Mexico One Plate at a Time

[EWSflash]

I feel bad about thinking this, and would never tell mr Bayless, because you just don't say those things to people about their children, but am I the only one that thinks his daughter is a big hindrancs to his show?
I've no doubt she's a lovely young woman with multiple talents, but she isn't good for the show, period. He has a weird enough affect (although I've grown to enjoy it) that he's the only odd delivery that the show needs.

Is it just me? My husband agrees with me, which gave me the courage to ask a bigger audience.

[dolly52]

I hate to watch them both together, I am a pretty clean (sheltered) type person but their togetherness makes me sick. It is like watching a dirty old man cooking & flirting with his young girlfriend. I don't like it.

[EWSflash]

Like so many have said here, what's natural and real in real life doesn't always translate well to television or other medium.

[dolly52]

I like watching Mexico but really need to stop & I really don't think nothing kinky is going on but I just cant watch. Oh well.

[MrBook]

Sorry to necropost this thread, but, well, I just got here.

I agree that Lanie being on the show does not work. She's nice to look at and seems to know food, but the interaction between them drops like a rock every time she's on. Sooooo artificial and corny, and it often has a strange vibe to it because there's all this interaction between dad and daughter, but the mom rarely appears on the show, so there are exchanges between them (I tend to assume adapted from real exchanges between Rick and the missus) that seem too couple-like, and it's frankly creepy as hell.

Plus, the old formula for the show works so perfectly that adding the Lanie element screws up the balance. When it's just Rick solo, doing his slow, dreamy narration, interacting with chefs and food cart vendors in Mexico, and making a meal with four ingredients in his own kitchen that looks better than anything you’ve ever eaten, there’s something almost magical about it. It makes you want to make a Mexican feast for all your friends and have a big blowout fiesta, or chill on a hammock on the beach with a michelada. I agree that his style is an acquired taste, but once you get it, it really works. Having Lanie on there changes the dynamic and almost completely kills that evocative quality the show has at its best. Even if they could have her do her own segment and isolate her charmingly spazzy awkwardness, that would work better than the frequently cringeworthy interactions with Rick.

[DiningDiva]

The parts with Lanie didn't used to bother me, I just kind of ignored them. They weren't too large, nor was she featured trying to teach us a dish.

Fast forward to the new season on Baja California. I've now watched 3 epsiodes. They are all really great UNTIL they get to the part where he cooks at home. Lanie has been prominently featured in all of them so far and they are not enjoyable. There is a jarring disconnect between what we've just been watching and a 20 year old in a kitchen talking about making a dish and tyring to demonstrate. Actually, I find that with this season I am not enjoying any of the at home in Chicago segments of the new season regardless of who's doing teh cooking. Baja is so fascinatingand the food they've been showing so delicious looking that I find myself looking for more of the Baja footage and less of the cooking at home footage. And, yes, I agree there is something awkward and creepy about the interaction between the two of them.

[kcjktc]

me too, so late after the discussion. I have been bothered by this for so long and it's the first time I've found that someone else thinks the onscreen relationship of Rick Bayless and his daughter a bit uncomfortable. I really like Rick (his delivery too) but the daughter was always so suggestive in her body language that I assumed it was his girlfriend. When I realized it was his daughter it creeped me out. Maybe just a case of a pretty young girl realizing, unconsciously, how powerful her body can be. No disrespect intended to anyone, but I found that element of his show really hard to watch.

[bje333]

Man oh Man!! Do I agree! His daughter is so annoying that most of the time I don't watch his shows when I see that she's on. Can she not get a job on her own and leave our shows alone??!!

[CTMEDTECH]

I know you commented on this quite some time ago but I couldn't help replying. I FEEL THE SAME WAY!! I love watching the cooking shows and Im not sure who is worse, Rick Bayless's daughter or Jacque Pepin's daughter. They both are absolutely clueless as to what is going on. What were the producers thinking having them on their shows? It certainly didn't heighten ratings.

