TV Chefs Blog is where we cover the celebrity chefs and cooking personalities: the news they make, the new products they sell, the restaurants they're opening. We also review the television cooking and food shows. We report on the more famous food authors and their new cookbooks too. If it has to do with eating it, making it and the star cooks who do it, it's here.
If you don’t get it by now, simple. Don’t read the review or look at the video if you haven’t already seen the show last Sunday. If you’re waiting to watch one of the catch up repeats during the week, don’t click. With that said, here’s my review for the seventh episode of Next Food Network Star.
Another enjoyable episode. And wow — I’m in near shock — they actually gave the for remaining contestants, Kelsey, Adam, Lisa and Aaron, and entire 75 minutes to cook. Long overdue giving them some actual time (beyond 30-40 minutes) to cook their dishes instead of “make me 200 meals in two minutes” crapola that makes for artificial drama.
In short, the remaining four go to Vegas (baby!) and they do a Bobby Flay style “Throwdown”. They cook outside in front of the judges, including this week’s guest judge Paula Deen and they have the following to do: To cook their own signature dish, to cook their version of the signature dish of the other finalist they’re paired with or throwing down against, to “up” both of them “Vegas style” while answering both judges questions and the questions of Dana Devon from the E network who gives them a mock interview back where they are cooking.
In short, Adam makes his mac and cheese dish which they love. Lisa makes her cassoulet dish which they love. Lisa’s version of doing Adam’s dish sinks miserably. So does Adam’s version of Lisas. Next, Aaron makes his chicken parm and they love it. He also makes a better version of Kelsey’s dish! Kelsey decides for some reason that “Vegas style” meant turning her normal home-cooked dishes into five-star restaurant type servings. She figures she’s showing them her versatility; the judges feel she’s left her point of view. That aside though, neither her own revamped dish nor her attempt at Aaron’s passes muster especially since she overcooked both meals.
On the personality side with fielding judges questions and answering Dana Devon’s questions. They don’t like that Aaron stopped cooking to answer. They don’t like that Adam continued cooking and all but ignored the interviewer. Kelsey and Lisa did relatively alright in that area. Though Kelsey did a big no-no. The judges have been saying she needs to be more authoritive and stop bringing up she’s just out of culinary school. And she mentioned that again. You can guess by now, yep, Kelsey hit the skids and is out.
Overall show was good. I have nothing to rap against the judges or anything else but one minor but wierd and jarring criticism: The show’s editing during the first half of the judges table scene. I seriously think the editor had to be high on something. It went like this:
Judge gives big praise to contestant A.
Contestant A scowls.
Judge then says something neutral to contestant A.
Contestant A gushes with pride and says thank you repeatedly.
Judges say you can return to your room while we talk.
Shot of contestants standing there waiting for something to start.
Huh???! Don’t they even look at the show before airing it? Really the rest of the show was edited fine and was overall fun to watch. But that one part was three or four minutes of disconnected strangeness worthy of being in a Lewis Carroll novel. If that had not been there, might have been a perfect show. Either way it was an excellent one. Can’t wait til next week.
Here’s the video preview of what’s happening on this week’s episode of The Next Food Network Star on Sunday night at 10pm.
The remaining four finalists pack their bags and head to the country’s newest culinary hotspot, Las Vegas, for their next challenge. After arriving at their hotel, they meet Bobby Flay and Paula Deen for an intimate dinner at Mesa Grill. The next morning, they discover that they must compete in two Throwdown-style competitions: they must each make an ultimate version of their own signature dish, while simultaneously creating an ultimate version of their competitor’s signature dish. To make the challenge even more difficult, while cooking they are peppered with questions from the selection committee, Paula and Extra’s Dayna Devon.
Many weekends are slow, food news-wise. This is definitely not one of those.
On the air we have a preview of Paula Deen’s new cooking show on Sunday early afternoon and later that night episode 2 of NFNS. Off the air and live, the biggest thing of this weekend and perhaps of the year is the Annual James Beard Awards Sunday night.
First up is Tyler Florence who travelled to Boise for a food charity event, A Chefs’ Affaire. What it is involves a five-course gourmet dinner created by Idaho chefs from 20 different restaurants. There is also a live chef auction and a silent auction. Benefits go the the Idaho Foodbank. Celebrity chef Tyler Florence presents a cooking demonstration prior to the dinner.
