The Kitchen - General Discussion

[buttersister]

Quote

Jeff could be seen exchanging a kind of an eyeroll face at GZ or Katie. I wish they had edited that out. Viewers should not have seen that.

More like Jeff shouldn't have done that. Success is a fleeting thing, Mauro, as the end of your restaurants in Chicago must surely have taught you.

[Mondrianyone]

29 minutes ago, buttersister said:

the end of your restaurants in Chicago

Huh, I didn't know this.  What I do know is that Pork & Mindy's had to be one of the dumbest restaurant names I've ever heard.  A pun isn't funny unless it makes sense.  Half the people alive today are too young to remember Mork & Mindy.  And who's Mindy in this context?  Would've been funny if Jeff's wife were named Mindy, but she isn't.  Jeff tries too hard to be funny sometimes--somebody should've talked him out of this dopey name. 

(I realize this may not be a reason the place went under, but it's irked me since he very first announced it.  I read here occasionally, and I'm still happy I stopped watching this show.  I'll go away now.)

[buttersister]

Jeff Mauro "Sandwich King" out of the restaurant biz

His TV and book deals are nothing a chill pill couldn't improve. But tell it to Guy, who I take for his role model (former FNS winners who are still around).

[Brookside]

Apparently Sunny likes a salad where she gets a lardon.  Just one.

[Gam2]

I happened to accidentally tune in today when Katie, Geoffrey and Sunny were eating something that looked like tacos. Katie went on and on and on about how she could taste every single ingredient (like 7 or 8)which everyone would know if they’d watched the making of said taco. I remembered why I stopped watching this show. They ALWAYS have to remind the viewers what went into the dish when the viewers just watched it being made on television!

[StatisticalOutlier]

21 hours ago, Gam2 said:

I happened to accidentally tune in today when Katie, Geoffrey and Sunny were eating something that looked like tacos. Katie went on and on and on about how she could taste every single ingredient (like 7 or 8)which everyone would know if they’d watched the making of said taco. I remembered why I stopped watching this show. They ALWAYS have to remind the viewers what went into the dish when the viewers just watched it being made on television!

Maybe I'm just watching the wrong shows, but I've noticed that on pretty much every eating show I've seen.  But then I started thinking about it, and what else can you say, really?  "It's delicious" isn't enough.  So they start reciting all the ingredients, and I always respond (out loud because apparently I'm insane), "Yes, I know.  I just watched it being made."  That is, when I'm not fast enough on the FF button--I've learned to just skip ahead once the thing is finished because I know what's coming.

What bugs me about Katie is that with every recipe someone presents, she'll have at least one, "I love _____."  Like, "I love a taco bar."  "I love fennel." 

 

[Spunkygal]

1 hour ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Maybe I'm just watching the wrong shows, but I've noticed that on pretty much every eating show I've seen.  But then I started thinking about it, and what else can you say, really?  "It's delicious" isn't enough.  So they start reciting all the ingredients, and I always respond (out loud because apparently I'm insane), "Yes, I know.  I just watched it being made."  That is, when I'm not fast enough on the FF button--I've learned to just skip ahead once the thing is finished because I know what's coming.

What bugs me about Katie is that with every recipe someone presents, she'll have at least one, "I love _____."  Like, "I love a taco bar."  "I love fennel." 

 

At least Sunny no longer says “I’m having a [fill in the blank] moment” a hundred times. Now it’s “you know what I’m sayin” ad nauseum. Please, FN, reunite The Chew hosts. They already do various things for you! 

[Yeah No]

For the most part I've stopped watching this show.  The cast has gotten on my nerves and I'm not interested in most of the recipes anymore.  I didn't even know Alex G. has been on here and there.  I tend to DVR it and only watch the individual segments that interest me, which these days are few.  I don't think I'd feel any better about The Chew hosts, to be honest.  Michael Symon rivals Sunny for loud and annoying, and his laugh is like nails on a blackboard to me.  I used to love Carla Hall but she has also become almost as annoying as Sunny.  And I'm a die hard fan of the old "What not to Wear" so I could never warm up to Clinton Kelly in a food/entertainment role.

[Yeah No]

On 2/12/2020 at 12:51 AM, Mondrianyone said:

Huh, I didn't know this.  What I do know is that Pork & Mindy's had to be one of the dumbest restaurant names I've ever heard.  A pun isn't funny unless it makes sense.  Half the people alive today are too young to remember Mork & Mindy. 

Hah, I've thought the same thing.  I even think Jeff should be too young to remember Mork & Mindy.  It premiered the year he was born and ended when he was 4.

