Food TV

I am huge fan of Food Network. This is obvious because if I wasn’t I probably wouldn’t be running this blog. However, every now and then something comes along and makes me want to switch the channel. I think the majority of the network is great. It appeals to my needs as an aspiring restaurant owner and it appeals to my needs as a home cook. However, there is one show more than any other that leaves me baffled, if not semi-disgusted.

Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee is on twice a day in the afternoon. The premise, according to the opening segment before the show begins, is that Sandra uses 70% store bought (box or packaged) ingredients and 30% fresh ingredients to make something quick and delicious, and of course, semi-homemade.

I can understand the basic idea of this. It’s something that is accessible to the home chef. The majority of the work is done for you so it should be easy. It should be something that anyone can do. However, Sandra Lee is a bothersome force on Food Network and I just can’t shake that feeling.

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This weekend I had a chance to sample Sweet Auburn Bread Company’s Sweet Potato Cheesecake. I originally saw this on Road Tasted when the Deen boys were in Atlanta tasting the best foods in ATL. Chef Sonya and her marvelous cheesecake was one of their three stops. I recently got in touch with Chef Sonya and she was nice enough to send me one for review and to offer one to my readers if they enter to win a free sweet potato cheesecake of their own.

The cheesecake arrived in your standard temperature controlled box. This allowed the cheesecake to stay cold with the icepack on top but not to freeze. Once taking it out of the box and opening the bakery box I was left with a standard eight or nine inch cheesecake that was a beautiful orange color on top. It looked delicious and you could smell this lovely aroma of cinnamon almost immediately. So, within minutes I was grabbing plates and divvying up pieces to the collective critics in the Evans house.

I was sold on this from the very first bite. I’m not always the biggest pie eater in the world because I’m not a fan of crust. This is probably why I love cheesecake so much. More often than not, you’re dealing with a graham cracker crust. This sweet potato cheesecake moves beyond the crust though and offers you a moist and beautiful pound cake base. The base is incredibly thin and melts in your mouth. The texture it adds to the cheesecake layer is amazing because it’s just so fluid. It goes together much better than I imagined it would. I knew the combination sounded amazing, but I expected it to be much richer, and was pleasantly surprised when I found how subtle yet flavorful it really was. (more…)

I made this last night for Dominick and myself to try. Dom loves soup, but isn’t overly fond of uncooked onions or cheddar. I, on the other hand, am addicted to cheese with cheddar one of my favorite kinds. Oddly enough, I have never had cheddar soup and Dominick is a lover of cheesy Walkabout Soup from Outback. Not knowing how similar this soup would be to the Walkabout Soup, but knowing he wanted some kind of soup for supper, I decided to give this a try.

All I can say is Wow! Dom went crazy for the soup. He tried a small bowl and wanted seconds. I was told “This is so good, Ash! It tastes like Walkabout Soup, only better!”

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The title here is pretty self-explanatory. I am going to list the top chefs that have shows on the network and let you know why I like them. Feel free to let me know who your favorites are and why you like them, too!

Emeril

Show(s): Emeril Live, Essence of Emeril

Reason I Like Them: Emeril is Food Network. By that I mean that he is everything that one would think the Food Network is going for when they make their shows. He makes amazing food that is accessible to the home cook. Emeril is the type of Chef that makes you want to cook. I love that I can point his recipes out just by the names of them. You can tell what an Emeril recipe would be because just the sound makes your mouth water. He’s also completely entertaining and fun to watch. He makes food cool, which is amazing.

Paula Deen

Show(s): Paula’s Home Cooking, Paula’s Party (more…)

Breadwinner is an amazing bakery that is based in Atlanta, Georgia. I first learned about them late one night when I was watching Road Tasted. The Deen Boys visited three places in Atlanta and by the luck of the cards I will be reviewing all three places for you. Breadwinner is the first of the three. On the show, Jamie and Bobby sampled two of the Breadwinner Breads. On their lineup was Papa Don’t Peach, which is what I’ve had a chance to sample, and Party at My Place Pumpkin, which is due out in October.

The bread arrived this afternoon and I was greeted with an adorably packaged product when I got it out of the shipping box. Each loaf of bread comes in its own cardboard loaf container and is wrapped in cellophane. The cellophane is wrapped with ribbon that is tied in a bow. It’s so cute. It’s like getting your own little present. Of course, you have no idea what you’re going to get when you unwrap your present to taste your bread.

