NSNS #5

[Withnail42]

Very excited that this show is on again. It is a real guilty pleasure to watch this train wreck.

It's been so long that I've even bothered to watch FN that I don't know what channel it's on.

[Philly Ray]

I'm looking at Teddy's Bio and it says that he competed against Bobby Flay in a Throwdown (mussels, Teddy won). Makes me wonder if he applied for the show or was recruited.

[drbelfer]

What I have found interesting is that with maybe the exception of Guy, none of the past winners have really kept much of following, or elevated themselves as Food Network 'Stars" - with that kind of track record, the odds are that whom ever wins this year will get the prizes, get a show and in a short time thereafter become as obscure as most of the other past winners - but then again, everyone loves to watch train wrecks they come upon.

[LulusMom]

Very true, but didn't the woman from California who emphasized a sort of Cali-French approach quit her show?

[goodhealthgourmet]

drbelfer's right - Guy is the only one who has really been successful. Amy allegedly quit, but i don't think it would have gone for more than 2 seasons, max. she just didn't have that widespread appeal. (personally, i couldn't stand her.)

[drbelfer]

exactly - the cooking chops (no pun intended) isnt enough. Only Guy has demonstrated an over the top personality that enoght people enjoy. The last winner with the Big Daddy show - his cookling skills are fine but I dont think his personality carries him as far as a Guy, or an Emeril, or a Bobby, or Paula - or any that have had a longer staying presence.
None of the new crop have yet to stand out, they all come across as a bit timid but perhaps a few have promise - that is why I watch.

[lucyis]

There's that "will work for food" show with the runner-up from last year. They don't let him cook, just talk about food and look silly trying to do real manual labor. I can't remember his name and for that matter I'm not sure if i remember "Big Daddy"'s real name.

[goodhealthgourmet]

Will Work for Food is Adam Gertler, and Big Daddy is Aaron McCargo Jr...not that you really care ;)

[lucyis]

Thanks. Now you have to ask yourself, "What data did I have to dump in my memory to remember that?" : >o

[drbelfer]

Not that I didnt care - Actually I knew if was Adam because he went to the camp my daughter attends and as for Aaron, your correct, I dont watch his show and thus it isnt that important a trivia answer to remember.

But it proves my point - they arent that memorable.

[cmvan]

Speaking of former NFNS contestants, it looks like Kelsey Nixon has gotten her own show on FN. Saw a promo pic on FN's website yesterday, but it's gone today.

Just goes to show you - you don't have to win NFNS to get a show.

[DiningDiva]

If they've given Adam and Kelsey shows, why in heavens name have they not given Lisa a show. She was memorable on NFNS and I'm pretty sure her "Beautiful Basics" concept would fly better than anything the rest of her NFNS peers have done.

[JasmineG]

Kelsey's show, I'm pretty sure, is a web only show (with Spike from Top Chef).

[jacobp]

Yes, it is indeed a web only broadcast.

I enjoyed the premier of NFNS, but the asian woman ( I can't recall her name) who was team captain really rubbed me the wrong way. She lied about being underbudget, ignored ingredients that her teammates needed, and it was her decision to do the angel food cake. When asked about the AF cake debacle, she claimed it was a "group effort." I wish she had been kicked off for a complete lack of integrity.

[goodhealthgourmet]

