If You Could Tell Food Network...

[PattY1]

use ingredients that are available to most people. price is a factor. i would like to see a show about cooking for one or two. we are not all large families.

Yeah that, and ingredients that have other uses, more common ingredients please. Also, I like recipes that use less ingredients, more is not always better!!!

 

[PattY1]

I hear you! and thousands of folks have told them that, and more. However they're not interested. Their "Market Research" tells them that the viewers they want to reach want to see marathons of "Unwrapped" and "Diners, Driveins and whatever." They lost me years ago.

Unwrapped

I like Diner, Drive-ins and Dives. I have a dream of becoming wealthy and traveling to the places on that show!!

 

[CharlieD]

I couldn't stand it anymore and cansel FN. For the money it cost me to get it I'd rather go buy recipe books. I do not want Etertainment, I want pure coking with step by step hows and the recipes. That is what i would tell them, if they cared to listen. I doubt they do.

 

[Arky]

I like Alton Brown and "Good Eats." For me, that is the best show they have. Tyler Florence and "Tyler's Ultimate" takes second place. I have learned more from these two shows than all of the others combined.

 

[TheMetalChef]

and don't get me going about the way he mames the English language

I <3 Irony....

psst! brauvi! the word is maim...

 

[Arky]

After reading all of these responses, the vast majority of them would have us go back 20 years or more in values and recipes of Cooking shows. That's understandable. Many people don't like change (I resist it as well), but then there is reality, and the reality is:

1.) Many of the recipes from those eras have been tremendously improved since then. And, most were basically meat and potato dishes because that is what America was eating at that time. Oh, of course fish and seafood were included, but nothing like they are today. Forget Charizo, curry, cilantro, balsamic vinegar, Calamata olives, smoked paprika or any other exotic ingredient that we often take for granted today. They didn't exist on the culinary scene of yesteryear!

2.) The production values, or should I say the LACK of good production values really dates many of the older shows, and is often quite distracting.

3.) Some of the earliest shows depended upon their chef personalities. Julia Child, Jacque Pepin had a cult-like following, and there was craziness and occasional yelling from chefs such as Graham Kerr and Martin Yan - just as there is today.

I like many, or even most of the old shows, and I would watch some of their reruns just for nostalgia, but by no stretch of the imagination are they superior to some of the shows available today. And regardless of our feelings, one way or the other, the fact is that entertainment sells! If you want just the facts and only the facts, I'm sure the Food Network, who is in business to make money, would say, "Get a cookbook."

 

[GB]

1.) Many of the recipes from those eras have been tremendously improved since then. And, most were basically meat and potato dishes because that is what America was eating at that time. Oh, of course fish and seafood were included, but nothing like they are today. Forget Charizo, curry, cilantro, balsamic vinegar, Calamata olives, smoked paprika or any other exotic ingredient that we often take for granted today. They didn't exist on the culinary scene of yesteryear!

Just because we want the style of show we had in the past does not mean the ingredients have to stay in the past. The style can remain the same with current ingredients.

2.) The production values, or should I say the LACK of good production values really dates many of the older shows, and is often quite distracting.

I find the older styles much less distracting than the current styles. For me, when it comes to cooking shows (note I said cooking, not food travel or food contests or any other number of shows that are about food, but not cooking) less is more for me. Like I mentioned about the Great Chefs show that I loved, one of the reasons I loved it was for its simplicity. There were no "personalities", no special effects or sets, no special anything. It was a restaurant chef in his restaurant kitchen cooking the same way he does every day. The show could have taped without the chef ever knowing anyone was taping him/her because they did not do anything different for the camera. That was the most refreshing and educational cooking show I have seen in a long time.

 

[Arky]

I agree when it comes to "Great Chefs!" Probably, like you, I think that was one of the best food shows that has ever been aired!! And the minimum of narration was wonderful!

But then again, I'm a proponent of sports TV WITHOUT announcers, color commentators, or any other knuckleheads voicing obnoxious opinions.

 

[Chile Chef]

Oh I would tell Bob to cut back on Bobby flays shows a bit.

I would also tell them to air more "Ask Aida" and Alton Brown shows more, And bring back the original Iron Chef!

 

[Arky]

Many of the food shows, including the original "Iron Chef" and Malto Mario have migrated to the Fine Living Network (another of the many Food Network Owned channels.)

 

[LPBeier]

More Mario Batali please.

I totally second this one.

 

[Chile Chef]

I totally second this one.

I third that motion!

 

[BreezyCooking]

I find the older styles much less distracting than the current styles. For me, when it comes to cooking shows (note I said cooking, not food travel or food contests or any other number of shows that are about food, but not cooking) less is more for me. Like I mentioned about the Great Chefs show that I loved, one of the reasons I loved it was for its simplicity. There were no "personalities", no special effects or sets, no special anything. It was a restaurant chef in his restaurant kitchen cooking the same way he does every day. The show could have taped without the chef ever knowing anyone was taping him/her because they did not do anything different for the camera. That was the most refreshing and educational cooking show I have seen in a long time.

