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Vegetarian Finger Food
on that note I'd say quesadilla or bruschetta slices - are easy and quick to make ahead and reheat. for some reason when i'm having cocktails i find these comforting with all that alcohol and you can go all around the world with the toppings, and easily accommodate vegans if you need to at the last minute.
Good, Authentic Mexican Cookbooks?
Mexican cookbooks written by Mexicans ... well, in Mexico, most of the cooking is done by women who learned from their mothers and grandmothers. The women I know from Mexico tend to think there's something wrong with a person who uses a cookbook. Diana Kennedy spent a lot of time with a woman in one region and at first, thanks to Gourmet Magazine, Americans were led to believe this was the only type of Mexican cooking that was authentic. Later, as American cooks traveled to Oaxaca and Puebla etc. they discovered that there were other inhabitants in Mexico than the descendants of the Aztecs, and each had a different idea of what Mexican cooking was. Rick Bayless was the one who really went to town showing the variety of food and gives such good advice that it's very possible to replicate the fantastic dishes here, with his books. But if you go to Mexico, you'll see that they are just as innovative as we are, and what is covered by "authentic Mexican" is always expanding.
There is a Mexican cookbook by a woman who has a school in Mexico and Mexican children ... Her name is Susana Trilling and her book is Seasons of My Heart: A Culinary Journey Through Oaxaca. She is a fantastic cook and I've only done a couple of the recipes in the book, but they were marvelous. I've made a ton of Rick Bayless's recipes though and he's my personal favorite.
Are you a "back-of-the-box" gourmet?
Bakers brownies -- YES! Also, banana pudding off of the Nilla Wafers box. Classic. I use that vanilla pudding, which has a little flour, with lots of other things too, like jello parfaits (just add gelatin to fruit juices, esp orange)...it's so comforting. Also there's the classic pumpkin pie filling on the Libby's can. (And thanks, orangemiles, for the Hershey's info!)
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Why don't professional chefs use a garlic press?
To me, it's a much larger issue than cleaning, number of uses, etc. but it definitely affects the final taste result, which is very important to me, personally. (I'm bummed I missed this until now, because I've had this discussion many times with good cooks, who are every bit as good a cook as a professional chef--and like to use garlic presses--as opposed to trained chefs (like myself) who have explored many different ways to prepare garlic and find we don't prefer the result.) Using a garlic press does not give you chopped, minced, mashed garlic or garlic paste (which are generally what are used in gourmet cooking), but gives you some of the clove with a lot of the garlic oil which tastes more pungent than if one had the whole clove together. I think this dramatically affects a dish, and is only good for certain purposes, like certain garlicky pasta sauces or mild red salsas (when that type of garlic aftertaste combined with tomatoes and some sugar is very pleasing). To me, each way to prepare garlic, whether slicing, chopping garlic into brunoise or mince or making it into a paste (mince the garlic and then sprinkle some kosher salt onto it, then rub it back and forth with the back of a knife until it's a pulpy mass) all give a different taste to a dish.
Vegetarian Finger Food
on that note I'd say quesadilla or bruschetta slices - are easy and quick to make ahead and reheat. for some reason when i'm having cocktails i find these comforting with all that alcohol and you can go all around the world with the toppings, and easily accommodate vegans if you need to at the last minute.
Good, Authentic Mexican Cookbooks?
Mexican cookbooks written by Mexicans ... well, in Mexico, most of the cooking is done by women who learned from their mothers and grandmothers. The women I know from Mexico tend to think there's something wrong with a person who uses a cookbook. Diana Kennedy spent a lot of time with a woman in one region and at first, thanks to Gourmet Magazine, Americans were led to believe this was the only type of Mexican cooking that was authentic. Later, as American cooks traveled to Oaxaca and Puebla etc. they discovered that there were other inhabitants in Mexico than the descendants of the Aztecs, and each had a different idea of what Mexican cooking was. Rick Bayless was the one who really went to town showing the variety of food and gives such good advice that it's very possible to replicate the fantastic dishes here, with his books. But if you go to Mexico, you'll see that they are just as innovative as we are, and what is covered by "authentic Mexican" is always expanding.
