BubbleQ 2009 - SoBe Wine & Food Fest

For those of you following my tweets, you already know about all that went on at BubbleQ 2009, down at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. But I still have a lotta pics to share!

As you know, Bravo's Tom Colicchio hosted the big event. It was only fitting that the first two celebs I saw upon entering were Tom himself and Mr. Al Roker, who I had just shared an elevator with earlier in the day!


Unlike last year's BubbleQ, in which host Giada De Laurentiis mainly chatted with fans and took some rest breaks (she was very pregnant, so I give her a pass!), Tom was so involved with the cooking and plating that it was nearly impossible to get a good pic of him. Such a dedicated host!

We made the BIG mistake of eating at Emeril's restaurant in the Lowes hotel right before we went over. I was not hungry at all and consequently missed out on a bunch of yummy looking things BBQ and sweets. I hear the Neelys' ribs were great, though.




Luckily, the Perrier-Jouet champagne was flowing nonstop, which I somehow made room for.


I got to chat with Simply Delicioso star Ingrid Hoffman a bit, whom I had met last year but only got to talk with for like one second. She was very, very nice and seemed to be having a great time.





I also got pics with both of the Neelys, so I guess that make me an honorary Neely? Look for me in those little pictures that flash up during the eps (JK).

SoBe first-timer Sunny Anderson was also there, of course. Thanks to miss Sunny for hooking us up all weekend!


Guy Fieri and his entourage was up on this little stage, too, but I didn't push to get a pic with him. At one point I heard Guy ask the security to "send up like 10" bottles of champagne. Fancy!

I also spotted ex-Food Network host George Duran, who made it up to the little Food Network area. Awkward? He and Susie Fogelson were chatting it up like old friends, so maybe there are no hard feelings.

I should have more video up soon from the night. After BubbleQ, we headed down to the Paris Theater for Paula Deen's poker party. Paula told yet another dirty joke there, which I have on tape!

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Lovin' that it's Friday, but haven't really been able to catch up at all this week. Hopefully I'll get it together this weekend. Have a great one, everybody!

More Info on Rach's SXSW Party in Austin

Burgers on a biscuit with bacon, shredded lettuce and a toasted poblano tomatillo sauce, ancho mac and cheese, black-bean chilaquilles, and ancho-chicken pulled soft tacos will all be on the menu at Rachael Ray's second (soon to be annual?) party at the SXSW music festival in Austin. Yum!


Rach partnered with Rose's Mojito this year, which will be providing the booze, and subtitled the event "A Smorgasbord of Hot Bands and Hot Food."

On the lineup: The Hold Steady, The New York Dolls, Bob Schneider, The Cringe, The Airborne Toxic Event, Ra Ra Riot (who I've seen a few times and are great), Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, Semi Precious Weapons, The Thermals, & John Pringle.

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I was thinking about going to SXSW this year, but sadly won't be able to make it. Luckily, I'll have a roving reporter or two on the scene. Hopefully they can make it to Rach's party and I'll get the scoop for you. Until then, I want some ancho-chicken pulled tacos for lunch.

Sandra Lee is Detoxing? No More Cocktail Time?

No, she's not giving up the cocktails thankfully. But Auntie Sandra Lee did hit up the MTV comedy show MTV Detox recently. Take a look:

Paula Don't Need No New Veneers

For some reason when I read the subject of this email from the Paula Deen Store, I thought she done got her teeth capped again!


Turns out it was just for Paula Deen baseball caps. Still, I wouldn't hold it past her to release her own line of dental veneers. I mean, look at the difference!

It Happened! Food Network Addict Chats with Sandra Lee!!!

Back in November when I made my public declaration about wanting to meet and have a cocktail with Sandra Lee, I wasn't all that optimistic about it hapepning anytime soon. But I'm beginning to think this "The Secret" thing may actually work... or I was just in the right place at the right time. Whatever the reason, I finally met SANDRA LEE!!!!!!!!!


Ever since August 2006 when I first started talking about the enigma that is Sandra Lee, I've been intrigued by this semi-homemade lady and wondered what it'd be like to meet her. Would she be gracious? Slap me for posting not the most friendly of words? Run off, explaining that she'd never heard of me?

I didn't think she'd say I was "cute" and instantly introduce me to her "gay boyfriend" who was accompanying her for the weekend.

