We need a thread in this forum about The Food Network. I have never watched The Kardashians, Real Housewives of Wherever or Jersey Shore, but I am addicted to The Tournament of Champions on The Food Network. It got me through a hospital stay after major invasive abdominal surgery when nothing was allowed in my mouth for three days after I left the OR. I ate vicariously by binge watching every episode of a TOC #1 rerun (the only thing I have ever binge watched) while in a hospital bed contemplating how I was going to live the rest of my life missing a bunch of internal organs important to digesting food. AND then there is Carnival Eats, which is a show on the equivalent of ESPN2 for the Food Channel in which this guy who is much too skinny goes around the country to state fairs eating greasy, sweet, fried ulcer producers. And then there was the time that Bobby Flay had a gorgeous runway model as a judge in a father versus son competition and when she walked over to the son to see what he was cooking, he went catatonic. Luckily, she realized that he was in a coma and without saying anything, she walked over to the father’s station to chat.
I have eaten at Marcus Samuelson’s restaurant and had a great lunch there. Last year, we stopped in at a restaurant in Taos, New Mexico that we chose at random for a very good Mexican meal and discovered that it had been featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. Other than that, I do not think I have eaten any food prepared by any of the other chefs on the various shows, but I love to watch them just to get ideas and techniques.
Anyone else have The Food Network as a guilty pleasure?
Yes, I do watch the Food Network (and the Cooking Channel) a decent amount. Some of the shows are flat-out terrible, but some are indeed entertaining. I, like Bdklein, like to watch Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives and have taken some fun ideas from some of the dishes highlighted. Some really can’t stand Guy Fieri’s persona, but I don’t mind it. I also have taken a few dishes from Ree Drummond / Pioneer Woman, specifically some very practical dishes for a busy family with young-ish kids. She’s really not on anymore I don’t think, but I always enjoyed Ina Garten and her shows.
I’ll never watch any of the baking shows (boring as hell to me, and the “kids” version is even more ridiculous of an idea in my opinion), can’t stand the Worst Cooks thing, am not much of a fan of the Carnival Eats, and the Man vs. Food thing makes me feel sick just watching it.
We enjoy the FN, usually BBF. Surprisingly, I’ve incorporated a few things from the show in my cooking. I’ve always wondered the logistics behind that show as the ingredients are always available for round two and judges typically cook the same cuisine as the signature dish.
Good thread actually. My grandmother lived 30 miles on a gravel road from a town of 800 on a ranch (that’s where I grew up). She loved Julia Child and as kids, we watched it with her and helped make dishes off the show. She was a great cook, canned amazing things and raised 100 broiler chickens a year. She inspired my love of food.
Fast forward to college, we watched Molto Mario, Chiarello and Emeril almost everyday. Weird dichotomy as we would drink Keystone light while watching.
I quit watching 15 or so years ago when I gave up cable. It’s come full circle as Justin Warner (regular on Food Network) has opened up a ramen shop and wine bar in Rapid City, SD. We had an amazing Valentine’s Day dinner there and Justin has become a friend. He knows good beef and appreciates the passion, commitment and time that ranchers in the Dakotas put into raising some of the best beef in the world.
I now watch some shows and do try to learn some things. After talking to Justin, the shows don’t always do the chefs justice with how hard they actually work on their craft.
I enjoy ToC and find that Guy’s shtick works well for the format. The quality of the chefs in the competition is first rate and I love how dominant women chefs have been.
The Food Network and HGTV are pretty much our landing spot every evening unless something diverts our attention like a sporting event, a new movie release, etc…
One thing does annoy me about The Food Network. Notice how just about every show nowadays is a competition? When is the last time you watched a real classically trained chef conduct a cooking show on how to prepare something. PARTICULARLY one that is still in production with new episodes? Far and few between these days.
For whatever reason, when I had my feeding tube and my knees and ankles wouldn’t bend from the chemo, laying in bed watching DDD was a rescue for my mental health. That’s when I also realized just what the DDD effect was for small businesses. Couple of local folks now have an “empire” based off of the publicity from DDD. Say what you want about the Guy Fieri persona, the positive exposure for these restaurants in incalculable.
Like another commenter, I can’t stand the baking shows or kids shows.
Still love Chopped, as it seems like every night I am on the show. I get home and have an hour to get dinner on the table and my wife sometimes doesn’t give me the dinner theme until I walk in the door or she changes it from the earlier approved theme.
Guy’s shtick can get overbearing, but I don’t think anyone who loves good food can object to the values he promotes on DDD. It’s about honest cooking from scratch with quality ingredients at fair prices. I haven’t been to enough places featured on DDD to confirm whether they actually deliver on those values, but I support the message.
DDD is one of the greateat shows ever created, it is literally timeless. I still remember when he was pitching the idea on Next Food Network Star.
TOC is habit forming.
I like Beat Bobby Flay, he was headed down the hated path early on with his ego, particularly in Iron Chef standing on his cutting board. The FN came out with some shows for him that made him seem like less of a dick and this show is fun to watch.
I still remember the first time my roomate turned me on to Food Network telling me I wouldn’t believe it but a cooking show had a band…it was Emeril.
I have noticed the same thing. The only explanation I have come up with that does not involve cheating is that the producer talks to the competitors in advance and stocks for both of them AND they have two panels of judges in advance, whose identities are known only to a small few in the production group, and which one of them judges depends on who wins round one.
My beef with BBF is that the show seems to be slanted to Bobby. Too many times he strays a bit from the classic dish, and wins. And the judges somehow love that one chef strayed. But you’re supposed to make the classic/traditional dish.
BBF is an absolute guilty pleasure for me. It’s always a go to when there’s nothing else on that I want to watch. I’ve taken a couple of ideas from him.
As far as the show being slanted towards him, I disagree. He’s literally a great chef who has a very wide range of life/food experience underneath his belt. If you listen to Michael Symon, he’s always saying how Bobby has perfected many taste hacks that enhance a dish…anchovy bread crumbs anyone? He gets killed when it’s a pastry dish.
I met him at Via Carota…he was sitting at the table next to us. We only talked for a few minutes, but he was charming.
I’m not a regular watcher of DDD, but I do enjoy it. GF isn’t my cup of tea, but as others have said, I recognize the good the show does for these small businesses.
Probably liked the earlier days of FNTV when it was more cooking than entertainment but do like BBF on occasion and used to watch Restaurant Impossible quite a bit (until it started to make me rethink about ever eating at a small Mom & Pop restaurant tucked away in some strip mall ever again).
Today, really enjoy the PBS cooking shows particularly Primal Grill with Steve Raichlen. That dude is THE grill master of all time.
I’m 100% with you on the far too many competition shows being created and aired. I would LOVE to have some new shows with just an amazing chef preparing great food. Michael Chiarello (RIP), Ming Tsai, Ina Garten, Mario Batali, etc. all had good to great shows and that’s all it was, cooking.
Yes
Loved me some Molto Mario and Emeril Live back in the day. Even 30 minute meals with Rachael Ray has some nice tips and tricks. Can you say EVOO 30 times
Also, pre food network. Justin Wilson. I guar-ON-tee!!
I’ll stick with Great British Menu, Padma’s Taste the Nation and for fun My Kitchen Rules (AU version). Shan’s suggestion of Final Table is great too as is School of Chocolate.
