299525 Thu Dec 23 11:10:56 -0800 2004 52 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1659820 Remember when the Food Network used to have shows that taught you how to cook things? I don't know if you've turned it on lately, but if you do, chances are pretty good that you'll just be watching other people eat. No cooking. Just eating. Sure, they mix it up a bit. In one show, you can watch people eat in Chicago. Then (and here's where it gets really good) in the next show, they're eating in Albuquerque! What kind of weird voyeuristic society is this becoming? I'm supposed to come home. Eat dinner. Then head to the couch so I can watch people eating dinner? Is America really getting that fat that we have to eat vicariously through our TVs? Consider this a public plea to the Food Network execs. Please bring back the Jaime Olivers. I want to learn how to make Spaghetti Bolognese. If I wanted to watch people eating it, I'd set up my couch outside the Olive Garden. Thu Dec 23 11:10:56 -0800 2004 0 Brian Eden 1 1659827 emeril lagasse..was the begininng of the "mtv" thing at foodtv....and it got worse over the years Thu Dec 23 11:48:36 -0800 2004 1659820 0 doc 1 1659829 It's hard to imagine how anyone could devote an entire network to food and not be able to create a single program (Alton Brown excepted) that I can watch for more than 5 minutes before reaching for the remote. Somehow the geniuses at Food Network found a way. Thu Dec 23 12:11:29 -0800 2004 1659820 0 FlyFish 2 1659834 "It's hard to imagine how anyone could devote an entire network to food and not be able to create a single program (Alton Brown excepted) that I can watch for more than 5 minutes before reaching for the remote." I think that's a bit of an overstatement. Sara Moulton is fine, as is Paula Deen. Rachael Ray (personal mannerisms aside) makes solid, workmanlike food. Sandra Lee, OTOH, is the very Devil and the enemy of all things good and decent. She is also unintentionally hilarious. 11:00AM on Saturdays and Sundays. Share the horror. Thu Dec 23 12:31:00 -0800 2004 1659829 0 Bob Martinez 3 1659835 Rachel Ray is a moron, i just dont understand her popularity. Nothing she does is that exciting and her two programs teach you nothing. $40 a day? real difficult thing to do there rachel. 30 minute meals- that suck That said i do enjoy alton brown, mario battali, giada de laurentis and iron chef. Thu Dec 23 12:37:59 -0800 2004 1659834 0 MV 4 1659836 My 10 year old niece is crazy for Rachel Ray. My niece loves to cook now thanks to her!!! Thu Dec 23 12:41:48 -0800 2004 1659835 0 Richie 5 1659840 Yes I guess a 10 year old would be the proper audience for her. Stick her on saturday mornings then. She really doesnt teach adults much. Thu Dec 23 13:09:36 -0800 2004 1659836 0 MV 5 1659862 my 2.5 year-old calls her "The Cooking Girl." I'll get her straigtened out yet! Thu Dec 23 15:18:37 -0800 2004 1659836 0 dude 4 1659852 You're not going to like this a bit...RR now has THREE shows. The newest and worst, the name of which escapes me, is some manner of celebrity suck-up show, and is possibly the worst thing that Food Network has ever cooked up. God, I miss Gale Gand! Thu Dec 23 14:12:42 -0800 2004 1659835 0 peg 5 1659856 the end is nigh....... Thu Dec 23 14:31:56 -0800 2004 1659852 0 MV 5 1659891 I was watching 'Emeril's Holiday Celebration'. (I know, I know. It's hard to keep track of WHICH Emeril. All of his shows are in such heavy rotation.) This show was the one where many of the past and present Food TV chefs were doing their holiday favorites. Seeing the different chefs who've been passed over for that insidious Sandra Lee, just made me so sad. I used to LOVE the variety of shows they had, as well as the variety of foods prepared. Now it seems as if there's only Emeril and his (worn) shtick, Rachael Ray and her 'cooking' (if that's what you call it). I won't even mention "Unwrapped" and "Top Five". It's all too sad. Thu Dec 23 18:21:09 -0800 2004 1659852 0 hbgrrl 6 1659943 I wonder if those other chefs were really passed over, or did they not want the money badly enough to appear on this show? My impression is that they took those willing to appear. Fri Dec 24 12:12:53 -0800 2004 1659891 0 BeaN 4 1659909 I have to agree with you wholeheartedly. There is something incredibly annoying about Rachel (maybe it's the fact her books are in the top ten every week). Her level of