Anyone watching this new TVFN show?
Chic and Easy - I've only seen one ep, it was kind of playing in the background.
My personal opinion = She's trying out to be the new Sandra Lee. Not so much in the "instant food" category but in that Yeah, I know I'm too cute to really cook! vein.
My primary complaint = She's got that babble thing going on. She feels she has to fill every second of air time with some repetitive, fluff-riddled gibberish.
I couldn't get past that stream of John Moschitta fast talking to really form an opinion of her cooking technique but I did hear her say more than once, "I'm going to turn this down" after adding food to a way too hot pan.
Come to think of it - anyone got an opinions on any of the newer TVFN shows? Clear winners? Turkeys?
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29 Comments:
I guess I've been missing it, I don't watch foodnet. anymore like I use too. My T.V. never much saw another channel back in the day, but since they've gone to fluff and spice fairy nonsense, I just watch good eats and iron chef, watch alot of travel network and PBS.....so I guess in a since no I haven't caught her show...sorry!
Markbb at 3:34PM on 06/15/08
I saw the first ep and said to my husband, "What the hell is this?" Just awful!
izatryt at 3:41PM on 06/15/08
None of the new shows really grabs me. I find I've even taken to watching Throwdown with Bobby Flay - and the significance of that is I'm one of those people who took ten years to get over the cutting board incident.
I tried watching Cooking It Real or something like that and found it unremarkable. The Neeleys kind of left me cold after all the focus was placed on their sexual banter. I've never seen Rescue Chef because a) I have never caught an ep by accident and don't know when it's on regularly and b) I've got Jamie Oliver and Nigella if I want to watch people from Britain who know how to cook.
Nothing really jumps out at me. I think the last "new" show I liked was either Ace of Cakes (I'd work for Duff for free) or Good Deal with Dave Lieberman (I love how he bangs pots and pans around - the show should have been called Manly Cooking!).
They are regurgitating some Paula stuff (like we needed it).
TVFN better get on the stick and rustle up some decent cooking show grub or they'll lose the last shred of credibility they have. (If they didn't kill THAT by making Shamdra a judge on one of the competition shows.)
chiff0nade at 4:23PM on 06/15/08
They are truly "flopping turkeys" Chic and Cheesy is horrible.
stacemace at 8:36PM on 06/15/08
I've caught a few new (to me, at least) faces recently. I really like Dave Lieberman, his personality is engaging and his food/show conceit is exactly on point for me.
There's a Latina cook whose name escapes me. She is in Miami. Her food looked very average and I found her schtick a bit annoying. Looked up the recipe online and the reviews were very poor.
I finally caught the Neelys last week, first episode of the new season. Maybe they reoriented after negative feedback, but I didn't catch any sexual innuendo at all. Some light flirting, but nothing strong at all (and no inappropriate egg beater action). But the food looked delicious, and I look forward to trying some of the recipes (drunken shrimp). I thought they were both pleasant and I liked that it's apparently filmed in their home.
I just don't know that "credibility" has the same meaning for them as it does for some of us. They don't shy away from the business of food, and I don't think they pretend otherwise. Tonight's "Next FN Star" has them creating prepared products for retail.
renzata at 9:37PM on 06/15/08
Chif, I am so with you on he dreaded "cutting board incident". Bobby really used to be such a brat, didn't he? Now he's about 83% as dignified as Morimoto, and slightly more placid than Mario. Guess it takes a long time for some people to grow up...but "Throwdown" would be super-obnoxious if he hadn't. And I kind of like it.
annien at 9:41PM on 06/15/08
@renzata - When did you see Dave Lieberman? I really enjoyed his program on the weekend lineup and have not seen him in a long time.
Latina cook - Ingrid Hoffman. Not a fan.
izatryt at 9:42PM on 06/15/08
Ok guys, more info on the cutting board incident for those of us who didn't have or weren't home to watch cable tv.
I used to leave FN on all the time, but now, it's Ina at 5 and I'll check it other times if there's nothing else on. What happened to cooking shows during the day? I don't want to watch how they make packaged candy. or somebody eating at a restaurant. Rachael's voice gets on my last nerve and Aunt Shamdra........well, you know. They're changing Paula Deen's Home Cooking and I fear it will be like her party show which I can't stand. Watching her sons driving and eating - gee that's informative and fun.....NOT. Forget the Neely's. Is Tyler Florence still on? I've given up on them. I have no desire to watch any of their newer programming and they've destroyed most of the old.
