All Episodes Talk

[autumnh]

I love quinoa, but I did wonder if she let it cool down enough before putting it into a salad. I made some meatballs a couple weeks ago with quinoa, and the recipe said they would be "light and airy." They were, kind of, but I was in a hurry to get dinner on the table so the quinoa was still warm when I added it to the meat mixture. Had I added it after it had cooled, they would have been easier to roll and would have had a lighter texture.

 

 

I've wondered that as well, but if it ends up helping to revitalize that downtown area, maybe it will do some good even though it does seem like an exercise in self-indulgence. 

 

I am born and raised in NYC....Zabars is amazing....Rie Rie could only hope to be 1/10 of that good

[peacheslatour]

 

I sent most of yesterday's episode cringing at the way she said Mercanteel instead of the way I thought it should be Mercantile (like a tile floor). Since no one else has brought it up I'll assume I've just been saying it wrong all this time.

They pronounced it mercan-tile on Little House on the Prairie so that's good enough for me!

[Aquarius]

Hope cowboy Josh' kids are being paid to work the cattle.

 

Cowboy Josh's son is a baby.  Those other kids are Amanda's, from before Josh.  Ree made that very, almost painfully clear on previous episodes.  Now that they are ranch hands, has she changed her tune?

[anneofcleves]

Her fans, of course!  Throngs of them making pilgrimages to the middle of nowhere.

We should all plan a visit! We could even wear coordinating, fugly, flowing tops!

[grisgris]

Today's show didn't interest me as I hate tequila. All the recipes were ones that Ree's made before, except she added a splash of tequila to whatever it was.  Actually, I wasn't sure if Ree even liked the results herself because she really didn't eat anything, nor did she serve anything to Hyacinth. (I just can't with that woman. She acted she was the Queen Pawhuska sashaying around in that fugly blanket thing she was wearing.)

The creations that I found especially egregious were the berries with the tequila custard sauce, then that vile-looking spicy tequila sunrise. The thought of smoky tequila, jalapeno and sickeningly sweet grenadine nearly made me ill.

I think Ree's been doing some reading. She was quite adamant and defensive today about her need to document all of her cooking experiments in step-by-step photos. She even explained that she needs to include "action shots." Oh-kay!

Edited April 30, 2016 by grisgris

[anneofcleves]

The soup made me weep a little.  The flavor of the shrimp is going to be totally lost in all the other overpowering flavors she has going on in that mess of canned stuff.  And I always get a little irritated when these FN cooks call for "vegetable stock."  Commercially prepared vegetable stock varies wildly in flavor depending on the brand.  For instance, Pacific is light in texture and flavor.  Trader Joe's is heavier and more tomato-based.  Whatever brand vegetable stock you use is going to totally alter the flavor of that soup.  If she really wanted it to have a shrimp flavor, she would have made a simple shrimp stock.  Easy, takes like 10 minutes.  She's such an idiot.

And she was really obnoxious with the photo-taking.  Yes, Ree.  You're a super-successful blogger.  But just remember that there are many of us out here on the interwebs who find this trend of having to wade through 800 photos to get to a recipe really, really irritating.  Some of us actually learned to cook without remedial aids.

p.s. Not loving the forum update.  I don't want email notifications, but I do want to see,where I left off when I come back to the forum.

Edited May 1, 2016 by anneofcleves

[ShellSeeker]

On 4/25/2016 at 3:44 PM, autumnh said:

 

I am born and raised in NYC....Zabars is amazing....Rie Rie could only hope to be 1/10 of that good

Oh, I've been to Zabars a few times too, and it's out of this world. But I was wondering what the rest of that downtown area was like, and I found a video on YouTube from a couple years ago that someone took while driving through it. Lots of deserted, boarded up buildings. So that was my only thought -- maybe it will generate enough interest to pump some life into the local economy.

[outtahere]

"p.s. Not loving the forum update.  I don't want email notifications, but I do want to see,where I left off when I come back to the forum."

Agree!  Don't need any emails or notifications just let me know when there is new input since I read the last time.  Please fix this problem and then leave things alone.

