Food TV

Amy Finley, otherwise known as the season 3 Next Food Network Star, is finally on the air in her shw The Gourmet Next Door. I loved Amy on NFNS, and actually cheered when she won. So I was super excited to see this show on the Food Network today. For a first episode it was good, not great but good. The food looked tasty, and the dessert sounded especially yummy. I wouldn’t call the triple layer “Mocha Ice Cream Terrine” gourmet, but I would certainly make it, for a birthday party or something.

The biggest issue I had with it was the appearance. Gourmet food looks gorgeous, and most of all, finished. The use of plastic wrap to aid in getting the ice cream out of the loaf pan was practical, but not pretty. The wrinkles that were imbedded in the surface of the ice cream treat made it look… unfinished. If I were her, I would have covered the whole thing in nuts or cocoa powder or something to make it a little more polished. All in all though, not a bad show at all, and I will certainly watch again!!!

I don’t know if it’s just me, but lately every time I turn on the Food Network I end up getting stuck watching a rerun that I have recently seen. Today it was practically all shows that have been on in the last two weeks. Now I realize that repeats will happen, but the majority of shows in the daytime lineup of Food Network have been on for more than one season. The Barefoot Contessa and Paula Deen have done numerous shows so there really is no need to repeat the repeats quite so soon.

It definitely makes it hard to watch the Network on a regular basis. Today Ina made fish. While the fish looked great, I saw it last week so I wasn’t as enthusiastic as I could have been. Once you see these shows a couple times they tend to lose their excitement.

The evening lineup is a little better about their reruns and some of the shows, like Dinner Impossible are back to their new seasons so there are a few things still worth watching.

(more…)

Le Food News recently posted an article on the Next Food Network Star and apparently Rory Schepisi. While I didn’t have a chance to read the article I did find her response to it on their site. If you’d like to read it you can find it at: Food Network Contest Tells Her Side of the Story.

Rory has defended herself on numerous blogs. On Literary Illusions, she appeared in a comment of an article I wrote before the series had ended. She continually claims to tell people they don’t understand reality television and insists that the television editors gave her a bad rap. However, what I think she fails to understand is that the producers and editors cannot edit a bad attitude that never happened. If there were no mistakes or poor representations of her to be shown they wouldn’t be able to show them in the first place. Perhaps they just chose to show us the side of her that was the most appealing. Unfortunately it was not the most likable.

It also shows a lack of appreciation for Food TV, in my opinion. I mean, they were nice enough to put her on television in the first place and now she’s going to go and complain that they made her look bad? These complaints are undoubtedly because she didn’t win.

(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.

(more…)

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…)

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.

(more…)

Rory Schepisi from The Next Food Network Star made some comments about her co-contestants while on the Ron and Fez Show, which airs on XM Radio. Her comments basically stated that she thought Amy would be easier to beat, but JAG would be harder thanks to his ethnic backing. You can find more about last week’s show in my The Next Food Network Star recap.

This morning, I came online to check for comments and to write some articles. In the midst of my research, I came across a pingback from a new site. I went over to check out the site and to see what they had to say about The Next Food Network Star. At the end of the post they had a list of blogs that are blogging about the show. Being nosy, I decided to check those blogs out, too. (more…)

Last week I wrote an article on my blog, Literary Illusions, about my thoughts on the Next Food Network Star. I had my favorite in the bottom three. I think this week only ended up reminding me why my favorite was who he is. For me, the show had some serious ups and downs, but before I get into those immediate thoughts that are rolling around in my brain, why don’t we go over what happened during the show.

Tonight’s show was all about the possible stars learning about the media. As the media presence is a big part of being on Food TV, the three contenders got to go through a day of media training/excursions. The day started with the Ron and Fez show, which airs on XM Radio. Each contestant went into the show, was asked some questions, and got to make a quick and easy snack out of some incredibly random foods that just happened to be in the studio (If anyone has ever seen a craft services table then you know what I’m talking about). The rules were pretty simple. The contestants needed to go in, market themselves and the show, respect their fellow contestants, and offer a good taste of who they were.

Amy went in first. She was quick on her feet when she made a bagel with bologna and cheese sandwich. She managed to be both professional and personable. While she has that sense of gourmet-Paris snobbery about her, she did well on the radio, as more of the mom and less of the gourmet shined through. The judges felt she was confident and personable, as well. (more…)