anneofcleves

I don't know why the episode where Ina helps the young intern, Lidie (sp?), throw a housewarming party bothers me so much. Ina is/was an experienced caterer, yet she feeds these poor people whole chicken breasts and corn on the cob for them to eat while standing. Even some of the shots of the people trying to push the chicken around seemed awkward. What, do they ask someone else to hold the plate for them while they cut their chicken? lol. I get that it's "just for tv", but a little common sense would be nice here. You don't serve knife-and-fork or two-handed food for people who will be standing to eat.

Well, not exactly. I'm as big a fan of these things as the next girl, but PW's usage of these ingredients is boring at best and gratuitous at worst.

Her indoor grilling show yielded the usual dull and boring food. The pasta salad was a confusing combination of flavors - chipotle, smoked gouda, and basil. At first I thought I misheard her, but then I checked out the recipe on FN and discovered that's what I'd heard. The lone review for it said it was OK with tweaks. That pretty much sums up her cooking skills. I give her props for the grilled vegetables with the Greek yogurt-based dressing. That is probably the most vegetables I've ever seen her serve. The idea for the cookout was nice. I think it's a nice idea to have a three generation party like that with the women in the family.

The best way to preserve those pans is parchment paper. I use it constantly and my half-sheet pans look pretty great for being 5+ years old. Her staff probably scours the heck out of them after each use, though, and I imagine she replaces them a lot more frequently than we do. Was the farmer's potluck dinner a new episode? I hadn't seen it before. Everything looked very good, though the only thing that seemed somewhat different for her was the wheat berry salad. For those who like chick peas, do you think that would be a nice addition to it? I'm always on the lookout for great salads to take to work that have a complete protein. It seems like it would be delicious served over a bed of mixed greens or arugula.

Vera, thanks for the recommendation on classic Nabisco Famous Wafers. I've never seen them but will be on the lookout. The only thing that has prevented me from trying that icebox cake is that I know it feeds a crowd. I keep waiting for the right setting to serve it.

After the 800th fruit crumble I figured she'd pretty much run out of ideas. But since she's the only remaining chef on this stupid network who makes food I would want to eat I stick with her.

Her Best of Cheese episode had me drooling. I can't really say anything more, because I would snarf down everything. It's kind of embarrassing, because I'm a life long cook and recognized by family and friends as being a very good one, but I have never made a souffle. They're one of those things I tend to enjoy at restaurants only. Please tell me I'm not the only one? I know they're not difficult.

She's done it again - managed to demonstrate one of the 100's of simple variations on the 1950's favorite, Americanized goulash, and make it seem like it's an actual recipe. Probably once a week we ate a version of this: hamburger, canned tomato, and pasta. For us, we used macaroni and cheese from a green can, because we weren't fancy like Ree. At least she didn't use her beloved Lawry's season salt, but I bet you in real life she sneaks it in. I think the reason she smirks so much is because she cannot keep a straight face when demonstrating stuff like this on what is supposed to be a cooking show. The cardiac-arrest-in-a-tortilla recipe looked like others she's done 150 times before. I loved how she made it a point to tell us how she uses a whole wheat tortilla for better nutrition. Bwahahaaahaaaa. And for the love of God, can you let those girls help with something more complicated than celery sticks and dip? She's veering into Ina territory in making her guests seem like idiots who are too dumb to really help with anything. I bet in real life, she would come home and find all of this stuff untouched, because Ladd and the boys went to grandma's or the aunt's house for meals.

I think I've seen the woman put butter in a stir fry, but I could have been hallucinating. She is very fond of the butter/oil combination when sauteing anything.

I know. They have to clear more space for Pioneer Woman. I really need to stop watching her show (which I do primarily for snark), because it looks like I actually like her when I've never made a single recipe of hers and likely never will.

Yes anzeepark, there was a new episode. I enjoyed it. The gazpacho with goat cheese croutons looked fabulous and something I may try this week. She also made a mustard marinated flank steak that was quick and easy.

Hi grisgris! Every so often she wears something that is really off the charts bad. Yesterday she wore some flowy, red and white checked top that really looked terrible with her hair and skin tone. I don't remember what episode it was, though. In my opinion, she wears navy blue really well. It complements her hair and pale skin nicely. I'm always screaming at the tv when she bases a pasta sauce on standard, canned tomato sauce. It's nasty salty and over-processed tasting. That sauce would be so much better with crushed tomatoes. Or in the summer, with a mess of chopped fresh tomato. And it would be just as quick, minus the chopping.