There is a Mexican cookbook by a woman who has a school in Mexico and Mexican children ... Her name is Susana Trilling and her book is Seasons of My Heart: A Culinary Journey Through Oaxaca. She is a fantastic cook and I've only done a couple of the recipes in the book, but they were marvelous. I've made a ton of Rick Bayless's recipes though and he's my personal favorite.
Are you a "back-of-the-box" gourmet?
Bakers brownies -- YES! Also, banana pudding off of the Nilla Wafers box. Classic. I use that vanilla pudding, which has a little flour, with lots of other things too, like jello parfaits (just add gelatin to fruit juices, esp orange)...it's so comforting. Also there's the classic pumpkin pie filling on the Libby's can. (And thanks, orangemiles, for the Hershey's info!)
You know you are a foodie if..........
haha! I just did that myself when I threw away some strawberries last week. I'm still sad about it! The books by my bed are all cookbooks. Sad?
What's your Favorite Food Movie?
All great movies ... but my all-time fav food film was a TV ad for Polly-O cheese. It was just two hands seen from above, making manicotti. It was a fabulous film of an expert chef making pasta and then ended with them brushing the flour off of their hands. Short but memorable. Wish I could find a copy of it.
Question of the Day: Overrated Food Books
Ruth Reichl's sequel, Comfort Me With Apples, was so embarrassing. Clearly published too early so she had to pander to all her colleagues. It was all, "I was there at the start of California cuisine" but none of her great opinions and food descriptions. Instead, unsatisfying and very cagey descriptions of the people. Her writing about her love affair with her second husband was dopey, very high school. Not to mention that almost every piece of food she put into her mouth "exploded"...After reading Tender at the Bone and her great editorials in Gourmet I was shocked. On second thought, maybe I shouldn't have been -- I canceled my subscription to that rag a few years ago when I'd decided if I read another article where the chef was described as "boyishly handsome" I would no longer subscribe...and of course it happened twice in the next issue!
Whole grain baking...
I like to use half whole wheat and half quinoa flour which lightens it up and adds a complete protein. Great for banana muffins.
Whats the difference between Active Dry Yeast and Brewers yeast?
They're actually the same type of yeast but prepared differently. When you purchase active dry yeast you are purchasing a product created by a manufacturer to foam and rise quickly and be able to last longer than a fresh block of yeast. The end product isn't the same as if you used fresh yeast (we all love the fresh stuff - evidenced by the strange addiction to pizza dough and croissants which use live yeast) but still pretty great. There are other yeasts that are used for brewing alcoholic beverages (depending on the beverage) but what is sold as brewer's yeast is the same type of yeast used both for baking and for brewing ale though it isn't put through the same process as active dry yeast and it is fortified with b vitamins and other things like calcium, to be taken as a nutritional supplement. There are other yeasts used in probiotic supplements but I'm not knowledgeable about all of those. If your question is about what to use for baking, you have to use "active dry yeast" to get the desired effect in baked goods, because it is a man-made product specially manufactured for just that purpose. Hope that helps you!
Donating your time
The complainers might have been just trying to engage you in a conversation, so they didn't feel so humbled. I find that is the case sometimes, and if you tease them about what you're bringing next time, they might respond very well.
Does this make you feel sick or hungry?
Yummy! and cute!
Red wine vinegar
I lived in NY Italian neighborhoods for many years and became very picky about the taste of things marinated in oil and vinegar, salad dressing, etc. I've tried so many brands and nothing has worked for me like Eden Foods organic red wine vinegar -- I find it makes everything taste like it should. I'm curious what others think though.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
Sandra Lee on MST3K - that's exactly where she belongs!!! genius idea!!!
What meal made you a foodie?