[soyarra]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Joe Bastianich on the various Lidia Bastianich shows. I think he's a great wine expert and restauranteur, but what a morose stiff on camera! Her daughter Tania is much looser and more natural, and of course her mother and grandchildren are delightful. I don't know - I think just because the parents love their children is no real reason to foist them on the viewing public, and as Joe always looks horribly uncomfortable on his mom's shows, perhaps that would be easier on the children, too.

I mean, not everyone is Jamie or Bobby Dean, you know. ;)

[paulj]

Lidia isn't that great on the camera either. Why don't they replace both the cooks and their side kicks with real actors? They've been doing voice overs in movies since Singing in the Rain. Why not 'cook-overs'? :)

[CTMEDTECH]

Im with you re: Lidia's son Joe....I find him to be arrogant and cocky but love Lidia...I dont think its always about being able to act...I think Lidia is as down to earth as they come. Rick Bayless's daughter is something to be desired....Watching father/daughter trio is strange...you would think the two were married. It just doesnt work

[Sharuf]

One of the perks of having your own show is that you get to put family and friends on the payroll.

[dolly52]

Lanie is making more appearances on his PBS show, I guess she is following in his footsteps, I just hope that she improves as time goes by.

[Parrotgal]

There are some local companies that advertise on local TV and always involve their (untalented, unattractive) family members--some I've seen grow up before my eyes! And they seem completely unaware that they're not really contributing, and in some cases, are alienating the public. That's how I feel about families on cooking shows. Lanie is certainly attractive, and I was impressed to see her ordering in apparently perfect Spanish, but I just think someone who is not the chef and really has nothing to contribute, well, has nothing to contribute! Even if you really, really like someone, that doesn't mean they're going to be good on TV.

I'm sure Claudine is a lovely person, but I wince when I realize she's going to be on an episode. Jacques is so very charming, and she just doesn't have that TV thing going on.

[CucumberBoy]

I like it when Jacques chastises Claudine on-camera; it's like she's 12 years old again getting a spanking over Dad's bended knee -- and enjoying it.

[thecondor1]

I humbly disagree, I think Lainie, his daughter, is charming, smart and at 15, quite an accomplished linguist and 'cook's helper'.
I also think it adds a little variety to Rick's strange vocal delivery.
He sometimes sounds like the Travel guy "Wolfe" and his BMW ads.
However I do agree that Claudia and Jacques daughters can be annoying.

[silence9]

Hi condor1. Are you a time-traveller visiting us here in the future (2010)? I believe Lanie is 18 now, here in 2010 :-) And about that time machine of yours, may I please borrow and go back to 2007 and un-eat that Crunch Wrap Supreme from Taco Bell? Thanks!

[hueyishere]

Sorry Condor1, I disagree, she is so annoying facial expressions, eye movements and all, she doesn't do much cooking so it can't be that she helps him but I switch channels when she is on and it seems to be more and more often than not.

[gloriousfood]

I think there should be a moratorium on having your husband, wife, grandkids, children, friends, etc., on any cooking show. Chefs, I. Don't. Care. About. Your. Family. And. Friends.

Though I must say that I like Lidia's mother b/c she doesn't say much and her primary purpose seems to be to wait for Lidia to finish up with the dish already so she can start eating!

[Sharuf]

Padding the payroll with family and friends is one of the perks of having your own show, isn't it?

[Pizza Lover]

And it's indicative of the total lack of creativity of cooking shows these days.

[paulj]

On CreateTV no less! Thankgoodness Foodnetwork still uses professional models as sidekicks. :) Well, not always. Alton enlists friends and chiropractor.

[Justpaula]

I don't pay too much attention to this show while my husband is watching it, but he has a very severe reaction to the daughter. I swear that my husband is a very non-violent human being, but he has actually said that every time she talks he wants to punch her in the face. Last week or the week before, he got my attention to watch a a few minutes of the show so I could check her out and I just think she is plain weird...and her overacting would be too much even for a children's show.

[linus]

maybe your husband should switch to decaf.

[paulj]

or allowed to use the remote. :)

[EWSflash]

now I feel truly vindicated!