Before I say too much, I will say three things before giving my complete review. First, I am not a huge bread fan. I like it, but I don’t love it. Next, I have never been to Atlanta. Finally, I’ve never had peach bread before. All of that being said, if all of Atlanta’s cuisine was as good as Breadwinner’s Papa Don’t Peach, I would move. In fact, I would move tomorrow. (more…)

I have to admit that I am one of those self professed girly girls in some ways. For example, I like snuggling more than watching sports. Of course, being that I am engaged to a sports blogger you can imagine how well that goes over. At some point in our relationship we have learned to compromise. I get to snuggle while he screams at the television watching sports. I have learned to appreciate them somewhat and in turn, he has learned to appreciate Food Network (who can blame him?). Needless to say when Chef Robert Irvine ended up at a Chicago White Sox game where he had to cook for two hundred people, it was a show that both of us were ready to watch.

Dominick likes to describe Dinner Impossible as Mission Impossible meets the kitchen. Since it’s a pretty good description, I will borrow it, as I am sure he won’t mind. While all of the food missions that Chef Robert is given seem impossible, this one takes the cake. He has to prepare food in the commissary of the Chicago White Sox Stadium. He can only use the typical ballpark food, which is frozen in boxes available to him, but he needs to give it gourmet flare. Now here’s the hard part. He is cooking for 200 retired policemen and their friends and he has to have the food ready by the seventh inning stretch. Oh, and that’s with completely frozen food and after throwing the first pitch of the game.

Chef Robert is British so telling him that he has to have his food prepared by the seventh inning stretch means little to him. He has no idea how baseball is played. When he learns that an inning can last for a really short time or can last for a long time he seemed ready to get to work. After all, an inning really is determined by just six strikes. He had to hope for the best otherwise he might end up in trouble, especially with all that frozen food. (more…)

If you are a fan of Road Tasted with Jamie and Bobby Deen and you caught the episode where they toured Atlanta then you might be familiar with what I am about to offer to one lucky winner. One of the establishments featured was a bakery, the Sweet Auburn Bread Company.

Chef Sonya, the owner of the business, makes a fabulous sweet potato cheesecake that is more like two desserts in one. Rather than putting crust down for this fabulous dessert, Chef Sonya kicks it up a notch and puts some of her homemade pound cake as the base for the cheesecake. The result appears to be something moist, creamy, and absolutely scrumptious. It’s said that it’s fit for a president because Bill Clinton tried it out and before he left, he had one boxed to take with him!

I am lucky enough to be reviewing one of these cheesecakes, so I will let you know how it is in a review as soon as one arrives. Until then, you have a chance to win one for yourself! Winning is simple and its well worth it, as it is a $50 value. If you want to win a sweet potato cheesecake all you need to do is comment here on this post about your favorite local bakery. (more…)

Have you ever found yourself watching Food Network and wishing you were featured on one of their shows? Maybe you own a bakery, a diner, or some other type of culinary business. If you watch shows like Food Finds, $40 a Day, Rachael Ray’s Tasty Travels, and Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives you might be hoping that one of these days the network comes knocking on your door.

The bad news is that I cannot make that happen. However, I can offer you an alternative. I can offer you a spot right here on my Food Network blog. If you would like to have your culinary masterpiece reviewed and are willing to ship something that I can try that represents your restaurant, then I will offer you a nice little spot with pictures, a review, and links to your product(s). (more…)

Tonight was the night that some of you have been waiting for since season three of the Next Food Network Star began. Amy, Rory, and all of the other finalists were on the Food Network stage to find out the results of the winner of the Next Food Network Star. As my regular readers know, I was pretty nervous about who would win, especially considering the fact that Rory spent a good amount of time advertising through email and celebrity websites. However, there was much more to this show beyond the winner so let’s get down to the recap and talk about the winner in a minute.

Rory was shown first saying her tagline, “I cook real food, for real people.” The next shot was of Amy, who stated that she was the, “Gourmet Next Door.” Once we saw the finalists it was time for the show to begin. The finale was hosted by Marc Summers, the host of Unwrapped or if you’re a kid at heart (like me) you might know him from the original Double Dare. Summers wanted to know who was going to win and the audience began shouting. I thought I heard Amy quite a bit, but Summers said the votes sounded split down the middle.

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Tonight is the conclusion of the Next Food Network Star on Food Network. In less than an hour, one of two women will be given their own Food Network show for at least six episodes. Based on the talent offered in these remaining two, I’m hoping the reign really is only six episodes, but that’s for another article.

