4 posts tagged “television”

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Reality Culinary Season 4 Shows Finished

Jul 31, 2008
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Top Chef on Bravo - Stephanie Izard wins! I thought she was the best choice and my choice through out, though I would have been okay with Richard winning. The show was in Chicago this season, and that is where Stephanie resides. Where was Charlie Trotter? The best chef in the city was MIA. They did have some local celebrity chefs for judges, such as Gale Gand, Rick Tramonto, Rick Bayless, and Art Smith. I like Anthony Bourdain, but they did not need to fly him in from NYC. And give me a break, Rocco DiSpirito judging Chicago Deep Dish Pizza, AUGH!

Hell's Kitchen on Fox - Christina Machamer wins! At first thought this was a bad choice. Petrozza should have won, but Gordon Ramsay decided to go with the youth movement. The contestants for this show are generally pretty lousy, but they provide entertainment value. With legitimate chefs competing, Gordon wouldn't be able to yell as much. Gordon figures he can whip the young culinary student from St. Louis into shape. Petrozza was 47 and a decent guy, but not the future. I'm 50, and I understand Gordon's move, but the true winner was Petrozza in my book.

The Next Food Network Star on The Food Network - Aaron McCargo, Jr wins! Absolutely! I'm a cook in a hospital and we rock! His food was consistent throughout and he had an easy going personality, which is good for television and his new show Big Daddy. If Adam would've won, I would have been ok with it. The guy can cook and came on strong near the end, but struggled to get there, and Bobby Flay was not in his corner. Bob and Susie I thought were much warmer during this season and it made for friendlier judging.

My Top Ten Lists, Ok Maybe 10 or More

Mar 24, 2008
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Food Movies

1.) Big Night

2.) Ratatouille

3.) Mostly Martha (German Foreign Film)

4.) Who's Killing the Great Chefs of Europe

5.) My Big Fat Greek Wedding

6.) Chocolat

7.) Goodfellas

8.) Eat Drink Man Woman (Chinese Foreign Film)

9.) I Love You to Death

10.) Dinner Rush

11.) Sideways

Food Shows

1.) Iron Chef (Food Network - America, Fine Living Network - Japan)

2.) Iron Chef Japan (Fine Living Network)

3.) Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (BBC America)

4.) Top Chef (Bravo)

5.) Lidia's Italy (PBS)

6.) Everyday Italian (Food Network)

7.) Diners, Dives, and Drive-Ins (Food Network)

8.) Ace of Cakes (Food Network)

9.) No Reservations (Travel Channel)

10.) Kylie Kwong (Discovery Home)

11.) Everyday Food (PBS)

12.) Emril Green (Planet Green Discovery Network)

13.) Living with Ed (Planet Green Discovery Network)

14.) Gordan Ramsay's F Word (BBC America)

Magazines

1.) Slow Food (Free with Slow Food USA membership)

2.) Food Arts (Free for Industry Professionals)

3.) Modern Baking (Free for Industry Professionals)

4.) Gastronomica

5.) The Art of Eating

6.) King Arthur Flour Baking Sheet

7.) Food and Wine

8.) Everyday Food

9.) La Cucina Italiana

10.) Taste of Home

11.) Cooks Illustrated

Cookbooks

1.) Larousse Gastronomique

2.) The Silver Spoon

3.) Bernard Clayton's Complete Book of Breads

4.) The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook

5.) Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

6.) The New Making of a Cook: The Art, Techniques, and Science of Good Cooking

7.) The River Cottage Meat Book

8.) Pork and Sons

9.) The Silver Palate Cookbook (25th Anniversary Ed.)

10.) Breakfast Lunch Tea

11.) Larousse Encyclopedia of Wine

Foods I Love

1.) Pizza

2.) Spaghetti

3.) Lobster

4.) Chilie (Red or Green, 3 Alarm Hot)

5.) Buffalo Style Chicken Wings

6.) Duck

7.) Asparagus

8.) Tamales

9.) any Artisan Bread (Ciabatta is a favorite)

10.) any Artisan Cheese (Grana Padano is a favorite)

11.) Tiramisu

12.) Bread Pudding

13.) Bouillabaisse

14.) Colorado Lamb

Maid Rite on Feasting on Asphalt 2

Aug 27, 2007
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Seeing Alton Brown, last Saturday night, at the beloved Maid Rite restaurant in my hometown of Quincy, IL brought back a flood of memories. In Quincy, it's an institution, a landmark, a part of history, it is the town's identity.

Maid Rite

My parents used to take me there when I was a young tyke. Maid Rite sandwiches and also their famous tenderloins were only 17 cents. This was the early 60's. My Dad had his first date with my Mother there, back in the 40's. My Dad also worked here as a teenager. So naturally, I would continue the family tradition and work there when I was in College, this was 1977.

Every time when I go back to Quincy, the first place I eat is Maid Rite. If you have never had the experience, a Maid Rite is a loose meat hamburger. The greasier the better, that way they slide down easier. There is a Maid Rite franchise in Ft Collins, CO that I have yet to venture to, as it is over an hour from where I live, but I will get there someday, as it's a lot closer than the 786 miles I now live from IL. My wife and kids have eaten there on visits, and now my grandkids must get their chance to taste one of the great sandwiches of all time!

So Many Food Shows, So Little Time

Aug 20, 2007
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Anthony Bourdain - 'No Reservations'

There are so many food and wine shows on television these days, it's hard to decide which ones to watch. Add to that all the different networks that carry them. We all know about the Food Network, but add in PBS, DIY, Fine Living, History, Bravo, BBC America, TLC, Discovery Home, The Travel Channel, Fox and the occasional prime time network specials and you can go crazy trying to keep up. So what do you do, what else, watch all of them.

You should absolutely watch all of them, at least a few times. Then you can decide which ones you can identify with and find useful and entertaining. Then set your DVR or VCR and record them. New shows are always being added, as well as one time specials, make sure you see these, as well. Miss nothing. Enrich your knowledge and experience. This exposure will inspire you and hopefully keep your creative juices flowing!