Food, Folks and Fun: A Discourse on The Food Network

I'm getting hooked on the Food Network. I love to cook, and I like finding new recipes to try (I like how the recipes are listed for each episode of a show, and you can save, print, and/or email them). I am my best test kitchen, although sometimes I have to take it to the masses sooner than planned (like the jambalaya I made for my contribution to Christmas dinner. Who knew that cayenne pepper came in two levels of hotness...and I accidentally got the REALLY hot one?).

Watching some of these celebrity chefs is a hoot. Iron Chef America is a favorite show, just because I like to see the weird combinations they come up with on each show with the "Special Ingredient". I also confess to liking the overly dramatic act of The Chairman (who I last remember seeing in the movie From the Cradle to the Grave, starring DMX and Jet Li). The way his eyes pop from his head at random times (particularly when he's showing the Secret Ingredient) is a trip. And the posing of the Iron Chefs in the beginning, like they're about to come off the stage and throws some 'bows.

Obviously, you had to have graduated from a culinary school to go where they go with regard to food pairings. I have seen some speshul combos, such as cranberry risotto and a pork ear, banana, and strawberry sandwich (with a shot of almond milk on the side). Bobby Flay did these biscuit rounds with slices of goat cheese and a cranberry relish on top during the "Cranberries" challenge. WTF? Goat cheese and cranberries? Who THINKS of these things?

And why do they seem to serve polenta (in some shape or form) on every show? Polenta is like an Italian version of grits...but different. Garlic polenta, cranberry polenta, black truffle polenta (!)...polenta must be one of the first things they teach you to make in culinary school. It's the "save your butt" side dish. But during the "Cranberries" battle between Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis against Mario Batali and Rachael Ray, the Batali/Ray won with some cranberry polenta. LOL).

More favorite shows:

I really enjoyed The Next Food Network Star (all praises due to God for holiday show marathons!). I was pleasantly surprised to see Aaron "Big Daddy" what's-his-name win Season 4, and get his show Big Daddy's House. Although the amount of black folks cooking on The Food Network were astounding (Sunny Anderson, The Neelys, that guy who runs the cooking camp for troubled teens, and Aaron). Food is truly one of the great equalizers (other than death).

You know I'm digging Miss Rachel Ray and her 30-Minute Meals. She gets mad props for boiling pasta in red wine. :D Although marriage must be good to her, 'cause ol' girl has gotten a bit chunky. I ain't mad at her, though. It lends to the credence of the show. Dinner: Impossible is a cool show too. I watched it for the first time when Michael Symon did a Crayola meal, where each course had to physically match the color of a crayon in a special palette chosen for the dinner (I think it was grape, salmon, sage, yellow, tomato, blueberry, and orange crayons). That was totally wild and creative!

I was finally glad to find out the name of the guy with the spiky blond hair and dark brown goatee (his name is Guy, and he won season 2 of The Next Food Network Star. Keep coming back; it really works!).

Favorite chefs: I like Michael Symon and Cat Cora (especially when she tosses back some ouzo at the end of her cooking. Go Cora!). Mario Batali is cool, too (even though the Food Network did him kinda dirty). Bobby Flay...he has his moments. He's arrogant, yet likeable...but he's also very New York City, and I have to take that into account. I like Ann Burrell because she talks to her food while cooking. I also like Robert Irvine, even though he falsified some of his credentials. He can still cook.

Now for my dislikes. Paula Deen is too Southern for this southern girl, and Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa) is just too monotone and low-key for me. Giada De Laurentiis irritates me for some reason (she's too perky), and Susan Lee is just too skinny (I'm sorry...a skinny cook, especially on the Food Network, is just wrong). The Neelys are too over-the-top lovey dovey. Guy what's-his-name is just too excitable, like a Jack Russell Terrier. He's kind of like Emeril Lite. Something about Aida (of Ask Aida) just doesn't sit right with me, and I can only take Bobby Flay in small doses.

Can't wait to watch season 5 of The Next Food Network Star, and the new reality show Chopped. (for some reason, T-Pain's "Chopped and Screwed" plays in my head when I see the commercial).

Thanks for stopping by.