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

Giant Fork Stolen from Tyler Florence's Mill Valley Store

Breaking: Tyler Florence is the victim of a robbery! Somebody get Food Detectives' Ted Allen on the case!

Tyler recently sent a tweet that read: All right guys, some one stole one of the forks off the front of my shop. WTF?

Tyler's kitchen store in Mill Valley, Calif. is normally adorned with two giant forks.

Exhibit A: Store With Fork

Exhibit B: Store Without Fork

Desperate to get the fork back, Tyler tweeted: "REWARD OFFERED FOR SAFE RETURN OF MY BIG FORK. So stop forking around and bring it back!"

No, Tyler doesn't use the fork to eat (although that "ultimate" meatloaf could use the assistance of a giant fork), but I can understand why he'd want it back.

So be on the lookout, you San Franciscans! If you see giant tines popping out of someone's coat, alert the authorities!

Tyler Florence Cooks a Derby Day Meal on TODAY

While the internationally acclaimed life & style expert person who cooks and puts place cards on things while on television Sandra Lee may be the spokesperson for KFC's new grilled chicken, Tyler Florence recently took to NBC's airwaves to show us his method for the tastier, fried goodness that is fried chicken. Check it out:



Yum.

And just cause I've called the ladies out on it before, I think Ty's wearing the same thing he wore on Oprah a few months back. No biggie, though.

Is anyone going to the Kentucky Derby? I don't care much for horse racing, but I like the idea of fancy hats and drinking minty beverages all day. We'll see if I can make that happen.

Tyler Florence Debuts New Website

Tyler Florence's recently announced (via Twitter) the launch of his redesigned website, tylerflorence.com. Check it out:


I like the dark gray and black design and bigger pics that fill up the site's sections. His new blog is featured prominently, so I'll be on the lookout for fresh posts, TyTy!

What do you think of the site's redesign?

Sunday is for Selling; Tyler and Duff Hit Up the Home Shopping Network

I don't normally watch the home shopping channels. The fact that they still exist—in the age of Amazon.com and so many other shopping sites—used to shock me... until I actually watched for a few minutes.

Just like the "Amazing Discovery" infomercials of yore, the home shopping network is oddly mesmerizing. So imagine my surprise when I saw that two Food Network stars, Tyler Florence and Duff Goldman, would be appearing on HSN today. I had to check it out.








Tyler was on to sell his black titanium-coated knife set (the host couldn't get enough of the magnetized wood blocks they are stored in) while Duff hawked Fat Daddio's anodized bakewear. While Tyler has that kind of natural salesman personality, I never thought I'd see Duff's face on the home shopping channel. Surprising!

While I didn't actually pick up the phone and order during either one of their segments, I did consider it. So persuasive, these hosts. I know some of y'all have bought the Snuggie or the Sham-Wow or some of those fun Quacker Factory outfits they make fun of on The Soup.

Tyler's knives with the black titanium finish do look pretty cool, though. I can chop while wearing my Snuggie and be in "As Seen on TV" heaven!

Amuse-Bouche: A Game of Cat & Mouse

Sorry for no post yesterday. I'm getting ready for a trip to IL later today and it took over my mind. How many shirts do I need?!?

Anyhow, here are some tasty morsels to get you through Friday:

• NOT SURPRISED? Rachael Ray's test of "SweatBlock"-- a product that blocks sweat for "up to a week at a time" boosts sales.
• Watch out Mickey! A Cat is coming. --> Cat Cora's opening a new restaurant at Walt Disney World in 2010.
• Tip from the "next Nigella": "always get your guests to bring their own pudding." Will do.
  
• Tyler Florence's organic baby food Sprout is blowing up around the country.
• BLASPHEMY! Bobby & Jamie Deen endorse I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!
• A Filipino Catholic Priest from Maryland is taping a test show for Food Network?
• Duff Goldman endorses a play food line of products called "Girl Gourmet."
  

TV Alert: Tyler Florence, Cat Cora & Curtis Stone on Oprah Wednesday

Don't forget!


Tyler Florence, Cat Cora & when-then-gonna-get-him-on-Food Network Curtis Stone are all appearing today on Oprah.

Check ye's local listings, as they say.

(Is it just me, or does Tyler look fitter?)

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.

Tyler Florence Blasts Back at Andrew Zimmern Over "Momma's Boys" Appearance

What an exciting chef fight to kick off 2009!

Some of you may have caught Tyler Florence's appearance on this past week's episode of Momma's Boys. In it, Tyler helped the contestants cook some of the "Mommas'" favorite recipes and picked a winner.

