Brian Boitano, Anne Burrell, Alton Brown, Danny Boome, Chris Cosentino, Aaron Sanchez, and more Coming to New Food Network Shows

There were quite a few new shows announced today out of Food Network—eight primetime series and six daytime "In the Kitchen" shows&mdsah;but none sound quite as interesting as the upcoming series, still listed with a working title, WHAT WOULD BRIAN BOITANO MAKE?

Hmmm....



WHAT WOULD BRIAN BOITANO MAKE? (WT)
Premieres: August 2009
Everyone knows Brian Boitano won an Olympic gold medal in figure skating. What they don’t know: Brian is an accomplished cook who loves to entertain! In this new series, Brian takes viewers on a reality cooking adventure as he creates amazing food for a new event in each episode. Funny, knowledgeable and irresistible, Brian brings himself and so much more to What Would Brian Boitano Make?

Wonder if Food Network personality Marc Summers, who hosted one of my fave kids shows What Would You Do? had a stake in this one? And who doesn't love a show title that's phrased as a question?

I'm also excited about...

WORST COOKS IN AMERICA
Premieres: January 2010
Premiere chefs Anne Burrell and Beau MacMillan each take on a team of six hopeless home cooks and try to transform them from kitchen zeros into kitchen heroes in only 10 days. On the line are the chefs’ professional reputations, $25,000 for the recruits, and the chance to say they are no longer one of the Worst Cooks in America!

Hope Anne's cookie monster voice doesn't scare anyone off.

Alton fans will love...

FOODS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD (WT)
Premieres: 3rd Quarter 2010
Food guru Alton Brown hosts this mini series that explores foods that have shaped the course of human history and influenced the way our species evolved. Alton will also investigate foods of the future and how technology will transform food worldwide in centuries to come.

I already Twittered about this one right after Sandra announced it back in February...

SANDRA'S MONEY SAVING MEALS
Premieres: May 10th, 2009 at 12pm ET/PT
Well-known for her trademark Semi-Homemade cooking style, Sandra Lee now has her sights set on saving money! Her new daytime cooking series, Sandra’s Money Saving Meals, features incredible budget-friendly recipes for every day of the week. She continues to stretch the dollar by creating a clever leftover dish from each episode with “Round 2 Recipes” exclusively on FoodNetwork.com.

The ingredients for my first Sandra Lee recipe cost me like $28, so this better be good. It was a cake that you cooked in the crock pot! And you used a boxed cake mix! And I already had the expensive almond extract.

Let's pray Chris and Aaron got a good budget for this show. They deserve it...

CHEFS VS CITY (WT)
Premieres: July 2009
Acclaimed chefs Chris Cosentino and Aaron Sanchez are pitted against two local foodies in a winner-takes-all race through a different city each week, through the most fascinating, unusual food locations. Each team begins with a clue leading them to their first food challenge. Challenges could include everything from wine stomping to the eating the spiciest chili west of the Mississippi to diving for sea urchins! The five challenges take the chefs and foodies on an adrenaline-charged, food-lovers tour of each city, and once complete, it’s a sprint to the finish line to see if the locals can protect their home turf or if the Food Network chefs can conquer a new city.

And since I was never a fan of Rescue Chef, Danny luckily moved on to something else....

TAKE ON THE TAKEOUT (WT)
Premieres: 2010
In Take on the Takeout, Danny Boome visits delivery devotees with one goal in mind: to prepare a healthier, tastier, and less-expensive version of their favorite take-out dish faster than the restaurant can cook and deliver it. In addition to assessing cost and speed, the loyal customers taste and score the dueling dishes while blindfolded to determine the ultimate winner. With his practical ideas and British charm, Danny attempts to send the delivery boy packing to prove home-cooked meals beat take out any day!

Also premiering will be season 2 of Viva Daisy! and The Next Iron Chef Season 2.

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Some of these shows are so far off that I don't even have time to think about how they'll turn out. Food Network's been hit or miss when it comes to travel and "reality" shows, so I'm praying they used production companies known for turning out high quality programs (like Feasting on Asphalt) and not duds (like Two Dudes Catering).

Anything on the upcoming Food Network lineup browning your butter?

"Put THIS on your biscuit" -- Paula Deen

Poor Aida. You gotta watch out when it comes to butter!

Thanksgiving on Food Network

Lots of November details to share, the first being the most important:

Ina Garten's Thanksgiving Desserts
Airs Wednesday, November 19th at 9pm ET


Not the same old pumpkin pie. Ina Garten hosts a special dessert hour featuring classic seasonal flavors plus modern confections to satisfy the Thanksgiving sweet tooth. Guest starring Alton Brown and Tyler Florence and Food Network Addict!

