S10.E10: Promos and Pilots

[Lamb18]

I think its as simple as they needed to narrow it down to 3 and Sarah didn't have a POV that she could actually stay true to. First it was Texas, then baby food/mom, then back to Texas. Nothing stuck for her. The other three had more solid POVs. Nicole's was tweaked to leave out global and just make it coastal seafood. Lenny and Luca's needed no tweaking.

Before Texas, Sarah's original point of view was date night.

[backformore]

That, and Nicole saying she's not traveled much. That was the biggest foot-in-mouth moment of this episode, for me. I have gotten jobs when I was young by never admitting I didn't know how to do something...then working hard the weekend before I start the job to teach myself what I needed to know.

 

Yep -  I once interviewed for a job and was told I would need to drive some clients places.  i said "no problem".  (Lie!)   got the job, then realized   I had until the following monday to take the driving test to get my license, AND buy a car.  

 

Nicole could have talked about the cuisines she likes, and the places she plans to go in the future.   Just because someone asks you a question doesn't mean you have to answer the exact question they asked.  turn it around and answer the question that makes you look good.   I did like her tip about the spice mix - to not use the prepared mixes with something like clams, because the mix would have a lot of salt, and clams are from salt water (something like that).  I might watch a show of hers, because I really do  not know how to cook seafood.  

 

Lenny has this weird  expression on his face when the judges talk to him.  a big, toothy grin, with his eyes opened wide, that, frankly, makes him look Stupid.  Like, cartoonish-stupid  Or like he was kicked in the head  by a horse.  He is trying SO HARD, and he's so unlikable.  His accent comes and goes, his "aw shucks, little lady shtick"  is so over-the-top fake it's embarrassing.   However, I am thinking of using a coffee/seasoned salt/sugar rub on steak.   ( though I'll just put it on the steak like a regular person, I don't throw food or spices onto heat like a rodeo clown) 

 

Luca is boring to me.  And, as people have mentioned, there are shows about Italian cooking.  I had not idea what his POV was, going to Italian restaurants, eating their food, then using their kitchen t cook something totally unrelated?  

 

Sarah bored me, and when she wasn't boring she annoyed me.  She started off thinking of herself as "pageant girl" and was naive enough to think people would be impressed by that.  She's one of those cooking show contestants who says 'don't underestimate me because of my looks'  and i say " stop over-estimating your looks" 

[Intuition]

Lenny has this weird  expression on his face when the judges talk to him.  a big, toothy grin, with his eyes opened wide, that, frankly, makes him look Stupid.  Like, cartoonish-stupid  Or like he was kicked in the head  by a horse.  He is trying SO HARD, and he's so unlikable.  His accent comes and goes, his "aw shucks, little lady shtick"  is so over-the-top fake it's embarrassing.   However, I am thinking of using a coffee/seasoned salt/sugar rub on steak.   ( though I'll just put it on the steak like a regular person, I don't throw food or spices onto heat like a rodeo clown).

 

Sometimes I think Lenny is trying to imitate Jethro:

 

[MajorWoody]

Sometimes I think Lenny is trying to imitate Jethro:

 

Look at the bright side, when Lenny wins, we can watch him teach us how to fricassee squirrel while sitting next to the cee-ment pond!

[JTMacc99]

Heh.

 

I am pretty sure he's playing a role, but I'm not so sure about Jethro.

 

Looking back on it, he was a very good Food Network Star contestant. He was up for anything. He made a lot well received food. He had a hook.

 

But I fail to see how pretending to be somebody you aren't can have a long life outside of this show. Maybe he can keep it up for a year or two, but after that?

 

Then what? I think we've seen the Paul Reubens to his Pee Wee Herman. I imagine that eventually Cowboy Lenny is going to take off his belt buckle and hat and go out in public that way.

[Intuition]

I feel like that's my issue with this crop, either I'm not getting any genuine enthusiasm about what they want to do or I don't quite understand exactly what the concept is.

 

I agree - I think that's because half of them probably came in with either no concept or had their concept re-worked by the producers into something they're really not on board with.  I think the reason Nicole doesn't have enough genuine enthusiasm (especially in her pilot) is probably that the POV they have fit her into isn't what she went into this wanting to do (I think it might have been "healthy" cuisine, which TPTB hate). Plus it isn't really universally appealing enough to get her a win and she probably suspects that. She just looks like she is trying to please the judges, not be true to herself. Jeff Mauro's POV was clear, it was popular, and it was also GOOD. Then again, he didn't need to be coached into that POV, it was his and he owned it from day one.

