Until two years ago.
Two years ago I spent a week with my daughter when our precious Miss Dub was born. It was late October ... it was Chicago ... it was cold. With a week-old baby we didn't get out much.
But we sure did watch the Food Network.
Since that time I can't say that I cook a whole lot more, but I really like to think about it. What is it about watching someone else chop stuff that is so, so mesmerizing? How fun is it to watch Ina or Paula cook with 17 cubes of butter with nary a single calorie transferred? And why do hours and hours of watching translate to many, many new cookbooks and Sur Le Table purchases, but not so many new meals?
Who cares?!
I love it and I am not ashamed to say it. I will also go so far as to say that Ina (aka the Barefoot Contessa) is my favorite. Her uber-relaxed ways put some people to sleep I know, but I just like the fact that she makes me feel uber-relaxed. (This may or may not explain why I don't jump up from watching her and scurry into the kitchen.)
So once again ... let's VOTE! (There will be no prize this time as we have already consumed the aforementioned pie.)
Who is your favorite Food Network Chef?
And most importantly ... does watching the show actually inspire you to cook?
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11 comments:
i looooooove alton brown! he's been my favorite for years! although i cant say he makes me jump up to start cooking but it makes me think i could possibly try it if i really wanted to :P
I like Ina a lot but there always seems to be so much liquor in her cooking... between that and the beautiful tablescapes, I know I could never keep up. I too like Alton Brown since I'm a science nerd, and I enjoy knowing *why* certain ingredients are essential in baking/cooking. I like Paula Deen (her regular show, not the live studio audience one) since most of her stuff looks "real" and doable. And has lots of butter and cream; mmmm.
I like to watch Paula and Giada the best because their food always looks so good. I use FN's website a lot and have found Emeril's and Tyler Florence's recipes to be the most reliably good. I used to like Alton's regular show but got tired of its wack for wackiness' sake somewhere along the way... but I like his travel shows. I hate watching Bobby Flay's throwdown show because it makes me so uncomfortable when the guest chefs realize they aren't getting their own FN show but are just there to fight Bobby on a single episode of his dumb show; however, I ate at Bobby's La Mesa restaurant in Vegas and thought I had died and gone to heaven, the food was so good. I ate at Mario Batali's Mozza Pizeria in L.A. and was a little disappointed, but love that he rides a Vespa. But I just cannot stand Sandra Lee and her boozin' ways and tablescapes and weirdo redecoration of the entire kitchen every episode to match her outfit and refrigerated biscuit dough and just about everything else about her. But then again, I don't really watch FN that much, so what do I know? ;)
Word to all that Ginny said. I really want to eat whatever Giada makes (or as Mr. Dub calls her - "Big-Head-Big-Boobs"), but I must admit that I probably cook more Rachael Ray recipes than anything.
Tyler has good stuff, as does the gal behind "Simply Delicioso."
Sorry to get you addicted. I hardly watch FN anymore, but Mr. Dub thinks its children's TV and puts it on anytime he's home alone with Miss Dub.
p.s. Thanks for coming out when she was born!
But if I did watch FN, I would probably add that I also like the Neeleys. I just forgot about them cause they haven't been on that long. It's less creepy when two chefs are talking to each other than one chef talking to the audience the whole time through the TV.
I enjoy Rachael Ray, but she comes on here at 4:30 pm. I just want to get up and eat what she has just cooked - I don't want to cook it myself!!! Sally
it's a toss up between ina and giada. i've loved all their recipes i've tried. paula's, too, but they're oh so bad for you. her corn casserole, though? to die for. :)
Alton the Science Guy is too funny. LOVE your photos once again!YOu are getting REALLY good!!!
Guy Fieri by a mile, even if diners, drive ins, and dives didn't come along with one of his three shows. And despite his cheesiness and self-absorption I like Emeril because he makes things I want to eat. I like Alton Brown for the science and trivia, but his sketch humor is often lost on me. I like Paula and her boys, too, because, again, they look like they actually eat what they cook and what they cook looks like something I'd like to eat and then seem like people I'd be comfortable eating with. I'm all about taste and comfort and big portions and meat and grease over sugar, and spice and exotic, but then that's kind of why I can only eat one cup per sitting and nothing I really want to eat now. But I had my run and it was fun.
I love Alton, Ina , Giada, Sara Moulton who used to be on all the time , and Paula ( she seems like the gramma who'd make you stuff your face)the Neely's are fun.I will say that Sandra of Semi Homeade makes me want to scratch my eyeballs out- and I am a fan of tablescapes but that girl BUGS. She made a cake that looked like a Sizzlers baked potato-my kids asked if we could never watch her again.
i love love love Giada! but then i am a total Ital-o-phile. I love Paula too. Most of my meals lately have actually been out of my Everyday with Rachel Ray magazine. (that way you get the good meals, but you arent annoyed to death)
but i know that due to the worship of Alton by my hubs and your sonny boy, both of our families have had some good meals!
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