enjoyment of the food is a little over the top. I think she'd say "YUMMM!!" after eating a piece of turd. I used to have a theory that she was an alcoholic in some of her earlier episodes. She used to look a little haggard at breakfast on $40 a day (apparently there's no alcohol budget). Thu Dec 23 21:25:58 -0800 2004 1659835 0 dkotler 3 1659851 "I think that's a bit of an overstatement." Upon reflection, you're right - I forgot about Mario. As for the examples you list, I can only say "the prosecution rests." Thu Dec 23 14:12:07 -0800 2004 1659834 0 FlyFish 3 1659880 Why isn't David Rosengarten still on? His show was one of my favorites. Thu Dec 23 17:31:37 -0800 2004 1659834 0 JJ 4 1659895 While David Rosengarten's dogmatic style made me roll my eyes more than a few times, I do really miss his quirky kitchen antics and his obvious passion for food. Love how his show "Taste" just focused on one ingredient that was usually a bit eccentric. The stark white lighting, the plain wooden counter, one half-empty utility rack in the background, no live audience...those were the days... Thu Dec 23 18:54:15 -0800 2004 1659880 0 Carb Lover 1 1659842 Five years ago, I had the Food Network on all the time, now I barely tune in. Thu Dec 23 13:25:49 -0800 2004 1659820 0 Shirley 2 1659844 ditto Thu Dec 23 13:30:58 -0800 2004 1659842 0 doc 2 1659855 Same here Thu Dec 23 14:29:12 -0800 2004 1659842 0 muD 1 1659843 Back in college I was a Food Network addict. I haven't watched that channel in years. I remember the good old days with Ready Set Cook. Loved that show. Thu Dec 23 13:30:48 -0800 2004 1659820 0 simply_victoria 1 1659848 I couldn’t agree more! The only tolerable shows that I actually enjoy are Good Eats, Everyday Italian and Molto Mario. Unfortunately, they aren’t making any more new Mario episodes. Now we are stuck with such gems as “Unwrapped.” I also used to enjoy Food 911, but haven’t seen it on lately. I agree with whomever called out Sandra Lee and her “Semi-Homemade” show. It is an insult to cooks everywhere. I watched one show where she used Cheez Whiz in a three-cheese sauce for pasta. Seriously, this woman must be stopped. I guess “Semi-Homemade” means "Processed and Chemical Laden Foods." Thu Dec 23 13:42:15 -0800 2004 1659820 0 mels 2 1659864 I almost barfed when Sandra Lee made truffles out of canned chocolate icing. Woof. Her PERFECT creations and FANTASTIC tablescapes make me want to pluck my eyes out of their sockets. What a hack. Thu Dec 23 15:26:52 -0800 2004 1659848 0 Christina D 3 1659894 Funny thing I heard about Sandra Lee: Gordon Elliot, whose production co. is behind SL's show, dubbed her the next Martha Stewart for the new generation of home cooks/entertainers. Martha may be a bit tied up right now and her show is nowhere to be found on TV these days, but I certainly haven't switched over to watching SL. While Martha is no angel, can't wait for her big comeback next fall when she hosts her own talk show...sure to be better than what's been on Food Network lately... Thu Dec 23 18:48:12 -0800 2004 1659864 0 Carb Lover 4 1659915 I can't wait for Martha's comeback, either. There's nothing on FoodTV to watch anymore; I've been reduced to a Barefoot Contessa season pass to get my fix, whose shows aren't half-bad now that I have nothing else. They could at least show Nigella, which I can't get since Direct TV doesn't have the Style network. Thu Dec 23 22:33:04 -0800 2004 1659894 0 emily 5 1659928 ...they are airing her shows - the original 1-hour ones - 8PM and 11PM every day, EST. It's been fun seeing all the Xmas shows in heavy rotation. BTW, when is Nigella's show on? I've yet to see it... Fri Dec 24 02:28:04 -0800 2004 1659915 0 peg 2 1659944 I've quit eating a number of THINGS that I used to consider food as a result of seeing them manufactured on "Unwrapped." I have no doubt that I'm healthier as a result. Fri Dec 24 12:16:54 -0800 2004 1659848 0 BeaN 3 1659977 Yeah, and they even gloss over the "then we add artificial flavors and preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, some partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, and maybe a little plutonium for good luck" stage. On the other hand, I'm endlessly entranced by the spinning play-doh-fun-factory Twizzler dispenser. Sun Dec 26 01:35:06 -0800 2004 1659944 0 Caviar 1 1659857 I did enjoy a cooks tour with anthony bourdain whcih was a compannion