Her ultimate comfort food show played yesterday. I think next time I'll give her dumplings a try, because I'm a huge fan of cornmeal dumplings. I wouldn't use canned stock, though, because it's no where as good as the real thing if you're really going for the "ultimate" dish. Her quesadilla was a hot mess and another thing most people don't need a demo on how to cook. Has she done a peanut butter and jelly sandwich yet? I'm kind of confused on that and don't know if I should apply the peanut butter first? The jelly first? Which jelly? Should I mix them and caramelize them under the broiler like I've been told I must for her stupid version of cinnamon toast (on crappy bread)? And on the cinnamon toast, Ree, Ladd is right.

I think she's on Food Network at a fortuitous time and doesn't have much competition for ratings. Food Network has obliterated so much of its instructional content.

See now, I'm always searching for something positive to find in her show, and this would be it. Keep the damned raisins out of my oatmeal cookies! ;-) I despise her method of cooking chicken legs. She's done virtually the same recipe at least a couple of times before, and in my opinion doesn't cook dark meat properly. High heat for a short period of time is not the best way to cook chicken thighs or legs. The fat doesn't render properly, and the meat doesn't have time to become tender. I groan at any of these chefs who make legs and thighs this way. Aside from the cooking, cute dogs. She does have cute dogs. I do object to the ugliest dog award, because that dog didn't come close to being ugly. It was cute.

Barf.

Is this the right place to discuss new episodes? If so, I'm proclaiming my total love for the pie episode. I've been waiting for Ina to focus on pies, given her love of fruit desserts, and today she did it. They looked utterly delicious, too. And as a bonus we got a cornbread muffin filled with raspberry preserves. My goodness, how amazing does that sound? I'm definitely giving that one a try.

I call for delivery, too, Queasy. Anything deep fried like that is left to the restaurants. I'm lazy on some things, and it's just not worth it to me to waste the oil and make the mess. What I noticed in the episode is that she demonstrates a particular cooking technique, like velveting, but she makes no mention of it and doesn't make any attempt to educate her viewers. And it's also another reason I think she takes some legitimate heat for plagiarism. Now people who try that technique associate it with her and her recipe, when in fact it's been around forever. I really respect the chefs who seem to love to pass along the terminology and some of the history of cooking technique. They still put their spin on it and make an old traditional method fresh, but they don't act like they invented it.

Queasy, I think she was doing a play on "velveting" the chicken.

The man cave show was a total disaster. Nothing looked good or even moderately healthy. And she's jumped the shark with the use of candy in desserts with that layered brownie thing. Bleck.

They can, and you're on the fast track to it if you come with a brand already established with a loyal following like Ree had with her blog. FN has gone so far, so quickly, in the other direction from instructional cooking it almost causes whiplash. It's funny. Food Network actually played a significant role in the upsurge in popularity of culinary degrees. But yet, they no longer want to hire anyone who has one. If you watch shows line TNFNS, they almost seem like they're out to get the contestants who have a strong culinary pedigree to exclude them immediately. It's kind of fascinating.

I thought what she made for the engagement party looked quite good. She seems to be at her best making gigantic hunks of beef to feed a crowd. The guest of honor, her former babysitter, is a beautiful girl. And I got a laugh out of Ladd helping serve. I do like the family.

She had me thinking, for a minute, that they had takeout Chinese for lunch and then had it for dinner. It actually looked pretty good, but there's no way on earth I'm making anything remotely like that deep fried orange chicken. It's too much of a mess for me. If I'm pigging out on something that unhealthy, I'll leave it to the restaurant to fry.

My husband does the best vocal imitation of her. It's so funny, and spot on. I'M NANCY FULLER! ZOINK. I've never tried any, but some of her recipes look quite good. The pasta with sausage and eggplant looked great, as did the Clementine pound cake.

The whole sixteen minute meal concept just irritates me. She completely wrecks her kitchen making a completely crappy meal in sixteen minutes. If you're that pressed for time, just make a peanut butter sandwich. It would be healthier. The cheese steaks looked like greasy salt licks. Deli roast beef, heated, with all that cheese wiz. At least a full stick of butter for three sandwiches. Yuck. Some episodes I can tolerate, but this particular gimmick of hers is just stupid.