Sunday, June 29
Anne Burrell's Secrets of a Restaurant Chef: An excellent first episode
I was so impressed with this morning's premiere of Anne Burrell's Secrets of a Restaurant Chef that I had to post about it right away.
As you know, Anne has served as Mario Batali's sous chef on Iron Chef America and is a renowned chef in her own right, so it's a fair guess that she's very comfortable in the kitchen. And while the experience on ICA surely helped Anne learn some of the TV ropes, I wouldn't say it instills the skills one needs to host her own cooking show.
So that was the test this morning.
Luckily, Anne's comfort in the kitchen was immediately apparent from the very beginning of this morning's premiere episode. She spoke enthusiastically and with ease, her somewhat over-the-top sayings ("Supastar!") and gestures never coming across as wooden or forced, but truly genuine and endearing. It really felt like Anne would refer to beef as a "supastar" in her restaurant kitchen... and wouldn't care if someone gave her an odd look in the process.
(A note on the set above: Anne has a lively, striking personality. There seems to be a disparity between Anne--with her spiky blonde locks and vibrant gestures--and her somewhat Granny-esque set, complete with old-fashioned lampshades and odd framed paintings. Was this the idea? If so, I don't get it.)
The choice to focus on bolognese--a sauce that Anne admittedly notes requires lots of steps, time and patience to achieve perfection--was smart. She explained each step and its importance, while keeping true to Food Network's mantra of "you can do this!"
Plus, Anne even came up with a new phrase to describe those awesome brown bits that stick to the bottom of the pan while cooking a sauce like this: beautiful brown crud!
One of the reasons I so quickly responded to this show was that I truly wanted to make this sauce after watching Anne prepare it. That should be the goal of every dish that every Food Network host prepares!!! But it doesn't always come across that way.
I often feel like so many dishes are thrown at us with a "this might be good to make, or you could make it this way... or try it with this instead" kind of attitude that it ends up seeming like the host is just completely ambivalent as to what s/he's preparing. That was definitely not the case with Anne and her bolognese.
The fact that cooking the sauce for 4+ hours (a bit of a no-no in today's superfast Food Network world) didn't even phase me is a testament to just how successful Anne was in pulling off this important, opinion-forming premiere episode. It was definitely a bold choice, and one that I applaud Anne (and her producers) for choosing.
I'm sure the foodie-focused crew will appreciate Anne's culinary skill and knowledge, while the entertainment-liking peeps (the category I fit into more often) will be seriously engaged and want to continue watching.
An expert restaurant chef, Anne's attention to detail in taste as well as presentation were fresh and actually informative. Those little things we look forward to in restaurants (the extra sprinkling of cheese or last second drizzle of olive oil) are the same things we often forget when cooking at home. I was impressed by these simple and very effective touches.
After watching today's Secrets of a Restaurant Chef I seriously want to spend four hours tonight making what I just saw. And even if I'm not as successful as Anne, I'm confident I'll still feel like a... supastar.
Someone pass me the peroxide. I'm off to bleach my hair. I'm a Burrell groupie!
*******************************************
So did you watch, yet? Am I right or completely off base?
Labels: Anne Burrell, food network, Review
posted by jacob @ 1:38 PM
46 Comments:
Right you are, Jacob! I thought it was so refreshing to see and hear some genuine enthusiasm for the process and the food. While some may have found bits of it a little over the top, I honestly didn't feel that way while watching - I just wanted to get in my kitchen and cook.
I loved her little suggestions that make a difference but are often overlooked at home (take 2 seconds to drain that poached egg, for example). I've made bolognese several times - it's delicious and worth every minute of your time so do try it - and learned a few things from Anne's presentation.
It's going to take a lot to bump Ina out of her top spot on my 'to-watch' list, but Anne ranks right up there. This is real cooking and long overdue on FN. I can't wait for next week.
