Favorite Food Network show?

[GRLMGC]

I love Paula's Homecooking

I hate Rachael Ray and Emeril.

[autorank]

1. Bobby Flay's Barbecue show with that little guy from Virginia!

It was like the odd couple, just hilarious!

[madinmaryland]

56. Jack McDavid?

He always had the baseball shirt on with overalls. Funny as hell.

[autorank]

91. Thanks for the reminder. That guy was a hoot, the 2 together, my God!

[madinmaryland]

94. He has a restaurant in Philly these days:

www.jacksfirehouse.com

Never been there, but the food must be interesting!!

[jellybelly]

2. I love Rachel

she's so peppy and weird.

[6000eliot]

38. I agree

She always seems to be just on the edge of hysteria to me. Maybe it's the nervous laugh. Today, she was talking about how much she loves "stinky cheese."

[WMliberal]

3. good eats

Sorry, I love the nerdy chemistry behind cooking.

[GRLMGC]

5. That's a fun show n/t

[solinvictus]

48. Alton Brown..

He's funny and smart. I HATE Bobby Flay as he's the most arrogant ass on the network.

[GRLMGC]

49. I've never actually seen Bobby Flay in action

but a lot of people seem to dislike him. I must see for myself.

[AFSCME girl]

60. Hi solinvictus..

I agree with you on both points! :thumbsup: :hi:

[BeTheChange]

69. Hate Bobby Flay..

My fiance cant stand watching him. Ive never seen him have such an adverse reaction to a tv person.
Also, the big headed skinny lady on Everyday italian irks me.

I love Barefoot Contessa, Im a kinda wannabe martha sometimes too :)
Good eats because it actually interests my fiance.
Love 30 minute meals. I dont think Id ever make any of the foods on the show but I think she has a great personality and she makes me laugh.

I used to love Ready, Set, Cook. I have no idea why they took that show off the air.

[ernstbass]

81. I thought I was the only one who noticed

the skinny Italian lady's gigantic head - fascinating, isn't it?

[BeTheChange]

97. Totally...

I mean, dont get me wrong.. she is beautiful but she reminds me of a pez dispenser for some reason.

[Left Is Write]

86. I liked Ready, Set, Cook too. It was fun!

[lcooksey]

50. 3 cheers for Alton Brown

I love Good Eats. I recently bought a food processor based on recommendations in his Gear book. What a great investment. Grated cheese, quick hummus, large quantities of pureed squash -- I don't know how I managed without one for so long. :)

[VaYallaDawg]

52. Alton is my favorite too.

Love his crazy imagination - like using woodworking tools as kitchen implements. Not sure I'd do it, but it's still fun.

[bunkerbuster1]

89. Best thing out of Georgia since Jimmy Carter

Alton's show is terrific, and his book(s) are fun as well.

Glad to see he'll be back, hosting Iron Chef USA--I suspect that program will improve once it's hit its stride (the pilot "specials" were a little disjointed but pretty good).

[WMliberal]

93. i thought he was from Vermont

He does his show in Vermont and he went to the Vermont Culinary Institute.

Maybe he just lives there now and is originally from Georgia? :shrug:

[bunkerbuster1]

101. hmm... most of the Good Eats episodes I've seen

have tons of location shots in suburban Atlanta. See also the location list here:

http://altonbrown.com/pages/behindsc.html

[bigwillq]

4. The Barefoot Contessa

Ina is so soothing and makes yummy food!

[GRLMGC]

6. Ooh, I like this one too n/t

[bigwillq]

11. My mom has one of Ina's books

Martha Stewart wrote the foreward.

[CO Liberal]

7. "30 Minute Meals"

We've gotten some good ideas from that show. Like cooking meatballs on a cookie sheet in a 450-degree oven. They turned out great!

And Captain's Chicken. :9

The Princess likes Tyler Florence on "Food 911". And Paule Deen, who I refer to as "Granny Goodwitch" because of her cackle.

We can't stand the Dumbass Contessa or Bobby Flay, or Emeril.

[GRLMGC]

9. "Dumbass Contessa"

Haha, why do you dislike her?

[CO Liberal]

18. One, She's Very Pretentious

Second, the hand-help camera work on that show makes me dizzy. I can never watch for more than a few minutes.

[GRLMGC]

22. I can see that

She doesn't bother me though, unlike that Rachael Ray! God she pisses me off. I guess we don't get annoyed by the same things :)

[madinmaryland]

57. Pretentious?

not contessa, but David Rosengarten is the most pretentious guy i have seen on food tv.

[CO Liberal]

62. She's a Martha Stewart Wannabee

Even uses the same vocal inflections.