[karenfinan]

you know, she is just a teenager, and I am a little repulsed by the hostility shown towards her. So she is not polished, well ok. So you don't think she adds much to the program, ok. But shees Louise, would you talk this way about the daughter of some one you know? I really really really don't understand the hostility. Perhaps focusing on a real issue, or real injustice is in order, rather than all this hostility to a chef's daughter on a public tv show.

[silence9]

You state: " But shees Louise, would you talk this way about the daughter of some one you know?". Well, most parents with teenagers do not put them in the public limelight where criticism (constructive or otherwise) by potentially millions of viewers is possible. If am a reknown conductor on the classical music scene and I insist, performance after performance, on devoting a segment of every concert to my teenage daughter to play/brutalize the tune 'Chopsticks' on the a 12 foot/$100,000 Bosendorfer concert grand piano (and have her mug for the crowd and recount bad puns during said perfomance), I think the expectation of a wide range of criticism might be forthcoming... And are you truly calling for anyone reading/posting on a forum board titled "Food Media and News" to direct their attention (while on said board) soley to the injustices of society? That's like writing to the ACLU and asking them for their favorite episode of Iron Chef. Apples and Ordinances...

[DiningDiva]

"If am a reknown conductor on the classical music scene and I insist, performance after performance, on devoting a segment of every concert to my teenage daughter to play/brutalize the tune 'Chopsticks' on the a 12 foot/$100,000 Bosendorfer concert grand piano (and have her mug for the crowd and recount bad puns during said perfomance), I think the expectation of a wide range of criticism might be forthcoming... "

That is one of the funniest yet most apt descriptions I've read on this thread. Good analogy

Personally, I'm kind of neutral on the subject of whether his daughter should be on the show or not. Yeah, there are some segments in which she is definitely annoying and others not so much.

However, the young woman in question is now in college and living away from home. I suspect that may decrease the number of appearances she makes on the show.

[karenfinan]

no silence 9, I am saying that the criticism is meanspirited, and over the top. One commentor accused her of snorting lines ( of drugs ) and trying to seduce her father. Most of the criticisms didn't go that far, but they seemed excessively aggresive given we are talking about a pretty low budget public tv show about cooking Mexican food. I think it is all too easy to be nasty and snarky and why exactly?

[paulj]

Also the 'story line' behind most of the times when she is participating, is preparation for a dinner party at their home. The set appears to be, maybe actually is, Rick's home. There are references to her Quinceniera, Latin style 15 yr old coming-out party. Some of the meals are informal back yard events.

The comparison to a child playing chopsticks at a concert might apply if Rick had let her prepare one of the dishes when he was ICA challenger, but makes little sense with an instructional cooking show like this. I watch this sort of thing to learn about Mexican food and cooking, not for serious entertainment.

[bear]

Couldn't agree more, karenf and paulj. She's a lovely, bright young woman. The show can seem a bit too scripted at times, but Rick is an excellent teacher, and Lanie's presence allows him to verbalize some helpful tips.

She may not be everyone's cup of tea and some people might wish she weren't part of the show, which is a legitimate criticism, but hurtful, personal attacks don't help anyone.

[silence9]

I'm sure Rick and his family are fine human beings and are deserving of much respect for their ongoing successful efforts to make mexican cuisine fun and accessible. And for all I know, maybe they have a Bosendorfer and can play it exceedingly well. I recant my prior heresy. Mea culpa. Pax...

[kaysyrahsyrah]

Gotta hand it to TV Food Network for upping the game 15 years ago. For the most part, TVFN refrains from ridiculous show formats of old -- which is what One Plate at a Time is.

[chowow]

I agree that she's totally annoying. I feel bad saying that, but I actually have to close my eyes when she's on. The next time you watch an episode, pay attention to her eyes and facial expressions while Rick is talking. I guarantee it'll drive you crazy!

[EWSflash]

I feel vindicated.

[buttertart]

I've been watching the new series recently, and loving it. He's really toned down the forcedness of his delivery and seems much more natural. He's got that sexy midwestern professorial thing going on (which I have a weakness for anyway) and is obviously very in shape. Looks great in a T-shirt and even better in a suit. The recipes are very appealing and well-presented. It seems the daughter isn't in the show (or at least as much) and Mrs B was in one, in a nice little "date night" sequence. Bravo Mr B, not only is Topo one of my favorite restaurants of all time, your show is a lot of fun. Can't wait for the new cookbook to come out.

