Tag: Food Network (Page 3 of 9)

Sandra Lee delivers multi-faceted tips on “Sandra’s Money Saving Meals”

November 25, 2009 /

Sandra Lee has been a staple on the Food Network for quite a few years now, and her very successful show, “Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee,” has now spawned a new show that began airing this past May, “Sandra’s Money Saving Meals.” The premise of this program is that Lee features budget-friendly recipes for every day of the week, and she also shares ideas for savvy supermarket shopping and proper pantry stocking while highlighting the price point for each meal.

“We have to do so much analysis and research and price fluctuation,” she said recently during a conference call. “I am talking to buyers all the time, so I focus a lot on the base of a meal but it’s not my job to dictate to you what you should do. So I’ll give you those options and pricing variables and you can make those decisions.”

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External TV, TV

Five questions with Alex Guarnaschelli of “Chopped” and “Alex’s Day Off”

November 25, 2009 /

Alex Guarnaschelli has become ubiquitous on Food Network lately, first on “Chopped” as a frequent judge, and now on her own show, “Alex’s Day Off,” which airs Sunday mornings at 9:30 am ET/PT. The premise of her new show is showing how a working mom, restauranteur and TV personality can juggle all of that and still cook great meals at home.

But our questions focused on Alex regarding her role as a judge on “Chopped.” A few months ago, we published a post asking the producers of the show why the judges have to be so angry and tough on the contestants, and it spawned a lot of comments from viewers who also felt the judges were too harsh. So we had the opportunity to ask Alex about the show–and in particular if the harsh criticism is real or fabricated by producers……

Premium Hollywood: I think I speak for anyone who has watched “Chopped”….are you guys told by the producers to be as harsh as you are to the contestants, or is that how you want to come across?

Alex Guarnaschelli: The producers don’t tell us how to act. We talk a lot, we deliberate, we argue, we struggle with what some contestants make, we wish everyone could be a winner, we sympathize with how the contestants feel, we sweat along with them, because we know how hard it is to compete under such pressure. Sometimes, I may have spoken 10 minutes with someone about their dish and had it edited down to a facial expression due to time. That can be hard to watch! I also think we use a lot of “chef speak”. We speak to each other as we would in the kitchen.

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External TV, Reality TV, TV

The Next Iron Chef is crowned

November 23, 2009 /

Last night’s finale of “The Next Iron Chef” on Food Network featured a battle in Kitchen Stadium akin to the real Iron Chef show…and that’s really how it should have been. It was also very close between chefs Garces and Mehta…and while each has a distinct cooking style, the judges had the difficult choice of crowning one of them the season’s champ, one to join the ranks of Flay, Batali, Cora, Morimoto, and Symon on the popular show.

The chairman began as he does every Iron Chef show..by disclosing the secret ingredient–ribs and racks…both pork and beef. Their task was to use that ingredient to create five dishes that represented America as a melting pot of cultures. It was also a daunting task because of the time usually required to break down rib meat, as they would have just 60 minutes.

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External TV, Reality TV, The Next Iron Chef, TV

Food Network tries to transform hapless cooks into something on “Worst Cooks in America”

November 16, 2009 /

We’ve seen all sorts of new shows come down the Food Network pike lately, including the exciting “Chefs vs. City,” the hilarious “What Would Brian Boitano Make?” and now a show that tests the very mettle and reputation of two professional chefs, Anne Burrell and Beau MacMillan.

The show is called “Worst Cooks in America,” and it takes twelve of the country’s most hopeless cooks and puts them under the tutelage of Burrell and MacMillan, after which they compete in a weekly show on Food Network beginning January 3 at 10pm ET/PT/9pm central. There will be five episodes, each week with challenges to see who will move forward.

“Watching the Worst Cooks in America struggle to become great cooks, makes a show that is very funny, dramatic and moving,” said Bob Tuschman, Senior Vice President, Programming and Production, Food Network. “Ultimately, it offers hope for even the most kitchen-challenged of our viewers.”

The final two will compete in the finale on February 1, and for their final task they will have to create a 3-course meal which will be judged by restaurant critics. The catch? The critics believe the meals have been prepared by the tutors, which means reputations are clearly at stake. Also at stake for the winner is a $25,000 grand prize.

Now this is a show that is set up to be a train wreck from the start, but it also should be fun to see just how fast bad cooks can be transformed into good ones under the right supervision. Maybe it will give hope to many of you whose favorite cooking utensil is the telephone to order takeout.

External TV, Reality TV, TV

The Next Iron Chef: we have reached the finals

November 16, 2009 /

I admit to not loving “The Next Iron Chef” on Food Network, but yesterday’s show excited me more and I’m looking forward to the final round next Sunday. Last night, the final three were still in Japan, and were asked to show their integrity and tell a story with a Kaiseki, or multi-course meal. They would be judged on taste, creativity and presentation, and the judges would be the regulars Anya Fernald, Jeffrey Steingarten and Donatella Arpaia, as well as Dr. Hattori, the commentator of the original Iron Chef series in Japan.

After having an hour to shop at the fresh market for fish and produce, chefs Garces and Mullen were laughing at chef Mehta, who bought a crazy amount of flowers in which to use as garnishes. Say what? I hope he remembered that presentation was only a third of the points.

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External TV, Reality TV, The Next Iron Chef, TV

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