Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Growing up in Minnesota, we didn't actually have a ton of local doughnut shops at the time, so we had to get them from grocery bakeries.

My local grocery store had both long john's AND eclairs - the key difference being the filling. Long Johns had none and sometimes had sprinkles or coconut topping - where as eclairs were filled evil.

Spot on, Bill. It's all about the cult of personality and to her credit, RR does not call herself a chef.

Television is about television, not cooking. The top earners on this list have leveraged the initial toehold of a cooking show into great wealth. People tune in to watch someone cook on TV because they're attracted to that personality,not particularly because they want a cooking lesson.

Ray was smart enough to understand that early on and began to build her brand apart from Food Network. Her fans would tune in to watch her scrub a sink.

In Rachel's defense, keeping in mind that I really do not like her, she herself has said on many occassions that she IS NOT a chef and does not consider herself to be one.

Do you have to be on TV to be a celeb chef? I wonder how much money Thomas Keller makes.

"When did Rachel Ray or Paula Deene become chefs? Cooks? Maybe. But not chefs."

Rachel Ray is not a chef, she's never even cooked in a restaurant, and what she does cook is disgusting (Hotdog Salad for example).

Paula Deene on the other hand, may not be a classically trained chef, but she started out owning and operating her own restaurant and her recipes, though not good for you, are some of the most delicious out there. Paula is a chef, much more so than Rachel.

Granted the only two on this list that I really respect as chefs are Ramsey and Bourdain, but that's because they are real chefs, they know what they want and don't put up with any crap in their kitchen.

@FFC ~ now, now, let's get our - oops YOUR - mind out of the gutter. Actually, Oprah and Retchel both get on my nerves, but everything she touches seems to turn to gold, so I'd grit my teeth , hold out my index finger and receive the precious gold. The way things are going, even a little nickel might help!

p.s. the laugh helped even more - thanks!

Um, No? *cringing here* It was crazy and remember, we were drinking cosmos at the movie. I was hung over for 2 days! Remember what Samantha said when she was talking about eating everything insight except, you know, well I sort of, well, you know! But hey, it really wasn't me, it was the cosmos. My face was numb! How bad is that?? :-O

@chiff - Holy Guacamole! We decided when the movie comes out on DVD, we are going to have another party and watch the movie again. Way too much fun. Did the Cosmo thing too. You should have seen the pate a choux! I have one word.......Dante.

@ embolini - &^%^&^$*^$^$#!@#$%^&!!!!!!!!!! No way......

@All - PLEASE don 't give anything away. We are going Friday. When I look at the posts, I keep one eye closed. (just in case)

GUACAMOLE AND SUSHI.

Chinese chicken and broccoli for the time Miranda thought the take-out girl was laughing at her.

Let's see:

Anything being grilled or bbq'd
Cookies in the oven
Lasagna, baked ziti in the oven
Coffee brewing-but only in the am
cutting fresh herbs
Sauteed/Roasted Garlic
Teriyaki anything (esp. shrimp)

Ok, now I am just hungry. And people say I'm a picky eater...ugh

bacon, for sure
melting butter, preferably with onions or garlic sauteing
a good tomato sauce bubbling away
cinnamon rolls