[DiningDiva]

"and is obviously very in shape. Looks great in a T-shirt and even better in a suit."

True story...several years ago I did a culinary trip to Oaxaca sponsored by the CIA-Greystone which featured a week cooking with Rick Bayless. We were lodged in the El Camino Real hotel. One morning I went down for the breakfast buffet for which the El Camino is well known. To get to the buffet I had to pass by Rick's room. On the way back from breakfast, as I passed his room he was standing the door way signing for a delivery of ingredients that had just been delivered...dressed only in jeans.

Definitely an OMG moment, not to mention a little bit TMI. I hadn't exactly signed up to see a celebrity chef partially clad and I had to be careful to be discrete and not stare (okay, not stare too much, it was hard not to). I'm here to tell you, the man was BUFF, surprisingly so. I can also tell you that RB and I were born the same year, and while I'm in pretty good shape as well, I am definitely not that buff. He'd been doing yoga for about a year or more at that time so clearly, it was workin' for him.

He works at filling out that T-shirt ;-D

[buttertart]

That must have been a memorable and fun trip, in every way! I really have seen an improvement in this show from earlier shows of his, he seems much more relaxed. We met him once extremely briefly at Topo and his demeanor was much MUCH more reserved than he was I think forced to be on the earlier shows. The daughter thing I can do without but I think perhaps it's she and not Mrs B because Mrs B may not be comfortable on camera (although they looked very charming together in the "date night"sequence). For that matter Mrs Pépin seemed extremely uncomfortable on the Cooking with Claudine episode in which she appeared. Just give me RB alone and relaxed and I'll be a dedicated viewer.

[DiningDiva]

What you experienced on you trip to Topol is probably closer to how he is in real life. MOPaT isn't always shown in my area, but when it is, I have often found it hard to watch. In some of the earlier shows he was way over the to gushy and it was just too much. A show I caught last year was much toned down.

In person he's really nice and much more low key. And above all, he is a PHENOMENAL teacher. His passion for his subject matter is palpable and infectious

[buttertart]

I'm sure that's the case - the over-expressive style was I'm sure forced on him when the shows were started. I am glad the presentation has been toned down. Classy guy and wonderful restaurants/cookbooks. I can imagine he would be a wonderful teacher.

[tvfoodcritic]

Do not feel bad. Lanie's chirpy persona comes across as entirely plastic and acted. Rick's creepy slow talking presentation is off putting enough, but that alone does not deter me from watching what is otherwise a well-produced and extremely informative show on the fascinating variety of Mexican food. It's Lanie's uber-creepy flirtatious delivery of her lines when she's on screen with her father that makes me turn the channel.

With the Pepins, there is at least a genuine rapport between them. When Claudine makes a mistake, Jacques corrects her in a good natured way and she takes it with a sense of humor. And she doesn't seem like she's reading lines after snorting a line and trying to seduce her dad.

[silence9]

When Rick and his daughter are on location somewhere in Mexico, amid colorful and tantalizing local markets and dreamy seashores, it always bumps me that he isn't hanging out with Mrs. Bayless there instead (or more often), and transforming the spicy foods into spicy moods. I felt the same with the Frugal Gourmet/Jeff Smith, as he toured Europe with assistant Craig far more often (on camera, at least) than with his, um, wife. Someone upthread mentioned Rick's idiosyncratic delivery of his lines, which seem to carry alot of inuendo and verbal nudge-nudge/wink-winks, and I think such delivery is more appropriate to his spouse, who appears to be a sophisticated and alluring person in her own right. In other words, if I wanna see Rick slurping sensual regional seafoods and raising a bawdy/saucy eyebrow to the camera when south-of-the-border, have that charming wife by his side; even better, toward a local hottie/guide who will let him flirt just a bit without daughter looking on. Go Rick!

[Davwud]

Me and Mrs. Sippi believe that for the most part, she's not interested in being on camera.

