Food Network to reheat 'Iron Chef'

[Toliver]

Cat Cora is also the (to my mind annoying) chef portion of the remodel trio on "Kitchen Accomplished," FTV's latest non-food show.

←

Her FoodTV bio doesn't mention it but she previously cooked on some of the FNTV "Melting Pot" shows.

[bentherebfor]

Wow....this looks like it is going to be fantastic!

I found the earlier remakes a little...well....annoying.....but these challengers look really great.

[Gifted Gourmet]

and if she wears her traditional chef's toque, will she be the "Cat in the Hat"?

[mjs]

the long awaited update!

Check out the judges! Some from previous shows but a number of new ones .. Anderson Cooper, and Aaron Brown, CNN, among them! 

←

Don't know the extent to which this info is accurate. I can tell you there are mistakes in the taping schedule. Don't know if this implies inaccuracy of other info (judges, challengers, etc.) also.

[Mabelline]

Please excuse me if I am bringing up something everyone else knows about, but while I was indisposed I missed a bunch of TV. But in Native Peoples-- Arts and Lifeways, a magazine I receive, the July/August issue has an article about a N/A chef from Vancouver, Dolly Watts, proprietor of Liliget Feast House, in Vancouver, competing in an Iron Chef competition.

"On January 21, 2004, when the popular food Network TV program came to Vancouver, Watts competed against the Japanese Iron Chefs...."

Has this been shown?

Ms Watts is a Git'ksan from Gitwangak, B.C.

[franktex]

I wonder if they will get any American 'Fortune Tellers' for the judging panel!

the long awaited update!

Check out the judges! Some from previous shows but a number of new ones .. Anderson Cooper, and Aaron Brown, CNN, among them! 

←

[carp]

Yes! How about Ms. Cleo from the Psychic Friends Hotline?

She can't be much worse than the dolts they rounded up the last time...

I am very excited to see Flay/Tsai.

[Chris Cognac]

Flay is going to take Tsai to school....but Bayless is another story...I think he is even worrried about him!

[AmyDaniel]

omg, Ms. Cleo...that's hilarious!!!

Amy

[Haivart]

That could be. Maybe things changed and the original souce had older information, but I haven't heard anything different so far. We do the best we can. I don't think the mistakes imply inaccuracy, they just raise suspicions.

Don't know the extent to which this info is accurate.  I can tell you there are mistakes in the taping schedule.  Don't know if this implies inaccuracy of other info (judges, challengers, etc.) also.

←

[Bux]

That could be.  Maybe things changed and the original souce had older information, but I haven't heard anything different so far.  We do the best we can.  I don't think the mistakes imply inaccuracy, they just raise suspicions.

←

I think most people think of "inaccuracy" as "mistake," but I understand your meaning if you're suggesting that information may be accurate when posted, but that the information may change which causes already posted information to become inaccurate.

[bpearis]

There's an article in today's NY Daily News on the tapings at FN's Chelsea Markets HQ.

I like how the author says he can't reveal what kind of fish is the secret ingredient and then one of the photo captions reads, "Batali finishes plating one of his catfish dishes."

[fiftydollars]

Flay is going to take Tsai to school....but Bayless is another story...I think he is even worrried about him!

←

I think Tsai will do alright. Flay has the advantage, as is the case with all Iron Chefs, but Tsai has a substantial repertoire that appears very flexible and I believe he will prove a good competitor.

I think Tsai can work competently with a larger array of ingredients and he can perform at more varied cuisine than Flay. This is not to say that Flay doesn't also have experience with a lot of ingredients, but what he does with them strikes me as repetitious. When he is under pressure, Flay seems to find a whole lot of ways of making tacos, salsa, and relish. I think Tsai is more likely to make something interesting with the theme ingredient.

[Singapore]

Flay is going to take Tsai to school....but Bayless is another story...I think he is even worrried about him!

←

What's Bayless going to do, haul out a double whopper with cheese?

Hmmmm, might work if Big Pussy's still a judge, come to think of it.....

[Chris Cognac]

I heard from my sources that the Flay/Tsai match was the best one, I am looking forward to it...

[viaChgo]

I just saw the teasers on FN about the new Iron Chef America series debuting in January. They mentioned Iron Chefs Batali, Flay, & Morimoto. But there was no mention of Cat Cora.

[jgm]

the story

Think it will be as well-received as the episodes from last April?  Those shows pulled some 12 million viewers ... Think it will be even more successful?

←

I know I'll watch it, whenever it doesn't conflict with football. (My husband is bigger and meaner than I am, and he fights dirty.)

It'll be refreshing to see some actual cooking on the Food Network.

[Phatlouie07]

i'd like to see the episode with alex lee and cat cora. alex lee's for sure going to win hands down. did they approach ruth reichl, i mean she is also a food writer.

[Dr. Funk]

I've watched that remodeling show she's on and always felt that she was the weak link. She couldn't cook herself out of a wet paper bag. An Iron Chef? She's never done anything to get even close. I wouldn't trust her with a backyard barbecue from what I've seen.

Edited December 7, 2004 by Dr. Funk (log)

[Kevin72]

I just saw the teasers on FN about the new Iron Chef America series debuting in January. They mentioned Iron Chefs Batali, Flay, & Morimoto. But there was no mention of Cat Cora.

←

I caught that too. Maybe they're just waiting until the show launches to formally introduce her . . . ?

[MarketStEl]

Here is the biography of Cat Cora

Then there are shows and cookbooks she has written .. quite a formidable Iron Chef she will make!

←

I'm quite prejudiced on this one and will only note that she's up against some formidable competition. On the other had, looking at her photo, I'll accept that she's got Jeffrey's vote all sewn up.

←

She will have to earn Ted Allen's vote based solely on the food, though.

[carp]

She's kind of attractive... and she's not a he... I think that about sums up her qualifications.

Other than that, I'm not really sure why they would choose Cat Cora for the job... well except that she is often featured on the Food Network and they probably have her number handy.

She simply doesn't strike me as someone who has the chops for the job. Sure she did the advisor thing on Date Plate, did some competition "cooking" on Ready Set Cook, is doing the remodeling show, and I believe she does a syndicated newspaper column, but I don't think she has spent the kind of quality hours in the kitchen that a Batali has. I'm sure she's talented, a great cook, and whatnot, but she is clearly the weak deer in this herd.

Her background is really in food media. Given her age, how long do you think she had been cooking before cameras came into the picture? Not long, I say. She's spent most of her career as a culinary professional playing one on TV.

They were looking for a woman that fit the bill and, sadly, she's what they found.

Edited December 7, 2004 by carp (log)