534383 Tue Jul 01 06:30:14 -0700 2008 41 33 Food Media and News 0 3829182 Heard through the grapevine that A&E is working on a cooking show with Rocco DiSpirito. Producers are currently looking for "...people with unique and compelling stories who need Rocco's help in the kitchen to share these significant moments over an intimate and sumptuous meal. Invite Rocco into YOUR kitchen and he will teach you what to cook, where to find the ingredients and how to prepare the ideal meal for your extra special occasion." Tue Jul 01 06:30:16 -0700 2008 167597 Jaxie Waxie Woo 1 3829227 I am hoping, desperately hoping, that this is Rocco the charismatic chef doing what he does best and not Rocco the smarmy reality show personality trying to be Dr. Phil. Very fine line there. Tue Jul 01 06:48:12 -0700 2008 3829182 11826 Phaedrus 2 3829295 Agreed. And whatever happened to his other show that was supposed to have aired? Or is this it? Tue Jul 01 07:12:43 -0700 2008 3829227 10532 LindaWhit 3 3829352 Not sure, but this "casting call" for average Joes and Janes that he can culinarily (is that a word?) rescue went out within the last 24 hours. Tue Jul 01 07:29:38 -0700 2008 3829295 167597 Jaxie Waxie Woo 4 3829986 Must be yet another casting call. A&E has had the identical "casting call" on their site for over six months now. The show was supposed to start in June. That is, that's the latest. Previously it was supposed to start last summer. Prior to that it was supposed to start in 2004. There's been more casting calls and more start dates on this show than there's been patches to Windows XP. Tue Jul 01 10:39:03 -0700 2008 3829352 183904 HarryK 1 3830069 His narcissistic ways do not bode well for him on TV..they are amplified and he comes across, imo, as an ass. I had the opportunity to meet him in NYC and I passed..sometimes, looks aren't everything. Tue Jul 01 11:01:46 -0700 2008 3829182 97452 Beach Chick 2 3830360 He did have the best lines on this Season's Top Chef though: "He is as dense as his gnocchis". But I would not watch the show unless there doesn't happen to be a car wreck I can gape at on the highway. Tue Jul 01 12:18:38 -0700 2008 3830069 11826 Phaedrus 1 3835583 tv rocco? no, oh no! Thu Jul 03 05:18:18 -0700 2008 3829182 105717 alkapal 1 3839895 Well, ever since I tried a bag of that frozen "Italian" dinner assortment he was touting, I wouldn't trust him to pick out orange popsicles! I am not a big fan of the add-two-cups-of-basil-and-it's-gotta-be-Italian school. But thanks for the forewarning. I'll be sure not to watch. Fri Jul 04 17:31:22 -0700 2008 3829182 112096 Caroline1 2 3839915 That's a ditto from me. I never found him to be an especially talented Chef and with all that tripping over his own ego, it would be painful to watch. In his case, I think his looks were his ruination (Is that even a word?) :-} Fri Jul 04 17:46:08 -0700 2008 3839895 20921 Tay 3 3840002 If I recall his network show accurately, he's a much better cook when his mother is there to pull his irons out of the fire. She's an experienced, knowledgeable and really good cook. When he's on his own? Pass the Chef Boyardee. Fri Jul 04 19:06:23 -0700 2008 3839915 112096 Caroline1 4 3840204 Did either of you ever eat Rocco's food when he was at Union Pacific? I bet not because before Rocco Dispirito the chef became Rocco Dispirito the tv personality he was viewed by most in the cooking community as one of the countries great young chefs. Fri Jul 04 21:33:33 -0700 2008 3840002 10195 KTinNYC 5 3840381 Never tasted anything he cooked. Did buy two of those "meal in a bag" Italian frozen dishes he so highly recommended. He thought they were great enough (or was paid enough to promote them) that he had contestants on a TV show (FN Next?) try to create something similar. The two packages I bought I found to be totally unacceptable. The only seasoning I could taste in either was basil. LOTS of basil. I didn't like them. When a chef endorses something, I assume it represents something s/he thinks is excellent. But there is obviously the possibility (probability?) that we have very different tastes. Whichever way you slice