I have to admit I am dreading watching this last episode. It almost seems as bad as when Taylor Hicks went on to win American Idol even though he was substandard and unentertaining. What we are left with is…well, leftovers. Every one of the cast members had flaws, no doubt, but to be left with loud and snobby was much less than I was hoping for when I started watching this season.

I wrote an article the other day about Rory begging for votes and asking if people thought it was pathetic. Come to find out I didn’t know how far she and her family were willing to go to try and “win” this popularity contest. According to Second Helpings, Schepisi’s ability to beg is something she shares with her family and they were all in on the madness. (more…)

Food Network has joined forces with a charity organization known as Share Our Strength. Food Network is the official national television sponsor for this excellent organization that is fighting to end the childhood hunger epidemic in America.

If you want to help, a great way is to host a bake sale in your community. You can register to host a bake sale by visiting Great American Bake Sale. The Great American Bake Sale initiative began on May 19 and will last until August 31. Sign up today and have a chance to help feed children who desperately need your help and join the million of people who are already participating.

The money that is earned will go to raise the level of money necessary to create summer and after-school feeding programs for low-income children. You will also be helping to support nutritional based education programs for lower income families. (more…)

Take James Bond and mix him with a hint of Houdini and what do you get? You get Dinner Impossible. Chef Robert Irvine returns to Food Network on June 22 for the second season of Dinner Impossible. The first episode will air Sunday night, immediately after the conclusion of the Next Food Network Star. The first episode will have Chef Robert heading to the south side of Chicago for a White Sox Baseball game. His mission will be to feed a section full of 200 fans.

The catch is that he will need to be able to do this by the seventh inning stretch. Depending on who the Sox are playing, this could be a tough challenge. Hopefully he will have a little time to prepare before the game begins. Otherwise we might not see too many people eating.
Chef Robert is always entertaining to watch and usually manages to do a good job at meeting all or most of his challenge’s demands. (more…)

I pondered adding a dessert today before posting a recipe but I ended up choosing something for dinner instead. My family is known for being addicted to three kinds of foods: Southern, Italian, and Mexican. That being said lasagna is one of the biggest dishes in my house. Now, I have my own way of making it that my mom passed down to me, and likely her mother before her, but every now and then I like to try something new. I have made a couple of my own tasty creations but hearing this combo made my mouth water.

I love the combination of chicken and mushrooms. When you add in spinach Alfredo I am simply in heaven. From the looks of this recipe you should not have any trouble making it, whether you are a new cook or you have tons of experience.

As for me, I think this will be going on the menu next week. If you try it before me, let me know how it goes! (more…)

The commercial keeps running on Food Network. JAG steps down. Amy comes back. Now there are two. Amy and Rory are the last two standing, one by default, but still she is here. In the commercial, Bob Tushman asks, “Do we even have a star here?”

While this question actually came from a prior episode, I think the answer is no. Maybe I am alone in this. Maybe I am being too hard on the two that are left because my favorite is gone. Then again, maybe I am right. I cannot help but consider the amazing entertainers and chefs on the Food Network – Emeril, Paula, Giada, Ina, Guy, Bobby, Rachael, and so many others.

Unfortunately, when I think of those stars I have a hard time thinking that a show placed in the middle of any of those names above with either Amy or Rory would be interesting enough for me to consider watching. I think the main problem I am having is a problem that has been listed by nearly every Food Network judge since about the second show.

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I will admit that competition-wise, Iron Chef is definitely one of my favorite network shows. My boyfriend, Dominick loves to tell me how I should go on one of the Food Network cooking competition shows, but I think he is biased. I like to think I still have a long way to go when it comes to defining my food style and I need a bigger kitchen to play around in before I’d even consider going. However, in the meantime I watch shows like the Next Food Network Star and Iron Chef and get a wistful “feeling” as I discuss what I might have done had I been on the show.

If you love the Iron Chef and find that you take things to extremes, you might be able to show your spirit on Food Network. The network is looking for people that have taken their love of Iron Chef to the next level. For example, do you like to watch the show in your own little uniform? Do you play food commentator in your kitchen? Do you have your own Iron Chef Food competitions? If you do any of these things or something equally as interesting, then you should let them know. They are looking for you!

The people that the Network is interested in will have a chance to experience the rush of airtime. The Food Network cameras will come and capture you in action or you can send them a tape on your own. If your story is chosen that could mean that you will be featured on the Food Network along with other Iron Chef Fans. If you think you have that fan quality then you need to submit your story.

Let us know if you’ve entered and how it turns out. If you are featured on the show, I will make sure to let our readers know!

Iron Chef, Food Network, Contest