Food TV

First of all, I would like to thank Chris Cognac for commenting on my blog reviewing the Ellis Island BBQ. I am deeply honored that you chose to read my blog, and I really appreciate your comment. Even if we disagree on the restauraunt itself, I would gladly take your opinions into account when looking for a new place to eat.

Now, there is one reason I have not yet blogged about Ultimate Recipe Showdown. That reason is that I really want to like the show. I really REALLY want to like it. I mean it has all the elements that would make for a really good show. It is hosted by Marc Summers and Guy Fieri. I have loved Marc Summers since WAAAAY back in his Double Dare days. And my loyal reader would know how I feel about Guy Fieri.

The concept of the show, too, is really good. Thousands of Food Network Viewers sent in their recipes for several different types of food. The FN Test Kitchens tried out thousands of recipes and brought the best out to the Ultimate Recipe Showdown Kitchens to make their product in front of a live audience. Each style of food has three different categories, for example in the cookie competition there was a category for chocolate chip cookies, spice cookies and bar cookies. No silly, not the kind of cookies you eat at the bar, things like lemon bars and fudge bars… After the cooks are finished they are brought into the blind judging room where they are judged by a panel of food experts. The winner is announced and the next category commences. After all three are done, the winners of each category get up on the stage and Guy reads out their scores resulting in the final winner. The winner gets $25,000 and the runners up get a set of Food Network Cookware. Sounds like a great show, right?

It irritates me. The entire show irritates me. The commentary is trying to be as exciting as a football game, but there’s really only so much you can say. “Look Mark, now she’s folding in flour!!!” “Wow Guy! That’s AMAZING!!!!” I don’t blame the hosts, but this is not Iron Chef America, it’s three regular people each making one recipe. There’s just not enough going on to have 2 announcers. The judging is good, but a bit repetitive. “mmm, this is a good cookie,” “Yup that’s a darn good cookie, I could use some milk though” “Yeah, milk would be good with this cookie…” The worst part though is the part where the winner of each category is announced. Instead of announcing a winner by name they stand all three contestants in their kitchens and “turn out the lights” on the losers. Literally turning off the spotlight and turning on red lights from behind the winners. It’s all very “huh, what, did my light, wait, I’m still on, oh but so is she, well what about … ooh I won!” And then when they are standing there with the final winner and guy reads out the scores, they’re absolutely excessive. Really, two contestants got a 98 and one got a 99? WOW!!! The judging is too easy. I find it very difficultto believe that all these recipes are THAT close to perfect.

Other than that though, I love the show…

The Food Network has done it again, bringing us a Challenge full of wonder and joy. Food Network Challenge: Dr. Seuss Cakes was nothing short of spectacular. Having been a Dr. Seuss fan my entire life, I am pleased to say that almost every amazing edible sculpture lived up to it’s expectations. The cakes featured such beloved characters as Sam I Am, The Cat in the Hat, The Grinch, and that lovable elephant, Horton. There were two rookie chefs in the kitchens this Challenge, which is pretty unusual in and of itself.

First let me focus on the amazing duo from Cake Girls. They have worked on two cakes already in the Challenge kitchens, and won both times. Both with the Simpson’s cake and the Disney Princess cake. Their main pastry chef, Mary is absolutely fantastic. She took the Cat in the Hat and absolutely brought him to life. From hand sculpting the Fish to lovingly crafting Thing 1 and Thing 2, her cake looked like a page out of a pop-up book.

Next, lets take a look at our 4 time competitor. (My apologies, I don’t remember the names of any of the competitors except Mary from Cake Girls.) He has not yet won a FN Challenge, and I think the reason for that is that his work, as compared to the others, is a bit amateur-ish. Now don’t get me wrong, I think he’s great. He has a good attitude, and he does things with cakes and other pastry working ingredients that I will die without ever being able to achieve. But his work is inferior to that of the other contestants on the Challenges. For example, his Horton, while absolutely fantastic, was not very true to the Seussian style. He did have the opportunity to look both at the new movie, Horton Hears a Who, as well as the original book, and I think that may have put him at a bit of a disadvantage. After all, the new CGI film, is also not very pen and ink Seuss style. His elephant was good, but the legs were awful. They were nothing like an elephants legs, and honestly, I think most people made better elephant legs with playdough in elementary school. How difficult is it to make stumps with wrinkles for knees and half moon toenails? Really?