it, he's not a chef for my taste. I will also concede that today basil seems to be *THE* definitive herb for "Italian." I am old enough, and been around enough, that I do remember a time when basil was used with great discretion in Italian food. It is very strong, and can easily overcome any subtler flavors in a dish. I'm just very weary of everything Italian tasting the same. When Despirito recommends a product that flies under that flag, I don't want to go there. It all boils down to a matter of personal taste. I don't hold a lot of regard for the public's opinion. I draw my own. '-) Sat Jul 05 02:26:11 -0700 2008 3840204 112096 Caroline1 6 3840601 There is no doubt that Rocco sold out years ago and if you think what comes frozen in a bag represents Rocco's cooking then you are entitled to your opinion. You can only speak to what you experience, after all. But it would be like watching Robert Deniro in "Analyze That" and saying, "Yeah, he really isn't a very good actor. Analyze That, was an awful movie". Rocco didn't cook any Italian food professionally until the reality show. U.P. was an innovative restaurant with some fusion accents. He was widely accepted as a great up and coming chef (not just by the public but by chefs) and he gave it up to become a tv personality. I can't blame him, maybe he no longer wanted to deal with 12 hour days, 6 days a week of hot, hard work. Sat Jul 05 08:01:24 -0700 2008 3840381 10195 KTinNYC 7 3840781 I don't wish him ill, but I can only evaluate him on the information he puts out there. On the other hand, I would NEVER judge an actor on one performance. The director? Absolutely! But not the actor. '-) Sat Jul 05 10:30:25 -0700 2008 3840601 112096 Caroline1 8 3840814 If you don't judge an actor by one performance you might consider not judging Rocco's cooking abilities by tasting a frozen meal in a bag that had his name on it. But I leave that up to you. Sat Jul 05 10:51:21 -0700 2008 3840781 10195 KTinNYC 7 3841101 After seeing Rocco on the insipid show and as a judge on TC, I would say that the ONLY thing Rocco had going for him was his considerable cooking credentials and skills, yet he turned his back on it to make money from NBC, Buick, Bertoli, etc. Its his right of course, but that act, in and of itself, speaks volumes for hs integrity or lack thereof. Sat Jul 05 16:03:04 -0700 2008 3840601 11826 Phaedrus 8 3841196 I don't defend Rocco's integrity, I am the first to say he sold out. He has skills that very few chefs have and he threw it all away. What I will defend is his cooking abilities and his taste level and I am of the opinion that a massed produced frozen dinner is not an indication of what the man can do in the kitchen. Sat Jul 05 16:56:57 -0700 2008 3841101 10195 KTinNYC 9 3841428 I'm reminded of the simpson's 'kamp krusty' episode where a grainy film clip is shown with krusty blankly intoning, "I heartily endorse this product and/or service". Sat Jul 05 18:53:22 -0700 2008 3841196 192640 fooftales 5 3841715 KT I'm starting to think being referred to, "As one of the countries great young chefs" is some sort of hype brought to us by the Marketing guys over at the Food Network. I'd have to agree with Caroline. Without his Mother, he lacks the discipline to be a truly great chef. Unfortunately, If enough people tell you you're the next best thing, you start to believe your own press. It's not only Rocco. One has but to eat at London to find yet another example for style before substance. Sat Jul 05 21:54:42 -0700 2008 3840204 20921 Tay 6 3841855 I don't even know what to say to the comment, "Without his Mother, he lacks the discipline to be a truly great chef." So you think his mother was with Rocco for the years he spent in France? What about the 4 years where he was cooking at Union Pacific and won all the accolades from his peers, and wards from Food and Wine and Gourmet? Sun Jul 06 00:00:50 -0700 2008 3841715 10195 KTinNYC 7 3842277 KT Do I mean literally withoout his Mother next to him?. No, of course not. Apparently, he's had a whole slew of 'Mothers" telling him how extraordinary he is, holding his hand on the perilous trip to fame