Take a look:


As of now, I'm still not sure if she did know about me or the blog beforehand. It was so loud in there and she just kept saying nice things over and over again. I don't really remember what was said exactly other than "you are so cute" and "no, YOU are so cute." This and that. I mentioned I would be coming to her cocktail party the next night and she instantly told me about the "silver naked people" who would be present (and present they were; a post on that event to come) and that she was excited about hosting it.

What I didn't say was: "I think your tablescapes are awesome" or "Your recipes are wonderful!" or "When will Kurtain Kraft be available for sale again?" or "I think canned potatoes are a fine alternative, too!"

SHOCKING MOMENT: You'll notice that Sandra does not have a cocktail in this video, nor is she sipping on anything. I didn't see her drink anything all night! That whole "cocktail time" could just be a cover, I fear.

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Even though I've mocked Aunt Sandy and the show a bit (okay, a lot) over the years here, I still find the show entertaining. I love watching it. And Sandra definitely is committed to the "brand," however misguided it may be. Nevertheless, she could not have been more friendly to me, which I thank her for. Love yah, Aunt Sandy!

VIDEO: Gina Neely Dancing at BubbleQ

Check out this fun video of Gina Neely that I took, while attending the Tom Colicchio-hosted BubbleQ event at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival.



It was sooooo crowded up on this tiny little stage, so Gina just hopped right up on the platform to get her groove on. Poor hubby Pat never got into the game, though. Cheers to her for having fun, though. Those boring dudes just sitting def didn't bring her down.

Paula Deen's Breeches Breach

The crowd at Paula Deen's "cooking" (I use the term lightly, as I don't think she touched one ingredient) demo at the 2009 South Beach Wine & Food Festival truly showed a new side of the Southern diva we all know... and love.


That's right. Paula bared her "breeches," as she referred to them, after the too-large-for-her pants slipped down a bit too far. Take a look:


She wearing any underwear there?

Paula mentioned that her stylist gave them to her to put on. "But these breeches are too big," Paula protested. "Put 'em on, bitch" was the stylist's reply, according to Paula.

Paula's demo also included a joke about killing her husband with cyanide (not nearly as dirty as last year's joke) and a retelling of her history with agoraphobia.

Paula's attendance was HUGE. The seats were all full and people were lining up on the side of the tent just to get a glimpse of Ms. Deen. Pretty wacky. I guess Paula will be dropping her pants every year now if it gets her that kinda love!

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Well, I'm back from the festival--was greeted by some unwelcome, chilly temperatures upon arrival. Oh well, back to reality. Lots of stuff will be up soon!

Still Time to Have Cocktails With Sandra Lee

Sandra Lee's Cocktail Time here at SBWFF, complete with "sculpted" servers (which I hear means nearly nekkid men), is not sold out yet. So that means...



... more drinks for Aunt Sandy?

Probably. Let's do the math:

$100/ticket
2 hours of partying

So if you consume one of Aunt Sandy's "perfect Jose Cuervo libations" every 10 minutes, that's just a little over $8 bucks a drink*. Sound good?

*plus those glorious taxes and service fees

Rachael Ray Hosts SoBe 2009's Amstel Light Burger Bash

I'm four-for-four when it comes to missing the Rachael Ray Burger Bash, held annually at both wine and food festivals in South Beach and New York City. This year would have been extra special for me, since DC's-own Good Stuff Eatery (Spike Mendelsohn's joint) took the top three prizes: People's Choice, Judges Award and the Best Dressed Burger, with his Smokehouse Burger.

Rachael Ray and husband John Cusimano look pleased as pie to be there!


And even though I could not attend, my girl Sunny Anderson has covered it well on her blog and even provided this lovely quote to the Miami Herald:
"Bobby Flay just popped my cherry with this burger,'' said Food Network star Sunny Anderson, a self-proclaimed South Beach Wine & Food Festival virgin. "He's got the texture thing going on."

Sounds fun! Lots more updates to come.

First Day in Miami - South Beach Wine and Food Fest 2009

Sorry for the late update, but Internet was very spotty and my Twittering was greatly compromised when I wasn't able to post pics along with the Tweets via TwitterBerry. Any knowledgeable twitterers out there who might know what's wrong?

Anyhow, here's a pic of the first Food Network star I saw when I got down here, Sunny Anderson!


When I walked up to the hotel, she was surrounded by a group of people with cameras. I thought, "Oh, that's sweet. Fans are asking for pics." Well, actually it was just a group of people wanting Sunny to take their picture with their multiple cameras. Ha! She was very generous and took every one!