Next up we have rookie #1. She was charged with creating The Grinch, and representing how he stole Christmas. Her sous chef worked well with her. Really well, considering that they lived on opposite sides of the country and worked through phone calls and e-mails to practice for the competition. She created the Grinch sitting atop his sleigh upon the Mt. Crumpet with presents falling over the edge, and poor litte Max being dragged along. It was an incredibly cute cake, but the perspective (according to the judges) was all wrong. The Grinch, while impeccably sculpted and colored was far too large in comparison to the rest of the cake. It did look fantastic though.

Rookie #2 was charged with making the ever popular Sam I Am with the Green Eggs & Ham Cake. I have to say that she did an excellent job. Sam was exquisitely sculpted and while the green was slightly off color as compared to the books, it made a striking cake. While the scene itself was not specifically out of the book she did an excellent job of creating a Seussian situation for him to be in. With his head sticking out of the top of a tower of green eggs balanced precariously on the green ham and a hand on a cable holding onto the platter this particular cake hit the spot for me. The judges, however, were missing Sam’s friend.

That being said, the winner, and undefeated champion on FN Challenge was again Mary and her sister of Cake Girls. Congrat’s Girls! You did a GREAT job!!!

Dinner Impossible host Robert Irvine will not be coming back next season. According to several sources the host is guilty of something that almost everyone has done, but on a much grander scale. He padded his resume. Reports state that he told the food network executives that he has cooked for the royal family, as well as four US Presidents while they were in the White House. Here it is several years later, and the folks that gave him the job, based on those facts, have found out that they are not true. Perhaps the most outrageous of the lies is that he designed Princess Diana’s wedding cake.

Dinner: Impossible, for those of you who are not familiar, is one of those new reality type shows that are becoming so darn popular on the food network these days. Chef Robert Irvine is dropped into a strange situation wherein he is required to make a themed meal for upwards of 200 people in less than a day. He has to do everything from finding equipment, to ingredients before he is even able to start cooking. The food he makes looks tasty and I am continoously amazed at how well he is able to adapt the menu to everyone’s needs.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am a fan of Dinner Impossible, and loved the episode at the NY Circus. I really like the show in general, and kind of hope that the Food Network changes their mind, but when it comes down to it, he shouldn’t have lied. Especially about things that are so easily verifiable… Food Network has stated that they may review their decision at the end of the season, which he is being allowed to finish, but that for now they are looking for a replacement host.

Last night was a new episode of Iron Chef America. Once again the Iron Chef in question was Cat Cora. I am glad of it, as I really like her style, but I wonder when will someone pick our newest Iron Chef. It seems like people only choose Chef Cora or Bobby Flay to battle in Kitchen Stadium. If I were the chairman I would start choosing opponents myself, just to inject a little variety in the show.

Battle Ham was indeed a good battle pitting Chef Cora against Chef Hillson, seeing who can make the better array of dishes featuring Ham. Thank goodness neither of them decided to try a dessert with the Secret ingredient. Several of the dishes did peature pureed ham in some way though, which puts me in mind of the ham baby foods I have given my son. Therefore it seemed kind of icky to me. The challenger made a twice baked souffle that actually looked pretty good, and a ham carpaccio with fresh pasta. The interactive way that he had the judges break the yolk to mix with the ham and pasta was really inspired, as we all know that the ICA judges love interactive food. My personal favorite though was a ham & cheese concoction that was like a sandwich, but instead of bread was wrapped in a puff pastry and baked…. mmmmmmmm…

Chef Cora prepared five exciting dishes as well, including the obligatory Seuss inspired dish. Instead of Green Eggs and Ham however, she did a Green Ham and Eggs, with a lovely poached egg with a piece of hamsteak upon it covered in a green sauce that looked like blended grass but apparently tasted pretty darn good.

So, who won? I guess you’ll have to tune in to find out. Battle Ham is showing on the Food Network again March 6th at 9pm.