Dave Pressley Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 I found myself at home much of this past weekend (definitely not the norm) and while I was often cleaning, cooking or playing with my kid, I had the Food Network on in the background. There were exactly two times when I had to turn around after something caught my ear and rewind the DVR to hear some moronic "expert" say something so stupid, it made me want to jump into the TV set and punch them so hard in the throat so as to collapse their voicebox and prevent them from ever speaking again. A lot of people obviously watch food being prepared on TV by a lot of personalities. A select few of them are professional chefs who are well-researched. Some of them smile WAY too much. Some of them wear nothing but bowling shirts and pronounce every single piece of food they shove into their face "The Absolute Best Thing I've Ever Eaten". On to the things I heard that bothered me: "Cold water boils faster than hot water."- Bobby Flay (Really? Want to bet your restaurant empire on that piece of info?) ...and when asked what exactly the definition of fish sauce was, the spiky haired dipstick, Guy Fieri, authoritatively replied that "fish sauce is that old bottle in the back of everyone's pantry that nobody uses, but it's really good stuff". I think I'm officially done with this channel (except for Iron Chef). I need to save my anger for other things, like opening new DVD's and road rage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpschust Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Alton Brown and the entertainment of ICA is about all that keeps me watching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweaked Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Duff and the Ace of Cakes crew aren't bad for a mindless half hour of TV...but then again I have a small crush on elena so maybe that helps But otherwise AB and ICA is about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demandalicious Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 the spiky haired dipstick, Guy FieriI hate him. Watching that 'Diners and Drive-ins' show makes me want to barf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Pressley Posted March 3, 2008 Author Share Posted March 3, 2008 I hate him. Watching that 'Diners and Drive-ins' show makes me want to barf. It's too bad really. He seems to go to small, family-owned spots that could always use new business from the tourism industry, but because he pronounces everything to be his "new favorite food ever", he ends up diluting his own efforts to pay compliments to the restaurants he goes to. That interesting fellow also had a cooking show where he focused on "manly food" where he also would make pitchers of the most fruity, frilly-garnished, poorly named (add "Tini" to any stupid word or phrase) drinks to "compliment" the food. Wha?! I hate to rant, but oh well, I also watched this gentleman try to learn how to flip an egg in a pan on one of his shows over the weekend (he was unsuccessful). Maybe the Food Network shouldn't televise their "experts" displaying their obvious lack of cooking skills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sthitch Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 rewind the DVRYou named the key to enjoying the Food Network, TiVo the watchable shows (for me only things including Alton Brown) and ignore the rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanCole42 Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Guy won the second season of "The Next Food Network Star." That's right, he was just like one of the people who posts in the Shopping and Cooking thread on this very forum. Only difference is that he submitted a tape. Turned out people liked him, so they gave him some more shows. Maybe we should ask Zora (who should ABSOLUTELY submit a tape!!!) if she knows how to flip an egg in a pan, or would that risk exposing her as a turd? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poivrot Farci Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 One less rhapscallion/cobbler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banco Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 One less rhapscallion/cobbler. So they kick out people like Mario and, yes, even Emeril, for charlatans like this? I knew the FN was deteriorating rapidly, but it now seems to have become a toxic slime trail of mediocrity and hucksterism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rappahannock Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 I hate him. Watching that 'Diners and Drive-ins' show makes me want to barf.I am rather curious as to why he feels the need to wear a sweat band on one arm or why he always wears sunglasses backwards on his head. Some sort of grasp at cool I'd imagine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoramargolis Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Guy won the second season of "The Next Food Network Star."That's right, he was just like one of the people who posts in the Shopping and Cooking thread on this very forum. Only difference is that he submitted a tape. Turned out people liked him, so they gave him some more shows. Maybe we should ask Zora (who should ABSOLUTELY submit a tape!!!) if she knows how to flip an egg in a pan, or would that risk exposing her as a turd? Dan, your faith in me is truly heartwarming... As I recall, Guy Fieri owned a restaurant when he was a contestant. I do keep an eye on what's going on at the Food Network-- and aside from Paula Deen and Ina Garten, who are beloved survivors from years past, all of the new personalities appear to be no older than 40 and all the women are thin as a rail. Only male hosts are allowed to be chubby--I'm thinking about Guy Fieri, Duff Goldman, and Chris Cognac, the California cop, who doesn't appear to have been renewed. So that rules me out. Come to think of it, maybe you should submit a tape--with your home-made pizzas as a theme. And as for whether I can flip an egg... I have enough trouble doing it with a spatula. I'd try it, but I'm the one who'd have to clean the stove afterward, so I'll have to accept the Golden Turd award in this category... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treznor Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 "Cold water boils faster than hot water."