Eh. She was born in Rome and live there until she was 8. She didn't speak English until she moved here, and she certainly is from a very Italian family.

Make of that what you will.

I saw the article today.
I've always found her to be snotty for some reason I couldn't put my finger on but to snub a cancer stricken child TWICE?!? Doesn't say a lot about her as a compassionate human being. Frankly, it really made me dislike her more & I refuse to watch her show. What a bitch.

I also have the cooking channel & have been watching that because it has Easy Entertaining & Jaime Oliver which are shows I always enjoyed. It also has other shows that I'm watching that I'm really enjoying. It's too bad the Food Network became like MTV & didn't stick to cooking. I'm so sick of those stupid reality type cooking shows.

I didn't realize that about her (and didn't care enough to Google it). I kinda thought the Italian was a put-on.

Either way, I was really just jumping at the chance to legitimately use the word "penis". :p

Pene? LOL! Yeah. Everytime I hear the someone say "penne pasta" I giggle thinking to myself "penis pasta". How mature am I? ;)

Are we heading back to the discussion on what food to serve at a bris? *shutters*

Going back to people who over-enunciate their words. I watched an episode of Simple Delicioso. I had to change it after 10 minutes b/c the hostesss (didn't care enough to pay attention to her name) does the same thing Giada does but with Spanish words. That just drives me crazy especially b/c I speak Spanish & know there is no real reason to over-enunciate these words. She speaks perfectly fluent English yet insists on doing this emphasis to Spanish words. Really? Ugh!

Thinking about it, I think that it's because a lot of people might not KNOW what those words are so if you over emphasize bruschetta then they know oh it's Italian and it's pronounced THIS way rather than BREW SHETTA.

I dunno, it still bugs.

Bumping just because I really love the Halloween themed shows they have on right now. I'm looking forward to watching these since I'm at home just waiting for baby to make her arrival. :D

Bumping to spare the other thread.

And yes, I'm hungry.

Melanie Hutsell (one of the Delta Delta Delta girls on SNL in the early '90s) does a frighteningly good Paula Deen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFyeVySw-4A

I hate when Restaurant Impossible does Italian restaurants because I hate the way Robert says pahst-er (pasta).

Swerve/

My company upgraded our Blackberrys to Droids, so I'm having an app field day. I downloaded a Food Network app and it's great. I've always enjoyed Rachel Ray, so having her recipes at my fingertips = great

/Swerve

Worst Cook in America starts tonight.

Yay!

Rooting for Anne Burrell to make it three-for-three!

Me too.

And LOL at the woman trying to cut peppers with scissors.

They've totally cast made-for-reality-TV types this time around. Tiffany, the poker player on Bobby's team, was also a contestant on The Amazing Race. Libby Floyd, the sequin-encrusted Southern belle who went home last night, was a longtime host on ShopNBC. Even so, I think it'll be a good season.

Another Restaurant Impossible with pahst-er. *Sigh*

However when one of the sons told the mom she should be at the restaurant instead of tanning and she spat back that she didn't judge him for tanning....*snarf*

My husband (who has been a professional cook for over 10 years) and I caught the re-run. He was dumbfounded at some of them not being able to produce eggs and pancakes in an hour. He said besides the reduced syrups, he could have had the whole order out, including all four eggs in under 8 minutes....which is true, because his last job had a ticket timer and his average ticket time was 6 minutes.

Re: Chatterbox Cafe on Restaurant Impossible
With nails like that, this restauranteur is doomed.

I know, right? And almost all of those, as well as some of the things that they made for the earlier challenge, are things you do pretty darn near the last minute. I'd really hate to eat eggs or pancakes that had been sitting on someone's plate for 45 minutes.

I had wacthed it Sunday night, but the whole family watched last night. The kids -- 14-year-old son in particular, couldn't stop laughing. Even he knows more than some of these people.

I about died at the guy looking for a dishwasher to cook his salmon. I've heard of it before, but was he looking for originality points, or what?

I was intrigued by the IDEA of Vanilla Chicken and I think it could work if executed properly.

Also, if the girl picked last would think about it, it isn't a bad spot - so she's not "good" enough to be picked for a chef's own team, but she's also not bad enough to be picked to give to the competition...so it pretty much puts her in the exact middle of the pack.

Exactly.

But just no on the vanilla fried chicken.

No, not vanilla fried chicken - I was thinking more along the lines of chicken medallions in a vanilla almond cream sauce over pasta - maybe some carmelized onions, fennel, and carrots in it...I'd have to play with it, but I could make it work.

That doesn't sound bad.

I love that show! But even I can cook eggs those four ways and I definitely DON'T cook

So, I ended up taking this as a personal challenge to prove that vanilla and chicken can co-exist. I got it - not exactly as described above! Now, if this was ICA and vanilla was the secret ingredient, I don't think it would fly because the vanilla was not REALLY pronounced, but you could actually taste it.

I did a Nutmeg Vanilla Chicken & Shrimp Pasta

I started with the Mario Batali Bechamel: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/m...ipe/index.html

Ingredients:
1 Yield Bechamel Sauce
1/8 Cup Pine Nuts
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken, chopped (I had thighs)
1 lb cleaned shrimp
Salt & Nutmeg to taste
1 Tbsp Vanilla
1 Onion chopped
3/4 Package spaghetti, cooked

Make bechamel sauce and add another tsp or so of nutmeg and the vanilla.

Toast the pine nuts in a large skillet and set aside. Using the same skillet (with the pinenut residue) spray with cooking spray and brown chicken. When chicken is brown, add shrimp, salt and nutmeg to taste and cook another 4 minutes or until the shrimp are done.

Caramelize onions in a small skillet.

Add all components together. I added them in the large pot that I cooked the spaghetti in.



ETA: I think some coconut would send this recipe over the edge from "Yes, vanilla CAN co-exist with chicken" to AWESOME! I WANT TO EAT THIS!

LOVE: Food Network Challenge, especially the extreme challenges, and Ace of Cakes

HATE: Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade (UGH...something about that woman just gets on my nerves) and lately Iron Chef America (too many episodes with fish as the secret ingredient and they are sort of a phobia of mine)

I have full respect for this woman after the Food Network did a bio on her & explained that from the age of 11 she raised her younger 5 siblings. Went on to do those Curtain things on QVC. Put herself through college. Self made Woman... Love Her!!

I don't mind Sandra Lee. Some of her recipes look easy enough for me to make. But for some reason her "tablescapes" just get on my last nerve.

You should read her biography. It's really amazing what she went through. She does annoy me with the way she pronounces her "Ls" i LLLLOVE this LLLLLACE. It's a bit obnoxious. But when you learn her story you forgive her a bit.

Worst Cooks last night: I totally agree with Bobby's choice...she didn't seem like she wanted to learn and get better, that she was doing just fine on her own. And Anne...was there really any other choice?

Yeah, Sherrill, while nice enough, seemed kind of delusional about her skills, and Rachel the Hipstress just wanted to be on TV.

I'm pleasantly surprised by how patient and laid-back Bobby is.

Agree about Bobby.

I think you're right about Rachel - those HUGE glasses screamed fake. I don't know why she did SO bad as to get kicked off so soon...you would think a TV whore would have tried to stay around awhile. You can play inept like she was but then pull it together and put decent food on the plate.

And the sense of humor he is showing. It is a pleasant surprise.

And I agree there were no other choices last night.

My kids will wail, though, if Erica goes home. She cracks them up. (Mom and me too.)

Which one is Erica? I can't keep them straight....

Ok, and I laughed about Sarena? garnishing with saffron, but you can bet that if it were in my basket, I'd sure as heck incorporate it somewhere!

Erica is the middle-aged woman who cuts jalapeños with scisscors. :) I think either she or Sarina will be next to go on Bobby's team and Bennett on Anne's team.

Oh, yes - she is great!

Why do you think Sarina will go? I think she proved that she understands rule #1 of cooking is that we eat first with our eyes...some others have yet to get that.

Hmmm ... I guess you have a point (about the saffron, right?). I thought her noodles were kinda scary, plus her voice bugs big-time. She's another one I suspect is trying to be a "personality."

And who can't say "tofu."

I don't know that she'll be the next to go. Bobby was talking last night about her potential, and she seems to try hard. Maybe I'm totally misreading the editing, but I keep thinking they're foreshadowing that she'll be around a while. It would make a good story -- if Bobby can teach her, he can teach anybody.

Yes, her plate looked great. But, I can see what you mean about her being made for TV.


She can't go because she makes such good TV. Rachel really wasn't adding to the show the way Erica does, which is why Erica is more forgiveable.