Sorry I have to disagree...as soon as she said "cook the crap out of it" I tuned out!! What about golden and caramlized??..give me a break!! I'm not denying that she is an amazing chef she kicks major ass on Iron Chef, but a host she is not...what was up with all the rock star arm motions and belly dancing...no, no, no.I think she was very uncomfortable. I wanted to like this, but I'm not a fan.
"Golden and caramelized?" Bah! That's Rachel Ray talk. I had a good laugh when Anne said to cook the crap out of the sauce. I found her refreshing and it was nice to see a real chef in the kitchen. She was frank in her speech about how to cook everything and didn't pretty anything up for the camera. And unlike so many of the cooking shows on FN nowaday - I learned something new.
And yes, she got me wanting to get in the kitchen and cook the crap out some onion, celery and carrot.
I thought she rocked. Relaxed yet informative. Easy and fun style. Useful tips without acting like you're stupid. I think she did a great job. She is the anti-Amy Finley, she has tons of energy, is not a bit nervous...Great job!
I liked her style. It was refreshing and less rehearsed than some of the other shows on FoodTV (albeit I was getting nervous that something was going to fly with all those wild hand a body motions). I will definitely be heading to my kitchen to cook the crap out of the recipe. While I may now have the recipe to cook an awesome bolognese, my family, friends, and self are going to have some serious high blood pressure problems with all that salt she used!! I'll definitely watch again -- already looking forward to the roasted leg of lamb show next week.
I loved this show and the opportunity to learn something useful from FN. I can take the quirkiness from someone who really knows what she is doing. I'm just afraid there aren't enough people interested in learning how to really cook to make this show a success.
I also thought she was awesome! Honestly, the show was like a breath of fresh air. Real, professional restaurant techniques not dumbed down but definitely made accessible. As if she thinks we are, in fact, capable of learning out here in the audience. ;-)
I had mixed feelings about this show. I appreciated the way she took a fairly complicated recipe and explained how to make it really flavorful and delicious. I also enjoyed her enthusiasm, although I thought she overdid it at times.
However, I also thought she missed some opportunities to teach the home cook. For example, she explained how to poach her eggs - but she went from putting them into the water before the commercial to having them already finished when we came back. She skipped over how to determine when they're done. Also, when she was adding water to the bolognese sauce, she didn't really explain why she was doing it, or why she was adding it in portions instead of all at once. (I assume it was to keep the solids from burning as the water cooked away, but she skipped over this very quickly.) I kept wishing Alton would pop up and explain some of these things in more depth.
I'll keep watching, but I hope Anne starts explaining things a little better as she gets more comfortable with the camera.
Unfortunately, my DVR didn't record the ending of this show, but I really enjoyed the heck out of it. I, too, wanted to get right in the kitchen and cook the "crap" (who says that on TV anyway!) out of the ingredients for the bolognese. For once, we have an honest-to-goodness chef person who is informative and doesn't use "EVOO", or a "GB" and none of her food is "yumoh". She's honest, she's fun, a bit over the top, but defintely entertaining and knowledgeble. I'm watching (and taping) again.
I liked the ending better than the start. Her body movements were so exaggerated, I found it really distracting. Was she trying too hard? Was she nervous on the set? But, I'm glad I stuck with the show, and she seemed to calm the flailing arms by the end.
And, seriously, the salt seemed a bit much.
I was soooo impressed with Anne today. I've watched her on ICA forever and she has always been personable on there. She's even more so on her own show.
I will most definitely be watching this one. Much better than any of the other new ones that have been on lately.
I think Karen is dead on. The show has potential and I love the premise; however, there were some disappointments.
Primarily, there needs to be some instruction on when things are done. I'm a fairly accomplished cook, and was left with at least the following questions. How do you know when a poached egg is done? When you reheat the poached egg, how hot do you get the leftover poaching liquid? How long to reheat? When you undercook the pasta, how undercooked is it?
