready Set Cook" (I think that was it) was hosted by Sissy Biggers, whom I loooooooooooooathed. She was snarky to the contestants, and neither witty nor warm. I called her "Bitchy Scissors." I think I saw her pointy little head on another show on TV recently. Perhaps on the travel channel.

There was also a show with a guy named Michael Italian-Last-Name, not Chiarello. I thought he was perfectly horrible, and I have no doubt blocked his name. I called him "Nonna," because he just acted like a little old lady. Ugh.

Beyond those two, these are my dislikes:

Martha (cold, cold, cold, and mean to her mama, besides). (Gossip: friends who've been there say you can't go to the bathroom at a Martha party without being photographed. Cameras. Every. Where.)

Martin Yan: fake accent only adds to the already abundant dislike

Bobby Flay: That jumping on the cutting board at Iron Chef? Someone should have administered a bare-bottom spanking to him on television. Yes, I have his cookbooks, but I have no respect for him any more. Too damned brash.

LIKES:

Alice Waters: meeting her was a sweet dream come true. She's absolutely lovely.

Lynne Rosetto Kasper: I listen to her show on NPR. She's very inclusive, warm, knowledgeable and what a lovely speaking voice.

Anthony Bourdain: the wit more than anything, but also the depth, breadth and passion. Derring-do. Irreverence. Lively writing. Sexiness is a bonus that, obviously, no one here cares about.

John Thorne: I had him on my list as I scrolled down. His writing is so earthy and calm. He's so present.

Julia: Can't wait to read her memoirs. Her TV show was weird to me when I was a little girl, but when I grew up, I appreciated her salt and vinegar.

Emeril: I love the enthusiasm and can ignore the sheeplike audience stuff. He just seems like he's all heart.

Michael Symon, Michael Ruhlman, Thomas Keller: all because of The Soul of a Chef.

I have not seen Rachael Ray yet, nor have I had the balls to watch Rocco's show. I waited tables for nine years, and I'm still having nightmares where my station's so big I have to ride a bike from table to table, or that the whole restaurant emptied at once (of customers and staff) and I had to bus/clean the whole thing. It's been fifteen years and I don't want to add new fuel to the fire.

I used to dislike Wolfgang Puck, but an article I read in "Wine Spectator" changed my heart somewhat. It was something he said about his sons. It touched me.

And you know who is very very very scary? The owner of Kitchen Stadium. He's like the cryogenic lovechild of Donald Trump, Liberace, and Michael Jackson.

[Exotic Mushroom]

Love:

Rick Bayless and a bunch of others who I won't mention, cause this part is less fun.

Hate:

Alice Waters - her constant whining drives me insane. And her fixation on how everyone in the world needs to eat only locally made foods from small producers drives me nuts. That's great when you live in the Bay Area, and I certainly appreciate the opportunity to take advantage of it, but she doesn't seem to realize that it isn't exactly a practical lifestyle if you live in say, Cleveland. Oh, and her recent fixation on grass fed beef. Has anyone here ever eaten that crap? Gag me with a spoon. I've practically had wet dreams about publicly debating her on all her ridiculous little food philosophies and taking her down in front of a sea of onlookers.

Emeril - I don't have cable, so I don't see his show very often. But a few weeks ago I was over at a friends and it was on, so we watched it. Aside from being annoying, everything he made looked disgusting. And then he was demonstrating how to make Hollandaise and butchered it. I was very vocal about my dissaproval, and my friend was like "Well, Emeril''s been a chef a lot longer than you and he's really famous. I think he knows a little better than you." What-ever.

I could probably come up with more, but those are the two that really yank my craw. (Is that the expression?)

[bsan]

Favorites and least favorites, the top-3 from each category:

Favorites:

• The Iron Chefs. Why? I think they rule and I would like to create a dish that I've seen on the show.
  
• Michael Chiarello. I can just see me cracking eggs over my forehead. Okay, a little bit too much...
  
• Alton Brown. Yes, the Good Eats guy is just perfect...dishwise. I think his dishes are wonderful and easy to cook.
  

Ones I Don't Like:

• Bobby Flay. Jumping on a cutting board is something that really ticks chefs off and I don't want him to do that when cooking.
  
• Rachael Ray. 30 minutes is too short of time to cook a meal that I will enjoy.
  
• Emeril Lagasse. Too much air time equals too many BAMS and I can't have a headache now.
  

[beans]

As for Giada, I've seen the show twice and liked the food, but I am disturbed by how skinny she is! Not that it is bad to be thin, it's just.....does she eat what she cooks? that food is pretty robust. Maybe she just has the elusive high metabolism.

Maybe I'm thinking of that old cliche, never trust a skinny chef.

Hi pattimw. Welcome to eG.

This is echoed ad nauseum on the FN fanatic boards.

Who cares? The woman makes some good food. She attended Le Cordon Bleu and worked with Wolfgang Puck before going on her own. And what's wrong with minding your weight, eating healthy and going to the gym to stay in shape?

[madziast]

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.

I've heard about it for years and would absolutely LOVE to see it! don't they re-run SNL on Comedy Central?

Julia did freak me out the first time i saw her show, too, but it's WHAT she says, not HOW, that i enjoy

[Mayhaw Man]

Likes

1) Bourdain

2)Iron Chef

3) Alton Brown

4) Nigella (yeah it's loud but she can make as much noise as she wants. The food is simple and straightforward. She freezes old wine and she really likes food.

Dislikes

1) That idiot on the Top shows on Food Network

2) That idiot on the new Food Trivia Show on Food Network

3) Rachel Ray (aaaagggghhhhhhhhhhhh cheap tipping, crooked mouth idiot

4)And my all time favorite dislike....ta daaa.....here's to you TanaButler........

SISSY BIGGERS- She may have been the single most inane, condecending, annoying woman to have ever been on television. I would rather be trapped in a dumbwaiter with Martha Stewart for a year with nothing to talk about but cute ways to dress a Thanksgiving table with Macaroni and string cheese than spend five minutes with Sissy Biggers. YUK

)

4)

[mpav]

Julia has to be number one for me because I was so young when she was first on TV. She was an early inspiration. I recall fondly an episode where she discussed the pros and cons of various types of rolling pins, and made a sudden realiztion of how much she really disliked one of the pins, and promptly chucked it off set.

I like Sara Moulton because she is nice, not gimmicky and I like her food.

The Two Fat Ladies cooked awful food from what I could see and imagine, but I enjoyed watching them gad about. I miss them.

Jamie Oliver cooks with energy and humor; nothing great, but I like him.

Alton Brown reminds me of why I became interested in baking: I wanted to know why the same basic ingredients could produce such a variety of baked goods based on one or two key ingredient variations. He explains those things. Okay, he's a few decades late, but I always imagine someone is watching who has the same questions I wanted answered as a kid.

Someone mentioned Elizabeth David and I will second that.

Mario Battali is informative and I like his style

I do not like Emeril, or Martha or Rachel Ray or the Southern lady (Dean).

[claire797]

As for Giada, I've seen the show twice and liked the food, but I am disturbed by how skinny she is! Not that it is bad to be thin, it's just.....does she eat what she cooks? that food is pretty robust. Maybe she just has the elusive high metabolism.

Maybe I'm thinking of that old cliche, never trust a skinny chef.

Hi pattimw. Welcome to eG.

This is echoed ad nauseum on the FN fanatic boards.

Who cares? The woman makes some good food. She attended Le Cordon Bleu and worked with Wolfgang Puck before going on her own. And what's wrong with minding your weight, eating healthy and going to the gym to stay in shape?

Good point, Beans.

If anything, maybe she's more discriminating about what she puts in her mouth. I don't buy the "never trust a skinny chef" thing either.

Anyway, she's not that thin.

[hjshorter]

The Two Fat Ladies cooked awful food from what I could see and imagine, but I enjoyed watching them gad about. I miss them.

I have two of their cookbooks. The recipes work, and everything we've tried was delicious. Loved their show, especially when they talked smack about vegetarians.

[tanabutler]

You funny, Mayhaw Man.

[KNorthrup]

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.

I've heard about it for years and would absolutely LOVE to see it! don't they re-run SNL on Comedy Central?