 

And WTH is "Cowboy Cuisine"? I think that one's a little weak but they don't care because they're banking on Lenny's "star power" and over the top personality to carry him through, plus that POV is consistent with the cowboy persona. What bugs me about this show is that the finalists always seem to be the ones with the most "star power" with the POV taking a back seat to that. But I think the POV is just as important, and if the contestants need to be coached into something that the viewers will find more interesting, it's as bad as no star power, especially if it makes them act less committed and more disengaged.

How many more country cooks does FN need? Aren't we already overloaded with Italian? Luca is cute but I think he gets boring after a while. I thought his pilot was good but I felt ho-hum afterward. I hate to say that because I like the guy.

 

I am pretty sure he's playing a role, but I'm not so sure about Jethro.

 

Yeah, I was kidding about that but I do think he's combining every country/cowboy stereotype from my childhood into one persona.  Like every cowboy from every TV western from the 1950s and '60s plus Gomer Pyle and Jethro all rolled into one.  I know there was a "grandpa" type character on one western who cooked for the cowboys on a chuckwagon - I am straining my memory to remember the show's or the character's name, but I think he was another one Lenny patterned his caricature on.

Edited August 5, 2014 by Intuition

[cooksdelight]

Chester? Without the limp? LOL

 

Oh wait, the limp was Grandpa in The Real McCoys.

[MajorWoody]

Chester? Without the limp? LOL

 

Oh wait, the limp was Grandpa in The Real McCoys.

Maybe you are thinking of Walter Brennan as Nadine Groot in Red River, or as Stumpy in Rio Bravo! The original limping cowboy cookie.

[Aethera]

I just had a bit of a lightbulb moment.  Which is sad because I'm at work and it's about FNS instead of about the project I'm supposed to be working on.

 

They all struggle with 'POV' because Culinary Point of View is weird made up phrase.  What the show should be asking contestants is simply "what show would you do?" or more elegantly "what's your concept for a show?" which is something they really failed to articulate this season, though I feel like they used to do so more in the past.  "A show where I go out and eat great food and then come home and turn it into a great sandwich" is a show idea (and a good one!) not a Culinary Point of View.  The POV is basically "Sandwiches, man."

 

It would make this show a lot more interesting, watching the mentors help people hone show concepts instead of vague ideas.  I can't think of any real show concepts out of this season's group.

 

We shouldn't have had to wait until the pilot to find out the concept of Luca's show. "Italian Food" is not a good show concept.  And it isn't even really what they call a POV, but they didn't care about that, because Dimples.  If they'd heard "Go to an Italian restaurant and taste a dish and then make something inspired by that dish" they could have worked on that and his pilot might not have been so weird.  It would have made more sense if he'd just made something with burnt wheat, for instance. Cowboys! is not a show concept, either, and then you get stuck with Cowboy Up or whatever the heck that was.  If they'd heard "go to a nice restaurant and make one of their dishes more Cowboytastic" they might have figured out a different, better direction for him to go in, instead of leaving him to his own POV devices and hammering Sarah about Date Night Wait Texas Wait Kids!  (Date Night was actually the closest to the concept of a show one of the final 4 had before the promos, except of course Damaris had already done it.) Clearly a lot of people here have good ideas for what Nicole's show concept could have been - instead of "Coastal Cuisine" we could have gotten "making seafood more accessible by teaching people about the different kinds of fish available to them, what can be substituted in recipes, how to best highlight each type of item".  That's something she could demonstrate in challenges.

 

 

OK, rant over.  Back to work :)

[cooksdelight]

 

Culinary Point of View is weird made up phrase.

 

 

I think Suzie coined that phrase years ago. She seemed to latch onto it and not let it out of her steely cold fingers.

[bluepiano]

"Just say that your love for Jersey 'Coastal Cuisine' inspired you to investigate dishes from other coastal regions, and although you haven't (yet) had the opportunity to travel to those places in person, you taught yourself through trial and error and lots of practice to properly prepare those dishes, and that's where your expertise comes from. After all, it's not like everybody on FN has personally visited every single place a dish they've prepared comes from." I mean, sheesh, "selling it" really isn't (or shouldn't be) that difficult.