I was a vegan training at the Natural Gourmet Cookery School and though we didn't make traditional stocks and sauces (we made a corn-based "hollandaise" and a soy mlk "bechemel", for example) we had to learn about the classics. Just hearing the teacher talk about it and looking at the pages of information made something come over me. Months later, no longer vegan, I ended up at the French Culinary Institute, learning the French classics.
did Paul really just get kicked off of NFS? WTF?
I don't think Jag is their favorite just because he's Latin, but I think the guy has screen presence. And, although I love Paul's personality and cooking style, his movements are hard to watch on camera and his commentary is tiresome. Annoying as Jag is, he's the only one who on the demo episode actually looked like he belongs on camera. I checked out the audition tapes too, and Jag and Tommy (and Michael Salmon, interestingly enough) had instant compatibility with the camera and none of the stiff movement and shoulder-raising and face-twisting that is so irksome among the rest of the contestants. As for the way he talks, he sounds ridiculous but I think he could, with his knowledge and experience, be who they want to replace Emeril. His personality, though, is so weird -- like, the way he grinned at Bobby Flay during the Iron Chef intro -- what was that about? He has a lot of training to do, just to be normal. But his commentary during the Iron Chef episode was excellent, proving he's definitely a knowledgeable cook, and very experienced. At first I thought his using "Jag it up" was annoying but his down-to-earthiness has made me soften toward him, I believe he could really be a star. Amy may be a great cook but she is just so stiff and Rory clearly doesn't belong there, in my opinion, although given that Paula Deen can't cook either, they don't care, as long as someone female represents the South. The only other contestant that could win viewers over is Tommy and it's too late for him. Oh, and I like last year's winner - his shows may not be that interesting but he's got good energy. And who likes watching Bourdain? Although he's a funny writer/speaker, his show is a huge snore.
Side dishes you can make ahead?
thanks so much for these ideas!
What is/are your favorite crockpot/slow-cooker dish(es)?
My sister takes a fresh roast and puts it in the cooker (not a defrosted roast). Then she takes 2 jars of bbq sauce, covering it. The sauce usually doesn't cover the roast entirely but if you want it to cover, just add some vegetables. After cooking it all day it's a fantastic bbq!
What's the best cocoa powder for chocolate cake?
As JerzeeTomato sez, Valrhona is really the best. I've also found that the organic cocoa powder Ah!Laska is also fine, and makes cakes taste like they used to, back in the midwest in the 70s - at least how i remember them. Of course, it isn't Dutch process, so I only use it when that isn't required.
What makes a springform pan a worthwhile investment?
restaurants use the cheapest ones - you can do it under $10. You use them for cakes that are finished right out of the oven or only need frosting at that point -- because the bottom stays there, it's easy to transfer the cake to a serving plate. And because the sides pull away you don't risk ruining the cake trying to get it out of the pan.
NY recommendations: Lunch.
Jean Georges and Bouloud aren't pure French. It's very hard to find that these days. Provence comes to mind, downtown. Heck - go for Le Bernardin. You'll have a really exquisite experience from start to finish. Or Payard - excellent and if not pure French, it certainly feels like you're in Paris. If you decide to have some soul food, go to Amy Ruth's in Harlem, 116th St. You can also go to a Cuchifritos place on the south side of 116th St. between Lex & Third Aves - look for old spanish guys behind the counter. That's New York, Baby!
What would you never eat?
I love all these things everyone else won't eat (except the fast food, of course). But for some reason coconut nauseates me. Just smelling that lotion on people in summer is nauseating, and coconut macaroons are g-ross. People find ways to ruin all sorts of good food with coconut! And coconut water - ugh. I went to Vietnam and we had to drink it, to stay hydrated because it's so hot that you need the electrolytes and minerals in it. But it got really frustrating, having to take it in every day. Also, sometimes mangos have a slight coconut flavor - ruining a wonderful mango - It makes me afraid to buy them, because I won't be able to abid them! The only way I've been able to stand coconut is in coconut cream pie, coconut custard pie and coconut frosting...probably because the creaminess dominates the coconut flavor.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
For all the mediocrity that FoodNetwork tries to sell to America (Sandra Lee, Rachael Ray, Ace of Cakes) Paula Deen wins hands down. Everything she makes on the show is an embarrassment to American cooking and the great Southern tradition, and she has absolutely nothing to say about food except "isn't that nice" etc. Every time I read a positive review on Amazon.com for her books I feel sorry for the person writing it, as they clearly did not grow up with good cooks in the house.