Not one minute after we sat down to catch up, a little girl and her mom came up and asked Sunny for a pic and autograph, though, so it all works out.

I had a pretty full day yesterday. For some reason this year, Friday was the more packed day in terms of parties, so it was a pretty late night for me... and many of the Food Network stars, I hear (and saw). Let's just hope they're all in tiptop shape for today's demos on the beach!

I'll have full posts on the events yesterday, but until then here's a quick recap:

* Ate at Emeril's before Bubble Q (kind of a mistake since I wasn't hungry at all later and there was so much great food)

* Went to Bubble Q and saw Guy Fieri surrounded by picture-hungry women.

* Ran into a very special lady at Bubble Q (video to follow)

* Went to Paula's Poker Night for a bit and saw Bobby Deen (couldn't chat with him, sadly... he was gone before I saw him again)

* Got kicked out a party that I managed to get into, but a reported from the Wall Street Journal couldn't. Think that's still a score for me!

More to come!

Giada's New Website Already Down?

Barely five months after Giada De Laurentiis launched her new website, it's already down, with just a message indicating a "brand new site" is on the way.


I am praying it's not the dinner plate theme again!

Amuse-Bouche: Twitter Time!

(I'm working on a bunch of other stuff this week in preparation for my trip this weekend. Bear with me.)

• Follow Food Network Addict on Twitter! I'll be posting pics and updates all weekend long at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival, so this will be your FIRST place to get the inside info.
• NFNS dropout JAG gets new gig.
• Food Network trademarks "Cupcake Wars" for a possible upcoming project.
• You can win a trip for 2 to San Francisco to cook with Tyler Florence. Check out the podcast and enter to win.
• "If the tent's a'rockin', don't come a'knockin'." -- No link here. Just a great Ina quote from this past weekend's episode.
• The King and Queen of Spain will be present at SOBE this year. Quick! Hide the Rachael Ray slop!

I'm very excited about using Twitter at this year's food festival. I try to get better coverage every year, like videos and interviews, and think Twitter will be the best and easiest way for me to keep you all updated while I'm on the beach at events and not in my room on the laptop. I'll post as many pics as I can! Should be fun.

Ace of Cakes: A Star Wars Slip Up?

After the massive Internet attack on Charm City Cakes after the gang there put SCOTTY IN THE WRONG CHAIR on its Star Trek cake, you'd think they'd be more careful when working on pop culture cakes, sure to be intensely scrutinized by the legions of dedicated fans.

That's why I could not believe the recent on-screen wording used for the Star Wars cake they did for a wedding episode. Specifically, Boba Fett's ship Slave I. That's B-O-B-A.



Who the hell is Bob? An overly eager spellchecker? (Truth be told, I had to look this all up and have only seen some of the Star Wars movies.)

At least this time it wasn't the fault of the cake designers... phew! Don't hate, Star Wars-peeps!

Video: Sandra Demonstrates the BURRITO CASSEROLE on Good Morning America

Must be nice to be dating the host's older brother!

Thanks to the commenters, I came across this video of Sandra Lee demonstrating the BURRITO CASSEROLE from her new magazine on Good Morning America.



Mmmm... MMMM! Someone's gonna get a good Valentine's meal outta that one!

Video: Sandra Lee Introduces Semi-Homemade Magazine

I never used to have magazine subscriptions. I already have a subscription to the Sunday Washington Post, which is mostly out of pity for the failing newspaper industry... and my lack of desire to get out of bed on Sundays. Somehow reading about the latest murders in DC or how traffic is only going to get worse makes me feel like I'm being productive, even if it's 1:30 and I'm still under the covers.

But I digress. For some reason now I'm getting Newsweek, Details, Entertainment Weekly, Food & Wine, and Food Network Magazine all delivered to my home. I have SO many magazines sitting around that I feel bad about neglecting.

Well, does this mean anything? Yes. Basically what I'm saying is: I cannot subscribe to Sandra Lee's magazine.

I just don't have the time! The same publisher used to send me Paula Deen's magazine for free, but since I never wrote about it they gave it up. The truth was, I wasn't really looking at it! I'd check out the cover photo, wonder who did Paula's wig that month, and maybe look at one recipe for something like "cheddar cheese corn grit baby food-- great for the grandkids!"

And now Sandra Lee is hawking her own mag, via its new website: semihomemademag.com


One theory that seems to pop up during a recession is that more people start eating at home more and eating out less. Ergo, they must want magazines telling them what to cook, right!?! Who cares that there are already about 15-20 titles out there doing a fine job. Let's load it up a bit more, shall we?