[Lisin]

@anneofcleves and @outtahere have you all gone in and changed your email preferences? Because you should only be getting emails if you requested them at this point. They defaulted everyone back to "no emials" a couple of days ago. 

They are working on getting the forum customization for the home page back and that should solve all the other problems. Hold tight! It will be worked out. 

[anneofcleves]

Lisin, yes I made sure to opt out of those when I first came to the updated forums.  I'm glad they're working on the customization.  It will be nice to be able to (hopefully) see "my forums" with new content.

[txvoodoo]

On 4/30/2016 at 6:57 PM, anneofcleves said:

The soup made me weep a little.  The flavor of the shrimp is going to be totally lost in all the other overpowering flavors she has going on in that mess of canned stuff.  And I always get a little irritated when these FN cooks call for "vegetable stock."  Commercially prepared vegetable stock varies wildly in flavor depending on the brand.  For instance, Pacific is light in texture and flavor.  Trader Joe's is heavier and more tomato-based.  Whatever brand vegetable stock you use is going to totally alter the flavor of that soup.  If she really wanted it to have a shrimp flavor, she would have made a simple shrimp stock.  Easy, takes like 10 minutes.  She's such an idiot.

And she was really obnoxious with the photo-taking.  Yes, Ree.  You're a super-successful blogger.  But just remember that there are many of us out here on the interwebs who find this trend of having to wade through 800 photos to get to a recipe really, really irritating.  Some of us actually learned to cook without remedial aids.

p.s. Not loving the forum update.  I don't want email notifications, but I do want to see,where I left off when I come back to the forum.

Agree on everything! Especially the 800 photos and the forum update.

It's so difficult now to find all my forums. I hope that they do create the "home page /landing page" again like they say they're going to.

[jadecorleone]

I admit ive read through her books (ended up receiving them as gifts) and tried a few recipes. The asian noodle salad... blech. 

Most if not all the ones I do like I have to alter in some way due to dietary needs (hubby has gout and I just got diagnosed with an ulcer). My rule is if I have to substitute at least half the ingredients, I dont bother with it. 

[Lillybee]

If her family really likes their food spicy, then why is jalepenos the only fresh chili she uses. Everyother one she uses is canned. Why no arbol or New Mexico chilis?

[anneofcleves]

On 5/6/2016 at 8:29 PM, Lillybee said:

If her family really likes their food spicy, then why is jalepenos the only fresh chili she uses. Everyother one she uses is canned. Why no arbol or New Mexico chilis?

I've always wondered the same thing, Lillybee.

I kind of enjoyed watching Ladd cook in the Mother's Day episode, and I loved his snarky comment about how much Ree likes her cream.  

I love Steak au Poivre possibly more than I love breathing, so I was curious to see her take on it.  (More like breathless with anticipation of how she'd screw it up.)  The Queen of Cowboy Gastronomy's version doesn't call for the crushed peppercorns to be pressed into the steak and instead calls for them to be thrown in the sauce at the end.  I guess she doesn't understand that browning the steak with the crushed peppercorns releases all the wonderful flavor into the fond?  Of course not.  And I could punch her for using canned beef stock.  Just stop with that stuff.  50 demerits.

Ree does get credit for making a pie from scratch, because homemade pie is a beautiful thing.  20 points for the pie + 10 bonus points for making a cherry pie + 5 more bonus points for not topping it with Cool Whip and chopped up Twizzlers.

Her chicken soup didn't look too bad to me, either.  I never add cream to a soup like that, but it looked like it would be OK.  I can't for the life of me understand why she'd add jalapenos to the soup and why not just use crushed red pepper flake if she wants her "Italian" soup to have a little zing.  

Edited May 7, 2016 by anneofcleves

[grisgris]

Am I wrong to say that I'd totally watch a cooking show (let me preface that with limited run) starring Ladd and Todd? Yes. They were cracking me up with their remarks about Ree and her heavy cream. Even more hilarious was when they were preparing the roasted asparagus and Ladd solemnly told Todd that all meals must include a vegetable, to which Todd replied, "But we're havin' potatoes!" Then, it was like (well, I wouldn't touch the stuff with a 10-foot pole) "When we go out, your mother always orders asparagus" (therefore, I guess I've gotta handle this slimy green stuff.) Also, kudos for manning up and using alcohol in the peppercorn sauce.