Iron Chef America
Sadly, there will be no outsiders competing in Kitchen Stadium this Thanksgiving. After 2006's Battle Cranberry with Rachael Ray and Giada and 2007's Battle Sugar with Paula Deen, Tyler Florence, and Robert Irvine, this year's special will pit Iron Chefs Flay and Symon against Iron Chefs Morimoto and Cora.

According to the press release, fashion designer Marc Ecko comes to Kitchen Stadium to present his take on new jackets for each of the Iron Chefs. A much needed change?

Dear Food Network
Thanksgiving Disasters
Premieres: Tuesday, November 18th at 9pm
Fans share their wildest dinner disaster stories and get great tips and recipes for a worry-free Thanksgiving. Hosted by Guy Fieri and guest starring Tyler Florence, Michael Symon, and Sunny Anderson.

Thanksgiving Turkey
Premieres: Monday, November 17th at 9pm
It’s all about THE BIRD. Host Alton Brown answers every question imaginable about the star of the Thanksgiving meal – the turkey. Guest starring Tyler Florence and Giada De Laurentiis.

Thanksgiving Leftovers
Premieres: Thursday, November 20th at 9pm
With fresh ideas for tired leftovers, Food Network stars show viewers what to do with virtually everything from the Thanksgiving table from turkey and cranberry sauce to sweet potatoes and leftover wine. Hosted by Bobby Flay and guest starring Guy Fieri, Danny Boome, and Sunny Anderson.

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I'm getting hungry from ready all that. I normally love Thanksgiving and the holdiays, but I'm just not feeling ready this year. The weather is turning colder. My time spent at the gym is dwindling, and the idea of going out in the cold just seems less and less exciting. This will also be one of the years I won't be going home to see any family on Thanksgiving, so the day has lost a bit of its luster right now. Maybe I'll be able to change that over the new few weeks. Until then, I'll try to drag my ass to the gym a few times before the cold really sets in. Wish me luck!

Danny Boome's Reel

Why wasn't this man in South Beach?

Food Network Addict Review: Rescue Chef

The idea of a handsome chef--armed with the tools and knowledge to save any meal--suddenly appearing in the home of a helpless home cook isn't new. It was the format of such hits as Food Network's Food 911, and TLC's Take Home Chef, hosted by Curtis Stone.

Food Network will test out this concept once again with a new face to American television, when the daytime series Rescue Chef with Danny Boome premieres on Saturday, March 1 at 12pm e/p.



... not that daytime on the Food Network really needs any "rescuing." With reports of slightly sluggish ratings over the past year, a new hit wouldn't hurt, though.

I've already gone over the concept of the show (Danny shows up to "rescue" someone before they make another kitchen nightmare), so I'll get right to specifics.

The "dynamic young chef" Danny Boome definitely fits in with the Food Network's lineup of charismatic, attractive hosts. It's hard to not make the Jamie Oliver comparison. Both are cute Brits who seem to know a lot about cooking, and have even cuter pronunciations for common ingredients. Shallots are "shuh-lots." He's sure to delight legions of viewers.

Since the show airs during the daytime "in the kitchen" lineup, Danny gets right to cooking. In the premiere episode, he teaches Carla, a schoolteacher, how to make the short ribs that were served at her wedding. He also whips up a side dish and dessert.

And in a refreshing turn for the FN, he's not afraid to use big words. In the first episode, I counted three french cooking terms. Not bad for a Brit! My onion, carrots and celery are mirepoix from now on.

The show itself is bright, colorful and cheery to watch. Danny is energetic without being pretentious.

One of the only real problems I had with the show was that I sometimes felt like a third wheel. Danny spends a great deal of time talking directly to his "student" and will often avoid direct communication with the camera. When he does speak to camera, he seems to throw out a pointless, space-filler phrase like "always pre-heat your oven."

Rescue Chef goes against the concept of the "traditional" cooking show in which the host gives his or her full time and attention to the viewer. On this show, Danny's intention is, after all, to teach his guest how to cook. In turn, the viewer is sometimes left unsure of his role. Am I here to be entertained? To learn how to cook? To ogle a new British chef?

That's not to say a balance can't be achieved. Danny apparently has the chops and resume to back up a great show. Let's just hope such experience (pulled directly from his bio) as a "freelance chef working for the Estate of the Sultan of Oman in Paris along with many other high-profile executives in both England and Europe" aren't just Irvine-esque fibs. He'd need more than a knowledge of cooking terms to be rescued from that.

Watch tomorrow and let me know how you feel about the show.

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?!?