Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I love and trust Alton's recipes. He really understands the science behind cooking and baking, and I always get great results when I at least adopt some of his techniques into recipes of my own.

Here's the thing with Paula (and for me, it's a love/not-so-love): she seems to believe in everything she makes. I think what I mean by that is that her recipes seem tried and true, like they come from her heart. Like they're REAL. (I've been tired of 30-min. this and that, made-for-tv recipes for quite some time now.) Down-home Southern cooking is pretty much all that she does, and she's got it down pat. I find her recipes deliver a delicious result, but the food itself is usually pretty heavy, and I find myself eating smaller portions. I figure it makes up for the butter/cream/eggs/everything that goes in, which in many cases can be reduced.

Just my two cents. :o)

Just looking over the list, the first thing that hit me was...........nearly every recipe is comfort food. The first two are mac and cheese, for goodness sake. I didn't see the criteria for the top 100, that would be important to know......FN's humble opinions, most requested recipes, highest rated recipes? The list didn't have attributions (a few said Good Eats so I knew they were AB), but I'm sure they got a few for all their "stars".

I have made some Paula Deen recipes and they are delicious. Contrary to her reputation, not every dish is more calorie laden than, say, my favorite FN chef, Ina Garten/Barefoot Contessa or any other chef, unless low-cal, low fat is their schtick. I posted a black bean salsa recipe of hers on here and it was downright healthy!!!.

I'm curious to take a longer look at the recipes, but it sure seems like haute cuisine is taking a back seat to comfort food. Just have to be cognizant and choose wisely, for good health.

Ok, I took a little closer look and I'm totally shocked and confused. I think Jamie and Bobby Deen composed this list, along with the rest of the family. The top two mac and cheese dishes both rated only 4 stars, so that can't be the criteria. Paula's was first and contained canned cheddar cheese soup and beat out Alton's baked mac and cheese. I didn't look at every recipe, but most of those I clicked, were Ms Deen's. There's definitely something wrong with this picture.

I'm with chiffonade. Who voted and when? And the condensed cheddar cheese soup in macaroni and cheese..lord today! Paula Deen has her place in the food world, and good southern cooking is a treasure to find. But she's really pushing the limits now with her recipes.

There's so little worth watching on TVFN anymore, I find I get more food instruction from PBS and Fine Living. (Even though I believe FL is owned by the Scripps Network as well? Wonder why they'd dumb down TVFN so much but leave FL relatively intact???)

Chiff0nade, I believe you're right re: ownership. We have Food Network HD and several programs are originally from the Fine Living channel. It's a nice alternative to what's regularly on cable, but I agree that PBS is also a great resource for the more experienced home chef.

Thanks to these comments, I now know I don't have to add to the FN site's view counter--UGH.

I'm betting that FN doesn't 'credit' these recipes in a lot of cases simply because many/most don't come from the folks who are on the screen. I know this for a fact--they hire decent chefs who might not be tv material to create recipes. My guess is that those behind-the-scenes people are a lot more talented than the ones who are in front of the cameras. In at least one case, I know that for sure.

JasonBrink, thanks VERY much for that link above--it's hysterical!

Curtz, I do like the recipes and techniques I learn from Essence of Emeril (no audience), but I get a kick out of watching him mess up and yet the dish coming out of the oven is perfection. I can almost see the chefs in the back kitchen moaning as he tries to describe a process. It's obvious that others do ALL the work. As to who writes his recipes.....? I hope he has the major say, and that's all I'm going to say about that.

As for SHE WHO LLLLLLOVES TO RRRRRIP OPEN POUCHES AND MIX IN COOL OOOOWHIP, pulllllease llllleave.

Curtz, I do like the recipes and techniques I learn from Essence of Emeril (no audience), but I get a kick out of watching him mess up and yet the dish coming out of the oven is perfection. I can almost see the chefs in the back kitchen moaning as he tries to describe a process. It's obvious that others do ALL the work. As to who writes his recipes.....? I hope he has the major say, and that's all I'm going to say about that.
As for SHE WHO LLLLLLOVES TO RRRRRIP OPEN POUCHES AND MIX IN COOL OOOOWHIP, pulllllease llllleave.
PerkyMac at 2:25PM on 12/29/07

Emeril is an executive chef. In having become so he has earned the right to have others so "all the work". As I've been an executive chef myself, I can assure you that I've never yet met an executive chef who was the least bit willing to let anyone else write the recipes that would be served under their names. And I've never met a chef who worked for an exec chef who would not demand credit if this were to happen, and in the case of Emeril certainly the media would be all over something like this if it were to occur.

Not that recipes, all recipes, do not come from "somewhere" to start with anyway. Everything is an adaptation of something else, as far as I've noticed (though if there is a recipe of dish that came from no background of previous cookery I'd love to hear about it).

"She Who Shall Not Be Named" or "She Who Loves to Rip Open Pouches and Mix in Cool Whip" is doing something that obviously many people enjoy seeing. Otherwise she would be gone. Big bucks go to pay for her performance, and big bucks are netted by her performance, and it is not just due to "someone up high liking her".

Of course there are finer ways to approach food than to rip open a pouch. And I would say to anyone who thinks they can personally fit as replacement on the TVFN to the "She's Who Shall Not Be Named" that they should put together a videotape, get an agent, and see if they can replace her.

In other words, if you're going to talk the talk be ready to walk the walk or you're just blowing hot air. And even a bad TVFN show is better than hot air.