Poor Paige. We need to get her off that ranch, ASAP. How many times did she mention how happy she was away to be from the home on the range? I'd think she'd be college-bound by next season.

@anneofcleves, I also wondered what was "Eye-tal-ian" about jalapenos in the soup. That looked fair, but didn't need the heavy cream. The cherry pie looked good and the splash of bal-SAM-ick was an interesting idea. My DVR cut off during the group hug at the end, so I didn't see them dive into dessert. Ree did show restraint with unnecessary ingredients in the pie, but she did gleefully mention that a less-sweet pie just meant more whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Moments of irritation: Ree kept referring to her truck as a "vehicle." When you live on a ranch, that term cuts a broad swath. Also, when Ladd asked Todd what his favorite kind of steak was, I swear he said, "boy." I even reversed and watched it again, and I'm certain that's what he said. That really made me scratch my head about Ree and her gender-specific foods. (I'm sure he said something else, my hearing is not what it used to be. LOL!)

[autumnh]

I'd gladly watch Ladd over Ree...I thought he was well spoken and explained things well.

[WonderSchwermin]

I legit loved the Ladd and Todd show. 

[autumnh]

My husband said and I quote "I bet Ladd is a better cook" lol

[ShellSeeker]

I liked Ladd's segment too. Poor Bryce did not look like he was enjoying his pedicure though.

[txvoodoo]

17 hours ago, autumnh said:

My husband said and I quote "I bet Ladd is a better cook" lol

I dunno...we've seen him abuse steaks. 

[anneofcleves]

It is worth noting that Ladd did not use lemon pepper, nor did he practically boil those steaks in butter, as we have seen before.  He must be sneaking off and watching cooking shows on the Create channel after Ree passes out from drinking her 6th chocolate martini.

[Qoass]

Quote

When Ladd asked Todd what his favorite kind of steak was, I swear he said, "boy." I even reversed and watched it again, and I'm certain that's what he said. That really made me scratch my head about Ree and her gender-specific foods. (I'm sure he said something else, my hearing is not what it used to be. LOL!)

He said fillet...

I just can't imagine the kind of ribbing Bryce could get from his peers about that pedicure segment.

[autumnh]

5 hours ago, txvoodoo said:

I dunno...we've seen him abuse steaks. 

 

That is very true and honestly? I never understood Lemon Pepper on Filet Mignon but I admired his restraint. Between the steak, potatoes and roasted asparagus...they might have been one of the healthiest meals i've see on that show lol

[IOU Payne]

Now I'm looking forward to Todd & Ladd's cooking segment!  

It's probably what we all deserve for suffering through Dorm Room Cooking, which aired on Food Network Canada this weekend.  So many things wrong, so little time!  Why didn't Ree think to add that many of the recipes could be made in an RV or a motel on vacation for families wishing to not eat in restaurants every night?  Nahh, that would take vision, and she used up her last synapses concocting that awful "sirrup" for the fruit salad.  Seriously, who adds anything to a container of - wait for it - prepared fruit salad which is ready to eat?  And if Ree was recreating a more typical student experience, she would have used little condiment packages instead of assuming that people will have a stocked pantry in a dorm room.  I would have laughed and laughed to see her scrape the contents out of small cups of peanut butter, the kind you get at restaurants, to make PB ramen noodles!  Add 2-3 packets of soy sauce scrounged from sushi containers and you're good to go.

But that "Caesar salad", or whatever the fresh hell that was supposed to be.  The same folks that sell cut-up romaine also sell Caesar salad kits, with packets of dressing, grated Parm, bacon bits and real croutons, not crumbled Melba toast.  Buy one of those, get a large bowl at the dollar store that can also serve as a popcorn bowl, and you're good to go.  A helpful tip to put forth would have been to not buy the puffy bags of salad because the flatter, the fresher.  I would assume that most university students are not super-experienced cooks, so this may have been useful.  Instead, we got to see that you can make nifty things in plastic bags (but not the camping classic ice cream!)  SMH so hard I got whiplash.

