Sandra Lee: What the hell?

I could probably start a weekly (maybe daily) segment called "Sandra Lee: What the hell?" but sometimes things on her show happen that are so dumbfounding that I choose to just ignore them and pray to never again remember.

I can't seem to get this outfit out of my mind, though:


Is that some kind of corset? A semi-homemade Spanx? Some kind of medieval placemat she turned into a shirt?

It's just kind of weird to me.

P.S. -- She's making a "super, super simple" cheesy meatloaf in the slow cooker in this picture. Perhaps that corset's helping her keep it all in?

A Few of My Favorite Things

I looooove this video for "All My Friends" by the XYZ Affair, currently posted on FN's blog Simon Says.

It features Food Network's own Marc Summers--a gameshow icon after hosting Nickelodeon's Double Dare, What Would You Do?, and others--as well as some well-known (to me, at least) Nickelodeon stars of the past: Danny Cooksey, "Budnick" from Salute Your Shorts; Michael Maronna, "Pete" from The Adventures of Pete & Pete; and Jason Zimbler, Ferguson from Clarissa Explains It All.



If late 80s/early 90s Nickelodeon wasn't a big part of your adolescence, then this video might be meaningless. It's still fun to see Marc Summers, who's apparently been successful in battling his highly public battle with O.C.D., slime a whole room of kids.

Perhaps I wouldn't have been as nervous meeting Marc Summers if he'd have just poured some green slime on me?

Anyhow, this video is making me think of my own former Nickelodeon star wishlist, if I were to ever shoot a rock video. I think I'd go with:

• "Alastair" from You Can't Do That on Television
• Crystal Lewis from Roundhouse
• Christine Taylor from Hey Dude!
• and anyone from that freaky show Pinwheel

Tolan Florence Having Tyler's Baby... Again

Following the footsteps of such luminaries like Giada De Laurentiis, Gwen Stefani and...uh... Jamie Lynn Spears, Tolan Clark is with-child.

Today on Live with Regis and Kelly, Tyler Florence announced that he and his wife Tolan were having another baby!



The couple's son Hayden (whom I showed a pic of yesterday) is already 8 months old.

Way to keep it going, Tyler!

Via Celebrity Baby Blog

[Photo Source]

TV Alert: Tyler Florence

Just an FYI to you all...

Tyler Florence will appear on Regis & Kelly tomorrow (Wed., January 30) for its "Healthy Hearty Football Party."


"Healthy" doesn't really fit into the ULTIMATE equation that Tyler's known for, but let's see what he can do.

P.S. - that kid is cute!

Danny Boome to the Rescue?

Below is my imaginary conversation with a recent Food Network press release.

Me: Hey, FN... what's going on?

FN: Beginning this March, Food Network’s new darling, Danny Boome, is “on call” responding to the pleas of viewers hoping to overcome personal culinary obstacles with his new series, Rescue Chef.

Me: Wow... way to jump right into it. Cut to the chase, and all.

FN: Premiering Saturday, March 1st at 12pm ET/PT, the half-hour show infuses Food Network’s successful “In the Kitchen” daytime line-up with Boome’s outgoing personality and irresistible appeal.

Me: Wait a second-- outgoing personality and irresistable appeal? Are you sure you're not talking about Tyler Florence. That Food 911 show sounds very similar.

FN: “Danny is a charismatic young chef who will charm viewers with his passion for cooking instruction and his energetic style in the kitchen,” said Bob Tuschman, Senior Vice President, Programming and Production for Food Network. “Rescue Chef speaks to our viewers’ real-life cooking struggles, and Danny averts their kitchen crises with humor and flair.”

Me: Whoa... when did Bob get on the line? And that's kinda weird how you refer to yourself in the third-person, but I'll let it slide. Now you said "Danny," you sure you're not talking about Dave-y? Dave Lieberman perhaps?



FN: From The Big Apple to The Lone Star State, Boome will “rescue” viewers across America from culinary meltdown. Whether Danny’s helping a schoolteacher recreate her wedding’s short ribs recipe for an anniversary dinner or perfecting culinary delights like Grandma’s Mexican enchiladas, crispy southern fried chicken, and authentic Thai food – each episode will guarantee supper success. Danny also encourages recipe risk-tasking with inventive ingredients to give stale meals a fresh twist.

Me: Supper success? Do you mean "super" or is that just another one of those fancy food puns I love?

