Food Network Fans!! Network Cooks/Chefs....Who do you love/hate?

[bicentennial_baby]

Me:

Love:

Giada DeLaurentiis (Beautiful, with yummy Italian food, and great cinematography)
Alton Brown (Geeky fun!)
Mario Battali (Me loves the Italian food)
Paula Deen (Buttah, buttah, buttah...and great energy)

Hate:

Rachel Ray (I could go my entire life without hearing "e.v.o.o" and "yummo")
Sandra whatshername (It's cocktail time! Glug, glug, burp!)
Emeril (Loopy m'fer)
Bobby Flay (An ego the size of Asia)

Conflicted: Ina Garten (HATE her voice and condescending manner, love her recipes :shrug:)

You? :)

[GOPisEvil]

1. You know what, RachAel was getting on my nerves a bit.

But, she wrote a little piece in the latest Esquire that raised her up in my estimation. She pleads guilty to all the things that people can't stand about. Basically, she is who she is.

Now, as for Sandra Lee, it's a good thing her show isn't on at times I'm likely to watch FoodTV. Ugh, is she awful!

[bicentennial_baby]

2. I'll have to check that out

I mean, she's not a bad person, it's just too much "perky" for my taste. Her food's ok, if a lil boring at times. :)

and yes, we are in agreement on Ms Sandra... :hug:

[GOPisEvil]

3. Rachael's recipes work though.

Every one I've tried has come out pretty good. I don't do the whole 30 minute thing because I generally make only the entree.

I just remember the Christmas special last year when Sandra was drunkenly flirting her ass off at Bobby Flay. He looked like he couldn't WAIT to get away from her. :rofl:

[hopein08]

19. I hated Rachael Ray on the Food Network but I LOVE her new show on NBC!

Crazy, I know. Especially since she still is super-energetic and says EVOO and Yum-oh all the time. But it's great!

[buddhamama]

43. agreed

i saw in interview with her recently and she said people have a right to disagree and question her because she doesn't have 'papers' ( i think she meant a culinary degree), didn't go to school, etc. she said she took no offense to it.

She is humble as well as fun.

i'll be reading the Esquire piece. thanks.

[bigwillq]

4. I love Rachael Ray!

Although her new talk show is kind of bad.
But her recipes are awesome. Cheap and quick on time. My sister makes many things from Ray's cookbooks and they're all very good.

I also love Alton Bronw and Ina Garten.


I HATE Sandra Lee.

[tinfoil tiaras]

5. Oh, Sandra Lee

"Guess what? It's cocktail time...my FAVORITE part of the show..." :rofl:

Rachael's voice annoys me somewhat, but other than that, I kinda like her show.

I love Paula Deen and her sons. Alot.

[jmm]

6. I can't watch Sara Moulton

The last time I tried to I turned it off after she said she never realized that soup can be vegetarian :eyes:.

I love everybody on your love list and the Iron Chefs. I wouldn't eat most of what they cook but it's fun to watch.

[hopein08]

21. My high school foods teacher made us watch Sara Moulton & Emeril...

and I hated high school foods, so I can't watch either of them without bad memories!

[Catchawave]

7. I really like them all, I just have favorites....

Rachel, Bobby, Paula, Alton and Ina I'll watch, the others, I flip the channel :D

[SeattleGirl]

8. Paula Deen is my very favorite!

A lot of it is because of her personality. And she does prepare some good dishes, too. Reminds me of some of the stuff my southern grandmother used to make. :9

[dolo amber]

9. I have a MASSIVE lady-crush on Giada

I get all ooglie in my belly when she's on. :D

I agree with you 100% on your list bi_baby. 'Cept I love Ina. Her and Giada are like food pr0n. :loveya:

[bicentennial_baby]

15. I'm so conflicted about Ina!

It's just her voice and manner that grate on me...otherwise, she's a-ok with me :)

:loveya:

Oh, and I totally agree with you on Giada :D

[RiffRandell]

10. Love Tyler Florence.

Food 911/Tyler's Ultimate. He is so hot! Like most of his recipes too.

[bigwillq]

14. Ooh, forgot about him.

I really like Tyler.

[Rabrrrrrr]

25. I'd like him better if he didn't say "alright", "right" and "okay" every

fourth word.

[YankeyMCC]

11. Alright

Favorites:
Alton Brown
Mario Battali
Bobby Flay - I know what you mean about his ego but man do I like the looks of what he makes and everything I've tried so far
Rachel Ray - She just barely makes it to the favorites list, sometimes I have to take a break but I almost always enjoy the show
The new guy from Ham on the Street seems pretty cool
and of course there's Giada DeLaurentiis although I'm barely aware of what she cooks :) (and those sequences of her hands doing mundane stuff like cracking eggs etc.. get annoying)

Hate:
That semi-home made woman...Sandra right? ugg
Emeril - sometimes I like what he makes and I do agree with him on the Pork Fat thing but he really gets on my nerves
Paula

Slightly conflicted on Ina Garten - she creeps me out but again I usually find her show interesting.

