Food Network Addict Year in Review 2009 -- Part 1

I really can't believe it's the end of 2009... but I guess I say that every year. I should just get used to this whole racing toward death Gregorian calendar thing.

Soooo, as we prepare to down a couple buckets of Aunt Sandy's cocktails tomorrow night, let's look back on the year that was at Food Network Addict!

IN JANUARY...

Tyler Florence and Andrew Zimmern kicked off the year with a little hissy fit on Facebook.


After Tyler appeared on a show called "Momma's Boys," Zimmern referred to Tyler as the "least talented TV chef" among other things. Tyler hit back on Facebook, calling Zimmern "the guy who eats dried camel cock for a living." Yum-o!

... we pondered whether the Rachael Ray & John Cusimano-produced show Viva Daisy dazzled:


Answer: no.

... Bobby Flay's company got sued, we learned that an undercover FBI agent turned to Food Network's Giada De Laurentiis and Mario Batali to help "sound Italian", and I tried to figure out who wore Aretha's inauguration hat best:


I bet Bob will have one on next season of The Next Food Network Star!

...and Sandra Lee celebrated her magazine launch.

IN FEBRUARY...

We saw how good lighting can make someone look a little more like themselves on TV:


...Sandra Lee demonstrated her "burrito casserole" on GMA (put frozen burritos in dish and eat), I ran into Ingrid Hoffmann, the Neelys, Sunny Anderson, and Sandra Lee at the 2009 BubbleQ in South Beach.

IN MARCH...

I wrote more about the 2009 South Beach Wine & Food Festival and all the lovely sights:


...I got my picture taken with SandraFUCKINGLee!


... I got blinded by Guy Fieri's sunglasses:


... I made my very first Sandra Lee recipe (a crock pot buckle):


... and then went to a Semi-Homemade Party (only to stop at McDonald's afterward 'cuz I was hungry), and Duff & Tyler hit up HSN to sell their wares.

IN APRIL...

We saw Claire Robinson show off her best Rachael Ray faces:


... Paula Deen was featured on CMT's Cribs:


Of course. Also, "Chef" Sandra Lee tried to sell us some grilled chicken from KFC, Bobby Deen turned 39 years old, and we learned about new shows still yet to premiere in 2010.

IN MAY...

Giada De Laurentiis showed off baby Jade on Today:



... apparently a medical expert now, Paula Deen tried to convince us it was fine to eat pork and that we couldn't catch H1N1 from it, I reviewed the first episode of Sandra Lee's new show Money Saving Meals (and missed Semi-Homemade), Rachael and John did a few more awkward red carpet poses:



...Robert Irvine came BACK to Dinner: Impossible, after being replaced by Michael Symon, Sunny got a new "star-quality' do:



... and Ina had a finger-licking good time at the beach!



IN JUNE...

I did the first-ever interview that Bob Tuschman & Susie Fogelson had done together for The Next Food Network Star, Kate + 8 visited Charm City Cakes:


... Next Food Network star contestant Michael Proietti made a funny video poking fun at eventual winner Melissa d'Arabian (and then took it down):



... Susie Fogelson said contestants goodbye in style:


... and we learned that Guy Ferraridksdlkjfoi was no longer the spokesperson for Friday's.

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Stay tune for Part 2. It's been fun looking back on the crazy busy, changing year it was. Hope you enjoyed it!

-j

Caption This: Pat Neely Book Signing

I ran across these... interesting... photos of Pat Neely on Flickr. What do you think Pat is thinking/saying in them?


"What's that, Gordon? You have another crappy show idea for us? We'll take it!"


"When Gina's away, Pat's eyes will stray."


"You did NOT just call me Warren Brown!"

Gina Neely Gets Down with Fendi

Some little spice fairy down in Memphis must have made Uncle Gordon very happy, because she (Gina Neely) was sportin' a little Fendi gold cuff on this past weekend's season premiere episode of Down Home with the Neelys.

Somebody must have been bringing the sugar!


I admit that I actually don't watch the show, or Gina's wrists, closely enough to know whether or not she's worn this particular piece of jewelery before. Still, I loved how she paired up the expensive Italian dud with a nice can of generic cola. Expensive next to Dollar General. It's cute. Somebody's been getting advice from Rachel Zoe!

Did you watch the new ep?

Pat & Gina Neely Take on L.A.