FN: British-born Danny Boome has traveled throughout North America and Europe exploring his culinary curiosity, hosted several Canadian and English television cooking shows, and served as a chef for high-profile European figures including Paris’ Sultan of Oman. An advocate for educating children, parents, and teachers, Danny runs a successful cooking school and has appeared regularly on several UKTV programs. From semi-professional hockey to au pair, this “Rescue Chef” has explored many trades but always had a passion for cooking.

Me: Ahhhh... British-born. So that's it. Accents = sexy. Perhaps that's what Tyler and Dave were lacking. Send them off to Australia for a few years and then get them on TV.

Men who cook = sexy. Accents * men cooking = food network hit?


What do you think?!?

Food Network Surreptitiously Debuts New Blog

Food Network has gone and done it again!

Perhaps you've noticed the tiny promo image for Food Network's newest blog, Simon Says, in the upper right-hand section of Food Network's homepage on foodnetwork.com.


Discover how food and
art collide in our new blog.

This is now (by my count) the fourth of fifth time that FN has surreptitiously started--and barely mentioned--a blog. I don't have them bookmarked, so the only way for me to ever find them is by doing a google search.

*I'm happy to find out that I'm 4th on the list when you search for "food network blog."

In case you were wondering, Food Network also has the following blogs:

• Food Network Kitchens: Behind the Scenes, which has posts going back to July 2006.
• Feeding Frenzy, written by staffers Suki Hertz and Lia Wiedemann

And I even found this one:

• Bird is the Word, a blog about Thanksgiving

Oh, and the page where Food Network peeps were evidently testing these new blogs.

As far I know, none of these blogs has been given a proper introduction. I've only found them by way of my daily reserach for my own blog. Also, none of these blogs really give us a good indication as to why they were started in the first place.

I like the idea of food and art colliding (as is the theme on Simon Says), but why such a lack of fanfare? Why no interesting opening post inviting us all to read daily with hints as to what's to come?

It all makes it look like Food Network is very tentative about blogging. They're willing to have these blogs up, but just not make any mention of them... up until now, that is. There's that tiny graphic up on foodnetwork.com, now.

It's just kind of sad to be when you compare it to, say, Bravo TV's listing of its blogs.

These blogs are prominently featured and actually provide valuable content. They're bundled with numerous other options to experience and enjoy the TV network's line of shows.

To me, that's what TV network's interactive features should be for--providing you, the reader, with even more ways to experience "the brand" if you will. That's why Tim Gunn's blog Tim's Take is so popular.

First of all, it's written by a well-known figure on one of the network's most popular shows. Tim's also great at not just repeating what we already know from watching the show. He actually gives us additional commentary and additional viewpoints.

Adam Roberts, the Amateur Gourmet, exemplified the kind of well-written blog that I adore with his recent Food Network blog for the limited-series, The Next Iron Chef.

Also, Food Network Canada is way ahead of FN-USA when it comes to blogging. Its awesome food blog, Food for Thought, features timely, helpful posts on a variety of subjects. Plus, cooking contests and book giveaways add some spice to the mix.

As I mentioned before in my "Blog if You're Going to Blog" post, blogging is tough work. I get it. That doesn't mean you can get by with shoddy work, and I think the FN knows this.

Perhaps that's why they relegate them to the upper right-hand corner?

If you want an autograph from Mario, wait

I love this quote from Mario Batali from today's Washington Square News:

"I'm happy to sign autographs and do all of that, but there are times when I'm just trying to eat breakfast with my kids and the person I ask to wait for an autograph calls me an asshole. I'm not going to go off, though, like some celebrities, and punch a paparazzo or anything."



Mario took some time off to talk to students of the class, "Celebrity: A Cultural and Historical Exploration of Modern Fame" at his restaurant Otto.

And while he may lament the change in the network's new focus on fast & easy, Mario seems to be able to recognize the positive:

"At the end of the day, I'm happy to have anyone cook anything - I'm more against Arby's and McDonald's than people who cut corners and whatever to get dinner on the table."

[Photo via Washington Square News]

Ace of Cakes: Harry Potter video

Here's a little video from the Harry Potter episdode of Ace of Cakes, the season 4 premiere that aired last Thursday.



Plus that fancy promo commercial:



All in all, a fun episode, and it was great to see a bit more from Ben and Anna. I'll try to get a few more pics up from it ASAP.

Giada Covers Up

It's hard to believe just a few short months ago (well, last July) Giada was looking like this:



Now, some six months pregnant, she's all covered up! Here she is at a recent event at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.



