All Episodes Talk

[anneofcleves]

1 hour ago, Kohola3 said:

Another show I cannot bear to watch for all of the reasons you mention plus the fact that her recipes are horrible.

The last few where she's cooking with her sons have been particularly awful, even by her standards.  Nachos, chili, and monkey bread made with whack-a-dough.  Wow, I'm blown away.  Her recipes are starting to resemble those horrid recipe videos that you see posted on Facebook, where 99% of them involve whack-a-dough, hamburger, canned soup, and shredded cheese.

[Hildegard802]

And her fans defend her crappy "recipes off the back of boxes" as being essentials for "busy cooks on a budget."  It's depressing.

She's Sandra Lee without the entertaining LSD-induced type of nutzoid factor.  Buying a ready-made apple pie for the sole purpose of scooping out the filling to use in something else?  Now that some fun and creative stuff!!!

[ariel]

Ree  is Sandra Lee without Aunt Sandy's boozy charm.

[Fostersmom]

On January 13, 2017 at 1:28 AM, maggiemae said:

Whatever - I can't understand having a home and not eating there - or the waste of gas to go to to The Lodge and go home again. What? Or the kids playing with the dogs yet driving up to the lodge for a meal. 

My guess is at this point, it's just easier to keep the filming at the lodge for the most part. Cameras, lighting, sound, they probably leave the majority of it there all the time and it's a matter of logistics. Easier to get the kids to the lodge than the filming to the kids. 

[txvoodoo]

19 hours ago, Aquarius said:

I hope this doesn't make things awkward, but I think I love you. 

Love makes the world go 'round! Love, and veggies and LOTS of garlic.

5 hours ago, anneofcleves said:

I totally agree.  If I'm in a lower carbing mood, I just make a thin cutlet "breaded" with parmesan or a mix of parmesan with some crushed pistachio.  Then I top the cooked cutlet with a chunky tomato sauce and serve the whole thing over mixed fresh greens or wilted greens (depending on what I'm in the mood for).  It's delicious, and I don't even miss the pasta.

But Ree is a woman who thinks that varying the type of cheese in her quesadilla is creative cooking.  More likely, she underestimates her fans and assumes that is what they think is creating cooking.  

I'm diabetic since lupus screwed up my pancreas, among other organs.  So I carb-watch like crazy, too. I've learned I can do a little dusting of flour, and like you, thicken it up with other things like nuts, or cheeses like Romano and herbs. Lots of veggies! I always loved my veggies so this isn't an issue.  I save my pasta (whole grain) for special treats. I do miss it but I'm Italian so yeah.

5 hours ago, Hildegard802 said:

And her fans defend her crappy "recipes off the back of boxes" as being essentials for "busy cooks on a budget."  It's depressing.

She's Sandra Lee without the entertaining LSD-induced type of nutzoid factor.  Buying a ready-made apple pie for the sole purpose of scooping out the filling to use in something else?  Now that some fun and creative stuff!!!

If she really wanted to do things for busy cooks, we'd see her make more crock pot/slow cooker and/or pressure cooker/instant pot type things. Set it and go - not fiddle faddle over unnecessarily complicated back-of-box recipes.

We need more cooks who show us how to let ingredients shine, and use a spice other than chili powder.  

[grisgris]

Well, at least we have Nancy Fuller.  I know that everybody is not a fan of hers, but at least she cooks meals from scratch with fresh locally source ingredients.  I have yet to see her open and dump cans into a pot and declare it "dinner."

ITA that we need more such shows, but sadly, FN's direction under the new leadership seems to be totally competition-driven.

[Kohola3]

I stick with Cook's Country and America's Test Kitchen on PBS.  Everything is wonderful, the science of preparation is included, and there are no boring family cameos. 

[chessiegal]

3 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

I stick with Cook's Country and America's Test Kitchen on PBS.  Everything is wonderful, the science of preparation is included, and there are no boring family cameos. 

Instructional cooking on FN is pretty much dead. PBS is my go to. I'm so happy MPT picked up Create (well, for 20 hours a day) so lots of good PBS cooking shows.

My problem with Ree is that she is not comfortable on camera, and her recipes are too pedestrian, already in the public domain. I don't hate her, I just find her unwatchable. She has nothing to offer me. The only thing I see in the few minutes I've watched is the kind of cook I NEVER want to be. She's got a loyal fan base, and that's why her show is on.

[ariel]

8 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

She's got a loyal fan base, and that's why her show is on.

Many of her loyal fan base borders on looney, but in the end it doesn't matter, she's laughing all the way to the bank.

Edited January 15, 2017 by ariel

[grisgris]

Today's show was so awful and predictable.  Another mash-up, this time tacos and fajitas. I wouldn't heat up the oven just to melt cheese for 2-3 minutes. Didn't Ree imply that it was hot outside, too?  Aunt Sandy would have unashamedly popped that plate in the microwave and set it for :50 (or half a minute -- Ha! Ha! -- old TWoP memories!)

The chicken chili did nothing for me. If it had been a new and original recipe or even a recreation of somebody else's good recipe, I would have been more interested.  That wasn't even a recipe. It was dumping a "whole buncha" whatever into a slow cooker and setting the timer. What cracked me up was when she dumped her usual line-up of spices (cumin, coriander, chili power, etc.) on the chicken, she made a big deal about using white pepper because it was white chili. Ba-da bing?  Was she serious or was that another attempt at her *dry humor*?

Loading a teenager up with sweets then sending them out in the hot sun to practice football didn't seem like the most nutrition-conscious idea. He's going to have a sugar crash in about an hour or less while he is simultaneously digesting the heavy fat-laden "skillet." That hot mess could have been just as satisfying with smaller amount of EITHER bacon or sausage, with a little bit of shredded cheese (those huge hunks of cheddar and the description of biting in to them turned my stomach) and served with a piece of whole-grain toast and fruit on the side.

Since Bryce likes vegetables that would have been a great opportunity for Ree to prepare one of her "girls'" meals with lots of veggies. That could have finally broken through the green ceiling and let boys and young men across nation know .... that it's OK to eat veggies ... and even to LIKE them. /eyeroll

Sometimes, I think Ree makes a lot of that buttery and sugary crap just so she can eat it herself and uses the kids as the scapegoat. She was practically salivating over the monkey bread.

[txvoodoo]

3 hours ago, grisgris said:

The chicken chili did nothing for me. If it had been a new and original recipe or even a recreation of somebody else's good recipe, I would have been more interested.  That wasn't even a recipe. It was dumping a "whole buncha" whatever into a slow cooker and setting the timer. What cracked me up was when she dumped her usual line-up of spices (cumin, coriander, chili power, etc.) on the chicken, she made a big deal about using white pepper because it was white chili. Ba-da bing?  Was she serious or was that another attempt at her *dry humor*?

I make a slow cooker white chili passed on from hub's co-worker. It has way more beans, way more peppers. Lots of sweet peppers, sweet onions, more garlic (OF COURSE), no masa, no milk (milk? wut?), and I use thighs and legs because they're so much tastier and cheaper. I skip cilantro because I'm one of those people for whom it tastes like soap. (Thanks, genes!)

[maggiemae]

I know - milk? I've added beer and chocolate to beef chili. What a mess this was. 

I've been intrigued about this but not a fan of chicken and tomatoes together, but if I ever made it I would immediately go to Ina's recipe. Fewer ingredients and looks like better flavor.

While comparing recipes I noticed Ree had a salad with the fried goat cheese. That Ina did years ago. 

Seems to me for the last year she is knocking off Ina's recipes and messing them up (she adds so many extra ingredients). But then - Ina doesn't cook for cowgirls or cowboys - so it is all different.

[HyeChaps]

What was the point of putting in cheese chunks instead of grating it?

[Kohola3]

26 minutes ago, HyeChaps said:

What was the point of putting in cheese chunks instead of grating it?

"Because I can".