DT

[lukeinva]

No problem with Lanie. She is cute, and bright and does have a clue.

However, as other have mentioned Claudine Pepin is an utter klutz, and clueless as a bag of broccoli. She seems afraid of her father which makes me think he has been mean to her in the past. She will add [some ingredient] and her father will chastise her and scold her and tell her she added too much or at the wrong time. She will take a taste with a spoon and then reuse the same spoon for something else. She is genuinely stupid.

[dolly52]

Dang, you are mean, I don't think I have ever seen her father chastise her or her use the same spoon.

[EWSflash]

neither have I

[paulj]

This NYTimes article about Claudine on the occasion of her 2003 wedding to Rolland Wesen may put her 'kitchen skills' in another light. She appears to have learned more about eating than cooking from her father.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/30/fas...

[EWSflash]

What a nice story!

[DiveFan]

Now that this topic has been reawakened.....

The Live Well channel http://www.livewellhd.com/ (ABC OTA second stream) seems to run older episodes every day at midnight and 6am.

[JCap]

It's campy, fine by me. And the food, for the vast majority, looks terrific.

[Davwud]

I don't mind the part of Lanie. I think she's good for the show in the over all. She's knowledgeable and knows her way around a kitchen.

The problem I have is her voice is like fingernails on a chalkboard. Very annoying.

DT

[ferfin]

I totally agree that Lanie hinders the show. Hopefully her cooking is better than her acting.

[tofuburrito]

I agree with most; the Lanie/Rick exchanges are way over-the-top, it's hard to believe they can deliver their lines with a straight face. It doesn't keep me from watching the show though and I would love to be on the list of people who receive invitations to the Bayless parties.
I also like Ming's mom & dad.

[theuninvitedguest]

My parents and I talk about this every time there is an episode on with her. As you said, she seems to be a very friendly, intelligent young woman, but not everyone has good camera presence. The way her and Rick carry on conversations on the show always seems very overacted and stilted. They don't speak naturally. It's almost to the point where we think about turning it off when she is on.

[EWSflash]

I believe you've hit precisely on the source of my discomfort. Stilted, overacted, mysentimens exactly. Not saying I don't lke her as a person (ecause I have no idea), but I will say she does nothing for the show except to throw in a tinny annoying edge, IMO

[CucumberBoy]

Gotta say, I find Rick Bayless' "new look" to be discomforting, forced, and stilted. A few years ago, he dressed like a normal geek; the last couple of seasons, he's had his hairstyle changed to a much "hipper" look and what's with those silly t-shirts? He looks like a mid-life crisis in progress.

Still, I'd eat his nopales in a minute.

[EWSflash]

Being a older broad who doesn't usually dress in an age-appropriate way, I say "Harrumph". I think he's quite well-dressed, he shows a sense of "don't take life too seriously" in his dress.

But he should either dye his facial hair too or quit dying his hair. or even them both out somehow- lowlights? It makes his face look deformed, and I have a high-def TV. That's my only other complaint about the Bayless Family show.

I'm glad his wife started showing up in a few episodes, too.

[Davwud]

I didn't notice.

DT

[Agent Orange]

paulj may be on to something. When I'm watching a cooking show hosted by a chef I admire and want to learn from, I don't need any klutzy, awkward teenagers getting in the way. Just me and Rick baby.

But really, her part of the show seems much more scripted and forced. Although Rick has his own... uniqueness, he at least seems comfortable in front of the camera. Why do we need a "storyline"? How about you just share some of your favorite recipes with us without us having to meet your daughter, neighbors, or hired friends?

[paulj]

Alton has the storyline with relatives and friends. Except those roles are played by actors (with the notable except of W).

[kmcarr]

Except on his biscuit episode. That was his real grandmother, Ma-Mae.

[Davwud]

W is an actress. Ya, she's his chiropractor but the fact that she plays a woman who works in a kitchen supply store makes her an actress.

DT

[Divamac]

AB's daughter Zoey has been on "Good Eats" occasionally. Most recently she played the granddaughter to "old" Alton on the sustainability episode "Once and Future Fish".