and (mis)fortune. He may well have had the talent to become a great chef, and perhaps it's still inside him, but it's not just about talent. It's about discipline, caring, striving for excellence, ego blended with humility and a gazillion other things. Somewhere along the road to Greatness, Rocco turned left at Self Indulgence Blvd, spent too much time wandering around, Aren't I Great?" Ave and lost his way. It's really a shame. I hope he finds his way back.. Sun Jul 06 08:35:23 -0700 2008 3841855 20921 Tay 6 3841903 >>> It's not only Rocco. One has but to eat at London to find yet another example for style before substance. And yet Frank Bruni said Gordon Ramsay's London had no style and his food flavors were too subtle. Being a star means getting it from all sides; they just can't win. No wonder he's always cursing. LOL Sun Jul 06 01:38:31 -0700 2008 3841715 183904 HarryK 7 3842344 "And yet Frank Bruni said Gordon Ramsay's London had no style and his food flavors were too subtle" Exactly my point. In Gordon's case, "Style " is really smoke and mirrors. Gordon is yet another potentially great chef who is spending too much time in front of the camera and not enough time in the kitchen. How sad to be known as "That chef who curses all the time." Makes him a ton of $ but earns him no respect. I admit: At first it was novel. Now it's just rude, crude and unprofessional. Telling aspiring chefs they are bad at their craft is accaptable and understandable., Calling them names and ridiculing/humiliating them based on personal criteria such as their ht/wt/speech/hair, etc is juvenile and should be beneath him. ... Unfortunately, it's not. As with Rocco, though far worse, it's a case of a chef who has lost his way and is squandering his talents Sun Jul 06 09:14:26 -0700 2008 3841903 20921 Tay 8 3842484 Sometimes talented people "hit a wall and deflate." Writers call it writer's block. Artists often call it drying up. Most often it's temporary. But I have seen very talented people where the theory stays -- they don't lose any comprehension -- but the ability to execute with inspiration just vanishes. And stays vanished. They can still teach, but they are suddenly lacking the inner spring that is called "creativity." For millenia artists have simply said their muse has deserted them. And who know? That may be true. What ever the reason, it's sad to see. And I believe that a very talented artist can chase their muse away by selling out. Once you do that, there's no coaching it back. But I'm not at all a superstitious person! '-) Sun Jul 06 10:16:44 -0700 2008 3842344 112096 Caroline1 1 3840480 Didn't/doesn't Tyler Florence have a show similar if not the same? Sat Jul 05 06:09:00 -0700 2008 3829182 75332 Gio 2 3841904 The "teach them / help them out at their own home" is a genre concept in it's own right. Tyler Florence had Rescue 911. Danny Bloome does Rescue Me. Marcus Samuelsson did Inner Chef. Curtis Stone's Take Home Chef began somewhat like that and with the new season is definitely that. Sun Jul 06 01:45:16 -0700 2008 3840480 183904 HarryK 1 3841930 i recall his cooking show on fn with a co-host, melting pot. he seemed quite capable and friendly. his reality show made him appear to be a total jerk. i don't know him personally, so i won't judge who he really is. his food always seemed to be good. i've had one -- count them -- one of those frozen bertolli dinners (found it in my mom's freezer while visiting her in florida). it was orecchiette with broccoli in garlic and olive oil. cooked on the stove in 20 minutes. i was really surprised how good it was -- and also how easy. i actually looked in the grocery to buy another combo, but thought it was rather expensive, and that i could do it better and more cheaply. Sun Jul 06 03:41:50 -0700 2008 3829182 105717 alkapal 1 3845928 I've got mixed feelings about Rocco. I liked his reality show...at first. Then when he apparently abandoned the restaurant because a few things didn't go his way, while his mom kept showing up to toil in the kitchen, he lost a lot of respect from me. I *hope* that was some tricky editing and he didn't really do that