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…