PerkyMac at 1:32AM on 06/16/08
I haven't had a chance to see this one yet, Chiff, but frankly, now I'm not so sure I want to. I did catch 5 minutes or so of Cooking for Real, and while it didn't strike me as horrible, I doubt I'll be watching it anytime soon.
Speaking of Cooking for Real, when the FN started promoting it, they went out of their way to emphasise how she is for real ("she is a real DJ, a real Air Force vet", etc.), which made me laugh because I couldn't stop thinking of it as of their attempt to compensate for Robert Irvine who appeared to be not so real. Although the reference to the real food immediately made me think of Sandy.
Oh, and I've also watched a few minutes of Rescue Chef, but I certainly liked it better when it was called Food 911.
On the other hand, Bobby Flay, whom I absolutely could not stand in the past, has grown on me, and I really enjoy watching Throwdown - and I'm really pleased that it's not just me!
brooke29 at 1:46AM on 06/16/08
@Perky - the cutting board incident happened when Flay first battled Morimoto, on the original Japanese Iron Chef (I think it was in New York). As far as I remember, his performance was less than admirable, but that's not the point. When the battle ended, Flay jumped onto his cutting board, arms in the air, all proud - and looking smug, barbaric and disrespectful. Morimoto was so offended (knives and cutting boards are sacred in Japan), he said that Flay was "not a chef". Oh, and Flay lost that battle. At the time, I thought I would despise him for ever.
But he did grow up (according to his "Chefography", they are now friends with Morimoto), in fact, annien gave a very good description of him nowadays. And as I've said before, much to my surprise, he has grown on me as well and I rather enjoy watching his Throwdown. People do change sometimes!:-)
brooke29 at 2:09AM on 06/16/08
I'm looking forward to watching "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef" with Anne Burrell. I love her on "Iron Chef America".
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_lr/article/0,3199,FOOD_31336_5843253,00.html
Erinay77 at 6:06AM on 06/16/08
@everyone on the cutting board incident: That left me as slackjawed as the first time I watched Semi Homemade - sheer horror. Like Morimoto and the rest of Japan, I have a real issue with feet in their proximity to food. If I have food on the coffee table (for others - chips & salsa, etc.) and I see someone's feet at the edge of the coffee table, I'll politely ask the guest to move his or her feet. Politely the first time. Maybe more like Linda Hamilton subsequent times.
I did catch 5 minutes or so of Cooking for Real, and while it didn't strike me as horrible, I doubt I'll be watching it anytime soon.
@ brooke - Perfect description. Not horrible but kind of a big "so what?"
And also Oh, and I've also watched a few minutes of Rescue Chef, but I certainly liked it better when it was called Food 911.
What is it with TVFN and the regurgitating??? Do they think they're fooling anyone??
There's a Latina cook ...
@Renzata - OMG. I could not get past the Charo-like coochy-coochy-ness of her cooking style! If I want Latina cooking tips, I make a bee line for Daisy Martinez. She's got the same Latina energy of Ingrid Hoffman but about 110% more focus on food vs. what seems to be a focus on her "Latina-ness." Daisy Martinez reveres food. It's so much more to her than just fuel. She talks about her relatives and how she enjoyed the heritage dishes like arroz con pollo at this aunt's or that cousin's house. I saw her break down and cry when she talked about how she places her love of cusine firmly at the feet of her father, a firehouse cook. She said something like, "I know it seems funny to cry about it but cooking brings out strong emotions for me." That's what I want to see. Someone who respects the culinary art of preparing the food of their ethnicity as much as I do.
I used to leave FN on all the time, but now, it's Ina at 5...
@Perkina - Word! Ina is the "antidote" for so many bad cooking shows. She doesn't babble through every recipe, utilizing well-placed gaps of silence in order to let the viewer watch the poetry in the saute pan with a background of sizzle. A valuable lesson for people like the Cheap Chic Babbler Girl.
...I'm looking forward to watching "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef" with Anne Burrell. I love her on "Iron Chef America"....