[ariel]

And that's how cowboys like it.

[sabretooth]

Quote

Loading a teenager up with sweets then sending them out in the hot sun to practice football didn't seem like the most nutrition-conscious idea. He's going to have a sugar crash in about an hour or less while he is simultaneously digesting the heavy fat-laden "skillet."

He's probably also going to be making friends with Ralph if he's running and footballing in the hot sun after eating all of that, ifyouknowwhatImean. There's a reason why most athletes have some lean protein and some complex carbs before sports-ing. 

[peacheslatour]

Quote

Aunt Sandy would have unashamedly popped that plate in the microwave and set it for :50 (or half a minute -- Ha! Ha! -- old TWoP memories!)

Microwave ovens are entirely under utilized on FN. Ina too had no compunction about using a microwave, but you never see anyone else use them. I can't watch Chopped because you can see a microwave right there on set and even though they have this incredible time crunch, no one ever uses it. Makes me stabby.

[anneofcleves]

5 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

Microwave ovens are entirely under utilized on FN. Ina too had no compunction about using a microwave, but you never see anyone else use them. I can't watch Chopped because you can see a microwave right there on set and even though they have this incredible time crunch, no one ever uses it. Makes me stabby.

You know, that's something I never even noticed but you're both totally right about the use of microwaves on FN.  

[Lura]

Unfortunately, I watched an old rerun of "Ladd's Birthday" today.  Ree went through the paces of making Parmesan chicken and chocolate cake, supposedly his favorites but an easy meal for her. 

After dessert, Ladd opened his kids' cards and oo-ed and ah-ed over how great they were.  Then, in her little girl, kindergarten voice, Ree pipes up. "Oh!  And there's one from me, too!"  Ree sat there looking like the teacher had given her card a gold star.  She wore an expression that could only be called secretive and trying not to smile too much.  Apparently, it contained something sexy that she thought was the cleverest thing, and she wanted to show off in front of Josh and the kids.  Ladd, on the other hand, read it with disinterest, never smiled, and closed it up without a thank you.  Obviously, Ree's sexy "gift" didn't go over too well.  Ladd looked like he was dreading the "gift" more than his next dental appointment.  WAY TO GO, LADD!!!

[anneofcleves]

19 hours ago, Lura said:

Unfortunately, I watched an old rerun of "Ladd's Birthday" today.  Ree went through the paces of making Parmesan chicken and chocolate cake, supposedly his favorites but an easy meal for her. 

After dessert, Ladd opened his kids' cards and oo-ed and ah-ed over how great they were.  Then, in her little girl, kindergarten voice, Ree pipes up. "Oh!  And there's one from me, too!"  Ree sat there looking like the teacher had given her card a gold star.  She wore an expression that could only be called secretive and trying not to smile too much.  Apparently, it contained something sexy that she thought was the cleverest thing, and she wanted to show off in front of Josh and the kids.  Ladd, on the other hand, read it with disinterest, never smiled, and closed it up without a thank you.  Obviously, Ree's sexy "gift" didn't go over too well.  Ladd looked like he was dreading the "gift" more than his next dental appointment.  WAY TO GO, LADD!!!

Ladd's blasé reaction reflects his concern, because he knows she's going to want to pet that darned "rubber snake" later on.  And Ree's dirty business with the "rubber snake" is getting tougher and tougher with all of the arterial plaque he's accumulated over the course of their marriage.

[grisgris]

My sister were in a farmer's co-op sundry shop a few weeks ago. They had a section with "old-fashioned" toys and lo and behold ... a rubber snake!  I contemplated buying it, but, nah ...

[BlossomCulp]

On 1/14/2017 at 8:51 PM, grisgris said:

Sometimes, I think Ree makes a lot of that buttery and sugary crap just so she can eat it herself and uses the kids as the scapegoat. She was practically salivating over the monkey bread.

Heh.  That's certainly why I bake.  For the kids.  Yeah, that's the ticket.  For the kids.