EXACTLY! EXACTLY!! EXACTLY!!! Gee, can you tell I agree?

Back in Food Network's infancy, the older shows notwithstanding, even the the new talent had decent forums. Emeril, Mario Batali, etc., were ALONE in the kitchen, cooking for & speaking to the television audience one-on-one. Now it's either an auditorium audience (a la infomercial - lol), or even MORE annoying, a group of "special friends" (what a friggin joke that is), or some "family/friends" party, yadayadayada. Who the heck believes this stuff or even cares about it? We're not tuning in to see Ina Gartin host a "surprise party" (yeah right) in her Hampton's compound - we just want to see the woman cook (assuming we do want to see her cook - lol).

The minute Food Network started these shenanigans, I started tuning out all the shows one by one.

 

[ErikC]

I would say "enough of the contests". I love Iron Chef and the head-to-head combat between high-level professionals. But the whole "Hell's Kitchen", "Top Chef" and "Food Network Challenge" is getting pretty old to me. It's just more "Survivor", only in a kitchen.

 

[Arky]

I would say "enough of the contests". I love Iron Chef and the head-to-head combat between high-level professionals. But the whole "Hell's Kitchen", "Top Chef" and "Food Network Challenge" is getting pretty old to me. It's just more "Survivor", only in a kitchen.

Actually, Iron Chef is Fine Living Network, Iron Chef America is Food TV Network, Hell's Kitchen is Fox Network, and Top Chef is Bravo Network.

 

[ErikC]

Actually, Iron Chef is Fine Living Network, Iron Chef America is Food TV Network, Hell's Kitchen is Fox Network, and Top Chef is Bravo Network.

Ah...all those shows are on Food TV here in Canada, perhaps as reruns.

 

[ella/TO]

Oh Eric, I was just going to say something along those lines. We here at Food TV, Canada keep getting the same old reruns.....to the point of being sickening!!!!!....look at some of the dates....they go back 3, 4 years....not that it matters about dates, but it's the same old, same old....oh dear.....

 

[TheMetalChef]

EXACTLY! EXACTLY!! EXACTLY!!! Gee, can you tell I agree?

Back in Food Network's infancy, the older shows notwithstanding, even the the new talent had decent forums. Emeril, Mario Batali, etc., were ALONE in the kitchen, cooking for & speaking to the television audience one-on-one. Now it's either an auditorium audience (a la infomercial - lol), or even MORE annoying, a group of "special friends" (what a friggin joke that is), or some "family/friends" party, yadayadayada. Who the heck believes this stuff or even cares about it? We're not tuning in to see Ina Gartin host a "surprise party" (yeah right) in her Hampton's compound - we just want to see the woman cook (assuming we do want to see her cook - lol).

The minute Food Network started these shenanigans, I started tuning out all the shows one by one.

Funny you mention this.

A chief complaint I get from fans of my show (not that there are a ton of them out there, but still...) is that there's not enough footage of people eating and enjoying my food.

I wonder if just plating it isn't enough for the majority of the modern foodie audience? They like to see people having a good time eating the food the chef just walked you through preparing...

That said, Emeril's wannabe David Letterman act got old fast, and Paula Deen's wannabe act of Emeril's wannabe act went straight to 8-track after the first episode...

 

[LPBeier]

Oh Eric, I was just going to say something along those lines. We here at Food TV, Canada keep getting the same old reruns.....to the point of being sickening!!!!!....look at some of the dates....they go back 3, 4 years....not that it matters about dates, but it's the same old, same old....oh dear.....

Yes, Ella and Eric, I am totally with you there. I am really tired of hearing that so and so won Top Chef or Food Network Challenge or what have you and I don't see it for one or two years later. (I am not meaning people spill the beans, but it is on the net, in the media, etc.)

I remember one case with the Next Food Network Star where they were advertising the current American season of it on FN Canada and when I tuned in, it was the same one as we had just seen.

I do like some of the Canadian shows we have, but they do repeat things a little too much.

If I could tell Food Network Canada one thing it would be PLEASE stop showing 3 repeats a day of License to Grill with Rob Rainford....let that one die!

 

[yogiwan]

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives seems to be more about the host and what he enjoys as it is about the food or its preparation (frequently missing). I like the idea of the chef or chef owner presenting from their perspective. And it does not always have to be from the leading edge perspectives such as French Laundry (once a year experience if I'm lucky) but could be from the perspective of a successful restaurant that produces good to great food every day for a wide range of customers.

I love going to a place in San Jose (Hawg's Seafood Diner) as the food is always good, they add innovative dishes to their regular fare and it is a joy to watch the kitchen staff do their thing. No "master chef" but a couple of guys who really know what they are doing directed by in involved owner and supported by skilled cooks.

Getting this approach to be understandable to the 'chef wannabee' at home would make meals better, less effort and more enjoyable for all.