WELL, after Andrew Zimmern (host of the Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods) posted a scathing blog post about the Ryan Seacrest-produced series -- calling Tyler the "least talented TV chef" among other things -- Tyler hit back, unapologetically, via his Facebook profile, with a post of his own:


Hi Guys, good morning and Happy New Year. Normally I have pretty thick skin when it comes to blogs and what people think. It is a free country after all, But this guy Andrew Zimmern, the guy who eats dried camel cock for a living, has decided to dis my life's work because I did, my personal friend, Ryan Seacrest, a favor and helped him out with his first big television production, "Momma's Boy's" It was a big hit for NBC and something I had a fun time doing. It's bubble gum reality, who cares. It was funny. I guess it hard to have a since of humor when you're on your 10th take of eating Yak testicles, smiling to the camera, wondering where your life went wrong......... mmmmm, Delicious!

Go get'em guys.

Let's put an end to Chef on Chef violence in '09. It's a nasty way to start out the year, plus, I'm sure the next time Ben Silverman has a project, his name will be on the top of the list. ( Who ? )

*****

Something tells me Tyler enjoys what he refers to as "chef on chef violence" just a little bit, as he doesn't mind bad-mouthing Zimmern right back ("dried camel cock"). Not saying Zimmern doesn't deserve it, though.

Getting attacked for what he does isn't new to Tyler, though. He commented on the Anthony Bourdain antics back when I spoke with him in February, saying "that salacious, chef attack thing that Gordon Ramsay and Tony Bourdain do all the time is a shtick" and that "people are tired of hearing it."

So what do you think? Did Tyler's appearance on Momma's Boys deserve the criticism?

Food Network Addict - 2008 Year In Review, Part I

What a year it's been here at Food Network Addict!

In January, we finally got a look at Ina Garten's new barn & kitchen that's seen in her new episodes. Although I kinda miss the old kitchen (with the mysteriously empty room behind it) at times, this new one is so beautiful to just sit and gaze at, wishing I had two hidden Sub Zero fridges, three ovens, and an 18-foot kitchen island.


Giada De Laurentiis was barely showing her pregnancy back in January, as seen here in her appearance at the Mad Money premiere.


February was a BIG month at FNA.

We wondered who Paula Deen was hiding in the blurry photo behind her...


... we shared our opinions on the just-premiered show Down Home with the Neelys... I gave my review of Ultimate Recipe Showdown... we learned about Robert Irvine's resume embellishments... and I hit up a million fun events at the 2008 Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival.




In March, I posted an awesome interview I was able to do with Ace of Cakes' Duff Goldman, Mary Alice Yeskey, and Geof Manthorne and another with Tyler Florence.




...my girl Sandra Lee gave a great interview filled with fancy PowerPoint transitions...


March closed on a happy note with Giada giving birth to her first child, a girl named Jade.


I got in a good April Fool's joke this year with my announcement that Dave Lieberman would be taking over Emeril Live.


...I also did my first interview with Sunny Anderson... we learned of Paula Deen's intention to start a daytime talk show... Cindy McCain's "family recipes" were discovered to be stolen verbatim from Food Network's Rachael Ray and Giada De Laurentiis...


...when asked what she liked best about attending charity events, Sandra Lee told OK! Magazine "Open bar... am I allowed to say that?"


...Michael Symon was announced as Robert Irvine's replacement on Dinner: Impossible... and Food Network nabbed 8 Emmy nominations, including one for "Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling" for Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee (she lost).

In May, I posted about Amy Finley not coming back for a 2nd season of The Gourmet Next Door... I asked many times "Who Bobs It Better?"...


...Emeril made a quiet exit from Food Network (save for repeats and some eps of Essence of Emeril)... I scored an interview with Bob Tuschman... Rachael Ray drew some fire for sporting a scarf in a Dunkin Donuts ad that somehow deemed her a "terrorist sympathizer"... and I gave my review of the first episode of The Next Food Network Star, season 4.

In June, Lisa Garza (remember her?) reached out to this blog and tried to explain those illusive "three Cs"... we saw a Rachael Ray fan taking her love a bit too far...


...I scarfed down a cupcake with Sunny Anderson while in NYC... Rachael Ray closed on her home in the Hamptons, effectively locking Ina Garten up even tighter in her own Hamptons home...


...I railed on the trainwreck that was Mary Nolan... I gave Anne Burrell's new show an A+ rating... and we learned that Ellie Krieger is just like us...



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Stay tuned for Part II of my year in review. It's been fun looking back on all of the exciting happenings of 2008. What was your favorite memory?

Tyler Florence To Release Line of Organic Baby Food

I don't remember anything wrong with Gerber.
Although I don't remember much from those days.