[patty1h]

I love empanadas and I was drooling when Ree took those meat pies out of the oven.   The ingredients were simple and nothing special, but they just looked... scrumptious.   I've attempted to make empanadas/meat pies at home once or twice; I used pre-made Goya pastry disks and the results were just okay.  I tried deep-frying a batch (made me sick) and baking another.  They were never flaky, just kinda hard.  After seeing these, I'm inspired to try again but using pie crust dough.

During Ree's 'driving-while-rehashing-a-recipe', there were staged shots of ingredients being gathered and put in front of the camera.  Is that new?  I don't remember that sort of montage before.  

Edited January 21, 2017 by patty1h

[peacheslatour]

2 hours ago, patty1h said:

I love empanadas and I was drooling when Ree took those meat pies out of the oven.   The ingredients were simple and nothing special, but they just looked... scrumptious.   I've attempted to make empanadas/meat pies at home once or twice; I used pre-made Goya pastry disks and the results were just okay.  I tried deep-frying a batch (made me sick) and baking another.  They were never flaky, just kinda hard.  After seeing these, I'm inspired to try again but using pie crust dough.

During Ree's 'driving-while-rehashing-a-recipe', there were staged shots of ingredients being gathered and put in front of the camera.  Is that new?  I don't remember that sort of montage before.  

Use puff pastry and bake them. They will be wonderfully flaky and light.

[grisgris]

Yawn. Here we go again. Beef stew. I was actually on the edge of my seat when Ree added fresh herbs to the slow cooker.  But, wait ... She held herself in check until the very last moment, and there they went! Dive-bombed jalapenos. So those are not going to taste too good with the rosemary and thyme that she'd already added. Of course, it won't matter because they will be cooked to smithereens (just like those poor mushrooms) after six hours, so what different did it make? I wasn't paying close attention to whatever she was stirring up in the giant measuring cup o'horrors as cooking liquid, but I heard beer and a can of tomato paste.

I could literally recite her stir-fry recipe along with her: Soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger and corn starch.  Endless pile of veggies and I laughed and laughed when she added "julienne of ginger" and "julienne of carrots." I don't think that Aunt Sandy ever used that one.  I have seen recipes titled as such with the carrots, but never with ginger. It just sounded so funny. (And by the way, the "bunchas" were a'flyin' today.) But even funnier was the disclaimer that Ladd and Todd would never touch stir fry. Why? Because it has VEGETABLES in it? The finished product was piled onto a mound of white rice.  Also, sympathetically talking about the "inferior" cuts of beef as "economical" was also hilarious.

I didn't think the meat pies looked that great. I thought she started to say her rendition was from "Osage ..." Surely, she meant Osage Co. and she wasn't trying to commit a "crime of cultural insensitivity" (anybody from TWoP remember that?) against Native American food. Anyway, again, the same old stuff, poblanos, onions, red pepper flakes and their best friends cilantro and pepper jack cheese.

Finally, the talking head while driving segment that we all look forward to. This time it was for a steak salad. Same old cast of characters for the marinade/dressing: Olive oil, garlic, Dijon mustard, then the cream and bleu cheese to add to the dressing. Not one to miss a shameless plug, Ree also managed to work in Mason jars AND meal kits!! YAY!!! 

I'm hardly one to talk since I've packed on the pounds since hitting "midlife," but egads! If I ate breakfast, a big dinner with the family, plus a huge lunch like that on a regular basis, I can not even imagine how much I'd weigh.

Ree reminds me of a neighbor I used to have who lived above me in an apartment building. She was an absolutely horrific cook.  She used black pepper and chili powder in everything. Once when I went up there to look after her cat during a vacation away, I snooped in the kitchen and that's exactly what I found in the spice rack, plus cinnamon.  Ree only know a few flavor profiles, which in themselves aren't that terrible. But she beats them to DEATH with the sole embellishment being some variation on red pepper.  It's the same damned thing every week. I don't know if it's overall lack of culinary curiosity and skill or that she's just too afraid to venture out of her comfort zone or she just DGAF, or all of the above.