piece to his book. Too bad they dont do more things with him. Thu Dec 23 14:34:05 -0800 2004 1659820 0 MV 2 1659932 I second your thoughts regarding Bourdain. Though not a show dedicated to teaching cooking skills, in my opinion it was the best show on the Food Network. The general populus of North America should take sometime and discover that truly good food does not come out of a box and into a microwave. Fri Dec 24 07:30:48 -0800 2004 1659857 0 Jim 3 1659949 Cooks tour was good; and after all, it's the FOOD network, not the cooking network. But most of the shows aren't about anything worthwhile Link: http://www.peterflom.com Fri Dec 24 15:08:21 -0800 2004 1659932 0 Peter Flom 1 1659885 Years ago, as a fledgling clothing buyer for a large department store, I used to get in hot water for having a sign on my office wall that quoted a marketing expert: "You are not likely to lose money by under-estimating the taste of the average American consumer." I keep hoping but, things like FoodTV keep reminding me that it is, for the most part, a fact. Thu Dec 23 17:57:49 -0800 2004 1659820 0 Midlife 2 1659890 Sad but true. In case you don't already know, the original quote is attributed to HL Mencken and it goes like this: "No one in this world, so far as I know ... has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people." Notes on journalism, Chicago Tribune, [19 September 1926] Thu Dec 23 18:14:13 -0800 2004 1659885 0 FlyFish 1 1659886 Two suggestions: If you really want to learn to make spaghetti bolognese buy or borrow a cookbook or visit your local library. If you want to see some good cooking shows, check out your local PBS station. When I was bedbound recuperating from a broken ankle I spent lots of time watching the local (East Lansing, Michigan) PBS station Saturday mornings and the Detroit PBS station Saturday afternoons. Some of the shows were great. Thu Dec 23 17:59:09 -0800 2004 1659820 0 Timowitz 2 1659901 Totally agree w/ your points. Just went to my public library today and checked out Chez Panisse "Vegetables", "Babbo Cookbook" from Mario Batali, and "Aquavit" from Marcus Samuellson. There were about 10 more that I wanted to get but 3 is the limit, so will swap for those next time. Can't wait... PBS cooking shows have ALWAYS surpassed Food Network's shows IMO. However, PBS programming varies by area and when I lived in LA, cooking programming on KCET was generally thin (maybe to match the weight-conscious population there?). Not as good as NoCal's programming IMO. My advice is to become a member of your local PBS station (via donation) and then voice your needs for more food-related/cooking programming. PBS cooking shows that I have enjoyed: Kitchen Sessions w/ Charlie Trotter (he's such an intense perfectionist!) Lidia Bastianich's show Rick Bayless's show Anything w/ Julia Child or Jacques Pepin (amazing for learning technique) Cooking w/ the Masters (I think that's what is was called) Chinese mother and daughter team (can't remember names; little boring but good for Asian food) America's Test Kitchen Haven't seen Ming Tsai's show, but would probably like it Thu Dec 23 19:45:16 -0800 2004 1659886 0 Carb Lover 1 1659892 My very strong suspicion about much of the junk programming like 'UNwrapped' and the shows about travel on $40/day and such is that they are just paid infomercials masquerading as programming. The same sort of thing happens on Travel Channel (or is it 'Vegas Channel'), much of the material is thinly veiled advertising. It probably makes sense for networks with low viewership that are also short on programming material. why not get paid in advance? Maybe AB needs his own network? 24/7 good eats... FC is an odd phenomenon. how much of a market is out there for 'real' cooking? The advertising is heavily skewed toward convenience food and prepared items of dubious merit. To me it seems like Twinkie advertising during a workout program, just who is really out there watching? So I doubt that the sponsors are hollering for more substantial cooking. Maybe FC can get hold of some old 'French Chef' tapes. That could be fun. Thu Dec 23 18:23:28 -0800 2004 1659820 0 steve 2 1659896 What's FC? I basically have a 24/7 Alton Brown channel... just got DVR service through my cable company and now it automatically records Good Eats without my having to think about it. I just checked the box over lunchtime and realized I