 

In my neighborhood (in Seattle) there's a seafood restaurant that features dishes of a different coastal cuisine every month. Brittany, Morocco, Greek Islands, Peru, Spain, Brazil etc. And I'd bet my bank account that they don't hire a new chef every month who comes from that particular region. The idea that you can only cook a dish in the style of a country you have visited is ridiculous. Yes, you do learn by eating food prepared by chefs who are trained in a specific kind of cuisine, but you can do that by eating at the enormous variety of restaurants in New York City or any other major culinary center. It's about educating yourself to flavors and ingredients and applying a set of professional techniques, not how many frequent flyer miles you have.

 

(But then, a couple of seasons back Bob and Susie insisted that a Mexican-American woman cook Mexican food, even though she had lived in and received formal culinary training in France. You really can't win with these people.)

 

It does occur to me that TPTB are trying to sabotage Nicole, because wouldn't Robert Irvine as the director have told her not to be sucking on a bottle of beer in so many of the shots? In large parts of this country I don't think that's going to sit well. Even Aunt Sandy was a more demure drinker.

Edited August 5, 2014 by bluepiano

[SusannahTaylor3]

In my neighborhood (in Seattle) there's a seafood restaurant that features dishes of a different coastal cuisine every month. Brittany, Morocco, Greek Islands, Peru, Spain, Brazil etc. It's endless. And I'd bet my bank account that they don't hire a new chef every month who comes from that particular region. The idea that you can only cook a dish in the style of a country you have visited is ridiculous. Yes, you do learn by eating food prepared by chefs who are trained in a specific kind of cuisine, but you can do that by eating at the enormous variety of restaurants in New York City or any other major culinary center. It's about educating yourself to flavors and ingredients and applying a set of professional techniques, not how many frequent flyer miles you have.

(But then, a couple of seasons back Bob and Susie insisted that a Mexican-American woman cook Mexican food, even though she had lived in and received formal culinary training in France. You really can't win with these people.)

It does occur to me that TPTB are trying to sabotage Nicole, because wouldn't Robert Irvine as the director have told her not to be sucking on a bottle of beer in so many of the shots? In large parts of this country I don't think that's going to sit well. Even Aunt Sandy was a more demure drinker. (And yes, there's a huge double standard. Cowboy Lenny can display his fat belly and make fart jokes and he's just a good old boy. But a woman on FN has to be a lady. Well, except maybe for Ann Burrell).

I wonder if the reason Robert didn't tell her not to drink the beer was because she markedly loosened up after it and he wanted her to have fun and relax and that was what she was doing. The sabotage theory makes sense too, but I doubt Robert would let something like that fly. He doesn't seem the type to be told what to do. Edited August 5, 2014 by SusannahTaylor3

[Bella]

But then, a couple of seasons back Bob and Susie insisted that a Mexican-American woman cook Mexican food, even though she had lived in and received formal culinary training in France. You really can't win with these people.

 

This annoys me to no end. The mothers have to talk about their kids (though Sarah set that up with the baby food episode), and you have to stick with whatever ethnicity or heritage you come in with. I think that's happened on Top Chef and Chopped with Asian contestants who were nitpicked about not cooking an Asian cuisine. Can we get beyond this? It's a big world, people travel and move and study, and we really and truly don't have to cook like Grandma anymore. Sheesh!

[theatremouse]

They all struggle with 'POV' because Culinary Point of View is weird made up phrase.  What the show should be asking contestants is simply "what show would you do?" or more elegantly "what's your concept for a show?" which is something they really failed to articulate this season, though I feel like they used to do so more in the past.

I think what they mean is really "what's your persona?" or, actually, "what's your gimmick?". It's not necessarily just the show idea, or who they are; it's "why do we want to watch you" or "if you were on our network, what should be the first thing we think of when we see you". Alton's is why-food-is-good-because science+bowtie+I know all the Whys. Which is, yes, his original show, but also to an extent his personality. I think Suzie coined the phrase "Culinary POV" because it'd be awkward to say "Culinary Why Should I Give a Shit" on national television.

 

(Also they overuse the word "culinary". Were it a drinking game we'd have no livers by now.)