[Viqutorious]

Has she ever cooked fish? I know she has done shellfish, but I don't recall her ever cooking actual fish. 

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess if she ever has it was not for the "Cowboys".

[Hildegard802]

I'm surprised she's willing to let herself be filmed in natural light, seeing as how she's a fan of camera filters.  Natural light really shows the Botox bumps and wrinkles.  

"Scrumptious" was flying right ad left in this episode, along with "cowboy."

A couple of minutes of her narcissism was all I could stand, so I didn't wait around to see Ladd et al cooking.

[sandyskyblue]

On 5/8/2016 at 8:23 PM, autumnh said:

I'd gladly watch Ladd over Ree...I thought he was well spoken and explained things well.

I was pleasantly surprised that I actually enjoyed Ladd and Todd's stint at cooking...while Ladd was cooking, I thought he was so much more relaxed and natural than Ree is....when Ree is talking and cooking, it sounds to me as if she is reading a script....and while the food Ladd and Todd made was not the healthiest, it was certainly much more healthy than 99% of what Ree usually cooks...I believe the method Ladd used to cook the steaks (searing them, then putting them in the oven to finish) is a method  Ina Garten uses also....yay for Ladd!  So much better than cooking them swimming in butter!!

Is it a southern thing to say the word vehicle: 'vee-HICK-ill??  I cringed when Ree said it a couple times, I noticed Ladd did not emphasize 'hick' the way Ree did....

[Lillybee]

Ladd only used 2 tablespoons of butter to make his sauce, Ree would have used a whole stick.

[ariel]

4 hours ago, sandyskyblue said:

 

Is it a southern thing to say the word vehicle: 'vee-HICK-ill??  I cringed when Ree said it a couple times, I noticed Ladd did not emphasize 'hick' the way Ree did....

I think Ree uses the "hick" to try to connect to her fan base.

[Lura]

Oh, Ree.  When she finds an expression she likes, she sticks to it.  Today, she made three quick 'n easy desserts, and I couldn't count how many times she said about each one that it took "no time at all" to make.  It must have been Sunday because everything was also "divine" and "heavenly."

Cowboy Josh was invited to have dessert with the family, and he's turned bald!  He was beginning to thin out a bit in all the shows I've seen, but in this one, he has a nice, shiny dome where his hair once was.

[txvoodoo]

On 5/9/2016 at 4:55 PM, sandyskyblue said:

Is it a southern thing to say the word vehicle: 'vee-HICK-ill??  I cringed when Ree said it a couple times, I noticed Ladd did not emphasize 'hick' the way Ree did....

It totally is. I moved south & married a southerner, and it irked me for years, but I realized recently that it doesn't bother me anymore. I guess you can get used to anything!

[peacheslatour]

12 hours ago, txvoodoo said:

It totally is. I moved south & married a southerner, and it irked me for years, but I realized recently that it doesn't bother me anymore. I guess you can get used to anything!

My sainted grandmother used to say "You can get used to anything. Even hanging if you hang long enough."

[autumnh]

On 5/11/2016 at 2:27 AM, Lura said:

Oh, Ree.  When she finds an expression she likes, she sticks to it.  Today, she made three quick 'n easy desserts, and I couldn't count how many times she said about each one that it took "no time at all" to make.  It must have been Sunday because everything was also "divine" and "heavenly."

Cowboy Josh was invited to have dessert with the family, and he's turned bald!  He was beginning to thin out a bit in all the shows I've seen, but in this one, he has a nice, shiny dome where his hair once was.

Eh, it happens. My husband is 8 years younger than me....he had a full head of delicious hair...now he keeps it cropped close since he is losing it. Just as sexy though ;) lol

[txvoodoo]

16 hours ago, autumnh said:

Eh, it happens. My husband is 8 years younger than me....he had a full head of delicious hair...now he keeps it cropped close since he is losing it. Just as sexy though ;) lol

*fistbump* - my hub's 9 years younger than I, and we had our 19th anniversary this week. 