ANYhow, Tyler Florence will be releasing his own line of organic baby food, set to hit store shelves early next year.


"Florence’s baby food line eliminates glass jars and incorporates some wonderful age-appropriate, allergy-tested flavors that aren’t found in any other baby foods. In addition to selections such as roasted apples and roasted bananas, other options include gourmet stage 1 and 2 varieties — such as pasta with lentil bolognese, peach rice pudding, sweet baby carrots, and apples and mango."

I don't have kids, so parents: is this something you'd be interested in serving your baby, or would have served your baby?

******

I'm back in DC now. Hope the holidays were fun-filled for everyone.

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!

Morning Show Roundup: Ina, Tyler, Sandra, Nigella, Mario

So many Food Network stars are showing up on the morning shows these days. I can't keep up!

This morning, Ina Garten made her first appearance (according to Diane Sawyer) on Good Morning America.


I love how Ina says she "splits the difference" when trying to cook her Thanksgiving dinner in one oven by just using one temperature for everything -- this, coming from the woman who has three ovens in her barn's kitchen, two in her home, and about four more temporary ones in her garage when she's shooting her TV show. :-) Maybe she's saving energy and only turning on one these days, though.

Sandra Lee also hit up GMA recently. She made some kind of raspberry mustard-crusted chicken that sounds completely unappetizing to me... but she seems to enjoy it.


Sandra has been putting "internationally renowned" in her bio for a while lately. What exactly does one do to get "internationally renowned"? Does that mean you got a good book review in Canada? That the hotel staff in Mexico recognized you? I'm not sure.

Tyler Florence has two new books out now. Naturally, he appeared twice on NBC's Today show this week. Here's one:



Mario Batali promoting his new book and PBS show on Today.



Nigella Lawson on Today.



And my favorite fave Amy Sedaris ALSO subjected herself to Kathie Lee hit up the Today show to promote the release of her book I Like You in paperback.

Winners of the Tyler Florence Book Giveaway

Tyler Florence's new books Stirring the Pot and Dinner at My Place are now available in stores.

I got 210 emails with the correct answer for my Tyler Florence Cookbook Giveaway! (I did accept them until 12:01am pacific time, since I didn't specify a time zone. Woops!) What is the name of Tyler's new daughter?

The correct answer is: Dorothy


And shame on you people for sending me entries with "Hayden." That's his son's name! If you had read my post breaking the news of Dorothy's birth, you'd have known! ;-) Oh well, better luck next time.

To make the process random, I had Sunny Anderson pick the winners by giving me five numbers between 1 and 210.

So, in the order you emailed me, here are Sunny's picks: 75, 208, 63, 2, and 127.

Congrats to Natalie in Illinois, Rick in New York, Nancy in New Hampshire, Harry in California, and Daniel in Colorado! You were the winners of the giveaway!

UPDATE: Silly me! Here are some places you can find Tyler promoting the books:

October
23rd - Demo and book signing, Macy’s South Coast Plaza (Costa Mesa, CA) 6pm
25th - Demo and book signing, Macy’s Lakeside (New Orleans, LA) 2pm
26th - Bon Appétit SupperClub event (New York)
27th - Today Show and Bon Appétit Café demo and booksigning (New York) 11am–2pm
28th - Today Show appearance
29th - Macy’s State Street demo and book signing (Chicago) 5:30pm

November
1st - Macy’s Valley Fair demo and book signing (Santa Clara/San Jose) 2pm
7th - Sur la Table Ferry Bldg book signing (San Francisco) 5pm
8th - Cost Plus World Market book signing (Fisherman’s Wharf area) 11am-1pm
Sur la Table Santana Row demo and book signing (San Jose) 5pm
12th - Macy’s North Point demo and book signing (Atlanta) 6:30pm
13th - Project Open Hand appearance (Atlanta)

(Dates and times subject to change.)

Tyler Florence Book Giveaway

Yay for Friday giveaways!

Tyler Florence's two new books Stirring the Pot and Dinner at My Place are both releasing on Tuesday, Oct. 21... and I'm giving away five sets!





Tyler's people sent me the books recently and I can honestly say they look great. The pictures are beautiful and there is a huge variety of recipes in each book. Tyler's family and home and in Northern California are heavily featured, too. I haven't had a chance to cook anything from them yet, though. That'll be the next step.

To enter, email me at foodnetworkaddict [at] gmail [dot] com with the name of Tyler's daughter -- who was just born in August of this year -- in the subject line.

Entries will be accepted until 12:01am on Wednesday, October 22. I'll pick five winners at random that day.

Good luck!