Unfortunately, the good cooks (Giada, Ina, Emeril (annoying as he is he can cook), Tyler (sexy as he is), clearly have all blown their wad. In my book, Alton Brown is the only one whose show continues to provide useful information that bears repeated viewing.
Question of the Day: What surprises your friends most to hear that you make yourself?
btw, to make ghee just put a stick or sticks of butter into a very small pan on very low heat (if you have a strong pilot light under your burner that might be enough) and leave it until the milk solids separate from the oil. If the milk stays mixed with the oil then the heat is too high. Spoon off the milk solids and put the oil into a jar. ta-da!
Question of the Day: What surprises your friends most to hear that you make yourself?
ghee (clarified butter) - it's so easy and fast, and you can store it forever. the stuff in the jars is milky and never as pure as what you can make so easily at home.
Looking for a good recipe for sugar-free peanut butter cookies
Just add a little canola oil to the batter until it's moist enough, and the texture will be fine. Try this - you'll need a mixer - take a cookie recipe and replace half the butter with peanut butter, adding a bit of canola oil until the texture is like a regular cookie dough. Replace the sugar with maple crystals or sucanat. I recommend doing this with the chocolate chip recipe on the Sunspire grain-sweetened chocolate chip bag.
Good, Authentic Mexican Cookbooks?
Hi
I know this comment is much later than the ones posted here, but it is relevant and sorry but I'm new here.
I too am searching for an "authentic" Mexican Cookbook, but I have somewhat of a problem with the suggestion of Rick Bayless, Dianne Kennedy, or any other "chef". Although these people are very good at what they do and create some very tasty dishes, they're not "authentic". They were not born and raised in Mexico cooking mexican food from the time they were old enough to see over the top of a stove. I'm from Texas and have eaten the cooking of people I worked with that were Mexican. I'm looking for recipes that have been handed down for at least a hundred years (authentic), from great grandmother to grandmother to mother to daughter. For instance, if I wanted to cook a mexican soup of some kind, I would have to go pick some tomatoes, skin them, scald them, peel them and then make a stock to start creating my soup, or to stew my tomatoes. This is what I think of when I say "Authentic".
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
I used to watch a lot of FN back in the early days. I enjoyed Jack McDavid, Mario Batali, Sara Moulton. Now, I never watch FN. The turning point, for me, was when Rachel Ray became a "star" (gag).
Now if I want to learn something about cooking, I tune in PBS, and watch Jacques Pepin, Lidia, or the two ladies on America's Test Kitchen.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
Least: Ina Garten; from her voice to her food, personality, friends, etc. . .she drives me insane.
Most: Giada Di Laurentiis, I have a girl crush on her.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
I have to agree with many comments here.I have studied culinary arts for years and these housewife cook wannabees do not know the difference between a good Veloute and a bowl of gravy.
Where does the food netwok find these people?
Sandra Lee gets so excited over her booze,you would think she was an alcoholic! Rachael Ray acts like the host of Sesame Street with her ignorant, goofy, childish sayings. Paula Dean serves so much fat in her food, it is more rich than her fake,overpronounced accent which is comparable to fingernails on a chalkboard.Giada dresses like a street walker and tries to sound italian with her fancy pronouncing og food.What happened to credible culinarians? are all we are left with are women's day readers like these four women who think they are teaching cooking? please!!!
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
My faves: Alton Brown, Anne Burrell, Ina Garten
Likes: Jaime O., Tyler F. Micheal Chirello (sp?)