[ernstbass]

85. I read that she was a budget analyst in the Clinton

administration before she married that rich old man and got a cooking show. I think she's pretentious - too much tooling around in that beemer

[Left Is Write]

92. Oh, yeah. I'd agree with that.

He drove my husband and me up a wall.

[BeTheChange]

70. Tyler Florence..

Thank goodness for him and the naked chef.. They make cooking sexy ;)

I love it when Tyler hits on the women on food 911.

[CO Liberal]

8. Dupe

Please refer to my Post #7 above.

[fudge stripe cookays]

10. I hate Paula, Rachael Ray AND Emeril.

I like Party Starters, and that dreamy whats-his-name...the Food 911 guy. Tyler something?

FSC

[AllyCat]

12. Two Fat Ladies

Don't know if it's on the air anymore after one of them died :(

[GRLMGC]

13. The Butter Twins

Once, there was this recipe where they took a piece of meat, injected it w/ butter, rubbed w/ butter, cooked it in butter, and put more butter on it afterwards. It was a fun show.

[AllyCat]

15. That must have inspired another recipe that had

about 1 pound of lard and 7 different kinds of meat in some kind of a gelatin mold. There was not a vegetable in sight.

Did you see the one where they went camping and were going to hunt some kind of game and cook it in a pit? They ended up camping next to a boy scout troop and got them to dig the pit and hunt the game while they sipped gin and tonics.

[GRLMGC]

17. hahahaha

No, I'm disappointed to say I haven't seen that episode. Oh, man, those women put lard in EVERYTHING.

[AllyCat]

19. I don't even want to know how they made those Gin & tonics! n/t

[Left Is Write]

63. Clarissa wouldn't have been sipping gin and tonics.

She doesn't drink; she's a recovering alcoholic.

Jenifer, on the other hand, liked her beer (and her cigarettes).

As for the scouting - I believe the show was planned that way, not that they just suckered some scouts into digging the pit for them. All of their shows centered around cooking for someone, not cooking alone for themselves.

[AllyCat]

64. Okay Killjoy...

...I don't think I mentioned they had "suckered" the kids into digging the pit. The point is, they sat in lounge chairs and supervised while the kids did all the work. It was actually part of what made it so FUNNY, if that registers at all.

Okay, so Clarissa was drinking water in a rocks glass. It's still FUNNY.

Jeez.

[Left Is Write]

65. Who is being a killjoy?

I love the show. I love their humor, their enthusiasm, and their irreverence.

When you said they "ended up" camping next to some boy scouts, it sounded like you thought it just worked out that way rather than was planned that way.

I wasn't rude to you - any reason why you thought it necessary to be rude to me?

[AllyCat]

66. Electronic communciation is emotionally flat.

Sorry you felt I was rude. It's been a long time since I've seen that episode. Obviously, I don't remember it quite right.

[Left Is Write]

67. Okay, fair enough.

Sorry I jumped on you.

Maybe it's time to crack a bottle of gin and watch some Two Fat Ladies reruns. :)

[Left Is Write]

31. It's not, but I wish they'd show reruns!

I loved Two Fat Ladies! Highly entertaining. I loved their banter too.

While they're at it, I wish Food Network would bring back the reruns of The French Chef and The Galloping Gourmet.

[GOPisEvil]

14. Good Eats. No doubt about it!

Alton rules! :thumbsup:

[Mabeline]

34. Good Eats is the best as far as I am concerned too...

also..
Semi Home Made
Paulas Home Cooking
Any show with Jacques Torres..I'd LOVE to learn desserts and candy making from him.

[mcscajun]

16. Any show with Tyler Florence in it

Tyler's Ultimate, Food 911, How to Boil Water -- they all work for me.

[zann725]

95. Yeah, but he's so cute...I can't concentrate on the food!

n/t

[mcscajun]

102. It's tough...but you must make the effort.

He IS very easy on the eyes...and what a voice!

But the food is good, too. :)

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

20. Iron Chef n/t

[GRLMGC]

24. How could I forget

:slapping self on forehead:

[Justin54B20L]

73. Aye, Iron Chef by far

Good Eats is up there on my list too.

[spinbaby]

80. Too bad Japanese Iron Chef is going

American Iron Chef isn't anywhere near as good.

[2bfree]

21. I like Rachel Ray..................

Paula Deem and the Barefoot Contessa because they cook like I cook and the recipes I try always come out good. My least favorite is the almost homemade lady, ugh! She talks in such a monotone and the food looks terrible.

[GRLMGC]

23. The almost homemade lady

She's an alcoholic! j/k

I don't like the way she says fantastic. "It's fentaaastic".