[SusannahTaylor3]

In my neighborhood (in Seattle) there's a seafood restaurant that features dishes of a different coastal cuisine every month. Brittany, Morocco, Greek Islands, Peru, Spain, Brazil etc. And I'd bet my bank account that they don't hire a new chef every month who comes from that particular region. The idea that you can only cook a dish in the style of a country you have visited is ridiculous. Yes, you do learn by eating food prepared by chefs who are trained in a specific kind of cuisine, but you can do that by eating at the enormous variety of restaurants in New York City or any other major culinary center. It's about educating yourself to flavors and ingredients and applying a set of professional techniques, not how many frequent flyer miles you have.

 

(But then, a couple of seasons back Bob and Susie insisted that a Mexican-American woman cook Mexican food, even though she had lived in and received formal culinary training in France. You really can't win with these people.)

 

It does occur to me that TPTB are trying to sabotage Nicole, because wouldn't Robert Irvine as the director have told her not to be sucking on a bottle of beer in so many of the shots? In large parts of this country I don't think that's going to sit well. Even Aunt Sandy was a more demure drinker.

Was that the season where the contestant was nicknamed "The Fiery Latina"? She was not very successful with the Mexican cuisine and her personality didn't seem to live up to the nickname. No matter how hard hard she tried to convince them otherwise she couldn't. They were rigid on that nickname and POV

[Alapaki]

I just had a bit of a lightbulb moment.  Which is sad because I'm at work and it's about FNS instead of about the project I'm supposed to be working on.

 

 

Well now you've gone "meta".  Because this entire show is "about FNS instead of about the project it's supposed to be" (i.e. developing someone to make their own show).

[Totale]

Well now you've gone "meta".  Because this entire show is "about FNS instead of about the project it's supposed to be" (i.e. developing someone to make their own show).

 

I believe that to the depths of my funky soul.  But in past years they've gotten to the final with people who wouldn't have been thrown out into the street if they showed up with their FNS big final production as their initial demo reel. These final three were so bad that they would never have squeezed a foot in the door  without FNS to prop them up. I'm disappointed that they apparently didn't try to come up with anyone this year that it's vaguely conceivable they'd award more than a pity show to at the end.

[SusannahTaylor3]

Well now you've gone "meta".  Because this entire show is "about FNS instead of about the project it's supposed to be" (i.e. developing someone to make their own show).

And just think we can all be Monday-morning quarterbacks next week after the winner is named so you have more days if distraction coming lol.

This may be the poorest group of contestants FN has had for this show. I think its a good sign that all good things must come to an end.

[cooksdelight]

Oh, thank you, that's a great name for our "after party" thread. :)

[bluepiano]

Was that the season where the contestant was nicknamed "The Fiery Latina"? She was not very successful with the Mexican cuisine and her personality didn't seem to live up to the nickname. No matter how hard hard she tried to convince them otherwise she couldn't. They were rigid on that nickname and POV

 

No, that was a different contestant, I believe the following season, but same basic principle, and it was really embarrassing. Suzie Fogelson told the woman she needed to be fiery when that was not her personality at all. Because you know, all Latinas are fiery, just like all black people are good dancers, and all Indians can write computer programs in their sleep.

 

In the case I was thinking of, the woman (I believe her name was Susie) had trained at a prestigious culinary school in France and started the season with simplifying classic French cooking as her "culinary POV." And Suzie and Bob were dumbstruck. "But your family is Mexican? And you are cooking French food. We don't understand."  They really played with the woman's head, and she eventually changed her concept to Mexican cooking and ended up telling tear jerking stories about her old abuelo who had come to the US and picked fruit in the fields. I felt sorry for her.

 

They have pulled this "ethnicity is destiny" BS in varying degrees on a number of contestants. I don't think there's ever been a classically trained African-American chef who they insisted cook soul food, because probably they would at least be smart enough not to go there. But Latino certainly need to cook Latino food. And as someone pointed out, women who are mothers always need to talk about cooking for their kids and their families. It's kind of like in the world of Food Network the last 40 years haven't happened.

 

One big joke to me is that Bobby Flay, an FN superstar and past judge, built his culinary career on southwestern cuisine, when he's from an Irish-American background and grew up in New York City. He certainly didn't learn about chipotle peppers from his grandmother from the Auld Sod.

Edited August 6, 2014 by bluepiano

[SusannahTaylor3]

No, that was a different contestant, I believe the following season, but some basic principle. What I remember is that Suzie Fogelson, who believes that anyone who is "ethnic" needs to be a living cliché, encouraged that woman to be a fiery Latina when she was not fiery at all, and it was kind of embarrassing.

