The Best Thing I Ever Ate...Really?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Matt Kay

Assistant Cook
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
34
Location
Atlanta
Is it just me or does this show seem like paid advertisements disguised as a Celebrity Chef TV show?
 
Watched an episode or two and was not impressed. It is more of the food-as-entertainmet-tv that Food Network has been moving towards.
 
Watched an episode or two and was not impressed. It is more of the food-as-entertainmet-tv that Food Network has been moving towards.

Yeah, I must say I'm a bit disappointed in Food Network over the past few years. It's almost as if it's in that in-between phase that MTV went through before they stopped playing music. :huh:
 
Seems pretty obvious to me that "all cooking shows, all the time" isn't a viable concept for a successful tv station.
I like the channel, myself.
 
I've been watching the Cooking Channel some. Yesterday I watched biographical shows on Julia Child and Daniel Bouloud.

There is no TV network where you love 100% of the shows aired. You just have to find enough decent stuff to fill your TV time.
 
I really do like the channel as well and I realize that they need to "mix it up". I just hope it's not a sign of things to come.

I guess I just miss the days of cooking TV that included Jaques Pepin and Julia Child.
 
I don't know... I have tried two places so far that they recommended (Stanton Social Club in NYC and Xoco in Chicago) and was very very pleased. I'm sure everything isn't actually the very best thing they ever ate, but it all looks really tasty. And I'm open to interesting food options any time :)
 
I like the show and maybe it should be called " my favorite thing to eat" instead so it there's no controversy. Keep in mind most of what they think as the best thing they've eaten are nostalgia memories of what their childhood upbringing was like.

For instance a big time iron chef like bobby flay go to fav pizza is just some local pizzeria that does a great slice of cheese pizza or simple hamburger down the block from this neighborhood. Or barefoot contessa's simple plate of pasta where she vacations. It's not necessarily the best for everyone, it's just what they grew up loving it or familiar with. And most it is still personal so you can't take it seriously because you don't agree.

I love watching it because it maybe a place in SD or LA that I can visit myself. It's a great show and one of my favs for sure and watch it every time it's on.
 
Last edited:
I think a lot of "cooking" shows are trending into foodie shows, cooking/travel shows, cooking reality shows... We might as well face the fact that there are more people interested in eating, in foodie travel, etc., than in actually cooking. Those who want to cook are in a minority and TV is all about getting the most number of people to watch.

I want to see chefs cooking definable recipes and demonstrating cooking methods. Even better if the show has a website and/or book so I can get written recipes for the ones I decide I want to cook for myself. I could care less about specific restaurants or foodie travel. I want to cook things myself in my own home. Anything that doesn't help me accomplish that is wasted time for me.

I almost always buy the cookbook for all my favorite cooking shows. I've gotten dozens of cookbooks that way, became enthused with the chef and the program, bought the book to get all the recipes instead of the very few I took notes on.

So to sum it up, I think TV cooking shows are trending away from chef provides recipe and demonstrates how to cook it, and trending towards reality, foodie, travel or a combination of them. That's not so good if all you want is directions on how to cook stuff yourself.
 
That's very true. Most folks at home watching tv don't cook and the networks fully aware of that and therefore will produce shows that will get them to eat out at least and help the food industry.

And even with cooking shows they are choosing the ones that are exciting or have some showmanship like a Fiery or Rachael. It doesn't matter if they are great or not, they will be gone or put in the non prime time slot. Like prob my all time fav was michael Lamonico. To me he was not only a great chef but made food that was just awesome real italian that IMO way better than Mario or Giada. And if you notice the boring chefs or the ones not exciting like Mario and Sara are at the 4am slot.
 
Last edited:

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom