Food Network – Who I Like, And Who I Don’t

As I’ve confessed before, I’m a huge Food Network Fan. Well, go figure, since I’m a huge food fan. And I don’t mean huge in just the metaphorical sense, either. It’s taken years of effort to get a body like mine. Really.

And I’ve learned so much by watching, too: How to properly season a dish. Tasting your food as you cook. The importance of high heat, when needed. Knife skills. The ease and satisfaction of cooking with fresh ingredients.

So who taught me?

• Alton Brown. My all-time Food Network favorite. Alton is a food genius, hugely entertaining to watch, and appeals to me personally with his scientific approach to food. I owe my almost-but-not-really-award-winning ribs recipe to Alton. Iron Chef America would be completely boring without him, too.
  

• Giada De Laurentis. Her innovative take on Italian cuisine never fails to inspire me. I cannot count the number of times I’ve watched her shows and then gone shopping to make the same dish for dinner that night!
  

• Ina Garten. Ina’s simple yet elegant style resonates with me. Not every dish rings my bell, but her shows always get me thinking in new ways, and she gets extra points for knowing every Gay man in the Hamptons.
  

• Anne Burrell. Though Anne has been on Food Network for a couple of years as part of the Mario Batali team for Iron Chef America, her new show fills a notable gap in the FN lineup for me: More insight into the professional chef world. Her techniques and shortcuts are always useful, and her commentary is fresh without being too cutesy.
  

• Guy Fieri. I like Guy a lot. Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives is a fun show featuring some interesting and quirky places, and with Guy’s Big Bite, he makes food that appeals to my dark side (bad for you, but oh so tasty). And he drives a cool ’68 Camaro, too!

Honorable Mentions – These folks are fun to watch, too!

• Bobby Flay. I used to think Bobby was a pompous jerk, but after watching a few dozen Throwdown episodes I’ve decided he’s a nice guy after all. Why? He’s a good loser.
  

• Duff. I’m not much of a baker and his show doesn’t really “teach”, but he and his friends are fun to watch.
  

• The Neely’s. Nice folks who seem to genuinely love each other and their food. I haven’t picked up much, but I still watch.
  

• Robert Irvine. Dinner Impossible gives me another look into professional kitchens, for which I have a fascination. He can be a bit over the top, but still fun.
  

• Sunny Anderson. I’ve watched Cooking For Real a couple if times and found it informative and enjoyable. She is warm, pleasant, and engaging.

And here are my votes for the worst:

• Aaron McCargo, Jr.. He’s just not interesting and doesn’t inspire confidence. Boooring.
  

• Aida Mollenkamp. The Ask Aida format has no appeal for me. If I wanted to watch people stare at computer screens, I’d go back to the office. Besides, I too have the world’s greatest research tool at my fingertips: The Internet. Who is she talking to, Luddites? Get a browser, people!
  

• Rachel Ray. She just seems to have jumped the shark from over-exposure. Thirty Minute Meals haven’t done all that much for me (Yes – I tried one), and I think she’s done.
  

• Marc Summers. Unwrapped can be fun to watch, but Marc Summers does not make a good host. He seems over-rehearsed and has cliche dialog. I just wanted to scream when he hosted the finale of Next Food Network Star a season or two ago – it was just bloody awful!
  

• Tyler Florence. The clear winner for Worst Food Network star. He comes off simultaneously as both pompous and disengaged, and seemed downright rude during the most recent Next Food Network Star episode, wherein he “helped” the constestants do a 30 second meal tip. Also, did you catch that none of the contestants seemed overly happy to see him, unlike with other FN personalities? This guy should go.