Many video stores carry the various SNL "Best of" tapes, even for rental, and that is on the Dan Ackroyd version. It's also apparently episode 74 if you're doing TiVo or something. There are websites where you can watch video clips of SNL sketches. That's how I got to see Kevin Spacey doing Christopher Walken auditioning for Han Solo. But I can't remember the site name and it's impossible to search on dial-up. Sorry.

[TrishCT]

Faves:

1. Julia Child, educated the masses while enjoying a nice cabernet.

2. Justin Wilson, like watching Grandpa on HeeHaw making some good eats.

3. Mr. A. Bourdain, boldly goes where I can only imagine.

4. Jacques Torres, Monsieur O'Chocolat....mmmm....

Least Fave:

1. Graham Kerr, a/k/a The Galloping Gourmet....gave me the trots.

2. Kathy.. What's her name... Had a PBS show set in Hawaii... zzzzzzzzzz...

[Truffle]

Suzanne Goin? Gale Gand? Craig Shelton? All A+.

[teencook19]

Faves:

1.) Chef Bourdain (Kitchen Confidential is one of the things that inspired me to want to be a cook)

2.)Thomas Keller (The man astounds me, enough said.)

3.)Suser Lee (Incredibley inspired chef, a man who is doing outstanding things with food and a very inteligent down to earth kind of guy)

4.)Mario Batali (Very interesting, endless food knowledge. Seems to have the same passion for food that i do,and I find that interesting and exiting in anyone.)

5.) Chef Achatz (A rising star and very motivated. Represents Younge Chef's in the buisness *myself being only 19, this inspires me* and he is making beautifull food, saw a picture and the recipe for his Main lobster with wild mushrooms and rosemary vapor in a recent issue of "Bon Appetit" and the presentation was very apealing.)

6.) Bob Blumer( Lots of energy and very creative with his presentation and I have been told that he is a very nice guy in person)

Least Faves:

1.) Rachel Raye (For all the reasons everyone else has stated)

2.) Something about Jamie Oliver just bothers me. His recipes usually look interesting, but something just bothers me. Hmmmmm.)

3.)Rocco (He should be ashamed, I hope he got paid alot of money in return for that pesky thing we call a soul.)

There we go that's the end of my list.

[fresco]

This may be my particular problem, but I find even with people I consider to be good chefs, daily exposure on tv palls very quickly.

Part of what makes A Cook's Tour watchable is that new segments air only what, once a week? and since they jump around geographically, they don't get stale quite as quickly as watching someone perform in the same old kitchen at least five days a week.

But if all tv were pitched at people like me, there would probably be about two hours of programming a week.

[beans]

6.) Bob Blumer( Lots of energy and very creative with his presentation and I have been told that he is a very nice guy in person)

Oooooh, he is. I emailed what I thought was his "people" at FN asking about what has happened to his show (it disappeared for a period of time in the States) and I got a very personable, lovely response from Blummer himself. He's an absolute doll.

Edited September 2, 2003 by beans (log)

[=Mark]

I remember back in college in the late 70s I was watching an episode of Julia Child's show where she was focusing on poaching eggs. She went through all the techniques for poaching eggs and was finally confronted by a fancy, complicated, electric thermostatically controlled multiple egg poacher. She promptly hefted it up, looked at it quizzically, and unceremoniously dumped it in the trash can. It was so unexpected that I could not help but laugh out loud.

[pattimw]

As for Giada, I've seen the show twice and liked the food, but I am disturbed by how skinny she is! Not that it is bad to be thin, it's just.....does she eat what she cooks? that food is pretty robust. Maybe she just has the elusive high metabolism.

Maybe I'm thinking of that old cliche, never trust a skinny chef.

Hi pattimw. Welcome to eG.

This is echoed ad nauseum on the FN fanatic boards.

Who cares? The woman makes some good food. She attended Le Cordon Bleu and worked with Wolfgang Puck before going on her own. And what's wrong with minding your weight, eating healthy and going to the gym to stay in shape?

You're right, there's nothing wrong, and I subscribe to those very principles.

I just think it is amusing.

[beans]

Oh, that's cool. I think my steady stream of hate for the FN fanatic forums seeps out every now and then. Doh!

[pattimw]

Oh, that's cool.  I think my steady stream of hate for the FN fanatic forums seeps out every now and then.  Doh! 

It's OK, beans. sometimes you have to let it go.