Thankfully, my blog friend Jordan Baker took on the task of reviewing the first edition. It is a must-read.

She covers, in great detail, each section of the magazine, including:

The personal letter from Sandra:
"...she goes into her usual spiel about how this is for women who have 'more tasks than time, and. . .must make every minute count,' and that she’s going to make this easy because she’s 'your go-to sister, your personal advocate, and your private cheerleader.' (7) Oy. There’s nothing more I hate than when this cow tries to play patron saint of the Everywoman.")

Sandra's recipe for Burrito Casserole, which is just a bunch of frozen burritos topped with cheese and olives:
"So basically her recipe for burrito casserole is to. . . microwave a bunch of burritos in the same pan. That’s not even Semi-Homemade. That’s like Semi-Truckstop-Foodcourt-made."

The feature called Kimber's Heirloom Easy:
"At first glance, it sounds like Sandy’s calling her sister old and cheap—Kimber is Heirloom Easy. But no, it’s possessive."

... and much, much more.

The thing I don't get is, if the people buying this mag are so time-strapped, how do they even have the time to read the Semi-ho's mag? Or go to the store to buy the ingredients? It's truly a mystery.

Anyone actually buy it?

Bobby Deen Blogs

I rarely check Jamie Deen's blog anymore, but maybe that'll change if his younger brother Bobby Deen continues to guest blog. I just subscribed to the RSS feed.

He may not be the best writer of his generation, but I'll take what I can get. Bobby indicates he'll be here in D.C. next week and then in South Beach for the Wine & Food Festival. Two chances for me to stalk him! Don't think I will, though.



Here's his full post, punctuation and all:

February 10 2009
Guess who………

Good morning everyone, Bobby here. I’ve hijacked Jamie’s computer.

I wanted to say thanks to all of the folks that enjoy our mom’s work, and that make the trek here to The Lady & Sons. In this economy, I’m moved by the people who drive or fly here everyday to visit our restaurant in hopes of catching a glimpse of our mom. It seem that every time I’m here at the restaurant, someone says “I drove _ miles to be here!” Just an example; A young couple (early twenties) I spoke with in the Paula Deen Store about two weeks ago, Had driven to Savannah from Minnesota to eat at our place. I chose their story because its fresh on my mind, but I hear that stuff all the time. Unbelievable! Our mother’s appeal is vast and covers the spectrum as far as people who can relate to, and love her. I’m very proud of that.

The Lady & Sons is running like a top, and we are gearing up for what we hope is a busy spring here in Savannah. I’m extremely proud of our staff, as they are responsible. Dustin Walls (our general manager) The kitchen managers (too many to mention here, but they know who they are) are doing an outstanding job managing this business. I think our health department score speaks for itself. (100) Proud of that too. Jamie and I will be in D.C. next week, then I’ll be in South Beach with my mom for the Food&Wine;Festival. Come see us if you can. Thank you all for your love and support, it is not lost on us.

love y’all-
Bobby Deen

[Thanks Jen!]

Who Wants to be Guy's Valentine?

He may be married, but I'm sure Guy Fieri would let you peck one on those gorgeous lips of his if you asked nicely. Who wants to?


(It's sarcasm, people. Bleach blonde, fake gold, and chin pubes aren't really my thing.)

Ina Makes a Valentine's Day Meal on TODAY

Ina Garten hit up NBC's studio 1A this morning, better known as the location of the TODAY show, to promote her recent book Back to Basics and cook up a Valentine's Day inspired meal. I think this makes it appearance #3 for Ina G. with this book. Such a media darling!

As we've discussed on here before, cooking segments on TV shows are usually obnoxious, rushed, and lacking of any useful information. And even though I think I've already seen all of these recipes (either on other segments or in the book), I still like watching. I think Ina does a very good job at explaining things quickly without leaving out any important info for the people who don't really cook. AND we even get a Meredith/Ina kiss! How appropriate!

And just in case anyone wants to make me the Coeur a la creme for V-Day, here's the recipe:

Coeur a la ­creme with ­raspberries
Ina Garten

This amazing dessert was inspired by my friend Anna Pump in her Loaves and Fishes Cookbook. This is really easy to make and can be prepared days before a party. Believe me, your friends will go ­crazy.