[fern]

One I enjoy watching is Ming's mother. Aside from her critical mother pokes at him, she does a nice job and just teaches a recipe. It always seems natural to me.

[EWSflash]

Oh yeah, she's a mean little woman to her son Ming but she's very educational and entertaining.

[archstreet]

Ming's mother is adorable!

[iL Divo]

MT + his show both elude my interest thus far.

[dolly52]

Maybe he is preparing her to takeover the business, I don't think Lanie fits the bill, maybe she will find a boyfriend or husband that will do better.

[SusanB]

I love Mexico One Plate at a Time and I don't mind the daughter at all.

Re Jacques Pepin's daughter - no idea, I don't think I've ever seen his show.

[Sharuf]

Haven't watched Baiyless in years, but when she was a pre-teen, daughter Lainie was adorable.

[Jimmy Buffet]

I'd say "adorable" has evolved into "hot"...

[EWSflash]

You're right about that, she's a very pretty young woman. I don't think her on-screen personality adds a thing to the show. Some, or rather most, personalities just don't translate well to film/video, the same way that so many great-looking people photograph horribly. I feel I can say that- I was a professional photographer for over 35 years, and it never ceases to amaze me how often people's appearances can change when viewed through a camera. It's the same with "moving pictures".

[paulj]

In the latest episode that I saw, Mojo de Ajo from 2009, I thought she was more at ease before the camera.

[Davwud]

I have a good looking friend. The camera LOVES her. She really looks good.

For the most part, I find that people I've seen on film/TV look much better in person. Probably because I like girls more natural and that's how they come across in person.

DT

[iL Divo]

I'm not saying she isn't cute or anything I just don't see the point of her being on. What does her presence bring to the show?
FCOL can RB not carry his own show?

[EWSflash]

Agree completely

[pisang goreng]

I'm sorry to have to agree with you. Yes, his daughter does ..... irritate me (and Mr. PG). I feel the same way about Jacques Pepin's daughter Claudine and sometimes Lidia Bastianich's daughter too. I have seen them both become whiny when even slightly corrected by their chef-parent and it's embarrassing to watch, frankly. Bayless's daughter, Lainie, doesn't quite do that but she's just a little bit too "ON" and the show is about Rick's FOOD, not her.

I think it's always the case that one thinks their kids are much cuter than others think they are and that may be why the kids don't translate so well onto their parents' shows. Paula Deen's sons also come to mind....

[PattiCakes]

Not that it's a high-brow show, but I think "At Home with the Neeley's" uses the children well. They are brought in for short short segments when it's to demonstrate the family togetherness or to show that a particular dish can be made with kids, but they are not an integral part of the show. The show itself is carried by professionals who know how to relate to the camera and their audience, and know how to showcase the food.

[pisang goreng]

Haven't seen that show but it sounds like it's a good way of integrating the kids.

I meant to add earlier that Claudine Pepin is much better than she used to be. Before she was very sensitive to the slightest comment from Jacques. Now she's more comfortable on camera and less sensitive.

[DiveFan]

Some of you folks are just too sensitive!

I see no problem with Lanie on the show:
- She's interested, even enthusiastic about Mexican culture and speaks Spanish
- She looks comfortable with kitchen utensils (compared to most of her peers or, say, Sandra Lee)

OTOH it seems a bit contrived when Rick has a party with both adults AND teenagers. I can visualize the teen 'handlers' off camera with weapons....

I like his laid back personality But his clothes just crack me up. Reminds me of R&D PhD types I worked with 30 years ago.

[paulj]

Maybe the relatives spoil the illusion of having a one-on-one cooking lesson with a celebrity chef.

[iL Divo]

I get no enjoyment out of PD's sons AT ALL.
To me they are filler. Plus one has his own show but before they did their road trip together. Gad why do we have to watch these sons have TV shows just because their mother is PD? I'm pretty much over her anyway with the current news she's chosen to hide from her viewers but that's OT, sorry.