Did anyone go down to the Costco in Inglewood tonight and see Pat & Gina Neely? The Memphis duo have been on a book tour and chronicling their adventures on Twitter, which included a welcome earthquake from the city of Los Angeles. I guess L.A. just gets all rumbled up when all of Gina's sugar is present!

By The Neely's Own Bottle Calculation, Gina's Time Will Be Up in 2010

Think Gina Neely will still be good a few weeks after her expiration date next January?

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!

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.

Questioning Gordon Elliott's Motives -- Why I'm Not Happy With Big Daddy's House

Note: I started this post after watching the 2nd episode of Big Daddy's House. While I think the show has improved a bit, I still have problems with it. Just as a warning, this post examines race and stereotypes on Food Network. If you're looking for more lighthearted reading, please skip down. I like to keep it light most of the time, but I do occasionally find something important enough to get serious about.

The first five episodes of Big Daddy's House have aired and I can't honestly say I'm happy with how they turned out. It wasn't Aaron's kissing of the raw steak that turned me off (although that was gross) or the fact that his TV kitchen looks virtually identical to that of the Neelys'. In fact, I don't even fault Aaron McCargo Jr. for the show's problems.

My real problem is with Gordon Elliott. Let me explain...


For those who don't know, Gordon Elliott produces some of the most successful programs on Food Network: Paula's Home Cooking, Paula's Party, and Down Home with the Neelys, as well as the recently premiered Big Daddy's House, featuring season 4 winner of The Next Food Network Star, Aaron McCargo Jr.

The hosts of these shows: Paula Deen, an agoraphobic restaurateur from Savannah, Ga. turned TV chef; Pat and Gina Neely, owners of a successful barbecue joint in Memphis; and Aaron McCargo Jr., a hospital catering chef from Camden, N.J. are southern, African American southerners, and African American, respectively. Most of you probably know that, but I threw it in for the sake of clarification... and for the sake of focusing on it, as these groups of people have long histories of being stereotyped.

Also focus on the fact that Gordon Elliott, a man born in Liverpool and raised in Australia, is at the helm of these shows. Liverpool and Australia are just about as far removed from America's Southern and African American cultures as you can get.

Gordon found major success on Food Network with Paula Deen. I've bit my tongue as I watched ole' Paula transform from a sweet, knowledgeable Southern cook into a cackling, sex joke-spewing, verging-on-obnoxious caricature of her former self (most evident in the nightime Paula's Party series). I've refrained from commenting overtly on Gina Neely's "you know how I like it Daddy!" sexually laced humor that many find at best somewhat uncomfortable, and at worst completely off putting and distracting.

When you watch Aaron's show pilot (shown in the last episode of Star) and compare it to this finished product, the difference is striking... and not in a good way. The warm, kinda shy, kinda uncertain guy that we saw on Star has become nearly unrecognizable.

Aaron has been reduced to a "Big Daddy" repeating, "bad boy" referring stereotype of his former self, all done in an apparent attempt to appear like a larger-than-life host. His dishes have, thus far, been rather unremarkable -- often featuring some large cut of red meat and a fat-drenched side dish or two.

He's no longer just Aaron from Camden, but Big Daddy -- a nickname he supposedly picked up on the show, although I don't remember anyone calling him that. Big Daddy, which Aaron repeatedly refers to himself as, shouts "Look at yo bad self!" and refers to nearly every ingredient, pan, or condiment as a "bad boy." Besides being obnoxious in a cooking show, these phrases all have strong racial connections that many would find disparaging.

It's no real surprise that Food Network would go this route, though. The most successful winner of Star, Guy Fieri, is just as over the top in his own way. It makes sense that they'd try to recreate that persona, although it's sickening that being yourself just isn't good enough that often. It's also sad, because I found Aaron's personality on Star to be enjoyable, most of the time.

Looking to capitalize upon Paula Deen's success, Gordon premiered Down Home with the Neelys. From the very first episode, Pat and Gina Neely were basically bouncing off the walls with catchphrases and Southern twang. No easing into anything on that show. The show was met with high ratings, but at what cost to the countless viewers in the South who decry this type of characterization for the network's first show hosted by an African American couple, especially considering Food Network was nearly 100% white for so long. "Why this particular portrayal?" they argued.

Despite representing some of the network's best talent, it's my opinion that Gordon cheapens the hosts by painting them as outlandish, stereotypical characters and not real, multi-faceted people.