My not so faves: Ray Ray, Sunny Anderson and the Neeleys...I started out liking Ray but her overexposure did me in...I haven't seen a thing on Sunny's show that I would make, and I can't stand her delivery, and the Neeleys...I like things they make but that lovey dovey crap really turns me off...and of course Sandra goes without saying...
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
My favorite is Ina and my very least favorite is Giada. Can Giada's tops get any lower without this show being rated as porn? I have nothing at all against showing some cleavage, but please...this is a cooking show, and if her cooking isn't good enough to stand on its own, they should take her off the air. Actually, I tried several of her recipes and thought they we just "okay". Her books are loaded with photos of her rather than of the food, and she is way too full of herself. She should stop the annoying Italian accent when she pronounces Italian food items. She was born and raised in California for goodness sakes!
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
I used to watch a lot of FN but honestly it's so overproduced these days I just can't get into it. I understand that they get the best ratings with these lame reality shows and camera-friendly cooks, but can't they appease everyone by having a few shows with hosts passionate about a particular part of cooking? Go ahead, play them at some weird-ass time of day, I'll tape it, but to me it's such a waste of a perfect medium to march out these clowns preparing the same bland recipe over and over and over again.
Favorites (none of these exist anymore): Jamie , Mario, Alton
Least favorites: Aida Whatever, Sunni Whatever
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
I used to watch this channel frequently for info on cooking techniques, and good recipes; not on much anymore. Weekend getaways at $40 and such rot are a waste of time. I have no problem with the dumbed-down shows for the chef-boyardee crowd, but I have the travel channel, with Bourdain, for the other stuff.
Faves: Alton, Mario, Sara
Middling: Sandra, Giada [OK....just eye candy....no turtlenecks needed]. Flay....I like the genre, so I follow his recipes. Emeril....shelf life date gone by......he's now a shill on the "green network".....and, not convincingly so. Paula.....on the fast track to Emeril status.
Least: Ray Ray. Well, Sandra too...although S doesn't annoy me me nearly as much as does RR.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
Favorite: Ina Garten and Bobby Flay
Least Fave: Sandra Lee (worst), Sunny Anderson, Ellie Krieger, Ann Burell
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
FAVE: jamie oliver -- i LOVE jamie at home. also nigella -- apparently i love brits.
LEAST FAVES: sandra lee, hands down. not even a competition!
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
Favs: Ina Garten, Giada, Alton Brown. Duff Goldman & Mary Alice from Ace of Cakes - do they count?
also sort of Flay because, hey, a good looking guy who can cook? im all for it.
least favs - Paula Deen. something about her annoys the CRAP out of me. Sandra Lee - im in college and even i wouldnt eat some of the disgusting look things she makes
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
Favorites: Paula Dean, her recipes I can make and have. Sandra Lee because her recipes are very doable. Why do so many dislike her? I love to watch her. I also like the fact that with Sandra Lee, you can take common packaged stuff and make something great. Alton Brown, definitely a fav of mine. I can't stand Emeril. His recipes are so complicated, why bother? Ina Garten's recipes are too complicated as well.
Least Favorite: Obviously Rachel Ray is an amature when it comes to cooking. Come on folks, I mean, my teenage son can concoct what she comes up with. Also, she is extremely irritating with all of her hand gestures and her EEVO and her rolling eyes. I deliberately turn off the FN when she is scheduled. I just don't get it. She's awful. BEST: Alton Brown WORST: Rachel Ray
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
Most: Paula Deen, Alton Brown, and Ina Garten
Least: The Neelys and Sunny Anderson
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
First of all I have to recover from laughing sooo hard at the remarks from:
Nance- re: Sandra Lee on the Kwanzaa cake (topping in with corn nuts) please tell me your joking, I don't know if you or Sandra's Kwazaa cake recipe want to kill ME. rotfl.
Jensings- your comment also made me roll off the couch, well put.
Alssa- same as above
Thanks y'all for a very good laugh.