 

In the case I was thinking of, the woman (I believe her name was Susie) had trained at a prestigious culinary school in France and started the season with simplifying classic French cooking as her "culinary POV." And Suzie and Bob were like, but we don't understand. Isn't your family Mexican? How can you show people how to cook French food. It is beyond human comprehension. They really played with the woman's head, and she eventually had to change her concept to Mexican cooking and tell tear jerking stories about her old abuelo who had come to the US and picked fruit in the fields. I felt sorry for her.

 

They have pulled this "ethnicity is destiny" BS in varying degrees on a number of contestants. I don't think there's ever been a classically trained African-American chef who they insisted cook soul food, because probably they would at least be smart enough not to go there. But Latino certainly need to cook Latino food. And as someone pointed out, women who are mothers always need to talk about cooking for their kids and their families. It's kind of like in the world of Food Network the last 40 years haven't happened.

 

One big joke to me is that Bobby Flay, one of their superstars and a past NFNS judge, built his culinary career on southwestern inspired cuisine, when he's from an Irish-American background and grew up in New York City. He certainly didn't learn about chipotle peppers from his grandmother from the Auld Sod.

I do remember who you're talking about now. Didn't she make it pretty far into the competition?

I'm Greek -American (3rd generation), so I guess in Susie think I should only cook Greek cuisine and nothing else? We don't eat Greek food every night. Gasp we even eat Italian food, hamburgers, and Mexican food.

[LazyToaster]

The cook on the old show Wagon Train was called Charlie Wooster. Does that ring any bells?

[SusannahTaylor3]

"One big joke to me is that Bobby Flay, an FN superstar and past judge, built his culinary career on southwestern cuisine, when he's from an Irish-American background and grew up in New York City. He certainly didn't learn about chipotle peppers from his grandmother from the Auld Sod."

That is irony for ya lol. Irish food isn't very exciting so I can see where he needed to branch out. Southwestern is quite the opposite of Irish food.

[backformore]

I remember the - Suzy or Susie -  who wanted to cook french food, but You're MEXICAN!!!  Be true to your heritage!   

 

And that's what I thought of at the time -  I could never be on a cooking show, because NOBODY wants to hear about how my Irish mother taught me to put a hunk of meat and as many potatoes as fit, into a pot of water and boil it forever.  

Edited August 6, 2014 by backformore

[smiley13]

Yes, if Bobby, Alton or Giada had to compete, what would Susie have done to their POV's?  Of the three, I bet Giada would be the only one they let do what she wanted to do.

 

I have never understood why they get to the end of the competition and start telling people to change their focus.  In her season, Melissa never was about $10 Dinners, but then they shoved it on her.

[SusannahTaylor3]

Yes, if Bobby, Alton or Giada had to compete, what would Susie have done to their POV's?  Of the three, I bet Giada would be the only one they let do what she wanted to do.

 

I have never understood why they get to the end of the competition and start telling people to change their focus.  In her season, Melissa never was about $10 Dinners, but then they shoved it on her.

I think Bobby would convince them that he is authentic when it comes to southwestern food. He knows his stuff.

Alton's POV the science of food (I used to LOVE Good Eats).

I didn't like Melissa, but I felt bad when her whole concept changed to $10 meals. I can't remember what it originally was. Is that show still on or are they in syndication? I don't like her on Triple G. She's so bitchy to the contestants. The other judges try to be nice in their assessments but she just puts it out there. Every time she says something nice you know there will be a "but" in there. I like your concept and it's a beautiful plate, but, you overlooked the noodles. The others' comments: nice try, I like the way you ______ I wish you had _______.

[cooksdelight]

As far as I can recall, Melissa's show was cancelled and it's only in reruns now.

[SusannahTaylor3]

As far as I can recall, Melissa's show was cancelled and it's only in reruns now.

Another FNS bites the dust. Why do people even bother to compete? It's rare when someone is successful. Sounds like Guy and Sandwich King and Damaris are it for now. Not great odds given this is season 10. Melissa seems to be the most permanent judge on Triple G though.

[chessiegal]

As far as I can recall, Melissa's show was cancelled and it's only in reruns now.

 

Yep, cancelled and only reruns.