[Jaded]

According to the Mork & Mindy wiki page the show Nick at Nite reran the show from March 4, 1991 to November 27, 1995 which is when I first saw it. I'm guessing Jeff probably saw it during that time or before when it seems to have been rerun in smaller markets according to the same page. There's also the chance he never saw the show at all. 

[Yeah No]

4 hours ago, Jaded said:

According to the Mork & Mindy wiki page the show Nick at Nite reran the show from March 4, 1991 to November 27, 1995 which is when I first saw it. I'm guessing Jeff probably saw it during that time or before when it seems to have been rerun in smaller markets according to the same page. There's also the chance he never saw the show at all. 

Of course he could have seen it in reruns, I was making a joke.

[Jaded]

3 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Of course he could have seen it in reruns, I was making a joke.

Didn't mean to ruffle your feathers by mentioning when the show reran later on.

[RockShrimp]

I don't typically watch this show but it's a holiday and there's nothing on TV... some rerun about how to freeze and defrost stuff... the noise Zakarian just made when Sunny said you could freeze pasta is the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life. 

Edited February 17, 2020 by RockShrimp

[Brookside]

16 hours ago, Yeah No said:

  I used to love Carla Hall but she has also become almost as annoying as Sunny.  

Sorry, not possible.  About as impossible as having a voice as unbearable as Katie Lee's.

[StatisticalOutlier]

18 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I used to love Carla Hall but she has also become almost as annoying as Sunny. 

The first time I saw her on Top Chef, I thought she looked just like Sideshow Bob on The Simpsons, and have never been able to shake it.

I do do a really quick FF whenever Sunny's getting to the end of her introduction of a segment because I know she's going to scream.  Fortunately, she pauses right before it, so I know when to do it.

But I put up with it because I'll always love her play-by-play during the tool takedowns.  She really missed her calling.

[Yeah No]

4 hours ago, Brookside said:

Sorry, not possible.  About as impossible as having a voice as unbearable as Katie Lee's.

LOL, that's why I said "almost". 😉  No one is as annoying and loud as Sunny.

2 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

The first time I saw her on Top Chef, I thought she looked just like Sideshow Bob on The Simpsons, and have never been able to shake it.

I would be lying if I said that thought never crossed my mind!!!

[chessiegal]

I have 2 friends, one of whom is in the food biz, who attended a charity event where Carla was volunteering her services. They both fell in love with her, saying how gracious she was and her food was amazing. Even though she's not originally from the DC area, I consider her to be homegrown. She graduated from a culinary school in MD that also offers classes for home cooks. My husband and I have taken several of their classes. So I feel like I have several degrees of connection to Carla.

[Yeah No]

4 hours ago, chessiegal said:

I have 2 friends, one of whom is in the food biz, who attended a charity event where Carla was volunteering her services. They both fell in love with her, saying how gracious she was and her food was amazing. Even though she's not originally from the DC area, I consider her to be homegrown. She graduated from a culinary school in MD that also offers classes for home cooks. My husband and I have taken several of their classes. So I feel like I have several degrees of connection to Carla.

Carla is beyond a doubt a lovely person and I admire her.  But TV, especially FN has a habit of taking even the most wonderful individuals and turning them into loud, abrasive, obnoxious "carnival barkers" and I'm just about on overload with that.

[MerBearHou]

52 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

Carla is beyond a doubt a lovely person and I admire her.  But TV, especially FN has a habit of taking even the most wonderful individuals and turning them into loud, abrasive, obnoxious "carnival barkers" and I'm just about on overload with that.

It’s so nice to hear the above about meeting Carla in person.  She does seem so very warm and genuine.  But Yeah No, I am with you on the loudness level nowadays.  It drives me NUTS that some of the folks on TV have decided to — or been told to — dial up their voices to an 11.  It literally makes me turn down or mute my TV as quickly as possible until they calm down.  Sunny is the worst but Jenna Bush Hager’s voice does it to me too.  

[buttersister]

Carla: recall Tom flipping out on Top Chef whenever she said she cooked with love. Just looked at her with total disdain. Cut to years later when that’s become a thing and he’s all over praising cheftestants (tm twop) who share their soul, y’know, clearly put love into their food. 

That said, I’d trade the two of them for Geoffrey and Katie in a heartbeat. Might even start watching this shitshow again. Her voice makes my ears bleed and I wish someone would tell him there’s no such thing as an iron chef (other than in the marketing dept. of two nations.

Edited February 18, 2020 by buttersister

[outtahere]

Geoffrey is on QVC most every Sunday hawking everything he can come up with that is kitchen related.  Maybe he will leave The Kitchen.