@Erinay - that's about the most optimistic thing I've heard about TVFN in about six years! Focus on cooking presented by an authority on the subject. I haven't anxiously anticipated a show on TVFN in so long and now I'm intrigued.
Maybe TVFN is "headed home" after all??
chiff0nade at 8:13AM on 06/16/08
Maybe TVFN is "headed home" after all??
@chiff - Easy girl. Don't give them too much credit too soon. ;-)
izatryt at 9:43AM on 06/16/08
I thought Chic and Easy must be meant for the "Cosmo girl". How to look like what one is not.
And Cooking for Real seemed much too fast and unnecessarily complicated for the 30-minute cook.
But then maybe I'm just having a "woofy" Monday morning. ;-]
Blue Iris at 11:34AM on 06/16/08
I have seen a few episodes of the "Chic and Easy" and wasn't all that impressed. The "Cooking For Real" one is a little nicer. At least *she* has some personality. It seems as though the newer shows just lack that special something that really makes me want to watch them.
I miss being able to wat Dave Lieberman, and I miss Gale Gand, too, because apparently she is only on in the daytime, when I am secured firmly to a desk and computer in a small cube.
At least Alton Brown is still coming up with new stuff. And some of the others are good, too.
@Everyone, the network itself seems to be delving into more informational shows as well, such as "Heavyweights" and a new one with the guy from Top Chef, who will apparently be trying to find the truth behind foods. Which do you think that the network does better, and which ones do you watch? Do you think that they should just focus on the informational ones, instead of bringing on more shows with less than the standard appeal?
Traveller at 1:22PM on 06/16/08
During TNFNS, I saw a commercial for a show called "How'd That Get On My Plate?" - something to that effect. The woman that hosts "Cooking For Real" is the host, too. It's like "Unwrapped," but for basic foods, I think.
I haven't watched the new "chic" show, but it doesn't sound like it's interesting. Ingrid Hoffman - not my cup of tea, either. I am with chiff0nade and second watching Daisy Martinez. She adds more knowledge and fun to the kitchen. I saw her at a symposium for NYT Magazine - What We Eat. It was Daisy, Dave Lieberman, and Rachael Ray. It was quite interesting, especially when Giada was one of the "hot" topics.
I love Ina. She's a lovely woman that cooks good and simple food.
I cannot wait for Anne Burrell's (sp) show, too. She is fun to watch on ICA.
fatitalianbroad at 1:31PM on 06/16/08
@Everyone, the network itself seems to be delving into more informational shows as well, such as "Heavyweights" and a new one with the guy from Top Chef, who will apparently be trying to find the truth behind foods. Which do you think that the network does better, and which ones do you watch? Do you think that they should just focus on the informational ones, instead of bringing on more shows with less than the standard appeal?
This is a great question. I know it's the television food network and "stand up" cooking shows can't be all it broadcasts. I agree with that. There are so many facets to food and the culinary arts in general - you could fill up a 24 hour broadcast day easily.
Re: Heavyweights - what a perfect opportunity to showcase the obesity problem in America (and all over). If the show contains a "before and after" type sequence of someone after hearing the "come to Jesus" speech where his or her weight is concerned, consider my TIVO set. I want to see how the transformation occurs and I want to see recipes for spa type food. Not steamed summer squash - GOOD spa food. Crack open any Canyon Ranch or Cal A Vie cookbook and demo that stuff. All the better if the show stays around long enough to enable a "follow up" visit with the now-health-minded individual. Of course, I have no idea if TVFN's idea is anywhere near mine. There was once a TVFN show where a trainer/chef worked with a family for a while to get them to change eating habits and reduce their weight. TVFN should have been pimping that one instead of throwing money at the Semi-Ho.
Re: The truth behind foods. If it's not a thrice-digested version of Unwrapped I'd definitely give it a watch. If it's a horror show of ramming feeding tubes down the throats of geese or the penning of veal, count me out. I know there is a large measure of life and death that happens in order to get food on my plate but I don't need to watch it on TV. If it's about folklore behind regional ingredients and some history of ethnic dishes, I'm all ears.
Re: What I watch. I love my Ina. Chiarello rules. I can deal with Giada. Alton is absolutely the man. I've also been enjoying Bobby Flay (that came out of nowhere!).
