Rachel Ray

[Vishenka69]

I love Jacques Pepin and Barefoot Contessa cookbooks and use them all the time, but I don't like either show. I have a hard time understanding his accent and I think she's so condensending. Every time she says "Make sure to use good olive oil/mayo/mustard/etc. it really makes all the difference" I just want to throw something at her. The tone doesn't come through in the books and her recipies are very easy to follow.

I like Alton Brown but he's a bit too technical for me, I get bored and stop paying attention.

Whenever I catch Paula Deen's show, she's always saying "Now ya'll we take this stick of butter..." I'm not big on Southern cuisine.

Ohhh...you're right! She states that in her books and it comes across differently -- I agree with her. But it does sound sort of snotty on the show.

[DCJenn]

I love foodtv but I have my favorites-

Love Alton Brown. I want him to be my neighbor because you know the cookouts would involve some kind of McGyver set-up.

Completely tired of RR and Emeril. Their publicists have done too good a job.

I love what Giada cooks.

Whoever did the review of Sandra whatever her name is is dead on. She's a toothpick and get totally loopy at the end of the show. Her food usually is unintersting but her drinks look good!

I love the Ace of Cakes guy, mostly because I love the scenes of Baltimore.

Barefoot Contessa's stuff is far too complicated for my daily world but it always looks good. and I like that she and her husband are still in love.

I miss Tyler Florence- he's looking well, chubby isn't the right word- he looks like he's on steriods- and the medicinal kind, not the weight lifting kind. He just looks puffy and swollen all over so I was wondering if he was sick or something. He had a ton of shows and then-poof- nothing.

Jenn

[Ravenclaw]

I want him to be my neighbor because you know the cookouts would involve some kind of McGyver set-up.

We want to be his neighbors too. I bet he tries recipes out on people in his neighborhood. I love how he hates "uni-taskers" and all the side characters in his show like "W" and his alter-ego BA Brown. The nerds that we are, we looked up information about the show and found out a lot of the characters on the show are actually people in his life. Like W is his chiropractor.

[alison]

I liked Rocco. Did anyone see his reality show? I loved it!

[Vishenka69]

I saw the show a few times and granted there was a lot of editing but he was never in the kitchen. He is cute though.

Who was the guy who came to real kitchens and cooked with real people? Was that Tyler? I miss that show. One episode was in a NYC studio and he barely fit into the kitchen, it was hysterical. The cameraman had to practically sit on top of the stove for the lack of room.

[Auspicious]

Barefoot Contessa's stuff is far too complicated for my daily world but it always looks good. and I like that she and her husband are still in love.

She has a husband??

Yes, Jeffrey. And she likes to make all his favorite things!

[alison]

Yes, Jeffrey. And she likes to make all his favorite things!

That's what a mil is for.

My quickie take on the peeps you have all been talking about:

Jaques Pepin - LOVE to watch the man work w/chocolate. It's just so amazing. I've never seen him do anything else.

Giada - HATE her. HATE her! There was a line on The West Wing once that I'm pretty sure was directed at her (or Nigella).

• Margaret (to Leo): You're going home to watch that show, aren't you?
  
  Leo: Yes. I like my show. It's a cooking show, don't give me a hard time.
  
  Margaret: It's soft-core porn if you ask me. Nobody need to rub a pork loin that much.

Totally nerdy of me to remember it ... it just really struck me as funny.

Back to the topic at hand:

Sandra Lee: I own one of her cookbooks, and there are a few decent / easy things in there. I've tried to watch her show once or twice, but couldn't get past ... her.

Barefoot Contessa: I HATE the way that show is shot. It makes me feel like I'm drunk trying to focus.

Alton Brown: Love him - it would be hard to find a nerd that doesn't.

Paula Deen: Eeew. My neighbor has one of her cookbooks, and I tried a couple recipes out of them. Nothing special. I even tried her method of making scrambled eggs (I was bored) and they were gross.

[kaseymarie]

I really do love the food network....I watch it all the time, but Sandra Lee. Honestly, does her outfit have to match her kitchen every episode?? Who does that...

One of my favorites lately is Giada and I enjoy the shows about healthy cooking....even though there are only a couple of them. :waiting:

[DCJenn]

Was that Tyler? I miss that show.

Yes, that was him. He still has one on during daytime hours I think but it may be repeats.

and Jenn P. - My husband IS that line from WW. Think there's any reason why Nikolai refers to RR as "Daddy's Girl on TV". and Good Lord- Giada makes his heart palpitate. (and other things as well, I'm sure, I just choose to ignore him and watch the show)

Jenn

[migirl]

My very favorite Food Network show is "Unwrapped". I'm such a nerd.

What do you think of Rick Bayless? I have watched some of his PBS series. At first he annoyed me because he was so damn happy but then I grew to admire his enthusiasm. I like his cookbooks.

I think RR is hilarious! She cracks me up whenever I watch her on Food Network. (She's kind of annoying on her Rachel Ray show.) Did anyone see her team up with Mario Batali on Iron Chef America? They were cooking against Team Bobby Flay/Giada. I missed the ending.