Sunny is just too obnoxious.  I think the show is running out of gas.  Don't watch anymore.

Agree with the Iron Chef thing, that is long over and done with.  

[chessiegal]

Just looked at FN's ratings. The Kitchen has the highest ratings of any of their shows for 6 weeks now.

[Jaded]

Just now, outtahere said:

Geoffrey is on QVC most every Sunday hawking everything he can come up with that is kitchen related.  Maybe he will leave The Kitchen.

Sunny is just too obnoxious.  I think the show is running out of gas.  Don't watch anymore.

Agree with the Iron Chef thing, that is long over and done with.  

I quit watching the show in the later part of 2018 due in part to the stupid moments where Geoffrey acted like he was too wealthy to have ever tried regular everyday people food or done things non wealthy people do themselves daily. I find it hilarious that he's on the Q all the time hawking so much crap with his name on it to the people he tried so long to act like he couldn't relate to on The Kitchen. 

Sunny reminds me of some of the home shopping hosts who come across like they start thinking their popularity is going down so they start to be as loud and obnoxious as possible. Karla kinda got that way at times too on The Chew. The women and men who act like that on the shopping channels are all white so it spans across the board in terms of race and sex. I like Sunny and Carla when they aren't "on" as much in regards to their TV behavior. 

Katie and Jeff would get on my nerves at times too. I was annoyed more by Katie when I started watching but after reading about her and seeing her on some other shows she didn't bother me as much as she does others. Jeff was kinda like a goofy guy who was there and contributed but doesn't really stand out.

I can only imagine how worse they've all probably gotten personality wise in almost a year and a half since personalities on these shows aren't usually known for evening out the longer they are on.

[outtahere]

Maybe they are so highly rated because there isn't much else on in their time frame.  Seems like some people just have to watch TV no matter how bad the content.

[Spunkygal]

7 hours ago, outtahere said:

Maybe they are so highly rated because there isn't much else on in their time frame.  Seems like some people just have to watch TV no matter how bad the content.

100% this. I know I watch only because I’m at the gym at 10 am on Saturdays stuck on the treadmill or stair master without WiFi. The TV monitors on the machines have the absolute crappiest channel selection. But hey, the gym is only $10/month. However, many times I watch this show with closed captioning and muted because I cannot take Sunny’s screaming and “you know what I’m sayin’ “ and KL’s dead fish voice. 

[Deskisamess]

I turned on the show a few weeks ago, and 5 minutes of Sunny was too much for me. She is loud, they seem to love keeping her mic live when she eats, and I can't take it anymore. She ruins the show...that's it for me.

[MerBearHou]

If you've ever seen how viciously Sunny goes after any negative comments, even quite small, against her on Instagram, I can only imagine that Food Network couldn't get through to her to make any changes.  It's like it revs her up.

[Deskisamess]

1 minute ago, MerBearHou said:

If you've ever seen how viciously Sunny goes after any negative comments, even quite small, against her on Instagram, I can only imagine that Food Network couldn't get through to her to make any changes.  It's like it revs her up.

So, Social Media is how she interacts with fans or non-fans? That explains a lot. She subscribes to the theory that any attention is good, good or bad. Some day her attitude will come back to haunt her. She will eventually say or do something that that Social Media will take her down for. It's just a matter of time. With cooking shows being what they are, someone will come along to replace her. With any luck. Nancy Drunk Fullofherself and Michael Symon will go with her.

[Yeah No]

On 2/18/2020 at 12:56 PM, outtahere said:

Maybe they are so highly rated because there isn't much else on in their time frame.  Seems like some people just have to watch TV no matter how bad the content.

I don't agree.  FN tried to introduce "The Kitchen Sink" in a similar time slot and it bombed horribly because the cast and content was so bad.  I think it's more than the time slot that's responsible.  The content and the cast have something to do with it too.

[Yeah No]

20 hours ago, Deskisamess said:

So, Social Media is how she interacts with fans or non-fans? That explains a lot. She subscribes to the theory that any attention is good, good or bad. Some day her attitude will come back to haunt her. She will eventually say or do something that that Social Media will take her down for. It's just a matter of time. With cooking shows being what they are, someone will come along to replace her. With any luck. Nancy Drunk Fullofherself and Michael Symon will go with her.

Sunny thinks her sassiness is part of her appeal but you're right, one day she'll go too far and realize she's not as indispensable as she thinks she is.

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 2/18/2020 at 9:01 AM, chessiegal said:

Just looked at FN's ratings. The Kitchen has the highest ratings of any of their shows for 6 weeks now.