Sheesh ... I think even the people who actually like her and follow her recipes would be restless and bored by now.  And, please stop with the sophomoric PSAs where the kids and/or cowboys make fools of themselves by having to take several takes to spit out the name of the website. (They are probably faking it.)

[Kohola3]

7 minutes ago, grisgris said:

I don't know if it's overall lack of culinary curiosity and skill or that she's just too afraid to venture out of her comfort zone or she just DGAF, or all of the above.

Lack of taste buds must play a part as well.  Plus lack of education about taste combinations.  Rosemary, thyme, and jalapenos?  Blech.

[anneofcleves]

I agree with your entire post, gris gris.  My husband happened to be watching with me and commented that he could manage all of that, without any recipe, simply because he's seen her do it a few times.  Ree's homage to inexpensive beef made me laugh, because "inexpensive" is such a relative term when it comes to meat prices these days.  To me, there is no inexpensive beef.  Even a rump roast big enough to feed a family is an occasional thing for many.  Of course, this is a woman who used rib eye steaks for a fictional weekday lunch quesadilla for Ladd (sob, poor rib eye steak).

Her meat pies looked like a decent "semi-homemade" kind of recipe.  All that was missing was the taco seasoning packet.  Olé'!  Her meat pies did reinforce this stupid, nagging craving I've had for Sloppy Joes lately, and I think imonna make some with some sweet lil slider buns that I can buy at my regular groshry store.  (For my shrikes.)

[sabretooth]

Quote

I wasn't paying close attention to whatever she was stirring up in the giant measuring cup o'horrors as cooking liquid, but I heard beer and a can of tomato paste.

Beer (which looked a lot like Corona), tomato paste, worsterchestershire. Then doused with beef broth. I was ok with her lemon parsley noodles, but I thought those flavors would compete with the flavors of the pot roast and lead to a pile of yuck. 

[Kohola3]

31 minutes ago, sabretooth said:

....lead to a pile of yuck.

I think that about most of her stuff.  Even if it looks OK, you know the clash of flavors (unless your taste buds are seared with hot stuff) would be gag worthy.

[Gam2]

I hate it when she calls the measuring cup a "pitcher". Huh?

[Lura]

I hate to buck the ferocious winds and tide that are Hurricane Ree's snarkers, but I liked the cheap cuts of beef episode.  In fact, I enjoyed it very much.  Chefs on the FN are forever pulling out their beef tenderloins and standing rib roasts, etc., but it's seldom that I see ideas for the tougher cuts of beef.  Maybe I watch the wrong shows.  Moreover, if Ree is cooking Mexican or Tex Mex inspired, of course she'll start out with the same flavor base, just as she does with Chinese, etc. -- soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, etc.  Am I tired of Mexican food?  You bet!  Chinese stir fry?  Yes!  But I'm also tired of the Drummonds, with all of their sides of beef, roasting and grilling the finest cuts of beef in Osage County.  I'm also a little weary of Ree praising Ladd for grilling delectable steaks for huge crowds just because he can afford to.   I thought it was refreshing to see Ree down to the end of her frozen beef supply and demonstrating to her audience some ideas of what to do with the less desirable cuts.

Edited January 23, 2017 by Lura
vocabulary

[Kohola3]

Quote

Maybe I watch the wrong shows.

Try American's Test Kitchen.  They often do tutorials on cuts of beef and how cheaper ones can be used.

[ariel]

1 hour ago, Kohola3 said:

Try American's Test Kitchen.  They often do tutorials on cuts of beef and how cheaper ones can be used.

And they do it in a much more professional & coherent way than Ree can.

[peacheslatour]

I wonder if they had a Women's March in Pawhuska. I could see Ree's Mother in law doing it by herself.

[HyeChaps]

The stew contained potatoes, yet it was still served with noodles. Hey, Ree, pick one starch!

[Kohola3]

14 minutes ago, HyeChaps said:

The stew contained potatoes, yet it was still served with noodles.

Whaaaa......seriously?  That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!