By the way, the term "She Who Shall Not Be Named" was not used in its original form as an insult. It was used by the author as a love term, and a very deep love term indeed.

Lots of things in life should have laugh tracks attached to them, I agree.

You will find people who do cook from cans and boxes though, for many reasons. Some have more money than time. Some do not like to cook. Some may just have become accustomed to the flavors that exist as a standard (though what standard it is of what quality is always debatable) in boxed and canned foods which unfortunately do not always exist as a standard in the fresh foods that are available to them in standard grocery stores at affordable prices.

Examining these reasons, I've come to the following conclusions, for myself:

1. More money than time. I know professional women and men who in today's environment certainly do not get away with working eight hour jobs *or* ten hour jobs each day. Their lives are filled with their work, and often that work can be useful and good to the world-at-large. They may not have enough income to hire someone to cook for them (as the next layer up does) so they use "semi-homemade" to get by - rather than order take-out all the time.

2. Do not like to cook. I do not believe there is a ghetto in Heaven or Hell for people who do not like to cook nor do I believe they have a communicable disease. I like to cook, sometimes. I made a good living cooking. I do not, however, like to cook at all times or all the time, so can understand people who do not enjoy it.

3. Accustomed to the flavors/rely on boxed or canned due to inconsistency of the fresh foods available: Unless one puts "food first" as a thing to do daily, the time it can take to search out a consistent fresh product can be awesome in some geographic places. It may not be worth it to some people. Plus, some people do love the brand products they have come to rely on to make a decent meal for themselves or for their families over time.

It has come down to, over time for me: Should life be about the food as primary thing to be honored? Or should life be more about the people who exist in all varieties with all different Ways of Being as a thing to be honored?

For me the second reason counts.

That's not to say that I don't think there is better food to be had not made this way (semi-homemade) but that comes under the category of many other things I think could be better like most people could study how to dress themselves more pleasingly rather than throw on this-or-that (semi-homemade) from Wal-Mart or Target. . . . some people could put together their homes in a much nicer way with more attention to color, light, texture, whatever . . . some people could even fix their hair better. All these things matter to me. The hair most of all of course.

There's a fascinating essay on the "semi-homemade" phenomena (which is far from new in our culture) by Laura Shapiro titled Do Women Like to Cook? In it she examines the trajectory of convenience foods and how they intersect with how "we" think of cooking in many ways - in terms of quality, aspirations, roles, and realities.

If Sandra Lee did not exist she would have to be invented.
Given who we have been- our culture, historically - and who we are now.

I agree that Sandra is annoying. But for me that is largely about her personality. That, and the idea that *everything* can be *semi* homemade... as if this can be considered a way of life. I've only watched small portions of her show, just a few times, so I don't really know all that she does, but I don't like *shortcuts* that aren't. For instance, I see no value in using seasoning packets or salad dressing mixes instead of dried herbs and spices.

At least she's encouraging people who are probably already using these products to TRY to improve them, and make them a bit more edible. She's showing people that they can be more creative and get an end-product that others might enjoy a little more.

Personally, I keep lots of high-quality frozen vegetables on hand, because the so-called fresh stuff often isn't, or is such poor quality that I'd be reluctant to give it to a dog. And it's better to get some greens on the table quickly than to skip them altogether for lack of prep time/motivation, or to make winter squash knowing I won't have to fight with it.

I keep canned beans and carrots and tomatoes on hand for the same reason. They provide a quicker route to things I usually make from scratch, and typically get used in recipes where the flavor will be indistinguishable from fresh or cooked from scratch.

Also, there's always a frozen pie crust in my freezer. I'm a mostly accomplished cook and baker, but my pie crust failures have quite literally driven me to tears.

Besides, I'm willing to admit that I don't always enjoy or feel like cooking. So, at least I know I'm giving my family something *semi* homemade that is always a better alternative to fast food.

Karen Resta at 1:25PM on 12/30/07

It has come down to, over time for me: Should life be about the food as primary thing to be honored? Or should life be more about the people who exist in all varieties with all different Ways of Being as a thing to be honored?

For me the second reason counts.

That's not to say that I don't think there is better food to be had not made this way (semi-homemade) but that comes under the category of many other things I think could be better like most people could study how to dress themselves more pleasingly rather than throw on this-or-that (semi-homemade) from Wal-Mart or Target. . . . some people could put together their homes in a much nicer way with more attention to color, light, texture, whatever . . . some people could even fix their hair better. All these things matter to me. The hair most of all of course.

How shallow and phony. You have also told us all how you can't stand to see people driving a wheelchair cart with snack food in the basket, or anyone obese, or anyone not properly coiffed and elegantly attired in couture. Could Sandra Lee be hiding behind a pseudonym?

Back to the topic - my guess would be that the way the top 100 recipes were decided was by counting the clicks made onto the recipes on the website, as that is often the way things are measured online. Clicks. The stickiest (most clicked on over and over) recipes win.

Nice job chiffOnade! Especially the baking mixes!! Most of us have canned goods and boxes of pasta and cereals. Depending on your freezer space (I'm very fortunate to have a large chest freezer), you can have whole homemade/leftover meals ready to go, wonderful meats, fish, veggies and even fruit that are wholesome and chemical free. I am disabled and can only stand for a couple of minutes at a time, so that makes meal prep very difficult and time consuming, but I would never use the junk SL uses to make it go a little faster. It isn't easier, cheaper, or healthier to do it her way. Rachael Ray has some habits that I find very annoying, but you are absolutely right - she is the one really teaching home cooks the semi-homemade way, with much better ingredients.