Now who I like:
Alton - becuz he is silly and informative, I like that.
Emeril- becuz of due respect, but he needs to (or has) retire, his "bam" has gotten a little too old.
Ina- like her soft spoken demure and her recipes seem very good, but did she make a pact with the devil? Read her bio eveything thing she did she is successful at... hmmmmmm. That nervous laugh does get to me though.
Tyler- tried some of his stuff....really good.
Sara Moulton- like her alot, she is so relaxed, I like her cooking, she teaches, and she covers UP!! I miss her.
Cat Cora-total professional, she is very pretty but like all chefs ( iam one myself) cover's UP!! She wears a chef coat. I like her demure and professional knowledge.
Anthony Bourdain- Love his shows, they tell the real shit that goes on in cultures.
Mario- real authentic chef. Love his shows and his foods. Wll miss him too.
Duff-I like but other then his oux and Mary Alice many of his workers seem liike there on drugs.
Guy- I like him. his show makes me sick becuz my city has very few diner, drive-ins and dives anymore( I live in Seattle). His other show I only saw a few times, but I liked what he made so far. He's funny.
Symon- I like him. He's professional and his giggles crack me up. I like his food.
Flay- His actual shows bore me to sleep but I do respect his success and I 'm sure his food is good. I hear good reviews about his restaurants.
Ming Tsi- I miss him, he too is a Pro. and I loved his show. I made a dish of his for Mother's Day once and it turned out great but man, I almost had to hop a plane to Asia to get some of the ingreds. for it.
Now for my dislikes:
Paula Deen- I like her home program (she's somewhat mellow) but the shit she makes.......
Paula's party- That is enough to make my ears bleed. Is she drunk on that show? She is flirting, forgetting what they are doing she is hamming it up. Nooooooooo!!
Robin What her name- Boring.
Giada- I liked her pogram when it first aired, but now it is a joke. Yes that phoney accent, the Farrah Fawcett smile, yes the low cut shirts. Shit she is making Italian food (maybe), she should be professional and wear a chef coat. You get shit all over yourself making Italian food. It's food food porn.
Sandra Lee- Ah wtf is she doing on FN? Yes she has a concept for making things go easy in the kitchen, yes someone above wrote that some chefs use canned this and that for fresh and its true, and that is good, but she can at least come through with some dishes that are homemade 100% for the times one has day off or special occasions ect. Anyone can open a box or packet and just add shit to it, but I thought the FN was to educate people how to make real dishes.
Bobblehead aka Rach Ray- She is over the top of WHAT???? Yes I play a game with my boyfriend, everytime 30 mins. airs we get beers ready and when she says her imfamous words "EVOO, sammies, delish, garbage bowl, awesome, eyeball it, giggles, ect., we take a drink. Guaranteed your tipsy (if not drunk) in 30 minutes. FN needs to restructure what their goal is really quick. Do they want the true chefs that really show people methods, ideas of real cooking or do they want to have circus acts like they are airing?
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
Rachael, Guy and SLoP should be BANNED. Every Rachael recipe I've tried has come out like s**t.
I love just about everyone else on the FN.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
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.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
I watch Food Network much more for technique and principles than recipes. Travel shows and food competitions are time-wasting. How about healthful cooking, vegetarian recipes, dairy substitutes, ethnic cooking other than Italian, bread baking? I can't eat pork or shellfish, or mix dairy and meat. How about cooking with those limitations.
FAVORITES: Alton Brown. More time and less clowning, please.
Giada. Reasonable recipes; fewer distractions (2), please. Maybe her body is too small.
Robin Miller. I respect her as a wife and mother. Realistic recipes. A nice lady.
WORST
Paula Dean, Ina Garten are toxic. Rachael Ray has too much TV and commercial exposure. Why does every one of her recipes have to contain cheese and pork? Emeril is generally boring, but occasionally he shows an excellent technique. His "Live" show is dreadful. Sandra Lee: I just turn off the sound and watch. I don't care what she's doing.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
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.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
Wow...who spelunked the archives to find this gem of a thread!!!