Yes, there is the off chance that Paula, Gina Neely, and Aaron McCargo's new "TV selves" are identical to their true personalities and that a little time and coaching was all that was needed to bring them out fully on TV... but I highly doubt that. Aaron's show was being filmed before anyone even knew who he was or that he even won the contest. I can't help but assume that any would-be Food Network host would be vulnerable to complying with whatever "personality tweaks" the producer requested, especially if said producer had several successful shows under his belt.

While there are surely other southern and/or black hosts waiting in the wings, the fact that they'll be measured against Gordon Elliott's shows is scary. Where are they to turn if Gordon tells them they're not ______ enough?

And then I remember the way Paula used to be:



After watching Paula like that, I feel bad that someone (maybe even herself) told her along the way that that wasn't enough -- she wasn't loud enough or memorable enough or "Southern" enough and she'd need to push it even more.

The Paula of today -- the y'all yelling, nasty granny from the South who always knows a good sexual innuendo -- is barely recognizable in that video from her early years. She doesn't even use butter! Butter being the metaphorical gold in Paula Deen's success story.

Even Paula's excessive and unremorseful use of butter hearkens a stereotype: that of the "dumb Southerner" who's just too stupid to know using that much butter could kill you. Yes, Ina does it too, but definitely not in the same, clowny, "watch me drink this melted butter just for fun" way that Paula does. Ina's use of 5 sticks of butter is presented like a smart caterer who wants the food to be so incredibly decadent, knowing it's being served at a special function--not at your morning breakfast table day after day.

Perhaps I am overreacting. Perhaps it's just a coincidence that Gordon Elliott's Food Network shows all feature hosts I find to be unrealistic stereotypes that capitalize upon questionable behaviors and over-the-top antics. Perhaps it's wrong to assume that anyone wouldn't alter his own personality for a TV show if the promise of fame and fortune were involved.

Judging from most of the comments this blog has received about Aaron (and Paula and the Neelys), I just don't think this is an overreaction. I think people accept it because it's "just a cooking show." They're really not, though. People are making a LOT of money off of "just cooking shows" and they deserve a little more thought when it comes to determining what is and isn't ethical.

I can't help but wonder what Aaron's show would look like under a different producer's control. Maybe I wouldn't even need to write this.

Food Network Addict Review: Road Tasted With the Neelys

Pat and Gina Neely just seem like people who should be on TV. The husband and wife team's seemingly simple story of running a family-owned restaurant and becoming Memphis barbeque sensations is well known to the many who watch (and vigorously comment on) their daytime "In the Kitchen" show Down Home with the Neelys.

Now, the playful, flirtacious couple is hitting the road in the latest installment of Road Tasted, taking over for Bobby and Jamie Deen as hosts. (Jamie claims the excessive travel and his desire to be closer to family as his reason for not returning to the show.)

While similar to other travel shows, Road Tasted typically highlights specialty stores and family-run businesses. Viewers can then go online and order what's showcased—a somewhat more economical way of experiencing unique food items, compared to, say, a visit to D.C.'s uber-expensive Citronelle like Giada De Laurentiis on Weekend Getaways.

Pat and Gina obviously love each other. In the first episode, "Minneapolis: More Than You Imagined!", Pat gets "upset" when the beekeeping outfits they've donned to learn about single-source honey prevent him from "getting any sugar" from Gina (i.e. - a kiss). While sappy and sometimes excessive for a weekend morning show, the Neelys flirting seems to work a little better in primetime when the mood is more "fun road trip for the parents" and not "yuck, mom and dad are making out in the kitchen while making me dinner."

In the premiere episode, Pat and Gina also visit Laura’s Candy to sample homemade marshmallows, Faribault Dairy, and a barbeque spot for good measure. Some good stuff here, but nothing that made my eyes pop out of my head and get me onto that computer to start ordering.

The show is nothing new. Nothing we haven't seen before. Your enjoyment of it will be based primarily on how you feel about Pat and Gina Neely. They're unlike anyone else on Food Network, that's for sure. And, to me, that's a good thing.

Food Network Addict review: C+

Road Tasted with the Neelys premieres tonight at 9:30pm ET on Food Network.