[AlCzervik]

12. Bobby Flay is the devil and Sandra the booze hound looks like she got

a boob job, a big one unless she's got some great new bra--not that theres anything wrong with her getting a boob job but she went from small to cantaloupe size.

[BuddhaGirl]

13. I love...

--Ina Garten (low key, interesting recipes, is messy in the kitchen)
--Giada deLaurentiis (good recipes, although she's not too articulate)

barely tolerate...

Rachael Ray (that voice UGH!)
Paula Deen (her European special with her hubby was AWFUL...she showed no class at all!!)
Sandra Lee (WTF is a "tablescape" anyway??!!)

[zonkers]

16. Giada could feed me rubber cement on toast and I'd ask for seconds.

[CBGLuthier]

17. OK

Really like Alton Brown and respect his background, tv producer who wanted to do cooking shows so he learned to cook.
Plus he is the one guy who explains why things need to be done a certain way.

Mario is OK, but a little full of himself.

Miss Sara Molton, one of the best cooks on the network.

Paula Dean is fine.

Not too fond of the italian lady. Just don't like that style of cooking show.

Rachael Ray is OK, although her bubbly personality can grate.

Not a big Emeril fan but he isn't too bad.

Hate and despise Bobby Flay and mostly watch American Iron Chef just to watch him get beat.

[Kingofalldems]

18. Barefoot Contessa question

Would she eat a plain peanut butter and jelly sammich? Doubt it, unless the the peanut butter and jelly were imported.

[jmm]

20. I don't know but

Paula Deen would use a stick of butter making that peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

[bumblebee1]

31. Paula does use a lot of butter in her cooking.

I think she single handedly keeps the dairy farmers in Georgia in business. Her food always looks good, but, I don't think you can eat it every day with the fat content. Southern food tends to be quite high in fat.

[BuddhaGirl]

27. yep, I think she would

I mean, she lives in East Hampton (LOVE LOVE LOVE her beautiful house) and all, but she comes across to me as pretty down to earth.

[Redstone]

22. I sure do like little Rachel to look at, but I'd be able to live with her

for about twelve minutes before her fingernails-on-the-blackboard voice and her WAY too frequent little "heh-heh" turned me homicidal.

She's a cutie, though.

Redstone

[bicentennial_baby]

23. I feel ya

Absolutely :D

:loveya:

[Redstone]

24. Those lips...those cupcakes...

Redstone

[Susang]

26. I don't like any of the Food Network "talent"

I'd much rather read the French Laundry cookbook and watch a movie instead. :D

However, I do watch "No Reservations" on The Travel Channel. I don't really consider that a cooking show. ;-)

[BuddhaGirl]

28. Hubby and I never miss "No Reservations"

I think Anthony Bourdain's show is edgy and extremely interesting.

Loved the show from Paris - funny to see him groovin' on the absinthe LOL

[JI7]

29. Mario Batali's food looks the best

if i could have any of them cook for me it would probably be him.

Bobby Flay is an asshole.

[bumblebee1]

30. I enjoy watching the Food Network

My husband watches alot of Alton Brown. He also watches Paula Deen. My problem with her and Michael's European tour was at the end of the show when they were in Paris. Paula is almost crying about wishing her family were in Paris with her. The sons and daughter-in-law show up and the first thing Paula says to them is "Who's watching the restaurant?" I was under the impression that she and Michael were on their honeymoon.

My favorite chefs to watch are:
Giada- she reminds me of my travels in Italy.
Michael Chiarello- he can cook for me anytime he wants.
Ina Garten

Chefs that I can take in small doses:
Rachel Ray- The giggle after almost every sentence makes her sound like she's still in jr high.
Emeril- I like his show "Essence of Emeril." I don't like his current show "Emeril Live." I just don't like the format and the way he's trying to be the Johnny Carson of tv chefs. "Bam" got old for me very quickly.
Bobby Flay- his attitude can grate on me. Maybe he's just some brash NYer who got a lucky break.

[wickerwoman]

32. Chen Kenmin from the Iron Chef Japanese.

You just want to throw your arms around him and give him a big hug. There's an episode where he's working with scorpion fish (I think) and he says he's not at a disadvantage cooking seafood even though he's from Sichuan and his nickname is "Beachboy Chen".

I don't really like Giada just because she wears three inch acrylic nails while she's mixing meatloaf by hand and I find that really, really disturbing. I'm not that thrilled with Mario either- I think he's a bit pedantic. Can't stand Rachael Ray or Emeril either. She reminds me of the cheerleader who was always trying to get me to smile more in high school and he's just an attention whore.