There are very few shows remaining on TVFN worth watching if you are amongst those with tastebuds. TVFN has switched its target to the Cool Whip Contingent instead of sticking with hardcore foodies (such as us).
Ina Garten, Michael Chiarello, Alton Brown and Giada DeLaurentis are the last holdouts doing valuable cooking instruction at TVFN. The rest is fluff and nonsense - i.e. Unwrapped and The Secret Life Of... One exception might be the "challenge" shows which, depending on your interests can be intriguing.
The absolute worst hack on TVFN is without a doubt Sandra Lee. Her show is nothing about cooking. She assembles boxes of this with cans of that, pours in a little envelope of "soup" powder and calls it cooking. After attending one of Shamdra's Junkfests, I imagine her guests go out for dinner. If they can drive.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
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*
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
I love AB I've been a fan from the first show--even my 9 year old son loves him. I think he's sexy too, geeks are hot. I also love Tony Bourdain, asshole or not--he's talented and I enjoy his unfiltered view on food and celebrities.
I love Mario, Ina,Michael Chiarello & Sara Molten for their cooking and talent. I truly would love to eat at these peoples houses. I love that Ina hasn't let her fame go to her head, it's nice to see that for a change.
I love Paula because she's Paula, simple and yes she does whip up some pretty unhealthy stuff, but fried food is good food--even to this California girl. Fir all you naysayers, Paula refuses to open up another restaurant and devotes time and money to her family. This is a good thing in a world of greed. I do have a problem with her sons and husband riding on her shirt tails. Her husband even signs her books at book signings...why he didn't pen them?!
Do not like RR, Sandra Lee (except for the cocktails)Emeril (I would NEVER eat at one of his restaurants. Amy whatsher name that just one the food network star show.
Lastly how can you not want to make out with Nigella, that is one beautiful woman.
Who's your most/least favorite food personality on Food Channel?
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.
Vegetarian Finger Food
Indian samosas! They're flavorful and hearty, and easy to eat with your hands.
Hillary
Chew on That
Vegetarian Finger Food
I wish I had the recipe for the marinated feta stuff a lady in my old book club used to make. It essentially entailed olives, sundried tomatoes,feta, oregano, olive oil, etc. all chopped up in small pieces and left to marinate overnight. Then you put it on bread or crackers and it is ridiculously tasty.
Vegetarian Finger Food
This is a great toasted bread topper... 1 can of white beans (drained, can be rinsed as well), a few sprinkles of red pepper flakes, S&P (just a bit), a few tablespoons of balsalmic and olive oil. Marinate overnight. Tasty!
A friend of mine always serves bacon wrapped figs at her parties and always makes a few almond or feta stuffed figs without the bacon just for me! Since you are doing the bacon wrapped figs this could be a great way for you to include the vegetarians and cut down your extra prep time!
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To me, it's a much larger issue than cleaning, number of uses, etc. but it definitely affects the final taste result, which is very important to me, personally. (I'm bummed I missed this until now, because I've had this discussion many times with good cooks, who are every bit as good a cook as a professional chef--and like to use garlic presses--as opposed to trained chefs (like myself) who have explored many different ways to prepare garlic and find we don't prefer the result.) Using a garlic press does not give you chopped, minced, mashed garlic or garlic paste (which are generally what are used in gourmet cooking), but gives you some of the clove with a lot of the garlic oil which tastes more pungent than if one had the whole clove together. I think this dramatically affects a dish, and is only good for certain purposes, like certain garlicky pasta sauces or mild red salsas (when that type of garlic aftertaste combined with tomatoes and some sugar is very pleasing). To me, each way to prepare garlic, whether slicing, chopping garlic into brunoise or mince or making it into a paste (mince the garlic and then sprinkle some kosher salt onto it, then rub it back and forth with the back of a knife until it's a pulpy mass) all give a different taste to a dish.