INGREDIENTS

• 12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 1⁄4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 1⁄2 cups cold heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1⁄4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
• Raspberry sauce
• 1 pint fresh raspberries

DIRECTIONS
Place the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the beater and bowl with a rubber spatula and change the beater for the whisk attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the heavy cream, vanilla, lemon zest, and vanilla seeds and beat on high speed until the mixture is very thick, like whipped ­cream.

Line a heart-shaped mold with cheesecloth so the ends drape over the sides and place it on a plate, making sure that there is space between the bottom of the mold and the plate for the liquid to drain. Pour the cream mixture into the cheesecloth, fold the ends over the top, and refrigerate ­overnight.

To serve, discard the liquid, unmold the cream onto a plate, and drizzle raspberry sauce around the base. Serve with raspberries and extra ­sauce.

Info on Jeff Corwin's Food Network Special "Extreme Cuisine"

Animal Planet, Travel Channel, Discovery, CNN and more-star Jeff Corwin is premiering a new primetime Food Network special on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 9pm ET called Extreme Cuisine.

Self-explanatory title? Perhaps. Still, here's the lowdown:


The adventures begin as Jeff hikes northwest to the remote mountain region of Mae Hong Son to sample local delicacies like deadly wasp and bamboo larvae straight from the groves. In the nearby Pai River, Jeff and his guide use traditional bamboo materials to catch and cook catfish mixed with forest-grown greens and spices. Next, Jeff veers off the beaten path in Bangkok for an extraordinary feast including silk worms, grasshoppers, and live shrimp that literally “dance” into his mouth. In the southern Trang Province, Jeff helps prepare Moo Yaang Trang, the region’s famous roasted pig cooked in underground ovens. Then, in the Muslim fishing village of Palian, Jeff learns the extensive production process of fish sauce and trudges through coastline mud to harvest and eat the area’s surprising treat: fresh blood cockles. Loy Krathong (The Festival of Lights) and delicious street food wrap up Jeff’s entertaining culinary quest through Thailand.

While some will certainly write this off as another unoriginal idea by Food Network, the practice of TV networks trying to reproduce proven concepts is not new or even out of the ordinary. (Just look at basically every reality show out there right now.) Also, this is just a primetime special, not a regular series--at least not yet. And finally, Food Network doesn't just say, "We want to copy No Reservations. Now make it happen!" They get approached by production companies with fully developed treatments. So let's give Extreme Cuisine a chance. Jeff's a better looker than that Zimmern dude, anyway.

It Just Doesn't Get Old

My second animated GIF!



Hmm... actually it does. Why don't these things have a stop button?

Anne Burrell's Set Gets Bluer, Less Granny-esque

Everyone's favorite Grover-sounding, platinum blonde sportin', delicious food cooking chef, Anne Burrell has one of the best new shows on Food Network. I looooooooved the first episode of Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, as you know.

And while Anne came off like a natural right from the start, her set did need a few tweaks to really pop. For one, they got rid of most of the pieces that made it look like a granny's Greenwich Village apartment. Take a look:




Gone are the granny lamps and chandelier. The main wall behind Anne is now a brilliant blue instead of a dull pink. Things in general just seem to better match Anne's energetic, slightly zany style.

I kind of put my foot in my mouth when I talked to Anne about her set last Oct. at the NYC Wine and Food Fest. I mentioned how much I liked the new one compared to the old and how I was sure it wasn't her wanting it to look like a granny house. She said something like, "Well, it kind of was." She's into antiques and that style.

There's a nice balance now, though. When they shoot the little "den" area, you still see some antiquey looking pieces. I like it. It's almost... bipolar. Kinda like Anne? ;-)

UPDATE: The FN Dish just posted a new new pic of Anne's set, as she's back in the studio shooting new episodes. Looks like there are more changes. The pink walls are all gone.



Did Anne get to keep even one antique?

Sunny Anderson's Lighting Gets Sunnier, Better

I've noticed this for a while now, but never got around to commenting on it. Have you noticed the new lighting on Sunny Anderson's show Cooking For Real?

Yes, her set has gone under a complete overhaul as well, but it's the lighting that really stands out to me. Take a look:


Sunny's window over her shoulder often has some some "sun" shining in, and there are actual shadows and bright spots which make the space look a lot more realistic and less How to Boil Water, which Tyler likened to a bright gymnasium in our interview last year.

And not to beat around the cake batter here, but Sunny's skin actually looks like her true skin tone now, instead of like that washed out Beyonce ad Loreal pulled recently. To Food Network's credit, I don't think that had anything to do with an attempt to lighten Sunny's skin on TV. More like it was just caused by cheaper, traditional TV studio lights (that do wash you out) instead of a more advanced lighting design. Luckily, I hear Cooking for Real now utilizes the same lighting designer from the expertly lit Tyler's Ultimate.