- Bobby Flay (Really? Want to bet your restaurant empire on that piece of info?) To give him credit, he may have just been getting this mixed up with the (fairly) common adage "Hot water freezes faster than cold water". That actually can happen under some conditions (it was actually found, and named after, a schoolboy from Tanzania that noticed that his ice cream mixture straight from the boil froze faster than his classmates that were put into the same freezer but after allowing them to cool to room temperature before putting them in the freezer, more info here). However, even this adage isn't normally seen as the affect typically doesn't occur for cold water from a tap versus warm water from the tap in an ice cube tray. Cold water actually -can- boil faster than hot water if the cold water was previously boiled and the water originally contained alot of impurities. But something tells me Bobby wasn't talking about pre-boiling your water so you can re-boil it later faster... Long story short, he either was mixing it up with an effect that is real, though typically not seen in kitchen settings, or with an effect that would be very odd to duplicate in the kitchen. And now that the science lesson of the day is over, we can return to the thread :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monavano Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Set you Tivos for Rachel Ray's prime time special Rachel Ray Feeds Your Pets. I swear I'm not kidding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Set you Tivos for Rachel Ray's prime time special Rachel Ray Feeds Your Pets. I swear I'm not kidding. I would watch either Rachel Ray Feeds You Your Pets, or Rachel Ray Is Fed to Your Pets, but otherwise... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southdenverhoo Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 So they kick out people like Mario and, yes, even Emeril, for charlatans like this? I knew the FN was deteriorating rapidly, but it now seems to have become a toxic slime trail of mediocrity and hucksterism.well, in his (half-hearted) defense, it seems from my perhaps not-too-careful reading that this is stuff he told a "Florida socialite" [gad!] whilst trying to get into her purse, a la "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" or something, rather than stuff he told The Food Netork, not that THEY don't deserve it, too, for (among other things) the crimes you've pointed out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brettashley01 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Set you Tivos for Rachel Ray's prime time special Rachel Ray Feeds Your Pets. I swear I'm not kidding.Isn't that considered cruelty to animals? Someone call PETA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Pressley Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 To give him credit, he may have just been getting this mixed up with the (fairly) common adage "Hot water freezes faster than cold water". That actually can happen under some conditions (it was actually found, and named after, a schoolboy from Tanzania that noticed that his ice cream mixture straight from the boil froze faster than his classmates that were put into the same freezer but after allowing them to cool to room temperature before putting them in the freezer, more info here). However, even this adage isn't normally seen as the affect typically doesn't occur for cold water from a tap versus warm water from the tap in an ice cube tray.Cold water actually -can- boil faster than hot water if the cold water was previously boiled and the water originally contained alot of impurities. But something tells me Bobby wasn't talking about pre-boiling your water so you can re-boil it later faster... Long story short, he either was mixing it up with an effect that is real, though typically not seen in kitchen settings, or with an effect that would be very odd to duplicate in the kitchen. And now that the science lesson of the day is over, we can return to the thread :-) That was a pretty interesting read! I had no idea hot water could freeze faster than cold water in certain situations. In the Bobby Flay quote, he was definitely not referring to this effect. I forget the exact context in which he stated it, but he was definitely referring to boiling water from a cold temperature rather than hot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demandalicious Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I am rather curious as to why he feels the need to wear a sweat band on one arm or why he always wears sunglasses backwards on his head. Some sort of grasp at cool I'd imagine.My guess is that he is trying to be 'punk rock' and/or appeal to Generation X. Maybe he is the Food Network's answer to Anthony Bourdain? The problem with Guy is that he's more Avril Lavigne than Minor Threat. Not cool. His affiliation with TGIFridays makes him even less appealing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sthitch Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 My guess is that he is trying to be 'punk rock' and/or appeal to Generation X. Maybe he is the Food Network's answer to Anthony Bourdain?At least so far this season Bourdain seems to be putting far less emphasis on the food and more on the travel. Take the Jamaica episode, even when it was about food it really was not about food. The Coronation Market scene had little or no mention of food, the music and cave segments made zero mentions of food. Even in the few scenes that were about food it took a back seat to his verbose ramblings about anything but the food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielK Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 At least so far this season Bourdain seems to be putting far less emphasis on the food and more on the travel. Take the Jamaica episode, even when it was about food it really was not about food. The Coronation Market scene had little or no mention of food, the music and cave segments made zero mentions of food. Even in the few scenes that were about food it took a back seat to his verbose ramblings about anything but the food. Yeah, I almost turned off the Romania episode last week. Zzzzzzzzzzz..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Johnston Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I agree... every season needs to have a worst show, hopefully Romania was that show. Next week AB goes back to the line at Les Halles, should be interesting... Yeah, I almost turned off the Romania episode last week. Zzzzzzzzzzz..