So far, she's not been experimenting with too many colors other than black when it comes to maternity wear. Hmmm... perhaps crushed tomato red just doesn't go with a bulging belly???

At least she took some time to pose with a few famous friends.



Giada was in Utah for the famous film festival to serve as guest chef at the Bon Appétit Supper Club event. Hopefully she got to take in a few movies while there, too.

[Image Source]

Duffy Potter and the Prisoner of Mary Azkaban

Who's excited about the season 4 premiere of Ace of Cakes?

Evidently the Harry Potter bloggers are. I never realized how huge a phenomenon they were until I started getting news updates from ALL (and there are a lot) of the Harry Potter fansites.

Even Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) has a blog or two devoted to him, all announcing major excitement over seeing Rupert in the AoC commercial! I'm wondering what they'll post after the episode actually airs.

And I can't even keep up with all the Daniel Radcliffe blogs. They all call him "Dan."

Hmmm... perhaps this is the same feeling that people who aren't obsessed with Food Network get when they visit my site and read my posts about Ina like we're old pals. ;-)

Blog if You're Going to Blog

Blogging can be tough work at times. You have to feel passionately enough about something to write nearly every day if you want to build and keep a good readership.

Some people start blogs for personal reasons-- they want to document their lives, keep friends and family updated, or just post pictures of their kids. Others may be extremely knowledgeable about a certain subject and wish to share this knowledge with the world. And still others may start blogging because they are well-known by the public and wish to keep their fans updated.

This can be both good and bad.

I'm talking specifically about the various Food Network celebs who've started and failed to maintain their blogs.

When Dave Lieberman burst onto the Food Network as its youngest host ever it seemed only natural that he'd start a blog and capitalize upon his youth appeal. His Web site, www.davecooks.net, debuted quickly along with a promising interface containing news, photos, forums (that have since been shut down after being overwrought with Cialis spam), and a BLOG.


Dave's blog section is literally YEARS overdue for an update. Perhaps Dave thought that the traditional written blog would be too much work, so he opted for both audio and video blogs.

His audio blog section, containing ONE post, includes references to "regular updates" and that'd he'd "let us know what he's up to." Well, two years later he's only got that one post and a "coming very soon!" note on the video blog section.

What gives, Dave?! You removed the forums section because it wasn't working. Do you still think this whole blogging thing might just randomly work out... two years later?

I found out back in November that longtime Food Network star Bobby Flay also has a blog. Despite promising to leave the gossip and negative stories to the "haters in the blog world," Bobby has pretty much failed to write (or let his assistant write) much of anything worth reading.


Combine that with a horrible interface that only allows you to scroll through a tiny window and a ridiculous amount of ellipses (...) and things that only resemble ellipses (...............) and you get turned off rather quickly.

Who else should be fined?

Cat Cora's last post: Nov. 19, 2007
George Duran's last post: April 15, 2007
Warren Brown's (Sugar Rush) last post: Dec. 8, 2007

Fined! Fined! Fined!

Tyler Florence has been one of the best Food Network bloggers. His new blog hasn't been updated since Jan. 11, but I'll give him a break. He's also been the best about sharing relevant information and stories in his blog posts. You know-- stuff we might actually want to read.

My buddies at Charm City Cakes (and stars of Ace of Cakes) debuted a blog a few months ago and have been pretty good about keeping updated. They are so busy, so I'll cut them some slack.

**************************

Basically, my point is that if you've got a blog... then blog! To those Food Network stars who maybe weren't sure what they were getting into when they thought "Hey! I should start a blog," I say: either get it together, or just get rid of it.

Mario on Martha

If you're lucky enough to have the day off (like me), perhaps you've been checking out the fine (right) daytime TV offerings that we all normally miss while slaving away at "real jobs."

I was able to catch a classic Good Deal rerun on FN with Dave making some baked bolognese and other pasta dishes (all of which are in his latest cookbook).

He was still a little rough in this episode...fumbling his lines and such, but I really think he could have had (and I guess still could have) a great television cooking show if the time was right. Oh wellllllll.

I also randomly caught Mario Batali's segment on the Martha show. I never watch her show, but was excited to see him on.

He made this yummy sounding spaghetti with green olive sauce. So simple and fresh.

I kind of missed out on the Mario phenomenon (in terms of his FN career) since I didn't really start watching in earnest until close to the end of Molto Mario, but after watching this segment I was reminded just how good a television personality he really is.

His demo was effortless but not lethargic. He was able to teach simple cooking lessons without being pedantic. Yes, he did throw in some big, multisyllabic words here and there, but they weren't overdone.