Sunday night is the 2008 James Beard Awards, basically the Oscars of the Culinary World. For who’s up for what check out are post on the Beard Finalists we did in March. On Monday we’ll let you know who the winners were. Ah, but for a moment let’s look at last night in Big Apple, namely the Chefs’ Night Out party hosted by Bon Appetit at the Edison Ballroom in New York City.
Well some bloggers (not me, sniff) were lucky enough to go, so let me quote the ulterior epicure:
It’s kind of an unofficial kick-off for the James Beard weekend of festivities leading up to the James Beard Awards Ceremony and Gala Reception at Lincoln Center on Sunday, June 8. The event involved loud music, a dance floor, lots of cocktails, a dessert “buffet,” passed finger foods, an ice cream truck, and lots of people-watching.
Attendees included: Barbara Fairchild, Andrew Knowlton, Tom Colicchio, Tracie des Jardins, Johnny Iuzzini, Anita Lo, Drew Nieporent, Gail Simmons, Ilan Hall, Grant Achatz, Donatella Arpaia, Michael Psilakis, Bradford Thompson, David Kinch, Harold Dieterle, Anne Burrell, Fabio Trabocchi, John Besh, Lee Ann Wong, and many more…
And for photos of the event there was “live blogger” snack (that’s her cool name) taking photos on her cellphone straight to her blog. No captions but I know for sure I saw Gail Simmons, and Ted Allen with some guys and Daniel Bouloud sucking on a Good Humor bar (I kid you not), and a blurry pic of a guy against a wall who’s hair reminds me of Marcel from the first season of Top Chef. Not saying it was, some blurs look like other blurs, but it could have been.
As for television, on Sunday night there is a brand new Iron Chef America with star chef Marcus Samuelsson entering Kitchen Stadium for the first time, taking on Iron Chef Bobby Flay; that’s at 9pm Eastern, followed at 10pm Eastern with the second episode of The Next Food Network Star (which we both showed a clip of and talked about the other day.)
In the daytime however, there’s a Paula Deen marathon from 11am to 2pm, culminating at 1:30pm with a sneak peek of her latest new cooking show, Paula’s Best Dishes. As FN describes it this way: “What happens when America’s favorite Southern cook opens up her kitchen to family, friends, viewers, and the best home cooks in the country? Paula is cookin’ up something new as she rescues viewer recipes, learns the secrets of some of America’s best cooks and shares stories and traditions with friends and strangers alike.”
For this Sunday’s show the theme is “Deli Delights” with guest local Savannah chef, Alan Nowell paying a visit. Next week the show premieres in its regular Sunday at 12:30pm time slot with Paula managing to get her husband Michael into the kitchen with her.
You’ll recall on April 23rd we spilled the beans about Paula Deen getting a syndicated talk/lifestyle television show (off Food Network, on to one of the major networks, a la Rachael Ray) sometime next year.
Today we find this video on You Tube someone just uploaded. It’s taken from a very recent Paula’s Party taping and you can tell whoever took the video is in the control panel area. In it, Paul announces to her cooking show audience not only the show but the date: September 2009.
Telepictures, Warner Bros.’ production arm, is adding to that roster by signing a deal with Food Network star Paula Deen to host a daytime cooking show, sources familiar with the matter said.
Ms. Deen would become the next big name to come out of Food Network, following Rachael Ray’s ratings success in her debut season. Ms. Deen is currently one of Food Network’s top draws with her Southern flair, hosting series Paula’s Home Cooking and Paula’s Party for the cable channel.
[…] “It seems like, unlike recent years, distributors are taking a particularly aggressive look at 2009 and going back to developing around marquee names,” said Bill Carroll, senior VP and director of programming at Katz Media. “When you look at the most recent successful entry into the talk show ranks in Rachael Ray, it makes sense to turn to someone with the appeal of Paula Deen for a show of her own.”
First up is Tyler Florence who travelled to Boise for a food charity event, 
As for television, on Sunday night there is a brand new Iron Chef America with star chef Marcus Samuelsson entering Kitchen Stadium for the first time, taking on Iron Chef Bobby Flay; that’s at 9pm Eastern, followed at 10pm Eastern with the second episode of The Next Food Network Star (which we both showed a clip of and talked about the other day.)