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Next week AB goes back to the line at Les Halles, should be interesting...I know someone who happened to be eating dinner there the night it was taped. He said that his meal was great but that's always the case when he eats there.ETA Eric Ripert was in the kitchen with Bourdain that night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andelman Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 The problem with Guy is that he's more Avril Lavigne than Minor Threat. Not cool. Excellent line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antonio Burrell Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Ahhh...the good old days, when an admittedly camera shy Emeril stuttered and stopped his way through the original episodes of "The Essence", when a much thinner Mario cooked for a small crowd and seemed to impart volumes of knowledge on the waiting public. Having pondered the network many times I've come to the realization that TFN is trying very hard to cater to the notion that people don't have time to cook and that cooking is a chore, to be accomplished as fast as possible; whereas in the beginning it was about opening peoples eyes as to the possibilities of food (ohhhhhh look, I can do the same thing they do in their kitchens, but at HOME!!!!). Now they are trying to make everybody feel as if they can be a chef or at least cook a good meal, "I mean fu@@ if Rachel Ray can do that, I can!!" I'm all for the dissemination of information on cooking; for making it accessible for most people; for getting people back together again over food'; for making it healthier; for education. The problem is that the best information doesn't always come from the best teachers. I would really be excited to see more food driven shows about the food instead of the location or the theme or for christsakes "the tablescape". Thank God for Alton, he's the perfect example, smart, articulate, insanely knowledgeable about what he's doing AND accessible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodeats Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 Maybe this is another sign of the direction TFN is headed towards?!: http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=303741>1=7703 Headline: False Resume Gets Chef Cut From Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hm212 Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 I almost sent in a tape of me cooking with my kids - A new show - "Family cooking with the kids" - Who thinks we have an emmy here. Guy won the second season of "The Next Food Network Star."That's right, he was just like one of the people who posts in the Shopping and Cooking thread on this very forum. Only difference is that he submitted a tape. Turned out people liked him, so they gave him some more shows. Maybe we should ask Zora (who should ABSOLUTELY submit a tape!!!) if she knows how to flip an egg in a pan, or would that risk exposing her as a turd? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScotteeM Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 Next week AB goes back to the line at Les Halles, should be interesting... Alton Brown at Les Halles? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 I just caught the tail end of something called (I think) "Down Home With the Neely's." I have no idea who they are, but someone ought to tell the female host not to use her tasting spoon to serve. Blech! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcanuck Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 Excellent article in the Chemical and Engineering News on Alton Brown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinDC Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 I just caught the tail end of something called (I think) "Down Home With the Neely's." I have no idea who they are, but someone ought to tell the female host not to use her tasting spoon to serve. Blech!My husband had to turn the channel the one time I put this show on because he found her so irritating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 I was standing on a street corner in midtown Manhattan last week and Guy Fieri walked by so close that I thought he was going to step on my toes. I did a double take when I realized who it was and started laughing. (He's rather short, btw.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodeats Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Not exactly cooking, but I just enjoyed the Monday episodes of "Unwrapped." Marc Summers. Double Dare anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Just wanted to say that I used to be a Food Network junkie, but for the past couple of years I've barely watched it at all. They utterly ruined a good thing with all the hacks they have on now. Food Network - All Ventworm Nut, All the Time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Foodie Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I still watch it every now and then, but I often find myself watching more Travel Channel food shows than Food Network. It's not exactly high brow, but I love me some Man vs. Food! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoramargolis Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Caught a repeat of the Bobby Flay program at Granville Moore's, which I missed first time around. And there was our own Hillvalley in several shots, enjoying her mussels. And wasn't that Starfish looking on during the cook-off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweaked Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 A truly terrible show is Giada at Home (sorry Al). I watched one episode last week where she revisited her and Todd's vacation in Paris, from her Giada's Weekend Getaways series, and then created reinterpretations of the dishes they had while in Paris...the show was filled with sickly flashback scenes. It was awful. Maybe they are taking it easy on her during new motherhood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
u-bet! Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 The only thing missing from this article is a link to the original FHM photo shoot. Maybe Dan Cole can help us out? cheesecake factory? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanCole42 Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 The only thing missing from this article is a link to the original FHM photo shoot. Maybe Dan Cole can help us out?cheesecake factory? I don't subscribe to FHM, but I do have a copy of that one issue. Jenny McCarthy is on the cover. Screw that, I want the girl who makes $16,000,000 a year, cooks, sound like a phone sex operator, and clearly knows how to work a salami with her hands. Plus she's 40 now. Gonna go bag me a cougar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chain Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 I am all for traveling around and finding new interesting diners and mom/pop joints in small towns but I agree everything is the best he has ever had. As a food authority, he is horrible. Also, what's up with that crazy looking kitchen he cooks from on his show. It's decked out in some kind of cheesy, carnival decor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monavano Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Jimmy Fallon's promo with RR. Don't worry Dan, I'm pretty sure she used a stunt double. http://www.slashfood.com/2009/03/03/jimmy-...el-ray-on-fire/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhberk Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 One of my new favorites is Anne Burrell's "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted September 1, 2010 Share Posted September 1, 2010 Just a heads up, in case anyone's Labor Day plans might have involved watching the Food Network, they're running a Sandra Lee marathon, beginning at 10 AM Monday . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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