While it's pretty clear that his time hosting a cooking show on FN is done for the time being, it's still obvious that he's a great talent. I'm totally stoked about his PBS show with Gwenyth Paltrow in Spain (as I've mentioned before).

And that's not just because I've eaten chipirones en su tinta (squid cooked in its own ink) while in Bilbao, España.

Have a great day off (If you have it off) everyone!

Rachael Rayscapaes, V2

Rachael hit the ice on Friday to tape a sweeps week episode for her daytime talkshow at New York's Bryant Park ice rink. Burrr!




Looks like Rach got some hockey lessons from Denis Leary. Olympic figure skater Emily Hughes also dropped by for the episode's taping, which is set to air Jan. 31.

And if that wasn't enough, a martial arts ice-breaking expert and a few arctic animals (a penguin and a bobcat) skated on into the mix.

And if THAT wasn't enough, Rachael and her very busy lawyer/rockstar hubby posed for a few "candid" photos.


Awww... cute. John's hair is looking more and more like Rachael's every day. Now he's just gotta grow it a few more inches and pluck his eyebrows and he'll be ready to be her standin! She's got a lot of endorsements and having a RACHAEL2 would be a major asset for RR-enterprises.

I'm just sayin'.

[Photo Source]

Rachael LOVES her DD

According to OK! magazine, Rachael has denied the whole tiff that I reported on yesterday.

"Ridiculous," she said when asked about the scurrilous rumor. "It's ridiculous. It's absolutely ridiculous."

Then the writer closed the article with one of those little things I HATE: "Sounds delish, Rachael!"

Why does her denying a rumor "sound delish" OK! mag? I think that was just a cop out way of ending an article. Perhaps it could have been that lovely, "Sounds easy as pie, Rachael!" or "Sounds like a piece of cake!."

Basically, I hate food puns. Have a great weekend. Hope you crank all your burners up to high and really get the fun times a'boilin', if you know what I mean.

Rachael Gets Perezzzzzzzzzzed

The celebricook® extraordinare--Rachael Ray--has reached a level of stardom that most Food Network personalities couldn't even come close to if they tried. Not that they'd want to try, that is.

Gossip blogger Perez Hilton is even taking cracks at our dear Rachael. Guess this means she's really famous, y'all!

Nobody wants to work with her!

There has been a series of defections at Rachael Ray's magazine, Every Day.

Staffers have been leaving en masse, and just within the past week, two high-profile editors have quit, including the executive editor.

The mag will probably fold by the end of the year!

Perez refers tot the recent New York Post article in which both the executive editor & lifestyle editor of her magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray, quit their jobs.

While I honestly don't think the magazine will "fold" anytime soon, it does seem kind of fishy. I tend to believe that the rumors of Rachael being a major bitch when the cameras are off are probably just that... rumors.

Then there's this story about Rachael dissing Dunkin' Donuts:

So a friend of mine was on set last week as Rachael Ray filmed her latest Dunkin' Donuts commercial. According to her, Rachael stormed onto the set and snapped at everyone. Not news, I know, everyone knows she's actually a gigantic asshole. BUT! I am also told she took one sip of her Dunkin' Donuts coffee, yelled “What is this shit? Get me MY coffee,” and would not continue until she was given “her” coffee — i.e., Starbucks.

You'd tend to believe this, since it came from a reputable source, New York Magazine's Grub Street. However, it's highly suspect considering the writer said it was emailed by "a friend of Grub Street." Then, it's a friend who was supposedly on the set.

So that's two different "friends" relaying information to yet another party. Is there a Kevin Bacon connection in there, too?

It just doesn't make sense. I know Rachael is a busy lady and probably can get testy, but WHY in the HELL would she say something about the product she is ABOUT TO FILM A COMMERCIAL FOR? That's just stupid. I doubt Emeril's always a bundle of joy when filming commercials for her various products, yet you don't see any snarky posts about him, do you?

******************

Ugh. It's snowing in D.C. I don't know what to eat and I should be going to the gym. Curses!

SPOILER: AoC Harry Potter Cake

The season premiere of Ace of Cakes is next Thursday, January 24 at 10:30pm on Food Network.

Photos of the cake the gang at Charm City Cakes made for this episode--the Harry Potter cake--have surfaced!




I'm told this is CCC's largest cake to date.

Daniel Radcliffe and other stars from the movie will make an appearance in the episode.

Awesome!