[autumnh]

So I watched a few episodes yesterday. They were newer and featured her new cookware.  In one part (I will have to go back and find it) she had one of her light blue speckled pots (My late mother in law, bless her heart gave me a set of Paula Deen cookware...same look...same quality I am thinking) and Ree's pot was very "crickety" on the stove...you girls know what I mean...when the pot rocks back and forth and doesn't seem quite even on the bottom. 

 

Food kits? no thanks...it's just more of her 16 minutes meals but in prepped ziploc bags.

Edited May 21, 2016 by autumnh

[sandyskyblue]

1 hour ago, autumnh said:

Food kits? no thanks...it's just more of her 16 minutes meals but in prepped ziploc bags.

Was thinking the same thing....all she did was switch prep time, plop the prepped food into baggies and containers then shove it all into her nearly empty fridge....I admit I am hypercritical of Ree, so many things she does make me cringe, but this episode made me wonder if Zip-loc was a sponsor, she used an insane amount of baggies....most of the veggies that were bagged separately could have been bagged all together with no ill effects...also, I was thinking the pepper part of those stuffed peppers she made would still be pretty stiff and undercooked, I parboil the peppers before I stuff and bake them....

[anneofcleves]

I agree with both of you on the food kits.  I'm a big fan of prepping like she did when I'm planning a big party and making mass quantities of food, but I don't really find the time savings to be all that great when it's just a garden variety weeknight dinner.  The cooking doesn't bother me.  I don't want the cleanup and would rather reheat something made ahead, or use the slow cooker or grill.  We obviously eat pretty simply through the week.

Boring recipes as usual.

[autumnh]

It seems like ALL of her recipes are just recycled and tweaked...I don't think we've seen anything original in a LONG time. I can find better recipes on Pinterest.

Edited May 21, 2016 by autumnh

[autumnh]

10 minutes ago, anneofcleves said:

I agree with both of you on the food kits.  I'm a big fan of prepping like she did when I'm planning a big party and making mass quantities of food, but I don't really find the time savings to be all that great when it's just a garden variety weeknight dinner.  The cooking doesn't bother me.  I don't want the cleanup and would rather reheat something made ahead, or use the slow cooker or grill.  We obviously eat pretty simply through the week.

Boring recipes as usual.

Us too. We are empty nesters so I don't mind prepping right before dinner or the night before if need be.We grill a lot..even in the winter and my Instant Pot has become my best friend!

[SanLynn]

I didn't even bother watching after the intro. Normally I'll still watch for the snark value but whether it's just me being tired or cranky or something I just didn't even want to bother with watching her faux cook so she can stuff everything in a bag and shove it in her conveniently empty fridge.

And, incidentally, if I went with one of those "bring all the ingredients to your door" companies it wouldn't be because I didn't have time to prep ingredients. The reason I'd go with something like that is because I didn't want to buy whole things of spices for one recipe. Maybe I'm just an odd duck that way....

*sigh* Guess I didn't need to watch to rant. I'm gonna go take a nap, LOL

Edited May 21, 2016 by SanLynn

[grisgris]

There goes Ree again with her gender-segregated recipes. I noted how the vegetable stir-fry thing was to be eaten by Ree and Paige while Ladd and the boys were out. (Probably to a big beefy burger joint on the way home.)

I really didn't see any time-saving demonstrated. It seemed like it took more effort to dig up containers and ziploc bags to store everything that it would be to just go ahead and cook it then stash it in the fridge.

Why go to the trouble to make homemade pizza dough, then top it with heated up onions and crappy bottled BBQ sauce?

Here's an idea: Why not drive into town to sign books early, then when you get home, you'll have plenty of time to prepare dinner. Better yet, bring the dang books home and sign them while your boring, meh, retread entrees are baking away in the oven. (I think she was just showing off the new building and how in-demand her autographed books are for her Wally World fans.)

[Kohola3]

Quote

 Better yet, bring the dang books home and sign them while your boring, meh, retread entrees are baking away in the oven. (I think she was just showing off the new building and how in-demand her autographed books are for her Wally World fans.)