"Yes, it is indeed a web only broadcast."
~~~~~~
thank goodness. her personality was waaay too Sandra Lee for me -i'd rather not see constant commercials for her on a TVFN show.

[drbelfer]

Mostly I agree about her - it was totally her call on the AF cake not the group - only thing the group did was throw it together following her lead/instructions. I liked her initially; she has personality and seems to be a good cook. As for the lie - not sure if it was a lie or the way in which the question was raised regarding the budget or how it was edited. None could go over budget that was not allowed so all had to be under unless they spent exactly the provided amount. To me it came across as a semantically matter - I did not read intent to deceive there.

[lucyis]

I agree, drblfer, they were JUST under budget. It reminds me of a little kid saying, "I didn't break the glass. It broke itself when I dropped it"

[Miss Needle]

I didn't get that at all. I was watching this last night while I was multi-tasking, but wasn't that lady's group first over budget? And then she had to get rid of items from the basket. I'm thinking that overlooking the jar of mustard was probably an honest mistake. And I think by her saying the cake debacle was a group effort was to draw attention away from the guy who did the AF cake to begin with.

The only thing I had an issue with was her picking angel food cake. Doesn't TNFNS have a T-Mobile sponsor like Top Chef where the contestants can call each other? If not, I can see how it might have been difficult to find an appropriate substitute. Whole Foods definitely does not carry items like Pillsbury refrigerated biscuits. A more appropriate substitute might have been frozen pizza dough, but I can see how it's not easy to think of it on the fly in a pressure situation.

[chowser]

You can find dufour puff pastry at WF and, as you said, quite a few other dough products would do (make your own pie crust!). Using the premade angel food cake probably put a huge dent in their budget. I've never priced it but all baked goods I've seen at WF have been pretty expensive. But, once they plated it and saw how bad it looked, she could have decided to go w/out a dessert rather than a bad one that was her idea to begin with.

Overlooking the mustard is one thing but as a leader it didn't seem like she was overseeing things, just randomly taking out things here and there to put back. What about a list to begin with? She rubbed me the wrong way, too.

[Kajikit]

It's a kind of silly show (Adam plays with food at the source) but it suits his personality... it's no worse than the rest of the 'light entertainment' on the network, and better than some of the others. It's not a cooking show per se, but I think I found it more entertaining than Big Daddy's Kitchen.

[drbelfer]

First - shouldnt it be NFNS not NSNS?
Second - if the producers have more say then the audiance knows - what nitch is missing on their current TV schedule that one of the contestants may fill - perhaps Jamika as they dont have a Caribbean chef yet and she seem personable and knowledgable.

And I agree with goodhearthgourmet - Anne's comments about Melissa - people in glass houses.

[goodhealthgourmet]

yes, it's NFNS, which i pointed out above. BTW, MY name is goodheaLthgourmet, and while i'm at it, it's "niche" not nitch ;)

you're right about Jamika - did you see the way the judges and Giada all perked up & smiled when she said she was Caribbean? i'm sure they'd love to find someone who can appeal to a broad audience and tackle cuisine & traditions that haven't yet been done to death on TVFN.

[Philly Ray]

I agree about Jamika. While they were all meeting each other, I looked at the contestants to see who would be able to fill a "hole" in the chef lineup and she jumped out right away. Also, I think that Jeffrey could fill the "upscale white guy" niche they have been missing since David Rosengarten's show disappeared many years ago.

[kprange]

I just want to know who thought that an angel food cake could actually be cut into nice looking squares..........just wondering........

[sasha1]

Does anyone know where I can catch the full premiere online, or when they're replaying it? Thanks!

[goodhealthgourmet]

check FN's website for the listings - you can search for shows by name to find air times. worst-case scenario, i'm pretty sure they air the previous episode immediately before the new one each week.

[sasha1]

I was hoping it was on their website as one of the full episode offerings, but instead, they had on the premiere for nfns from last season. Not sure why they think people would be wanting to watch that now rather than the new season. They don't have the full season 4 either - just the premiere.

[goodhealthgourmet]