to his Mamma. But he still came off as a crybaby. Then he endorsed tha Buitoni stuff, or whatever it was...a bad sign that he's selling out. When Stacey London (from the clothing show What Not To Wear) briefly had a talk show, he once was a guest. The banter between them was fine, even if partly scripted. Then he took out a jar of ragu' spaghetti sauce and used it to make a recipe...WHAT? But there's hope for him yet. He did a skit with Chelsea Handler on her show where they were using leftovers from the E! channel's staff break room to make something edible. Chelsea kept trying to get him to take off his shirt and said a few things that I shouldn't repeat here (it's a late night show), and Rocco played along. At least he has a sense of humor. Maybe he's re-focused recently and is ready to get back to actual cooking. We can only hope. Mon Jul 07 13:15:51 -0700 2008 3829182 152667 Ralphie_in_Boston 1 4770282 So I happened to pick up a cookbook called Flavor on deep discount at a local Barnes & Noble - Rocco is the author. The recipes look tasty - armagnac ice cream, foie gras on grilled peaches and plenty of fusion starters and entrees. Plus there were duck recipes, things involving some Asian greens and mushrooms I'd like to make more with, and the inside cover and connected facing page were all close-ups of star anise, to which I have some addiction. I haven't tried anything from the book yet, but visually it's a delight... lots of little pics of ingredients, good photos of finished dishes, something like four pages of inset photos straight of 'this is how a risotto is supposed to progress' and captions like (of a pic of wasabi root) 'wasabi is a root that grows in cold streams, not a green powder' = paraphrased from memory there. There are color tabs at the page edges showing total time involved, active time, difficulty level and suggested wine pairing. If nothing else, someone did a fabulous job formatting this book. It's well-edited, right to the point, just enough pithy phrasing, just enough little graphic elements, just enough photos of different kinds to appeal to a visually-oriented reader. We'll see how the stuff tastes. Sat Jun 13 16:15:38 -0700 2009 3829182 40486 Cinnamon 2 4773574 I have this book also. While it is nice to look at, it has stayed on my shelf since I bought it. But also don't like the person who gave it to me so maybe that has something to do with it.... Anyway I digress.... I just wanted to say that I really want to like Rocco and in fact really do, but I just wish he would pick a lane. It seems like he's always searching, searching for his next big break instead of just choosing something to perfect. Now of all things he's on a 'healthy' kick and trying to make rich foods healthy. Uh, Rocco, been there done that. Please. I think the perfect thing for Rocco to do continue with this Italian lifestyle he had going a little while ago. Show us the Italian/European life for those who can't get to Italy as much as we'd like, show us the new food finds there, yes, that also has been done, but somehow the European lifestyle is always appealing to foodies. I don't think it ever goes out of style. And as far as I know, that could be his niche--Mario, Giada, Lidia, etc all do Italian, but interpret it in an American way--Rocco should do 100% Italian. Mon Jun 15 06:46:03 -0700 2009 4770282 720470 Greekfood Koukla 3 4774724 "While it is nice to look at, it has stayed on my shelf since I bought it. But also don't like the person who gave it to me so maybe that has something to do with it.... Anyway I digress...." Well, there is a conundrum. If this sort of thing happens a lot, there might be a good case for buying yourself whatever cookbooks you really think you'll love, so nobody you don't like gives you something you otherwise would like but are then put off from. But I would hope this kind of problem would be a one-off! If I make something from the book, I'll post back. Maybe if the recipes turn out worthwhile, you can sage the book or subject it to some other cleansing ritual. Mon Jun 15 12:23:07 -0700 2009 4773574 40486 Cinnamon 3 4774735 The only problem with your