I like Masaharu Morimoto on the Iron Chef. I can take or leave Bobby Flay. I like the Barefoot Contessa and Paula Dean. I think that's about it though.

[bertha katzenengel]

33. OH. Oh, oh, oh, oh.

LOVE Cat Cora, the Iron Chef. Hubba, hubba.

LOVE Paula Deen. Number one seasoning: butter. Number two seasoning: bacon fat. :rofl:

LOVE Duff the cake guy's CREW. And the cakes. (Did you see the bumper cars?)

CAN'T ABIDE Rachel Ray, Emeril, or Bobby Flay. I used to like Mario before he started having people at the bar.

Oh, yeah:

LOVE Alton Brown. My straight nephew says, "If I were gay, my boyfriend would be like him."

:loveya:

[bicentennial_baby]

34. Awww, loving the Alton comment

Hey girl, how you be? I miss you so! :hug:

:loveya:

[bertha katzenengel]

35. down, down, down

bad juju right now. but i will survive. see tag line. :loveya:

[bicentennial_baby]

36. Aw, sweetie....

I'm sorry....I want you to be happy, always. I'm here for you :hug:

and if I possibly could, I'd adopt that lil grey kitten in a second! but, the Mrs is intensely allergic, sigh...Although she fell in love with the pics as well... :)

:loveya:

[bertha katzenengel]

37. Pics are great things to look at when we can't have the real thing.

*Ahem* :blush:

[bicentennial_baby]

38. Heehee, ain't that the truth!

:blush:

You're da woman...Sniffa and I were just discussing how much you rock very recently. We adore you so!!! :loveya:

[bertha katzenengel]

39. oh, lord, you're gonna give me the big head

:blush:

love to you all :loveya:

[bicentennial_baby]

40. and to you and yours as well dahling

always :loveya:

[Ediacara]

41. I agree with you 100%

Emerill would be tolerable without the audience. That's what kills him and makes him Dr Phil with a frying pan.

[Twillig]

42. And I agree with you 100%

I really like Emeril on his "Essense of Emeril" show in the afternoons. I think he comes across very well there. Nice and restrained, food looks good.

If Rachel Ray wasn't over the top with the waving arm gestures and 'sammies' etc. I'd like her more.

Call me a bigot, but Paula Deen's accent drives me up a wall.

DeLaurentis--I can't trust someone who either: never eats the food she cooks, or is a bulimic with great white shiny teeth.

Alton Brown gets the
:thumbsup:

I like watching Bobby Flay, especially 'Throwdown.' When he burnt his rice in the Jambalaya challenge--priceless (btw, the chowder guy got jobbed by the yobbo judge)

Everybody else sucks. :-)

[Katina]

44. can't stand Paula, but I'm with you on the rest. Nigella is coming

to FoodTV. She is fantastic....and very sexy.
I also like Tyler Florence.

[miss_american_pie]

46. OMG

I adore Nigella. You just made my day. :hi:

[Katina]

47. we could only see Nigella Bites after midnight here

on either Bravo or A&E (can't remember which) I just saw a commercial on FoodTV the other day that Nigella is bringing a new show onto the networks... I am SO excited! :applause:

[buddhamama]

45. my favorite two

are Giada and Paula Dean. I have a small crush on Giada. :) :hi:

[johnnie]

48. Giada DeLaurentiis cooks on that show?

I did not know that. I'll have to watch for it next time.

[Generic Brad]

49. Emeril scares me

Too much "bam" for my taste.

[philosophie_en_rose]

50. Love: Alton Brown, Tyler Florence, Jamie Oliver; Hate Sandra Lee & Flay

Giada de Laurentis, Paula Deen, and Rachel Ray can be fun to watch. (Nigella Lawson is too, though she's not on yet). I also enjoy all of the original Iron Chefs.

Bobby Flay is an unmitigated ass. His so-called challenge show is a joke. Basically, he finds people that cook well, and then has his assistants come up with a similar recipe. Then - after extensive help - he shows up to challenge people, as if he was naturally superior. Dumbass.

Rachel Ray is sometimes cutesy, but she's so good-natured that I can forgive her quirky catchphrases. Yum-O.

Sandra Lee is a joke. Her so-called recipes are neither cheaper nor simpler than making things from scratch.

[Arugula Latte]

51. I like Giada, Ina, Mario, Paula, Tyler, the Napa guy, Sara, and Rachael.

I despise Sandra ("tablescape") Lee and Bobby ("full of myself for no particular reason") Flay.

I'm neutral on Emeril and Alton -- nothing against them, I just don't particularly enjoy their shows.

[Joey Liberal]

52. I like Rachel Ray

She's always hungry and happy. I like that in a broad.

[wain]

53. I still think the original French Chef was the best

Julia Child did not need all the choreographer and cleavage shots to make her show work.

Just black and white, and a real education in cooking.

:)