[Image Source]

Restaurant Alert

• Michael Chiarello to open a yet-to-be-named restaurant in the V Marketplace complex in Yountville, Calif. He'll also open up a flagship NapaStyle store there.
  
  California to be renamed "Chiafornia" soon.
  
  
• Tyler Florence will open his first restaurant in the remodeled Hotel Vertigo. The hotel (currently the York) was featured in Hitchcock's masterpiece...you guessed it... Vertigo.
  
  Nothing I love more than eating one of Tyler's heart-stopping meatloafs (as in it will literally clog your arteries within minutes) and feeling so dizzy I want to puke.

Paula's Got a Run for Her Money

the kids are becoming indoctrinated...



She's a cute lil' Paula in the making. Plus, her fresh pasta has fish in it. I think that's an Omega-3 that's mega-missin' in most of Paula's dishes.

Cute!

Babies On Board

With all the news of Xtina Aguilera and Nicole Ritchie giving birth, I thought I'd show off a few Food Network babies that we haven't seen enough of lately.

Tyler Florence, who has a new blog on his personal Web site tylerflorence.com, gave us a peek at his family's holiday photo:


Little Hayden is about 8 months old and quite the cutie in his xmas sweater. They look very down to Earth, which I guess is a good thing in these crazy Britneyesque times we live in.

Then there's that little butterball, Jack Deen-- Jamie Deen's son:


Jack's head is almost as big and round as his daddy's! Poor kid.

These two boys might be headed down the culinary television pathway known as Food Network sooner than later. It's never too early for a toddler version of Road Tasted.

Those Deen family pics come from the recent Ladies' Home Journal article in which Bobby Deen said:

"My nephew Jack gives me a new perspective on life. I've never been married, but watching my brother and his wife and child -- well, now I want that, too, and soon."

The ball's in your court, Bobby. Let us know when that's all gonna happen.

You hear?

Need Help Proposing Marriage?

... Bobby Flay to the rescue!

CBS' The Early Show is teaming up with its resident chef (and FN-star) Bobby Flay to help viewers who are nervous at the thought of asking their loved one's hand in marriage in a series called: S.O.S.: Bobby Flay -- Help Me Propose!"

Bobby is the obvious expert, since he's been married three times!

Viewers can submit videos detailing their proposal jitters and explaining why they need Flay's assistance, and he'll visit some in their hometowns -- to help them set the stage -- and the table -- for the ultimate question.

To submit your video, click here.

Flay proposed to his wife, Stephanie on the ice at New York's Rockefeller Center, even though he didn't know how to sakte! (typo on the Web site) "But I wanted it to be in the middle of New York City," he explained.

*********************

So whaddya think about having the Flayster help you propose? Any takers?

Giada Premieres

Giada De Laurentiis showed up at the recent premiere of Mad Money, in Westwood, Calif. And she brought her baby bump to boot.


Giada, who's expecting the first week in April, barely looks the nearly 6 months along that she is. I know that you're petite, G., but this is your time to gorge on lasagna and garlic bread. Eat while you have the chance!!!

Hmmm... how soon before she's up on the cover on InStyle, a la Halle Berry?

[Image Source][Thanks Angie!]

Dave Does... Draft

Dave Lieberman certainly enjoys his beer, as was evidenced by his zany demonstration at last year's Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Fest. So it's fitting that he's on the cover of the latest issue of Draft magazine.


I don't know if I'd refer to him as "Food Network's rising star" since his show(s) are basically on permanent hiatus (from what I hear), but the rising star part is certainly accurate--provided that he starts doing some new and exciting projects for all of us to see. And preferably the kinds that involve him smiling, wearing open shirts, and getting inebriated.

Okay... I'm getting carried away.

Rachael Rayscapades

According to the New York Post's Starr Report, Rachael Ray will tape an episode of her daytime talkshow "completely on ice." The chilly ep will air on Jan. 31 to coincide with the first day of February sweeps.

Rachael, who will enter the show via Zamboni, will also have her guests don ice skates as they cavort around New York's Bryant Park ice rink.

******************

Ummm... what kind of cooking will Rachael do while on the ice? Perhaps she'll just dig a hole and do some old-fashioned ice fishing? I'm sure there's lots of interesting creatures living in the New York City sewer.

Ina's "New" Kitchen

It's a new year and a time for change for most of us. We're making (and breaking) new year's resolutions, thinking about how we want this year to be better than the last, and constantly thinking: isn't there anything new I can make for dinner tonight?

