Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

we LOVE our Kitchen Aid Artisan stand mixer. The best best gift we ever got!!!

favorite = Alton Brown
least fave: Rachael Ray

Wow.....the animosity towards Sandra Lee in some of the comments is quite interesting. I’ve worked with and have hired professional chefs over the years and the short cuts they use in their cooking isn’t much different from Sandra Lee’s. She’s just honest about it. I know of one 5-star restaurant that opens a can of Campbell’s tomato soup, adds some garnish, gives it a fancy name and charges a ridiculous price. Anyone who utilizes a can of San Marino for a tomato dish cannot possibly sit in judgement of others.

I’ve tried some of the recipes of the highly rated “chefs” mentioned here and found them to be quite disappointing. The end result is what it’s all about....not how much one slaved in the kitchen.

Sandra Lee makes cooking fun....especially for those just starting out. And nowadays, with so many young folks working many hours in serious careers, I’m sure it’s nice to have a quick, fun recipe when one finally gets home at 7:00 pm and the kids are famished. I can’t wait to try some of her recipes with my grandson when he gets old enough.

I liked Alton Brown better before he went gimmicky and goofy.

I think Food Network made the gradual decision to make the channel more about food and life and less about cooking technique... what with the average American's non-stop hectic life. Cue: 30 Minute Meals and the like.

I supremely enjoyed Batali's program with the three guests observing, asking questions and sampling his dishes - it was a beautiful and simple concept for a cooking show. It was what cooking should be, about learning and sharing with people. To whoever said he moves too fast and undercooks everything, I am going to fight you.

I don't like Rachael Ray or Sandra Lee either. A lot of people go bananas over Ray though. I've never watched an entire Sandra Lee.

Favorites: Alton, always. He's a genius, funny, and has resisted the pressure to get hairplugs. : P I viewed what I'm guessing some people were declaring his rude behavior on the Food Star, and I think they need to take a breath and grow up a little; after all, these contestants were presenting themselves as both knowledgeable about cooking and having the charisma and creativity to create their own show--I don't think his expectations were too high. It's the network's that should be much higher.
Nigella I have loved for years, although I am dismayed by some of the shortcuts on the new show.
Jamie Oliver has had some great recipes in the past, so I'm interested to see the new show.
Anthony Bourdain is more himself, and therefore more entertaining on the Travel Network, but certainly worth watching in the original Cook's Tour.

Should be cancelled immediately, if not sooner:
Paula Deen, please sit down and allow Southerners to retain some semblance of self-respect. Every time I hear her, I can feel my brain cells committing suicide, and her recipes nauseate me. Less is more, Paula.
Rachel Ray--I used to find $40 a Day marginally bearable if only for the locations, but eventually stopped tuning in not only because of her overdone, annoying banter, but especially because of the appallingly paltry tips she would leave the kind people who served her food. It's no wonder she always wound up eating alone--no one else wants the waiter spitting in their food because they're sitting with a cheapskate! Since those early days, it's hard to escape Rachel. She chases me from one network to another, and even if I don't stumble onto one of her myriad shows, I can't escape her hawking something in commercials, nor her unnaturally shiny eyes in the grocery checkout line. God save us.
Sandra Lee: like a clone gone awry, she has followed Rachel in the Food Network's race to the bottom. I came across an amusing article that addresses this on a wider scale: http://chriswalkerversus.blogspot.com/2007/04/chris-walker-vs-dumbing-down-of-america.html Atrocious doesn't adequately describe her show. Just how stupid does FN think we are--and are we? *shudder*

For a while I was hooked on Nigella Lawson..where did she go? Right now I think Alton Brown is the best host. He's actually educational even if you don't cook. The man should be on Discovery and not FN. My least favorite is Paula Deen. I'm sick of that overdone southern drawl and all that butter and mayonnaise is tiresome.

Giada just doesn't get it, does she? Nigella Lawson doesn't have to have half her breasts hanging out to show how sexy she is. Perhaps it's because her face is actually pretty and her head is a normal size. Giada really needs the distraction of her breasts to take the attention away from the bobble head. She is truly unattractive. Of course, there are plenty of unattractive people in the world, and that's just fine, but Giada believes she is an Italian Godess. News Flash...NOT!

Plus, her cooking is for children. Seriously, anyone with half a brain can cook better than Giada. Sandra Lee also cooks easy meals, but that's what her show is all about. It's supposed to be easy! Giada pretends she's a good cook, but if anyone has tried her recipes, you'll quickly understand how good a cook she really is. She tries to make everything Italian by adding some basil or changing one other ingredient. Sorry, Giada...that doesn't make it Italian. That's like making spaghetti and meatballs and adding a tablespoon of curry to call it Indian! Make some real Italian food for a change.

Did anyone see Giada on the Today Show a few weeks ago? She was so out-of-place, she had no idea what to do. She looked like a complete fool because she had nothing to say. She sat there like she was scared to death. Let's hope the Today Show producers don't make that mistake again.