I think she needs to tone down her personality. I like her energy, but the wild gesticulations, words like "Superstah!", and the way she drops into a Grover-like voice to say "Brown! Brown! Brown!" makes it feel a little like she's teaching a kindergarten class and is trying to hold the audiences attention. The recipes are interesting enough on their own.
I hope she settles in and this becomes an outstanding show.
I was horrified by her mannerisms - does she suffer from Turrets? The flailing arms, the weird voices . . . it was way too much for me. I was completely turned off after 3 minutes. Crud and crap are not words I find appetizing or inspiring.
I liked it. B+ for me, in comparison to the new crew this year, Nealys, Chic & Easy, Danny or Sunny I will probably enjoy this show the most.
Yes, I agree she was a little over the top, almost a lite version of everyone's favorite bleach blond Guy F. But her over the topness was due to love of the food not quickly grating catch phrases, e.g. "Money". And yes, I would appreciate it if her vocabulary was a little more polite.
But in the big picture, my DVR has been set to record season and I look forward to learning how to cook real food.
P.S. One side note, is it just me or does it seem like FN is trying to hide this show. When I consider the 1000's and I do me 1000's of promo's for Sunny and The Nealy's I felt this was a very low key launch of a new series. A couple of ads here and there but nothing like the above mentioned shows. It was the same for Chic and Easy also.
I did like the show, but there are some quirks about Anne and her cooking that may cause me to grow tired of the series quickly if it stays the same.
Firstly--again--the food looked great and I do look forward to trying the Bolognese. However, the Grover-voice is extremely annoying to me. It was funny the first time--maybe the second--but after 15 of them I was weary of the hamming.
Secondly, I wish she, as a professional chef, would have enlightened us with some more culinary terms. Hearing my food referred to as crud is not appealing in the slightest. I assume she know it's called 'fond', but calling it crud makes me feel like I'm being talked down to.
Finally, I don't really believe that one batch of sauce requires three *fistfuls* of salt. She may claim it does, but I wonder if the recipe can be made with much less.
I had mixed feelings after seeing the first show. I realize it was her first time on her own, but she's been in front of the camera before (at least more than most of us) and I expected her to seem more at ease than she did.
It almost seemed like she had guzzled a few Red Bulls before taping. She was so enthusiastic but I'd like to see some of it reined in. With all the arm waving I thought she was going to take flight. I'd also like her to work on the voice thing - she sounded a bit too Pee Wee Herman-ish for my liking.
Overall, though, I think she did a pretty good job. The energy and personality are there and everyone knows she's got the skills. I hope she settles into a good routine and finds her comfort zone. With her personality, I think I can see her becoming something like a female Guy Fieri.
I really wanted to like this show; so many of the new shows have been disappointments. But her style just turned me off. Tie her arms down and make her wash the "crud" off of her hands before she picks up a fork to sample the food, please!
It's very seldom that a new show on FN shows it's true essence right away. To everyone who found Anne's mannerisms off-putting, check back in a couple of weeks and see if things have improved. And while I enjoyed her first show, who knows - maybe in a month I'll find her annoying!
I can well remember Giada's first episodes. She was so darn serious, her programs felt almost funereal. And you certainly wouldn't have known she had all those teeth!
I love this show!!!
Entertaining and informative.
This is the only new FN series I will watch consistently. This is the first offering since "Good Eats" I may actually learn from.
Best of luck, Anne!
Yes, probably the best new show FN has introduced this year.
This woman could become a mainstay as she does have presence and she is a chef that keeps it simple. Entertaining to say the least.
I think she learned a few things from Batali & Co.
I am so excited about an actual cooking show on FN! I liked Anne's show a lot...but her flailing arms and calling the brown fond 'crud' was a bit too much for me. On the other hand, I LOVE that she knows how to cook and is not shy about telling you exactly what to look for and what you need to do. The Bolognese had me drooling...we are actually going to have it for dinner this week, thanks to Anne. I love that she is so enthusiastic and is making technique accessable. I love that she is a notable chef, and she can back up everthing she is telling you with actual talent and experience. I love that she is not taking short cuts or cheapening the cooking process with semi-homemade, 30 minute, easy-and-not very good, alternative methods. Overall, I will watch...I just hope she tones it down a bit.