but they do have the *listings* for when it will air again on TV.

[sasha1]

They do - I found that info after you suggested it. I was just hoping to see it sooner than Thursday :)

[DiningDiva]

Trust me...I think you can wait til Thursday. This crew appears to be somewhat better than last season (damn, I'm going to miss someone like Lisa, she was entertaining) but not so much that they're suddenly must see TV.

[chris2269]

Yeh its a guilty pleasure for me too. I'm a sucker for any food reality show - can't watch a cooking show to save my life (malto mario reruns would be the exeption)

[James Cristinian]

I think the highligt was the angel food cake, especially when they served it to Duff. Although there's tons of pressure, It's amazing to see the same mistakes on this show and Top Chef, like sending out anacceptable food and dishes that are too simple, like that salad that got the blond girl canned.

[goodhealthgourmet]

that angel food cake nonsense was embarrassing to watch. in the first 10 minutes i predicted this season would be as much of a train wreck as the last two were, and decisions like that won't help these contestants prove me wrong!

the woman who got the boot definitely deserved it. green beans & tomatoes? please. my sister doesn't even know how to turn on the stove, and she could probably pull off that one.

i like a couple of the personalities - Jamika & Jeffrey (the winner of this challenge) in particular. Michael - the "Global-a-GoGO" guy is waaay to over the top for me.

i found it *hilarious* when Anne Burrell said she thought watching an entire episode of Melissa would make her twitch - she clearly hasn't read all the comments on here (and other websites) about how distracting some people find her own flailing arms and overly animated personality on Secrets of a Restaurant Chef!

ETA: the dietitian is not doing herself any favors by making salad & talking to Alton Brown about the benefits of the roughage on gatrointestinal motility...she's like a reincarnation of Andrea Beaman from TC, but without the personality. oy.

[bermudagourmetgoddess]

Who was the guy who was talking smack about Alex's kitchen to her...I mean come on

I found Michael almost hard to watch (Global a GOGO)

And the Angel foodcake ...well I can not even go there, that was painful to watch

I thought all the dishes did not excite, here you are catering to the stars of food network, bring your A game, what were they thinking???

[lucyis]

While idling in traffic today I was thinking about that Angel Food Cake. 1. A. F. Cake in and of itself is a waste of calories..sweet air, ugh. 2. the alternative they were shopping for was ridiculous too...Pillsbury canned dough to make some thing ala Semi-Homemade, also ugh. 3. If I was stuck with store bought cake I would have at least made a trifle or a tiramisu dessert.

[libgirl2]

I so agree. I love Angel Food cake, but if you want to impress, really impress. Now I do work with a guy who was a pastry chef and his Angel Food cakes are to die for.

[goodhealthgourmet]

important distinction - fresh angel food cake made from scratch doesn't even belong in the same food group as the store-bought packaged crap.

[bermudagourmetgoddess]

Even on over the top cheese platter with chocolate cover straweberries, sweet and spicy nuts, fresh fruit and some good greek honey would have been a lot better than that Angel Food Cake disaster

[LulusMom]

Agree, agree, but disagree on Michael. That show needs some fun and color and zing.

[bermudagourmetgoddess]

You have a good point there, he will probably grow on me...I guess we will see in the weeks to come

[goodhealthgourmet]

i'm all for fun, color, and zing, but too much of a good thing really can be too much. i just got the feeling he was trying to "prove" how different and fabulous he is. it seemed a little forced to me, like he was "performing" instead of being himself.

[Avalondaughter]

I guarantee he'll stick around for much of the season, if not win. Every reality show these days has to have a flamboyant, over-the-top gay guy who has all kinds of zippy catch phrases. There are a lot of characters I know they'll keep around for that drama/entertainment factor.

I say that Brett will stay, but Teddy will go. Only one arrogant d-bag is allowed, but there has to be one arrogant d-bag for the same reason as there has to be one flamboyant gay guy. You need the drama and the clash of personalities.

[Miss Needle]

The Anne Burrell comment was totally spot-on!

[sibeats]

What is NSNS?

[goodhealthgourmet]

methinks Withnail made a typo - it should be NFNS - Next Food Network Star.

[Withnail42]

Sorry looked right at the time. Clearly I could not contain my excitement.

[alanstotle]

Maybe we should find a name that fits the NSNS acronym. Like: Next Silly Network Star. Or something else?