had 10 episodes to crack into! And the best part-- I can fast forward past the excessive commercial breaks (it feels like 20 minutes of commercials per half hour...) Mr. Taster Thu Dec 23 18:55:41 -0800 2004 1659892 0 Mr. Taster 1 1659898 Of course, we are all complaining because the people on this board like to cook. Food Network discovered that the vast majority of Americans only pretend to cook, but they like to eat. So they migrated their programming to shows about restaurants, towns, festivals, etc. What is most disheartening is that the major food magazines have gone the same route. Check out a recent a Bon Apetit or Food & Wine or Gourmet and compare it to one you have lying around from 10 years ago. They used to be all recipes. Now they are all travel and entertaining articles. Thu Dec 23 19:07:17 -0800 2004 1659820 0 sbp 2 1659899 Sadly, I think you're right. It is, of course, called the "Food Network"... not the "Cooking Network". Mr. Taster Thu Dec 23 19:13:44 -0800 2004 1659898 0 Mr. Taster 3 1660038 Just to further prove your point, it was either Bon Appetit or Gourmet that actually did a feature on Sondra Lee and her semi-homemade schlock. I recall that a couple of the letters to the editor published the next month were absolutely appalled. Mon Dec 27 16:57:57 -0800 2004 1659899 0 Christina D 1 1659920 [Soapbox mode on] As a devotee of Alton Brown I think y'all are sorely mistaken to expect the Food Network to be at the level of Le Cordon Bleu or the CIA. Someone here said their 10 year old Niece was a fan of Rachel Ray and I think that's tremendous. Having worked with adolescents from Boston to Los Angeles I have met quite a few who think reheating something in a microwave is home cooking and getting a bean burrito at the 7-11 or AM/PM is "Good Eats" [with apologies to Alton Brown] That is because there is no one in their household who is interested in cooking and the goal becomes not teaching to cook but getting people in to the kitchen which could be an overwhelming obstacle. My father worked retail 9am to 9 pm and my mother worked as a nurse 3 to 11pm. and even when my mother did cook it was years before I thought her stove had more then 2 settings [off and sterile] My father's stove was a different matter even though it was the same. Watching the French Chef on WGBH as a kid, what was going on seemed foreign and unattainable to me. It wasn't until Geoff Smith hit the air that I believed it was possible for me to cook. While now I don't consider myself a chef or a great cook, I do cook better then most of the people I know and more importantly I like to do it. So instead of wasting my time watching "How To Boil Water" or "The Secret Life Of ...." I've got a quartered duck brining in the refrigerator which I will pan sear later and bring it in for the few of us who have to work Christmas. So instead of sitting here saying y'all are not entertained by the Food Network anymore, why don't you get off the couch invite some friends over and cook for them and maybe teach them something in the process which would in a sense be creating your own food network. [Soapbox mode off] Link: http://goodeatsfanpage.com/Season3/EA1C04.htm Thu Dec 23 23:19:13 -0800 2004 1659820 0 P. 2 1659926 "So instead of sitting here saying y'all are not entertained by the Food Network anymore....." Actually, I find "Semi-Homemade" with Sandra Lee quite entertaining. It's like a comedy and a horror movie rolled into one that you don't have to go to the movies for......Sorry to be so acerbic, but I actually watched it a few times just to see what everyone was complaining about, and it really is that bad. In one show she actually said something like "Now don't take my word for it, I'M NO CHEF". Then what the heck are you doing with your own COOKING show???? I could do the same thing and get paid for it. Sorry for the rant. Fri Dec 24 00:17:19 -0800 2004 1659920 0 jaimegirl1799 3 1659952 Sandra Lee is the biggest fraud ever to host a "cooking" show. People who have never watched the show think all her detractors are just being food snobs, but it's really pretty shocking the concoctions she throws together. Fri Dec 24 16:47:58 -0800 2004 1659926 0 Bobcat 4 1660044 Even more bizarre is hearing Wolfgang Puck giving Semi Homemade a mention on his show! Mon Dec 27 19:09:21 -0800 2004 1659952 0 Zoe 2 1659937 Good point! I was out at a bar another night and a nice