That word -- "change" -- is on the lips of every presidential candidate this week, but my Food Network-fave Ina Garten may well be the picture of change.

I'm talking of course about her new barn & kitchen, built directly behind her home in the Hamptons.





Those old white painted wood cabinets, black honed granite and black Formica countertops, black and white linoleum tiles, the Sub Zero refrigerator, the 2 Bosch dishwashers, and 8-burner Viking stove have been replaced with...


...something that looks very similar. Notice the new open cabinet design and new knobs. Marvel at the 2 ovens in the center instead of the end.

I chalk this up to the fact that Ina probably already knew the stuff she had was more than "good"-- it was "really good." So why would she really change anything?

There's some new little room over there on the right...


and behind the island she has...


and what appears to be wood floors.




That's the refrigerator on the left. Another Sub Zero, I presume.

Plus, she has this fancy and bright new walkway that she came out of.


You did all that in one weekend, Ina?!



Oh Jeffrey... are you even surprised? ;-)

***********************************

All in all, not a complete transformation, but I think I like it. I don't want too much change when it comes to Ina Garten.

The food she made during this ep (duck salad, butternut squash risotto, chocolate sorbet) looked especially delicious. Perhaps it was the new setting.

Either way... I wanna visit:



Dang! Maybe next time.

Come and Get It! All New in '08

A pretty good weekend of Food Network, huh?

First I got to see a new episode of Barefoot Contessa, shot in her new studio kitchen on her property's barn. One of those "all new" in '08 eps, I suppose. Although their definition of "all new" differs with mine.

Then I caught Iron Chef America: Batali vs. Oliver.

And then I even watched the sneak peek of At Home with Jamie.


A complete update with pics and more to come... but for now, what did you all think?


[Photo courtesy Food Network]

Alton's Back for 3

Food Network and Alton Brown have agreed to a three-year deal, it was announced today by Brooke Johnson, President, Food Network.

He's coming back for more episodoes of "Good Eats," "Iron Chef America," and the latest installment of his popular "Feasting on Asphalt" series titled, "Feasting on Waves."

Way to go, Alton!

"Food Network is my home and I am staying home," said Brown. "I'm looking forward to producing more and varied shows with the network and am especially excited about Feasting on Waves, which will bring a whole new perspective to food."

Feasting on Waves, premiering summer 2008, will feature Alton Brown trading the road for the waves to explore the people, cultures and food of the Caribbean. He will uncover the real mom and pop restaurants and food stands, cook on the boat, dive, fish, whatever it takes to find interesting edibles outside of the resorts. From the deck of a boat, it's a modern day pirate's tale searching out history, cuisines and stories.

**************************************


Feasting on Waves sounds very cool and will (was?) be surely a blast to shoot. Anyone on that team need a P.A.? I happen to be available. Could probably make it to the Caribbean, you know, if need be. I'm generous like that.

[Source]

A "Good" Ina Parody

While most of the Ina Garten parody videos I've found on YouTube make fun of the Barefoot Contessa's weight or unhealthy food choices, this two-part video is actually pretty tame... and very funny in parts.




See?! Nothing mean in that at all, but still hilarious.

Major props to the video creators for a) recreating that signature Ina music that plays while she's cooking or moseying down to the market, and b) popping that collar. Ina would be proud!

I also love the "I prefer milk from Dolce & Gabbana" line.


HOWEVER, Ina would NEVER use Morton's iodized table salt or pre-ground black pepper! 2 points off for that.

What do y'all think? Was it a "good" Ina parody?

Sandra's Kwanzaa Cake

Well, Kwanzaa just wrapped up its week long celebration, but Sandra Lee's Kwanzaa cake is truly timeless:



I think the YouTube commenter "RazzyFoxtrot" puts it best:

sandra lee's kwanzaa cake is FIERCE. y'all bitches just wish you were fabulous enough to jam table candles into a cake and put corn nuts on it.

Tampa Trib Gets It Wrong

Umm... you might want to double check your story before you publish it, Tampa Tribune:

Food Network, Now With One-Third Less Body Hair

After 10 years on the air, the Food Network canceled Emeril Lagasse's "Emeril Live" show. The network also canceled Mario Batali's "Everyday Italian" series.

Obvs, Everyday Italian is not Mario Batali's series, nor was the show I believe the writer intended to refer to (Molto Mario) "canceled." New episodes haven't been filmed for years.

*******************************

Ugh! I'm still not feeling well. I'm in bed right now watching Giada on Today. She's getting better. Good for her.

Happy new year, folks.