[SusannahTaylor3]

There's not much on daytime anymore on that channel. Dominated now with Barefoot Contessa, Pioneer Woman, and Trisha Yearwood, and Giada for original still in production shows and lots of cancelled shows Secrets Of A Restaurant Chef, Cupcake Wars, and others.

See how much Food Network I watch throughout the day?

Edited August 6, 2014 by SusannahTaylor3

[cooksdelight]

Hey y'all (sorry Lenny), let's take our discussion over to the Food Network Alums thread, so we can continue this about Melissa, etc... :)

[SusannahTaylor3]

Hey y'all (sorry Lenny), let's take our discussion over to the Food Network Alums thread, so we can continue this about Melissa, etc... :)

You're right. We did get off topic there.

[candall]

It was Wishbone, on Rawhide.  (Best theme song, ever.)

 

*************

I'm so over the whole POV thing.  Butcher Babe [shudder, sorry] had "meat," for heaven's sake.  And she never even offered any interesting butcher tips, like the filet/strip sides of a T-bone or brisket flats vs. points.

 

Italian's more than covered and who the hell is looking to add more Cowboy Cuisine to the menu rotation?

 

I would like to know more about cooking fish and FN has no show about that.  Also, I would like Emma, with her soothing, even-tempered delivery, to teach me.

 

Is there a write-in option?

[Surrealist]

It was Wishbone, on Rawhide.  (Best theme song, ever.)

 

*************

I'm so over the whole POV thing.  Butcher Babe [shudder, sorry] had "meat," for heaven's sake.  And she never even offered any interesting butcher tips, like the filet/strip sides of a T-bone or brisket flats vs. points.

 

Italian's more than covered and who the hell is looking to add more Cowboy Cuisine to the menu rotation?

 

I would like to know more about cooking fish and FN has no show about that.  Also, I would like Emma, with her soothing, even-tempered delivery, to teach me.

 

Is there a write-in option?

 

I really liked Emma's delivery too. I was sad when she got eliminated.

[buttersister]

Heh, Toaster beat me to Charlie. Forgot about Wishbone (must have been distracted by young, sulking Clint Eastwood).

 

Meanwhile, in this century, Nicole's answer might have been that her "passion" for coastal cooking is why she's worked to become an expert (play the 10,000 hours card, honey) and that is how she follows her passion and "travels the world's coastlines without leaving her kitchen." Psst, Suze, you can market the crap out of that--think of a world of table runners and coordinated serving platters you can sell in the FN store. Seriously, some seasons, it's like they're not even trying.

[SusannahTaylor3]

When Nicole made that slip up i looked at the judges and Bob and Susie's faces and I could see them mentally crossing her off their list for the winner. That poor girl cannot think on her feet.

[bluepiano]

Sarah bored me, and when she wasn't boring she annoyed me.  She started off thinking of herself as "pageant girl" and was naive enough to think people would be impressed by that.  She's one of those cooking show contestants who says 'don't underestimate me because of my looks'  and i say " stop over-estimating your looks" 

 

Great line Backformore, and true of many reality show contestants. Like Natasha last year on Master Chef, who constantly talked about her looks. Which made me think, okay, it's sexist, but since you raised the topic, there are several other female contestants I think are hotter than you are.

Edited August 6, 2014 by bluepiano

[Nutjob]

I get Lenny. I really do. Yes, most of his schtick is just that--schtick. But in his pilot, with the graphics and what not, I saw a kernel of a good idea for a show that would also be entertaining. And let's face it, that's what Bob and Susie are looking for--an entertainer. His schtick isn't anymore over the top than someone like Nadia G., but his is a lot more accessible to the general viewing audience (I mean, I'm a metal chick, so I like Nadia G. just fine, but I also get that she's not for everyone).  I think that's why his fakeness doesn't bug me much.

[6 MeowMeowBeenz]

NOBODY wants to hear about how my Irish mother taught me to put a hunk of meat and as many potatoes as fit, into a pot of water and boil it forever.

 

Or as my late Irish MIL used to say: "boil the bejayzus out of them"

 

Although Irish cuisine (and UK as well) supposedly is more about local fresh sustainable yada yada yada anymore...it would be nice if FN or even CC had a few more "international" cooking shows. The Korean and Chinese shows on CC are a nice change of pace. 

[CaptainCranky]

Thank god for this forum. Now I know who won without wasting an hour of my life.

 

I'd rather go watch my grass grow than watch a show with Lenny.

 

FN is a big loser with this debacle.