[hollywood926]

75. Sandra Lee hit on me at the gay pride parade, and then

pretended she didn't because she's married to some old rich guy! I hate her stupid ass.

Plus she can't cook and her hair looks like straw.

[soothsayer]

25. here's the ones I love and hate and am so-so about, and why

Love:

Good Eats (the mad scientist of food---Ab is fun)
30 min meals (tho my sister taught me to hate her constant chatter, she's still cute)
Barefoot Contessa (she could care less that she's plump, and always serves BOOZE, and hangs out with gay guys. Husband Jeffrey nearly burning himself to death trying to light a grill was hilarious)
Paula Deen (um...what's the name?) cuz she's cute and seems nice tho I don't think I'd ever make her recipes
Food 911 (Tyler Florence seems to know so much, and he seems nice and fun)
Secret Life of .... (only cuz the guy is so damn likeable!)

Hate:
Emeril (just gets on my nerves for some reason---too thugish)
Bobby Flay (see why I hate Emeril)
Molto Mario (pretentioius and cooks stupid things)
Party Starters (boring, and their decor always looks cheesey, tho the food seems ok)
Kitchen something-or-other (kitchen makeover show---I'd like it on another channel, but I want to see food on foodtv)
ROker on the road (who cares)
Food Finds (see Roker note)
Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee (unlikeable, grating ex-cheerleader cooking god-awful looking crap that is 90% storebought and which wouldn't fool ANYONE)

So-So:
Calorie Commando (was prepared to hate him cuz of his delivery, but somehow his bizarre personality makes him watchable)
Low Carb and Loving It (can't take my eyes off the opening credits where he and the family were soooo fat, wow have they done well. But I'm not on low carbs, so I'll give it a so-so)
Sarah Moulton Howe (somewhat grating, somewhat stiff, but I can watch her stuff anyway)
Iron Chef (sometimes ok, but I usually turn it off)

[GRLMGC]

26. Cool. Nice and thorough

:)

[soothsayer]

30. I log alot of time on that channel! They're my new friends.

on edit, I'm sure I've forgotten plenty of "also-rans" (wolfgang puck, who's ok on a limited basis, some chocolate dude who sort of annoys me, OH, and

Michael Chiarello (I can't warm up to him for some reason)
Everyday Italian (she's a so-so---I often watch her, but don't seek her out)

[mondo joe]

27. Rachael Ray might be okay if not for her grating voice and style

I think there's room for a show like hers - quick meals.

But she's so grating that even when I'm interested in a recipe I can't bear to watch her for more than a few minutes.

[GOPisEvil]

28. Get her books.

All the same recipes without her voice.

[markus]

45. But she's so "Ninth Ward" (think Jersey girl) cute!

I have a crush on her, and didn't even know her name (as I usually drop in and out of Food Network shows without watching the entire thing.

If you understand the Ninth Ward reference, please send Peychaud bitters. I'm dying for a Sazerac.

[madinmaryland]

59. She's just too damn perky for me.

n/t

[ernstbass]

82. have you noticed how she

only speaks out of one side of her mouth? It irritates the hell out of me

[bunkerbuster1]

90. yeah, she's real, um irritating

I'd say she could irritate me any ol' time, but I think that's a technical violation of my marital vows. So I won't.

[mondo joe]

29. Barefoot Contessa and Jamie Oliver are tops. I ought to like Mario

Barefoot Contessa and Jamie Oliver are tops. They're the two shows that most inspire me to try something.

I feel I ought to like Mario Batali, but I'm never truly inspired to make anything he prepares (though I'd love to eat it).

[KurtNYC]

72. Batali has chops

He is the one guy that preps everything (cooks from scratch) in real time. He has great fast technique. I like his childish sense of humor (in small doses) but I get tired of hearing him talk about that one town in Italy (Northern Italian village of Borgo Capanne). It blows me away when he makes pasta from scratch in about 5 minutes or less.

He avoids muddying the flavors (no 'parlsey, sage, rosemary and thyme'in one dish). Opting instead for one herb and a focused taste.

My favorite all around is Wolfgang Puck -- friggin genius.

[Left Is Write]

32. Unwrapped, American Festivals, The Secret Life Of..., Good Eats

[AlCzervik]

33. Good eats is my favorite, Iron Chef-foreign-not American

least liked by moi is anything Rachael Ray and her garbage bowl, Bobby flay and all forms of Emeril.

[Bluebear]

35. Barefoot Contessa relaxes me.

Sorry to the above poster, but I like her mellow style. And that she uses butter without apologizing.

[GRLMGC]

42. Paula Deen is the butter queen

I like them both, though :)

[housewolf]

36. Good Eats

The shows are entertaining and you learn things at the same time.