suggestion is that Rocco was never known for cooking Italian food until he starred in the train-wreck also known as the restaurant. He became famous for cooking a New-American cuisine with Asian influences. Mon Jun 15 12:26:02 -0700 2009 4773574 10195 KTinNYC 4 4774760 Actually, I don't think he became famous at Union Pacific, he became *famous* with the train wreck that was The Restaurant. Those in NYC knew who he was and other foodies, but America found out about Rocco moreso in the TV show. But he recently (in the last few years) started branding an 'Italian lifestyle' type brand, so I think that's the best fit for him. Mon Jun 15 12:36:00 -0700 2009 4774735 720470 Greekfood Koukla 5 4774799 If he goes off in the direction of star anise arrabiata, I'm outta here. Mon Jun 15 12:44:07 -0700 2009 4774760 40486 Cinnamon 6 4774817 Yeah, I'm with you on that one. Actually your post inspired me to take another look and you're right, alot of thought went into the displaying of information/photos. Mon Jun 15 12:48:52 -0700 2009 4774799 720470 Greekfood Koukla 4 4775230 Perhaps you should take a look at his website http://www.roccodispirito.com/ Hmmm....looks pretty Italiano to me! Mon Jun 15 14:47:00 -0700 2009 4774735 1083881 RaquelFoodie 5 4775272 I've included a list of recipes from each of the first page of each of the sections on the site. If this is Italian than I have no idea what is Italian. Appetizers * Acorn Squash and Porcini Mushroom Stuffing * Avocado Salad with Red Onion and Feta * Basic Recipes for Mushrooms * Beef Shabu-Shabu with Watercress * Beef Swiss Fondue with 3 Sauces * Blooming Onion * Buffalo Chicken Tenders with Celery and Blue Cheese Salad * Cauliflower Au Gratin * Charred Mackerel with Pears and Caesar Dressing Soups * Beef Shabu-Shabu with Watercress * Chilled Cucumber Soup with Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraiche * Corn and Crab Chowder with Tarragon * Creamy Fish Fix Chowder * Hot and Sour Shrimp Rice Noodle Soup * Hot Asian Pepper Coconut Broth with Shrimp * Italian Wedding Soup * Low Fat Spanish Onion Soup * Mushroom Soup with Boursin Croutons * Rich Vegeterian Cauliflower Masala Dala Soup with Golden Raisins Salads * Avocado Salad with Red Onion and Feta * Buffalo Chicken Tenders with Celery and Blue Cheese Salad * Charred Mackerel with Pears and Caesar Dressing * Chicken Chopped Salad * Chicken, Goat Cheese and Blood Orange Salad * Chilled Pork Tenderloin Salad with Ground Olive Dressing * Cranberry & Goat Cheese Salad * Creamy Italian Neighbor Flavor Dressing * Fish Fix Dressing * Fish Fix Glaze Entrees * Acorn Squash and Porcini Mushroom Stuffing * Aglio e Olio or SPAGHETTINI WITH SPAGHETTI SQUASH * Appetizer party-tizers! * Beef and Broccoli Coleslaw Stir-Fry * Beef and Onion Flash Fry * Beef Curry Sauté * Beef with Salsa Verde, Radicchio and Sour Cream * Beefy Shepherd's Pie * Big Daddy Kane's Lobster Stew. * Blooming Onion Mon Jun 15 15:00:11 -0700 2009 4775230 10195 KTinNYC 6 4775759 When you put it that way, yes it looks very un-Italian. I'd just like to seem him to some authentic Italian. Now whether *he* wants to do that is another story. Mon Jun 15 17:36:01 -0700 2009 4775272 720470 Greekfood Koukla 7 4775841 I don't know the man but if I had to guess I'd say Rocco wants to be Rachel Ray but he doesn't have a hook and he probably doesn't have the representation to help him shape his career so he just seems to drift into the "celebrity" realm. He was a great cook/chef but now he just seems a little pathetic. If he just stuck to cooking he could probably do authentic Italian or most any other cuisine he wanted but I think that ship has sailed. Mon Jun 15 17:58:50 -0700 2009 4775759 10195 KTinNYC 8 4775894 You mean he didn't personally design the Bertoli frozen pasta entrees? I'm crushed! Mon Jun 15 18:13:25 -0700 2009 4775841 11826 Phaedrus 7 4776192 I think that's a very valid point. He doesn't seem to *want* to be a chef anymore after the debacle of "The Restaurant". He wants to be a celebrity or someone whose name goes on many cookbooks or a pusher of frozen foods. Mon Jun 15 19:36:07 -0700 2009 4775759 10532 LindaWhit