Just adding my voice to everyone else's -- I think Anne Burrell's show was awesome, with two little nits:
1. She needs to get more comfortable on TV with her real personality ("brown the crap out of it!") which is super-endearing, and worry less about being a FN Personality (the wacky arm movements, the goofy voices). I think that would tone down the goofiness so that it stays on the "endearing" side of the line permanently.
2. She needs to focus her episode a little bit more to tie in with her goal; i.e., to show us the tips of the restaurant industry. Yesterday's episode seemed to be about three things: (a) using salt appropriately, (b) browning the crap out of things that go into sauces, and (c) allowing flavors to meld by using water. At least, that's what I got. I think Anne could help us all a little bit by making the tips a little more explicit.
But mainly I want to echo what most everyone else has said: Anne rocks, and I wanted to make her pasta bolognese as soon as the show was over.
P.S. The tip on pre-poaching eggs was cool, too!
I agree that the Frog Millhouse voice and flailing arms need to be toned down a bit, but remember she's used to being on camera, but probably not so much as the focus of the whole show.
Laughed ourselves silly at the "brown the crap out of it" comment. Tried to imagine the look on Tuschman's face if one of the Next FN Star contestants had said that :-) After reading Bourdain's book, I gotta think that's pretty tame compared to a real restaurant kitchen...
I look forward to more shows from Anne. Think back to a awkward Guy Fieri on his early FN Star appearances and where he is now, what, 2 years later? Like him or not, he's a real-deal FN personality. I hope Anne does as well.
Much of what has been said is totally in agreement with my thoughts so I won't repeat. But I did want to weigh in and share my kudos for Anne. How can we share our accolades with the The Food Network execs? I really want them to know how great she is, especially given this year's new shows. And before I go...can someone tell me where they found the Chic and Easy person (I cannot even remember her name)! I won't watch 5 seconds of that show. I'd rather watch Aunt Sandy and believe me, that is saying a lot!
Anne, keep up the great work. You'll develop over time into a superstar!
Jacob, You are so right! Yes, Anne is a little rough but she will smooth out with experience. She has the sort of big personality that works on the small screen. A thinking man's Rachel Ray. I've posted about her myself here.
I found her flailing arms and occasional PeeWee Herman voice distracting at times. However, overall I did like the show and will continue to watch it. I must admit after seeing her show and then watching Bobby Flay, he seemed like he was half dead.
finally a show about cooking!! and it's not dumbed down for the viewers..cause not all viewers are soccer moms.
Brown crud on the bottom of the pan? crud? Not an appetizing term. It's fond! Not crud!
The arm motions and strange voices were a little much for me.
I had hopes this would be a good show. If she tones down the motions and voices it still might be good.
She looks like Guy Fieri in drag. Blech!
I'm so happy to see a show which features food that might be a higher degree of difficulty or takes a while to cook. I'm sick of "simple and easy," this is perfect!
i love anne. i have been to her restaurant and she is a personal friend of my moms. she was obviously a little nervous on set but, it is her first show. she will get into the swing of things!btw, the way she is on set is almost exactly her personality in real life!
haterz leave!
chef anne should stay away from tv, her first episode will hopefully be her last. amazing in the kitchen as a chef, not a tv personality. trust me!!! i spent years in the restaurant industry and now i'm a producer. anne is not and god willing will never be on network tv again.