Lately, I have enjoyed some of the competitions. I saw one over the weekend where 4 chefs (including a local) prepared a luau in Hawaii. There was no #$&#^@ "carry the cake" scene and I was able to focus on the foods being prepared. It was fascinating. There were three judges and the one female judge seemed to be training for Simon Cowell's spot but she was kind of funny vs. Cowell's nasty. I learned stuff about Hawaiian foods and though I might not ever prepare a luau - I might do one of the sides or try kid goat and the crazy 60 lbs. mutant fish prepared by one of the chefs.
TVFN has got to figure out the happy medium between Sandra Lee and Jacques Torres. Get a host who will not talk down to the audience and demo impossible food. There are zillions of plain ordinary folk out there doing amazing food. Find one and make a star of him or her. No stupid contest shows where everyone gets to stab everyone else in the back, please.
Why not do a show where each week a famous restaurant chef demos a signature recipe? (Like Great Chefs that aired on PBS?) The more credibility a TVFN host has, the better the chances of the show succeeding. Who the hell is the Chic girl? Did she win a contest or something? Does anyone care? But just you wait until someone with a recognizable face and established culinary reputation gets in front of a camera. That's gold.
chiff0nade at 2:12PM on 06/16/08
@ chiff0nade: "Heavyweights" is about two rival food companies, i.e. Coca Cola & Pepsi - it illustrates how the companies vie for economic dominance.
I thought Juan Carlos Cruz had a show on the FN called "Weighing In". It focused on a person who wanted to lose weight and learn healthier eating habits. Chef Cruz would give tips and help the person prepare meals. I agree with you, too; there should be more marketing towards a show like "Weighing In" and not "Semi-Homemade Crap With Sandra Lee".
fatitalianbroad at 2:47PM on 06/16/08
@Chiff - a show where each week a famous restaurant chef demos a signature recipe would be absolutely brilliant! This is something I'd set a new season pass for at once, no doubt.
I also thought the luau competition was fascinating, and even the food styling competition was kind of fun to watch. I do enjoy informational shows a lot, and I wouldn't mind more of those as opposed to more of Rachael Ray or Sandra Lee wannabes.
By the way, I've read someplace that the Chic & Easy girl was one of those who auditioned for the NFNS, and they were supposedly so impressed by her that they gave her a show. I'm not sure how accurate this is, of course, but it is, sadly, believable.
brooke29 at 3:23PM on 06/16/08
...@ chiff0nade: "Heavyweights" is about two rival food companies, i.e. Coca Cola & Pepsi - it illustrates how the companies vie for economic dominance...
@fatitalianbroad (love the name!) - Crap! Another show I'd miss. No interest whatsoever about the economics of one megalopolistic company vs. another. More fluff.
@brooke - they were impressed with the Chic girl? My head hurts from the magnitude of the eye roll I just did.
chiff0nade at 4:36PM on 06/16/08
Re: Cooking for Real- did she win the last FN star competition? Who did? I thought it was the Sheep and Weezy girl but obviously not. I've watched one "episode" of her drivel and will avoid it for ever more.
Still Re: Cooking for Real- what are her COOKING credentials? I think I heard something about catering in a past life between jaunts as a pilot and dj. Has she done anything else in the kitchen worth noting?
Re: Dave Lieberman. I thought he was doofy and stopped watching him.
Re: The Neelys. No. No. No. Can't do it. Her voice is like nails on a chalk board. The touchy feely mooshy talk between them is more than I can bear.
Re: Daisy vs. Ingrid- Daisy all the way. She is geniune and her food looks good (I got one of her books for Christmas but the baby is keeping me from being too adventurous in the kitchen...come on September!). And Daisy doesn't schlep Tostitos chips and salsa. I decided to stop watching Ingrida completely after I saw her first commerical. And the Charo comment from above- ROFLMAO yet again at Chiff0nade....
Re: Chiarello- I can take him or leave him
Re: Anne Burrell- will definitely tune in.