Also like:
Tyler Florence (911, Ultimate)
Emeril (to a point), some of his recipes are great
Paula
Contessa

Hate:
Iron Chef (they make horrible stuff on that show!)


I took a baking class from the Calorie Commando about 3 yrs ago - he used to be a pastry chef who weighed 300 lbs or more. He was losing his weight while I took the baking class - they were great but most definitely NOT low calorie/low carb recipes. He was fun and it was a good class.

[edzontar__]

37. Iron Chef... is that too conservative? Those men and knives... n/t

[hickman1937]

39. Paula Dean

Her show with Jimmy Carter was a classic. At the end she asks him if he knows how much he means to so many people. I teared up.

[GRLMGC]

41. That's so cool

I was looking through the episodes and saw that she had a show w/ Jimmy Carter. I wanna see it but Food Network apparently isn't airing anytime soon :(

[Blue State Blues]

40. Good Eats

Pop culture, food science and usually recipes that I'd actually try to make at home (rather than food as a spectator sport which is how I think of the celebrity chef shows). Even when the topic is a food I have no interest in cooking (pork belly anyone?), it's still fun to watch and I learn a lot.

The chewy chocolate chip cookies from his recipe were the best I've ever made and the chocolate lava muffins were out of this world.

[markus]

43. The obnoxious New Yorker who used to travel and eat

I can't call up the name of the show right now, but it was great fun.

Is Paula the woman who also does the eating under $25 show?

[GRLMGC]

44. No, that's Rachael Ray

Paula Deen is this woman from Georgia who makes all kinds of fatty treats :)

[sakabatou]

46. The original Iron Chef

"Allez Cuisine!"

[gardenista]

47. Self delete.

I can't confirm the rumor that I almost started. Was told something by a friend of a friend, and upon researching, I don't know if it's true.

[spinbaby]

84. What does Allez Cuisine mean?

Go kitchen?

[sakabatou]

88. To your kitchens?

[matcom]

51. Molto Mario

ROCKS!!!

[madinmaryland]

61. Molto Mario eats Italy?

n/t

[Love Bug]

53. 30 Minute Meals, Good Eats and Unwrapped

[lpbk2713]

54. Alton Brown's Good Eats

He definitely knows his stuff and imparts it in a way that makes it fun and interesting.

[Joe Power]

55. Good Eats...and anything with Rachel Ray

Good Eats = Yum
Rachel Ray = even more YUM :evilgrin:

[Dees]

58. I'm in full agreement with you.

[Not_Giving_Up]

68. I wouldn't watch the Food Network if

it was the last channel on the planet. Sorry, I just don't get excited about watching other people cook.

[BeTheChange]

71. That show with actual people cooking recipes

I like that one although it's name is slipping my mind.

[Danmel]

74. Calling All Cooks

They go to people's homes and the people prepare their specialties for them. I like that one too- there are a lot of fine home cooks. It's like having a giant potluck.

[Sentath]

76. Or do you mean "The Cookworks with Donna Dooher"

Which I have accidentally managed to catch once or twice and liked.

[BeTheChange]

79. Calling all cooks

I havent even seen Cookworks.

[Ramsey]

77. Anthony Bourdain

Loved his book and love his show! He goes all over the world meeting local chefs and eating local cuisines. He also has a show about the behind-the-scenes happenings in restaurants, both shows based on his books, Kitchen Confidential and A Cook's Tour.

[ernstbass]

83. His books are great and he has written

several novels also

[BigMcLargehuge]

78. I like Emeril for two reasons

One, he's from Fall River, MA right near my home town of New Bedford and he uses alot of Portguese inspired stuff in his recipies.

Two, I've never seen that man clean a knife or change a cutting board so he goes from raw chicken to salad greens or cheese. I am surprised he doesn't have people keeling over from food poisoning after eating his meals on the set. When we watch him it's fun to yell "BAM! You're Infected!" everytime he does something unsanitary in the kitchen.

We say it alot.

[soothsayer]

99. Bobby Flay does that too! Always putting the grilled food back

on the raw food plate. Ewwwww.

[ElaineinIN]

87. Good Eats

hands down.. love Alton!

[zann725]

96. Wolfgang Puck...or "Molto Mario"

n/t

[njdemocrat106]

98. Emeril Live and Iron Chef

The original Japanese Iron Chef, of course. Way better than Iron Chef America.

[cmkramer]

100. My Favorites

Good Eats
Paula Dean's HomeCooking
Anything with Rachael Ray -- although her giggle is a little offputting at times.
Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee
Top5
The Secret Life of
Low Carb and Lovin' It

Edited to add one show I forgot: Unwrapped.