i'm really enjoying the show. yes, it's a bit OTT at times but Ina G puts me to sleep... while i bet Cnn's prsonality is big (you get an inkling from ICA), this is probably amped up for tv. but even with the hands and voices, she is more real to me than, say, Sunny from Cooking for Real, who seems very studied and calculated in comparison (bmaybe because she used to be a DJ?). and the cooking is more real too. i mean, look at that bolognese, i want to make it! (when it's not so damn hot though)
i hope they keep it and give it a better time slot - 8:30 on a Sunday is rough! and i hope they ease off the entertaining bits and dial it down a little. since the first batch of episodes is in the can, i think the mannerisms are to be expected till they shoot more and can take all this feedback into consideration.
to the person who was wondering about sharing your thoughts with the FN - you can send an email from the shows page on FN - they are asking for feedback - it's under the show description on the left side: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_lr
by the way, there is a nice video of chef Ann in her own kitchen at Cnetro - i'd like to see more of that restaurant cooking on her show, too.
I agree about her personality- and her expertise, but stumblibg upon her show tihs morning (roast chicken, creamy mashed potatoes, roasted beets) I couldn't help but notice how overly-glutenous her mashed potatoes looked. Anyone who has ever over-mixed their mashed potatoes knows what I'm talking about.... that transluscent, gluey texture...ugh! I'm not sure how she prepared them, as I tuned in just while she was plating everything. Did anone else see that episode and notice?
i think anne is amazing and i am so thankful that she is here to save the food network- who cares whether you like her personality/gestures or not? some of us actually watch the food network hoping to learn something about food and cooking, and she is a breath of fresh air- she brings me back to the old days when the food network used to have REAL chefs like ming tsai, wolfgang puck, and mario batali instead of the current people on now, who are really more tv personalities than chefs- anne has the credentials (how many people on the food network can say they learned how to make bolognese in italy?), she has the experience, she has the knowledge, and she has the passion-she is what the food network needs- i think she's incredible and i hope she's here to stay for a very long time- anne is the reason i have started to watch the food network again- i'm tired of all these new shows that are targeted for viewers who can't cook, and her show is targeted for people who have some knowledge and want to learn more and make more intricate dishes- PLEASE food network, keep anne for a while, and let this be a wake-up call to hire more actual chefs like her who can keep the more knowledgeable and passionate viewers hooked
I'm late and wrong but I really like her and the show. She's very entertaining and at ease. I don't think she was nervous at all on her 1st show as the few after that are all entertaining. She definitely likes saying "big fat fill in the blank"...but it's her and she's comfortable with it. Which comes across to me that I, too, can attempt her restaurant style dishes. I don't think she was on this week though not sure what's up with that. This is 8/11/08 btw
I totally get that this is Anne's personality...sorry she has one, and you don't. Why should she 'tone down who she is to please a few Susie groupies? GO ANNE!
I'm confused. My program guide said that I was watching the premiere, but it was about steak. ??? She made a steak rub, broccoli rabe, and Pomme Chef Ann. I like her, I like her show, I like her personality, and I like her cookie monster voice. I like the fact that she is not afraid to use salt. However, when I tried the recipe for her spice rub...what treachery! It's Lawry's Seasoned Salt! I was really kind of disappointed by that. (The only difference is that Lawry's has tumeric in it, but otherwise, Chef Ann's mix of salt, brown sugar, garlic, cayenne, and paprika is Lawry's Seasoned Salt.) Which brings me to my next issue. She talked about "Pimenton" like it was some ancient Spanish secret spice...pimenton is paprika! I like Ann. I think she will become one of my Food Network favorites. But I hope the writers stop insulting our intelligence with this stuff.
I love Ann, she's so comfortable in her skin. It's like watching a friend cook. Some folks have the cork in too tight over her arm waving and Cookie Monster voice. She's an accomplished chef and assumes that we know a few things like egg poaching and adding a little water if the sauce is getting too thick. I never leave the house when I know her show is coming on.
I've kept up with this show from the beginning and it seems she has toned down just enough to not be over the top while still keeping her big personality. She really has grown into the role of host, and everything I've made of hers has turned out delicious. She is permanently programmed into my Tivo!
think the show has great recipes but could someone stop her from saying the word "so" 200 times in every episode. I actually had to stop watching because it is SO irritating. I can't believe the people filming didn't notice. Is this bothering anyone else?
