Paula Deen Partners w/ Savannah Public Schools, World responds, "Are you crazy?"

In what I'm sure elicited a collective "huh?" and a downpour of tears from Jamie Oliver, the public school system in Savannah, Georgia has partnered with Paula Deen to create a new culinary arts school.

Say bye-bye to you chicken nuggets, kiddies... they don't have enough butter in 'em!

"Officials say the school's curriculum will be based on state standards and the recommendations of Paula Deen, the television celebrity chef whose cookbook doctors named the most artery-clogging of the past decade."

Deen set the record straight with a beautifully worded statement: "There's a dillusion [sic] out there. What people see me having fun with on my show is totally separated from actuality."

I'll believe it when I see it, Miss D!

For all you parents out there, how happy would you be to hear Paula was your kids' new lunch lady?!

Ellie Krieger Blogs for Huffington Post about School Nutrition

My favorite healthy nutritionist television show host former model Ellie Krieger is going to be in my neck of the woods this week to speak with members of Congress about updating the national standards for school food.

Check out the great post Ellie wrote for Huffington Post about.

Ellie writes: In order to implement needed changes, schools need more than just guidelines and calls to action. The fact is, it's cheaper and easier to buy, store and prepare overly processed, sodium-laden, artificially-flavored food than the fresh, additive-free, unprocessed food our children deserve. Not only do we need more money to purchase better quality food, we need the facilities to store and prepare it and the staff training to do so healthfully.

In addition to keeping tabs on Ellie's visit, I've been faithfully watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution every week on ABC (Sign the petition.) Anndddddddddddd... even though my favorite school foods growing up were chicken nuggets and pizza, I agree that something needs to be change. Go Jamie... and Ellie!

Jamie Oliver is Britain's Best Selling Author

This is kind of surprising, but still well deserved.

Jamie Oliver has surpassed Khaled Hosseini and JK Rowling as Britain's biggest selling author, having earned £11.5 million in 2008.


Britain's other big cookery star Nigella Lawson sadly saw a 35 percent drop in sales last year, going from £10 million in 2007 to £6.5 million last year. Gotta step it up, Nigie!

Tea and crumpets for everyone, Jamie! You can afford it.

Up Close with Jamie

Jamie Oliver's Jamie at Home truly has some of the best visuals in food television. They probably beat Ina's, and that's hard for me to admit.

They're just so close up and lovely...




I know the goal of this kind of food tv is to make us want to lick our television screens, but after looking at this stuff I want to eat mine.

Yum. Sunday brunch is calling me.

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]

Jamie Oliver Comes 'Home'

All you (United States) Jamie Olvier fans can rejoice...

the naked chef is coming back.

Jamie at Home, his "new" show (it's already airing in the UK and in Canada) premieres on Food Network (US) on Jan. 12 at 9:30am et/pt.

“Jamie Oliver has always been a Food Network fan-favorite and we are so excited to have a new series that showcases his easily accessible cooking style and his exuberant personality,” said Bob Tuschman, Senior Vice President, Programming for Food Network. “His new show focuses on recipes that are quick, fresh, inventive and easy to recreate at home.”

Don't you mean fan-favourite, Bobby T? ;-)

Oh... and he's the Senior Vice President of Programming AND PRODUCTION, miss manager of public relations! I hope he doesn't fire her now. Don't mess with Bob and his titles.

Mike over at TV Food Fan picked up on this possible return to FNUSA a few months back. Good job!

My friend Amanda is going to flip.

Oh Jamie, well you came and you gave without taking

... but they sent you away, oh Jamie.



FN-USA is missing out! But we already knew that.

I do have a problem with that theme song, though. Sounds like a cross between My Two Dads and Perfect Strangers.

(Both of which I love, by the way)

You can check out the rest of that episode on YouTube.

Dead Shows

In the few years that I've been watching the Food Network, I've been witness to the sad, slow destruction of a few shows.

I'm talking about the "dead shows" that, while once enjoying the comforts of a regular timeslot, were eventually relegated to ultra-late and irregular airings. Eventually... we lost them. They fought so hard, but there was simply nothing that could be done.


I was never that much of a fan of Calorie Commando or Low Carb and Lovin' It. Despite the "pow! bang!" quality of its logo, Cal Commando, with host Juan-Carlos Cruz, was pretty lifeless.

Let's see: I could eat real stuffed mushrooms, or low calorie ones. Ooooooohhhhhhh. Thanks for the advice, JCC.

Maybe this was a popular show back in the day when everyone feared fat and calories. I'm not really sure.

Then Atkins came around and George Stella jumped at the chance of doing his low carb-focused show. Everyone freaked their freak about eating bread and needed lots of good recipes showcasing the best ways to slather meat with cheese and eggs.

Now that we've cooled off a bit on the whole low carb thing, I'm not surprised LCALI is hardly registering a pulse on the Food Network-- but it could probably stand an airing or two a month. Isn't 3:30 a.m. open?



Once the darling of the Food Network, Jamie Oliver is now dead to FN-USA, yet still holds a little bit of Web space. It's kind of like parents who have a child die and can't bear to change the kid's bedroom for years.

In his all-new series, Jamie Oliver does what he loves most: cook for his mates. From musicians to fashion models to magicians, everyone is invited back to the Oliver flat for a meal they'll never forget. Follow Jamie on shopping expeditions to his favorite stores and get tips and insight on his selections. Then enjoy that inimitable Jamie style as he rustles up a heap of excitingly good grub. Let the party begin!

Hmm... all-new series? Move on, Food Network. You've already made us do it, but don't keep taunting us with sites like these.

I guess they don't mind keeping up three Jamie products that are available for purchase. Nice.
Nothing says "we own you for perpetuity" like that.

:-)

I'll go into dead shows again sometime. Obviously, some other big ones that upset people were the original Iron Chef and Sara Moulton's various shows.

What are your thoughts?