So which set do you dig more? The new one with the clear door fridge and sunny window, or the old, washed out one?

Ted Allen's 'Chopped' Picked Up for 26 More Episodes

I've been a bad Chopped watcher. I don't think I've even seen an episode all the way through. It's sad, I know. I should just set the TiVo.

Anyhow, I'll have a lot more episodes to watch soon, as the Ted Allen-hosted competition was just picked up for 26 more episodes.


"I’m pleased to report that “Chopped” is doing great in the ratings, and that Food Network has ordered a new season of 26 episodes! We start shooting March 30, a week after we wrap season two of “Food Detectives” (no rest, as they say, for the wicked), and the network will have them on the air sometime this summer," writes Ted on his official blog.

Those casting directors will have their work cut out for them. Since each self-contained episode features 4 chef competitors, that means they gotta find 104 new contestants!

Good luck!

Producers of LOST Bring Entire Ace of Cakes Crew to Hawaii

Talk about jealousy!

When Mary Alice told me the staff at Charm City Cakes was going to Hawaii to film the season 6 finale, she left out one MAJOR bit of information: the producers of LOST were flying them all out there!

They didn't get invited to just relax on the beach, though. The gang still had to make a cake for the TV show's cast and crew. I'm not sure what it looked like (Was it really a cake at all? Did the cast just dream it was a cake?), but it reportedly featured tiny replicas of the cast. I'm sure we'll be seeing it soon... along with secret messages, time travel, and other weird clues baked right into it.

And since ABC was footing the travel bill, Duff and the crew took some time to show their appreciation and volunteer a bit by creating a special cake in honor of the fighting men and women of the Army. Take a look:


During the finale, the cast worked alongside the cooks and food service specialists stationed on O'ahu to prepare a special UH-60 Blackhawk cake for the show to present to Soldiers and family members in U.S. Army, Hawaii.

Sounds like a very fun trip. Let's just hope the CCC gang makes it off that island.

[Source]

Paula Deen Does The View

The "Queen of Cholesterol" Paula Deen hit up the daytime gabfest known as The View this morning, and she did not disappoint.

Some classic quotes in this:
"This sofa is as hard as my arteries."
"Jenny Craig considers you a terrorist."
"I've got my own nuts."


Sherri's butchering of Dev Patel's name, was pretty great, too.

I actually did LOL after Paula answered the, "what is goulash" question with, "goulash is hamburger helper." It's hard to deny Paula's charm--even if it's completely, totally over the top--after watching this. I don't wanna have a conversation with her about the state of our economy or anything, but I'd listen to her gab while she served me food, if you know what I mean.

Happy Birthday, Ina Garten!

The Barefoot Contessa herself (I actually don't like when people call Ina that, as it was just the name of the store -- a name she didn't even pick) Ina Garten turns a sweet 61 years young today. Looking good, Ina G!


Perhaps she's celebrating with her famous 5 sticks of butter between the cake and icing coconut cake? I hope so. And I hope everyone from the gardener to the florist, butcher to the fishmonger makes it over for an awesome party. How fun is that?

Accidental Unnecessary Quotes or is Food Network's Homepage Trying to Tell Us Something?

I was just checking out the FoodNetwork.com homepage and saw this little mention of the second season of Ted Allen's show Food Detectives, which promises "all new" questions and answers. Do those unnecessary quotes really imply questions and answers you've probably already seen on Discovery Health or TLC?



I'm not sure.

Regardless, it doesn't beat my favorite example of unnecessary quotes, seen in this pic I actually took in NYC last September.




Truth be told, I did get my "free" cone that day. And it was both "new" and "certified organic!"

Ace of Cakes' Hottie Geof Manthorne Featured

Geof Manthorne, executive sous chef at Charm City Cakes and deadpan comic genius on Ace of Cakes, got a special feature in his hometown paper recently. In it, Geof shares some exciting news about the longevity of the series and what else the gang has planned:


"We're lookin' at doing a few more seasons of the show, I think, and getting more and more opportunities," said Manthorne. "Duff and I are going to be on the last episode of 'King of the Hill' in August."

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Although Geof doesn't confirm anything, it looks like AoC will continue on after season six. It's still one of the most entertaining shows on the network, and one I make a point not to miss. Season pass on TiVo, you know.