Oh my gosh! I can't stand this woman! I won't even watch her show. The way she "grunts" and calls oil "Earl" just gets on my every last nerve. She is an informative chef, no doubt, but I just can't watch her. Sorry!
How does an accomplished chef tell her viewers to "cook the crap out of it"???? an the, scrape the "crud" off the bottom? Not to mention the unsightly way in which she dresses! Who thinks she has taste?
A few extra pounds does not mean you cant look attractive.
Thank goodness heer show only clogs up the network one morniing a week.
How can I put this lightly~ She is one of the most AWFUL host ever on a show. She might be an accomplished chef but she has no quality to attract viewers. Her language and behaviors are so disengaging. She just seems to be very rude and brash. I don't want to cook or do anything that she does. I have no idea why I have such strong feelings about her, but food network really needs to pull the plug on her god awful show. And for goodness sakes wash your damn hands.
In all the years I have been on the web I don't think I have ever posted a comment on any website, blogsite, etc before, but I just had to add my 2 cents worth here. I am such a huge fan!! I first noticed Anne on ICF((I paid attention whenever the cameras focused on her- she intrigued me) and knew she had to be someone very special for Mario Batali ( I am a big fan of his also - I can't believe how cool and calm he is during a ICA challenge!!) to ask her on to be his sous chef.
When I heard she was going to have her own show I was very interested in learning more about this Anne and made a special note of the date and time. I loved it!!
No endless babble. I can't stand the nauseatingly cutsy, naive, plain cooking, homey, "'m not a chef so I cook do things the way I want", girl (who must have an empire by now with all the TV shows, cookbooks, and magazine). Not one "Yumm O", or "EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil" (never understood why Rachel ever bothered with the EVOO if she then has to tell us what it means). And, as much as I like and respect Emeril, (a skilled chef with a diverse repetitoire of recipes, who can cook as well as bake) I got pretty tire of the "I don't know where you get your ______ from, but mine doesn't come salted"; "Its not rocket science"; showing us the stove top control knobs; and the audience that applauded when ever Emeril brought out the alcohol or garlic (which I couldn't understand and always thought it was a little weird. I much preferred the "Essence of Emeril" where we saw the Real Emeril Lagasse).
With Anne Burrell we get someone who is Genuine. An earthy, slighty quirky, gruff, plain speaking, extremely skilled chef. I think as a female, you need to be pretty tough to be taken seriously at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners. When I watched her make the Bolognese Sauce I just had to try it myself. It was absolutely wonderful and worth all the time and effort. I served it up at a Christmas party and watched it disappear. Everyone loved it. I gave Anne all the credit and sang her praises. I made it a week later at my husbands family (only 35 of them could make it) Christmas Eve gathering. Again it was the hit of the party and I sang Anne's praises to all.
I have tried a number or her other recipes and have enjoyed them all. Her pizza recipes are simple and easy to make but the flavor is rich and intense. I have served them to a group of Runners who gather at my house for their Wednesday night run. Needless to say, they vanish almost before I can set the pan down on the table.
I am very happy to see that the Foodnetwork has recognized how talented she really is and is now airing "Worst Cooks in America" with Anne Burrell(and Chef Beau MacMillan, a winning contender on ICA). What I wouldn't give to cook with Anne Burrell!!
I feel you all need to give Anne a break. She is a beautiful & bubbly person. Neither rude or brash. Lighten up people. I'd love to bounce around the kitchen with her, Guy, and/or Rachel Ray. I spend the afternoon with all 3 of them, only wishing I could create like they do. Rachel is just as bubbly, but in a different way. Guy is just adorable. I'd love to have a cooking show on TV as well. It would please me to be able to show people..ANYONE can do it! I send BIG((HUGS)) to all of them. Wish I could just join them for the fun in their kitchens!
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