young man in our party was talking about how cooking is his new hobby - he watches TV chefs and tries to duplicate them. He was excited about meeting another guy there who is a chef, and he was talking excitedly about his halibut en papillote - how he made it for his new girlfriend and the next day she was served something similar at a spa - and how he uses kosher salt (how chowhound!, I thought). He got these ideas from TV it seems - so power to him! As you point out if you don't see it at home, and perhaps aren't exposed to actual restaurants growing up... there are worse things to learn from watching TV. Fri Dec 24 09:57:58 -0800 2004 1659920 0 julesrules 1 1659925 How about we take this angry mob, light torches and storm the castle? Please voice your concerns to: Brooke Johnson, President Food Network 1180 Avenue of the Americas, 11th Floor New York, NY 10036 Main Number 212-398-8836 Fax Number 212-736-7716 Web site www.foodnetwork.com or Frank Gardner Scripps Networks 312 Walnut Street 2800 Scripps Center Cincinnati, OH 45202 As a senior vice president for The E. W. Scripps Company and as chairman of Scripps Networks, Frank Gardner, 62, is responsible for strategic oversight of the company's national television networks - Home & Garden Television, Food Network and DIY - Do It Yourself Network. He also oversees the launch of new national network brands and other Scripps Networks new ventures, including last year's launch of the newest Scripps Networks brand - Fine Living. Fri Dec 24 00:01:09 -0800 2004 1659820 0 Professor Salt 2 1659960 I don't have time now to read all the posts on this topic: I just want to say thanks for posting these names and addresses. As soon as I have a minute I will write to both of them. I remember what FTV was like and I rarely watch it anymore because of their shift to "infotainment" rather than good instructions on how to "cook" (a dying art IMO). Fri Dec 24 21:39:51 -0800 2004 1659925 0 RWCFoodie 3 1659966 I personally don't see a problem. I like the fact that Food Network tells about restaurants in different cities. Some may say this is what CH is for. Well some cities don't get many posts. I do think there should be a balance between cooking and food shows. But overall I'm happy with Food Network. Sat Dec 25 02:35:04 -0800 2004 1659960 0 RUBulldog 4 1659972 personally i would be very happy to have food shows that were actually about quality and unusual places from interesting destinations, or would that be the chowhound network?. unfortunately, the FC travel shows smell strongly of paid positioning, imo. time after time they roll out segments on predictable food and restaurants while stating and showing the restaurant name repeatedly. while i am wondering 'why is this interesting?'. could be i am wrong but it smells like a duck. Sat Dec 25 18:39:24 -0800 2004 1659966 0 steve 5 1659978 I don't know if I agree with that statement about the FC. Many restaurants they mention in some of the bigger cities, have been reviewed on CH. Not sure about every city but certainly LA and Chicago. And as a general rule they get good reviews. Sun Dec 26 02:07:11 -0800 2004 1659972 0 RUBulldog 6 1659992 Not LA if you mean Los Angeles. My wife and I always laugh about which restaurants they choose to tout. Sun Dec 26 18:52:03 -0800 2004 1659978 0 Just Larry 1 1659969 I saw Chris Kimball (of Cooks Illustrated/Americas Test Kitchen) speak a while back, and he was asked about the Food Network. His comment was that he didn't watch it, but if it gets more people interested in cooking, it isn't a bad thing. In particular, he thought Emeril did a lot to make men more interested in cooking. I can't say I disagree with him. Sat Dec 25 16:03:59 -0800 2004 1659820 0 Danny 1 1660650 Excellent observation. They've crossed another huge line with their new show "Take It Off" about losing weight. It's a weight makeover show. [insert hysterically crying emoticon]. It looks like it's about people who lost weight more than even cooking weight-conscious food which they've already done. Link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_tk Wed Jan 05 16:11:56 -0800 2005 1659820 0 cypressstylepie 1 1660679 I've been trumpeting the MTV analogy for ages. CNN, MTV, and Food TV are, or are in the process of, morphing into the exact opposite of what they started out to be. Change is good. Thu Jan 06 00:24:29 -0800 2005 1659820 0 2chez mike