gdp's Comments

Healthy Eats (Old Site) : Spotlight Recipes: Cucumber Madness

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:24:24 +0000

Those leaves look more like shiso (I could be wrong since they're related), especially with the Asian influence of this dish. I might add some edamame to boost the protein content, and then call it lunch.

The FN Dish : Sneak Peek: Melissa's New Show!

Thu, 6 Aug 2009 22:46:41 +0000

TV is more for "foodtainment."

The FN Dish : Sneak Peek: Melissa's New Show!

Thu, 6 Aug 2009 21:15:10 +0000

Name change suggestion: Unsophisticated Food Network. Burgers, cakes and now, cooking for toddlers. Michael Chiarello did a great quinoa pasta with salsa verde, gremolata and tomatoes last night, but it was on Bravo. Mario Batali has his full episodes videos on Hulu.com.

The FN Dish : Ask Susie - Finale!

Mon, 3 Aug 2009 00:15:15 +0000

Sue: Actually the FN doesn't have a good batting average when it comes to selecting and maintaining new FN stars. The odds are against the person picked tonight to become a regular on the network. I think more people are checking out the food blogs for useful information. The TV side seems to be more about filling the gaps between the commercials with easy-to-produce, too-much-personality entertainment. Why do I care what Ted Allen thought was the best thing he ever ate?

The FN Dish : Susie's Answers - Episode 8

Sun, 2 Aug 2009 20:28:36 +0000

He's a master at making any recipe over-complicated. That's why I prefer watching restaurant chefs on these shows.

The FN Dish : Susie's Answers - Episode 8

Sun, 2 Aug 2009 20:26:02 +0000

You can't fault Melissa for her food. She's impressed some of heavy hitters in the last episode. She was the first to be saved. I think she came to the competition well prepared.

The FN Dish : Ask Susie - Finale!

Sat, 1 Aug 2009 20:04:27 +0000

Sue: It's just that I'm getting turned off to TNFNS concept. Just do your screening process in private (the viewers' opinions don't matter anyway), then air the new shows, and come what may. Now, with all the false starts of Jeffrey and Melissa revealed, the audience is primed for snarkiness and loaded with plenty of ammo. "Jeffrey, remember that risotto that was a 'disrespect to Italy?'" Top Chef Masters is continuing to be a delight, with a lot of camraderie and good food. I guess it's hard to get good restaurant chefs to do these shows, or else they come at a high price.

The FN Dish : Ask Susie - Finale!

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:44:05 +0000

Susie: Not much reason to watch the finale. It's not about food, but about personality. It's pretty much a slamdunk that Melissa wins, or if both she and Jeffrey are selected, it's still pretty much watch and see how they do on their shows. What's the value-added proposition for the loyal FN viewer who cares about food?

The FN Dish : Susie's Answers - Episode 8

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:20:09 +0000

tami: I think Susie was suggesting, I could be wrong, that Melissa is more business-oriented and aggressive about marketing. She's actively building a brand of the stay-at-home mom, but she's also a successful business woman according to Susie. Nothing wrong with that. One time Susie said to Jeffrey that he didn't have a clearly indentifiable brand (I'm paraphrasing), and that he wouldn't have his own line of pots to sell. I'm more interested in the food, both for interesting flavors and maintaining a healthy lifestyle (go Ellie!). Maybe what's wanted is a star who'll do for their online kitchenware store what Billy Mays did for OxyClean. Let's wait and see.

The FN Dish : Susie's Answers - Episode 8

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:56:56 +0000

Josie: I wasn't thinking of a weird food Zimmern shtick for Jeff, but something along the lines of what you're suggesting. He could even visit homes where they still do traditional dishes, and then come back to the studio to present a recipe.

The FN Dish : Susie's Answers - Episode 8

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:36:03 +0000

Susie: Thinking more about Jeffrey, it looks like most folks are not betting on him to win, but he still might have a place on FN. (You've ruled out a co-hosting spot with Melissa, but that doesn't mean he couldn't work with another host.) He needs to develop street cred for his cosmopolitan culinary POV, i.e. "cooking without borders." You should consider making him a traveling correspondent, examining various cuisines, maybe even abroad. His calm manner would help with him being a good interviewer. I'm sure Melissa will be successful--she's certainly motivated, and as you say, she has a strategy.

The FN Dish : Susie's Answers - Episode 8

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:49:31 +0000

Susie: Is it true that Rachael Ray's two-year contract will soon expire, possibly opening up the need for a certain stay-at-home mom FN star?

The FN Dish : Ask Susie - Episode 8

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:03:09 +0000

I found out about grill pan pizza from one of their episodes. So you never know when or where you might pick up a useful tip. They lost me with the deep fried deviled eggs, though.

The FN Dish : Ask Susie - Episode 8

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:04:45 +0000

In fairness to Bobby, I recall that he only mentions the lack of heat when the contestant, usually Jeffrey, talks about the use of chilis in the dish, or if the dish is a traditionally spicy dish such as jerk chicken. It's hard to put any more pressure on the NFNS contestants who have to plan , buy ingredients, cook in a strange kitchen, and then come up with a flavorful dish with a variety of textures that will satisfy a professional chef. If you're watching Top Chef Masters, you'll see that even the pros have trouble pulling this off. The mortal sin is serving a bland and boring dish, or overcooking the protein or undercooking the starch. Deserts seem to be a weak spot for many chefs. Having said that, "de gustibus non est disputandum" always prevails.

The FN Dish : Ask Susie - Episode 8

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:18:23 +0000

Shari: Your name reminds me of Sheri Lewis and her puppet lambchop. Here's a clip from the original 1950s Hi Mom! show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwWSFxmDSXk

The FN Dish : Why We Love: Summer!

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:54:55 +0000

The first photo of the corn, tomatoes and pasta is way too blue to the point of being unappetizing. Then, the photo at the recipe page is way too red. (Look at the plate in both) See it with some blue removed: http://bit.ly/f5pYo

The FN Dish : Ask Susie - Episode 8

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:16:47 +0000

Rachael Ray? Tell her I love her broken spaghetti risotto with wild mushrooms!

The FN Dish : Ask Susie - Episode 8

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:28:03 +0000

It's funny, the post you're talking about indicates 2 replies, but only one is visible. Something happened there.

The FN Dish : Ask Susie - Episode 8

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:50:53 +0000

Susie: I think you can call this season's NFNS the Kafka-esque Cooking Competition. From the very start, you emphasize that the main criterion for selecting a winner would be on-air personality over cooking experience (ability?). Then, on episode 8, you have contestants cooking for 30 experienced chefs/cooks, while under time pressure. The $1000 budget was a gift, of which Jeffrey didn't take advantage. It's amazing that Melissa was able to rise to the challenge so successfully, but I think Jeffrey shouldn't be discounted for his watery risotto as the main entree. (I would've cooked a flat iron steak with a sweet/spicy glaze and sunchoke puree, and maybe a lobster mac & cheese for the app. It would be hard to beat Melissa's desert, though.) Pair Jeffrey with another host, and let him develop his on-air persona. I think both Melissa and Jeffrey need practice in cooking with another person without trying to dominate.

The FN Dish : Ask Susie - Episode 8

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:40:05 +0000

Another bacon recipe!