Re: Mario- I've been watching "Molto Mario" on Fine Living and I enjoy it, except when he handles raw meats and doesn't properly wash his hands. *shudder*
AuntJone at 1:03PM on 06/18/08
Hopefully the new crop of shows will have some meat on them. I daresay it can't get any worse on TVFN.
chiff0nade at 5:09AM on 06/19/08
Ted Allen is coming to ftv...he's got fine credentials.
bessfour at 9:31AM on 06/19/08
@bessfour - Cool! I love that guy. He was great on Queer Eye. I found his food advice to be wonderful. He sometimes got so excited that during the last portion of the show when the guys watched their student in action, he'd say, "I gave him a lot of things to do!" I'd love to see him on a 100% food-related show and hope they don't give him some fluff crap vehicle on which to waste his talents.
chiff0nade at 11:53AM on 06/19/08
I have FN running in the backround all day on Sat. and Sunday when I'm in the kitchen. I generally agree with most of the above comments. What I take away from these shows are techniques and tid bits that make me a better cook, not necessarily recipes.
The only people I watch to actually "get" recipes are Ina Garten, Tyler Florence and Partyline with the Hearty Boys (which got drumbed off the network by homophobics).
Sorry, but Rachael Ray is an oversaturated babbling idiot who wears ugly clothes and reworks the same tired ingredients into yet another tasteless mess with some gitchy name.
Paula is just plain and simple too over the top these days. I don't give a s**t about hubby Michael and what the two of them eat in bed.
Giada is entertaining and easy on the eyes (says hubby), but I find myself wondering how low can that neckline go before something flops out. Ditto Shamdra.
Neelys - ok at first but how many foods can you bbq? Spaghetti is pushing the envelope.
Finally, I have a morbid fascination with TNFNS. The only way they keep people tuning in is because they never get rid of the contestants you love to hate until the end. It reminds me of Donald Trump's "Apprentice.
The network is headed in a scary direction. Yes, viewership is probably up and encompasses a broader audience, but I yearn for the "old" food tv.
Josdean at 8:44PM on 06/20/08
I learned how to bake a perfect brownie from Gale, Emerile taught me how to make the perfect filet,Alton explained what the hell couscous was in 1995, Sara (remember her)Moulton taught me how to poach. Bobby
was in front of his "people" when he had Jackie as his sidekick, yes,
this is a FNTV household,and I so miss Tyler 2,3,4x a day,he is SO easy onthe eyes!
Their new lineup leaves me untuned.
donnie at 9:30PM on 06/20/08
BTW, for those who think Shamdra is the poster child for bad tv, she's had a lot of practice. Remember about 10 years ago, there was a paid program for a wire gizmo that, using an ordinary bed sheet and the gizmo, you could whip up your own poofy window treatments? (Semi-homemade drapes!!!) And who was the brainchild for this disaster? None other than a younger Shamdra in the flesh. She should have stuck with bad decorating and steered clear of the kitchen arena.
Josdean at 10:10PM on 06/20/08
@Chiff - so I caught Chic and Easy this morning. From the very first minute I saw what you meant when you said babble. It's like she's afraid that if she stops talking for a second, the world as we know it will cease to exist at once. Plus, I couldn't get over the fact that her hair was tirelessly hanging over the food at all times.
Two things were immediately reminiscent of Sandy - the revelation about mayonnaise having a "creamy flavour" (who knew?), and the explanation of her love for bleu cheese dressing: "I love bleu cheese dressing. I just think that it has that creaminess, paired along with the...the sharpness of the bleu cheese that I think it tastes perfect with all of these components". I pretty much stopped watching after that.
I have a feeling that If Kelsey from TNFNS ever gets a show, it will be just like this one, only perkier. God help us.
P.S. I set a new season pass on my TIVO - for Secrets of a Restaurant Chef.
brooke29 at 11:34AM on 06/22/08
On Food Network, I watch Alton (of course), and Tyler, and Jamie Oliver (I love him - he makes everything look so fast and easy), and sometimes Ina. This is in addition to Iron Chef America.
The rest I can sort of take or leave. Rescue Chef is ok, but it's Food 911 all over again. Bobby Flay has grown on me, too, but I still find him a bit grating. Michael Chiarello seems to cook well, but he radiates an intolerable aura of self-satisfied smugness ("Look at me, everyone! I live in the Napa Valley! Paradise on Earth! You poor fools can't possibly ever have a lifestyle as wonderful as mine! I win! You lose! Don't you all envy me?").
I'm looking forward to Dinner Impossible with Michael Symon. I like him - I like his attitude, his look, his voice, and his humor.
minstrel at 7:37PM on 06/25/08