[anneofcleves]

11 hours ago, HyeChaps said:

The stew contained potatoes, yet it was still served with noodles. Hey, Ree, pick one starch!

I like my starch as much as the next girl, but that's always been a combo I don't like - beef stew with potatoes over noodles.  Or over biscuits, or mashed potatoes.  It's just too much.  And over lemon-flavored noodles?  Why compete with the flavor of the stew?

[Kohola3]

13 minutes ago, anneofcleves said:

 And over lemon-flavored noodles?  Why compete with the flavor of the stew?

"Because I can".  

Again, the lack of education (and apparently taste buds) has her screwing up what should be a very easy dish.  Lemon and beef?  Blech.

[J-Man]

Quote

My sister were in a farmer's co-op sundry shop a few weeks ago. They had a section with "old-fashioned" toys and lo and behold ... a rubber snake!  I contemplated buying it, but, nah ...

I wonder if they'll be a big seller at "The Merc."

[patty1h]

I wonder if Ladd and the boys will come within 10 feet of those Hawaiian burgers.  Does the pineapple put them on the "girl food" list?  I would have tasted a tiny piece of that almond bark mess until she put the black licorice on it.  Black licorice is the devil's candy.

[ariel]

2 hours ago, patty1h said:

 I would have tasted a tiny piece of that almond bark mess until she put the black licorice on it.  Black licorice is the devil's candy.

Maybe her cowboys will eat the black licorice because they think it looks manly? Me & my husband love the red stuff but that might be too girly for those manly men of hers.

[Kohola3]

Almonds with black licorice?  Kill me now.

[peacheslatour]

31 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Almonds with black licorice?  Kill me now.

It's not an unknown concept. Take biscotti for example. Anise and almond is a very common in Italian baking. That being said, black licorice is NOT anise.

[ariel]

29 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

It's not an unknown concept. Take biscotti for example. Anise and almond is a very common in Italian baking. That being said, black licorice is NOT anise.

The anise flavor is much more subtle than black licorice.  We know that, but Ree being a "celebrity chef" doesn't. 

[sabretooth]

Love the idea of the pizza rolls, but Ree's were just TOO MUCH. I'd eliminate the string cheese and the pesto and wouldn't use the oil on the dough. When she pulled the rolls out of the pan, they were falling apart and sitting in grease, making them look really unappetizing. Nothing wrong with just using the mozzarella, pepperoni, peppers and olives. Supreme pizzas work for a reason!

[tabloidlover]

That greasy mess was gross!

[grisgris]

Ree was on the right track when she was ready to roll up the pizza rolls and described the next steps with "this mess." FFS, WHY can't she just leave well enough alone.  The pesto, string cheese and grated Parmesan were just overkill. I guess it wasn't that awful of an idea, but for me, that configuration of dough would be just too much. (I realize that each roll probably was roughly the equivalent of one slice of pizza, but still they just seemed too doughy.)

That quesadilla was like a double layered bottom of a tostada.  There was nothing "taco" about it.

The most horrendous offering though, was the sauce for the Hawaiian burger. Mayo + teriyaki sauce + honey + cayenne = blecch!

I didn't have any thoughts on the almond bark because I generally don't like that artificially-flavored waxy stuff unless it's in very small doses.  I think it would be hard to find orange colored candies that wouldn't have flavors competing with the chocolate and other sweet elements.

[tabloidlover]

Agreed!  The "sauce" for the burger sounded and looked disgusting.  I also hate her obsession with extra large slices of peppers on her burgers.   And just because things match do not mean they will taste well together!  That bark was ridiculous.  Do her kids really eat that crap?  My son would take a pass on that hot mess.

[Aquarius]

It totally pissed me off that Ree tried to co-opt the traditions of the Osage Nation by wrapping ground beef and pepper jack cheese in a frozen dinner roll.

Like, seeing-red pissed off.

[grisgris]

I will say that at least Ree had the balls to call the event, "S**** B***" and not "big game" like all of the others. NFL be damned! LOL!