[Miss Needle]

I'm also not a fan of Bayless's daughter and Jacque Pepin's daughter on TV. I really don't think they add anything to the show. For the longest time, before I realized that Claudine was Pepin's daughter, I thought she was an ex-student that Jacques had slept with and thought it was a big part of an elaborate blackmail scheme. In general, I'm not crazy about when these celebrities bring their family members on the set -- like Rachel Ray bringing in her husband on those travel shows. Why? To promote his band? So that she can keep an eye on him? There really is a reason why certain folks are on TV and most of us aren't. Aside from just pure cooking talent (or in the case of Rachel Ray, I should say hosting abilities), you need to have a certain personality (or at least be able to fake one) to be engaging on the small screen. These people are probably very nice in real life, but I just don't want to watch them on TV.

[wattacetti]

I met Claudine Pépin (she's charming) but the original premise with teaming up with her father was that she is/was a klutz in the kitchen and couldn't cook. "Cooking with…" and "Encore with Claudine" were based on the premise of teaching his kid not to poison the parents so in that context Claudine worked very well.

Lanie Bayless on the other hand gives me hives. Especially the entire period where she walked around with a puppet (gee - obsess over Ed the Sock much?)

[EWSflash]

Oh my goodness. Glad I missed the puppet bit.

Claudine doesn't bother me, but I thought she was his granddaughter,, because of something one of them said- got it wrong, apparently.

[paulj]

In the series that is currently playing on CreateTV, there is mention of his granddaughter - Claudine's daughter, who is about 4 now. Jacques is a proud grandfather.

Of the two daughters, my impression is that Lanie is a better fit, especially on the episodes that center around a party at Rick's home.

But does it really matter whether the family members are TV pros or not? Maybe the sticky about 'less bashing' should be extended to family?

[CucumberBoy]

I love Rick Bayless' passion and knowledge of Mexican cuisine; his daughter, however, is like finding a hair in your guacamole, if you catch my drift.

Dr. Phil is the king of nepotism, hands down, but give Rick a few more years, maybe he can overtake him...

-cb-

[EWSflash]

Thankk you for the granddaughter reference, I probably wasn't listening closely enough so I misunderstood what was being said about granddaughters.

[PattiCakes]

I agree with paulj. There have been a ton of posts about how many of the food shows are deceptive or use slick personalities over substance. We rant about hosts that are not really "chefs", but are really entertainers dressed in chef's clothing, schooled in chef-speak. Maybe the better choice would be to compromise & limit the exposure of these not-so-TV-polished family members, using them as an accent rather than a premise for the show.

I haven't seen Bayless's daughter; Claudine doesn't really bother me. She's a bit stiff, but I think they have a nice relationship on camera. It's just not a "slick" show -- more old school basics than many of the newer shows.

[scubadoo97]

I also have no problem with the kids on the show. I like to see the chefs interacting with their family. That's real reality TV.

[iL Divo]

"I'm also not a fan of Bayless's daughter and Jacque Pepin's daughter on TV. I really don't think they add anything to the show."

Agree. Plus I want to watch them do their thing which they are both highly acclaimed for. If I want to watch a Father/Daughter show I'll turn on reruns of •Father Knows Best• as at least that was entertaining.

[Kristine]

Not as big a hinderance as Jacques Pepin's daughter, Caludine was.

[bnemes3343]

I'm not that bothered by RIck's daugher. But, I have to agree with Kristine about Claudine. She is such an utter klutz in the kitchen that it's hard to believe they share any gene's. I mean have you every seen her with a chef's knife? Stand back! Lidia's daughter is also featured a lot, but she seems to have at least an inkling of what to do in the kitchen. And I enjoy when she has Joe on.

[CindyJ]

I also love it when she has her grandkids on.

[iL Divo]

LIDIA and her daughter are fine by me as well, I'm not put off at all by her or her adorable mother. As much as I don't enjoy admitting this Joe to me is a handsome man who comes across (to me anyway and quite possibly I'm wrong) as being very full of himself. So I prefer to simply watch him from afar or on that MasterChef show where he's one of the judges.

[iL Divo]

"Not as big a hinderance as Jacques Pepin's daughter, Caludine was."

ooooooo major BINGO!!!

we all love our children duh but 'what' did Claudine have to offer at all in any sense?