I'm sure legions of smitten fans queue up for hours at Wally World for a glimpse if their adored TeeVee high fat, high sugar, no-taste-except-spicy recipe guru.  She can't sign the books at home because she would miss that fawning adoration.

I bet they all dress like those People of Walmart videos.

[Lillybee]

How many times is she going to give us an Alfredo recipe? I swear that we got two this weekend. So boring.

[anneofcleves]

On May 21, 2016 at 1:53 PM, SanLynn said:

I didn't even bother watching after the intro. Normally I'll still watch for the snark value but whether it's just me being tired or cranky or something I just didn't even want to bother with watching her faux cook so she can stuff everything in a bag and shove it in her conveniently empty fridge.

And, incidentally, if I went with one of those "bring all the ingredients to your door" companies it wouldn't be because I didn't have time to prep ingredients. The reason I'd go with something like that is because I didn't want to buy whole things of spices for one recipe. Maybe I'm just an odd duck that way....

*sigh* Guess I didn't need to watch to rant. I'm gonna go take a nap, LOL

I don't think you're an odd duck at all and think your reason is one of the very appealing things about these services.  Add to that the lure of not having to shop, trying new recipes, portion control - lots of reasons people like them.

Oh boy.  Now I'm fearing Ree's next business venture - kits with her remedial recipes delivered directly to your door.  

[Qoass]

Oh, I don't think so:  imagine how much it would cost to ship all those cans she dumps into everything.

[HyeChaps]

I noticed her brand of cookware and dishware.  Meh

[ShellSeeker]

The whole idea of a home-made meal kit struck me as so dumb. It's not called a home-made meal kit, it's called doing your prep work ahead of time, and she certainly isn't the first person to do that. And I was laughing at all the "work" she had to do at the building in town, when it turned out she was signing a huge stack of cookbooks. Self-indulgent much?

[autumnh]

16 hours ago, anneofcleves said:

I don't think you're an odd duck at all and think your reason is one of the very appealing things about these services.  Add to that the lure of not having to shop, trying new recipes, portion control - lots of reasons people like them.

Oh boy.  Now I'm fearing Ree's next business venture - kits with her remedial recipes delivered directly to your door.  

 

I can see it now....

 

Tortillas, ground beef, monterey jack cheese and some jalapenos...maybe some monster cookies of some variation ;)

31 minutes ago, Queasy-bo said:

The whole idea of a home-made meal kit struck me as so dumb. It's not called a home-made meal kit, it's called doing your prep work ahead of time, and she certainly isn't the first person to do that. And I was laughing at all the "work" she had to do at the building in town, when it turned out she was signing a huge stack of cookbooks. Self-indulgent much?

It's called most of us work all day and get home and prep dinner lol...maybe I need to write a book so I have one more thing to take up my time! lol

[sabretooth]

On May 22, 2016 at 11:22 PM, grisgris said:

Why go to the trouble to make homemade pizza dough, then top it with heated up onions and crappy bottled BBQ sauce?

This! Of all the times to use frozen pizza dough, whack-a-dough or the old "get it from your local pizzeria" tip, this recipe would have been it. Then again, the pre-acquired dough would not have had the extra touch of the grated garlic and the cayenne added in.

I get that meal prep is a big thing right now. My FB newsfeed has a small population who think they are abject failures at life if they do not make an entire week's worth of lunches, snacks and side dishes on Sunday afternoons. But PW takes a left turn at Albuquerque with her style. Who has space in their fridge for all these cookie sheets loaded with ingredients? You'd need one whole fridge just for them! 

And is it really that hard to mix ricotta, salt, lemon zest and parsley right before you add it to the oily pasta, wilted spinach and slimy mushrooms? I kept thinking that the premixed cheese goo would end up sitting in a watery mess and the parsley would have turned brown (depending on how long you left it in the fridge).

I also got a chuckle out of her talking heads in front of the wire storage racks of PW WalMart gear. Subtle, this show is not. 

[MissT]

Does anyone know how the show is doing in the ratings?    I don't watch her show anymore because it so bad.  Like everyone stared, she doesn't even cook.   I haven't watched in months.  I watch Create.