Gimme Gimme More

Now that Emeril Live won't be on in primetime anymore, the network's got a few extra hours to fill each night. Even though I'm kind of on va-cay here in the Midwest, I thought I'd post about all the new shows coming up.


I'm very excited for my blogging friend Sunny Anderson who, in addition to getting a second season of Cooking for Real, will be premiering a new show in July, How'd That Get On My Plate?

"Each episode follows the fascinating journey of a single ingredient (such as eggs, garlic, honey or apples) as it moves from its raw state into the finished, iconic product. Watch Sunny as she travels the country from the farm, through the factory and to the market and showcases the technology and innovation it takes to get our favorite foods to the plate. Whether milking a cow, making a martini out of potato vodka, harvesting honey or driving a corn-harvesting combine, Sunny dives into the behind-the-scenes action and finds out how food gets on our plates!"

Sunny describes it as a cross between History Channel's Modern Marvels and Food Network's Unwrapped, so I'm excited for this show, as I've been known to sit through episode after episode of Unwrapped, endlessly watching some huge machine shoot a million Twinkies out a minute.

In other new news:

* Food Network has ordered up 13 more episodes of Simply Delicioso, hosted by Colombia-born Ingrid Hoffmann. Chica! Chica!

* Adios, Jamie and Bobby! Hello--the Neelys! Pat and Gina Neely are hitting the road for Road Tasted with the Neelys.

"This next iteration of the popular show follows the fun-loving couple to cities including San Diego, Baltimore, Portland, Las Vegas, Santa Fe, and Kansas City where they’ll highlight specialty stores and family-run businesses that make one-of-a-kind edibles. Armed with the knowledge of what it takes to launch a successful family business and a passion for all things food, they'll even show viewers how to get all the fabulous food finds delivered right to their doors."

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So Sunny and the Neelys both have secondary, non cooking-based shows premiering this Summer. Where's Ingrid's new show? There are a lot of countries in Central and South America she could be visiting!

The Neely Rubdown's Breaking Me Down

Okay, that Down Home with the Neelys promo of Pat Neely rubbing meat has been airing nonstop and it's driving me a little nuts.

You know... the "there is nobody that can give a rubdown like he can" one.


It's not so much the concept that irritates me--it has that PG-13 kind of sexual humor that's standard to their show--but the fact that it seems so difficult for Gina Neely to speak this slowly.

Watch:

There   is   nobody   that   can   give   a   rubdown   like   he   can

I can just picture the people working on the promo shoot telling her, "Take it a little slower... and why don't you try and take that 'like he can' part up a bit!"

It just sounds so unnatural and forced. She obviously never speaks that slowly in real life, so why try and change that?

Maybe they should have given Pat Neely the lines.

Video from BubbleQ

Combine Moet & Chandon champagne with American barbeque cooked by celebrity chefs, thow in a glowing Giada De Laurentiis as host... and you have BubbleQ!



Delicious!

P.S.- Oh Sheila was the only song I remember them playing last night. Sue me.

The Next Rachael Ray?

My full thoughts on Down Home with the Neelys will be coming shortly, but for now... enjoy this video of Gina Neely highlights from the premiere episode that I made:




Rachael Ray-esque with the sayings and loudness? At first I thought she was a little much (I feel that espeically after watching this lil' video), but I think a lot of it might have to do with nervousness. Some people, like Giada, were nervous and barely smiled in their first few episodes. Others, like Rachael, get crazy loud to the point of obnoxious.

Will Gina (and her nerves) settle down, or is this pretty much the standard, you think?

Did you watch Down Home with the Neelys?

Did you watch? According to the Food Network, a whole lot of you did. In fact, it was the network's highest-rated daytime debut!

"Down Home with the Neelys" became the highest-rated series debut in the five-year history of Food Network's popular "In the Kitchen" weekend block after its Saturday, February 2 premiere (11am ET/PT). The new show, featuring Pat and Gina Neely, African American restaurateurs from Memphis, TN who create approachable Southern BBQ comfort food, was watched by nearly 2 million people.

I have some thoughts on the show that I'll share in the days to come (actually trying to edit a video down).

Overall, I thought it was a fair pilot episode. There was some shaky editing and poor choices throughout that I wouldn't have made, but the food was definitely different and unique.

Even if you didn't feel like trimming membrane off a rack of ribs all day, did it at least make you want to drive to Memphis and pick up some of this famous couple's food?

[Photo courtesy Food Network]