That figures.  I always liked the way the cast got along--mainly the banter.  They were entertaining, and I think it got better after Marcela left.  I even warmed to GZ.  Then maybe six months or so ago, the sheen started wearing off, and now it's approaching dud territory.

Right about the time it has the highest ratings of any of their shows.  I don't get it.

It's like towns that get discovered, but if you were there long before, you know that what everybody's experiencing isn't anything like it was in the glory days, and what's they've got is actually kind of sucky, but they don't know any better.

 

21 hours ago, Deskisamess said:

So, Social Media is how she interacts with fans or non-fans? That explains a lot.

Isn't social media how everybody in the public sphere interacts with fans or non-fans? 

[bichonblitz]

On 2/18/2020 at 11:03 AM, Jaded said:

I find it hilarious that he's on the Q all the time hawking so much crap with his name on it to the people he tried so long to act like he couldn't relate to on The Kitchen. 

Saw GZ on the Q the other day and it indeed was hilarious. He was selling some gadget that chops your veggies. The manual kind that replaces a food processor. It was a piece of plastic junk, he didn't even know how to use it. The show host had to take over. Pitiful. 

[buttersister]

There are multiple clues for recognizing a famewhore. Their lack of embarrassment when they are humiliating themselves is right up there. We see you, Geoffrey. 

 

 

[chessiegal]

The Kitchen was FN's top rated show last week, so that means it's been on top for the last 7 weeks.

Full disclosure - I don't watch it. The little I've seen did not appeal to me.

[buttersister]

I tuned in for a sec today to see Geoffrey oozing over something Sunny was doing. Click. Back later in time to watch Jeff stumble badly through a set-up for something. Lay off the mimosas in the a.m., dude. Click.

[bichonblitz]

23 hours ago, chessiegal said:

The Kitchen was FN's top rated show last week, so that means it's been on top for the last 7 weeks.

That only proves how awful the other shows are. 

[Koalagirl]

Good news for Katie Lee!

https://people.com/parents/katie-lee-pregnant-expecting-first-child-after-infertility/

[HighMaintenance]

I tune into The Kitchen once in awhile just to see if they can inspire me to make something interesting for dinner.  The show just seems to be so stilted and awkward to me.  From the canned "audience" that seems to applaud at the weirdest things, to GZ's "I'm just too good for these people" attitude, to Sunny's lack of indoor voice(and questionable wig and makeup choices), it makes watching for longer than 20 minutes... uncomfortable.

I'm confused by the high ratings for the show.  As was said above, perhaps it's because there's not much else on during their timeslot?

 

[Leilani]

3 hours ago, HighMaintenance said:

 

I'm confused by the high ratings for the show.  As was said above, perhaps it's because there's not much else on during their timeslot?

 

I find it comforting to watch for some reason  and that's why when Katie or one of them is missing, the whole show feels off.

It's also one of the few shows on FN that's isn't a competition/challenge show.

 

Edited February 27, 2020 by Leilani

[chessiegal]

Following The Kitchen in ratings is Pioneer Woman, usually coming in at number 2. Valerie B. and Trisha Yearwood are other cooking shows with decent ratings, Guy Fieri has his ranch cooking show, and Ina Garten, Molly of Girl Meets Farm, and Giada DeLaurentis are also doing new cooking shows.

[chessiegal]

And now it's on top for 8 straight weeks.

Quote

FOOD NETWORK RATINGS FOR ORIGINAL PROGRAMS (February 17-23, 2020)
Source: Showbuzzdaily

(Rank/Show/Timeslot/# of Viewers/Demo rating 18-49 in parenthesis)

1---THE KITCHEN (Season Premiere)---Sat 11:00AM---1,269,000 (0.22)
2---GIRL MEETS FARM---Sun 11:00AM---1,093,000 (0.22)
3---PIONEER WOMAN---Sat 10:00AM---1,090,000 (0.17)

 

[Coffeewinewater]

On 2/27/2020 at 4:47 AM, Leilani said:

I find it comforting to watch for some reason  and that's why when Katie or one of them is missing, the whole show feels off.

It's also one of the few shows on FN that's isn't a competition/challenge show.

 

I find it comforting too. I'm not sure why but I really like the show, I never "loved" it the past but in the last couple years I look forward to seeing a new episode on Saturday morning. I've cut out a few shows that stress me out , the kitchen is one that  I relax and enjoy with coffee even if I never make any recipes. 🤷🏽‍♀️

I also agree that when one host is gone the show seems off. Last week Jeff and Geoffrey were making something in a segment and it was only them no Katie or Sunny. Seemed odd. As much as Sunny's screaming can be too much, I missed the background chatter 😄.

[snowydaze]

Looks like nasal voice Katie Lee is pregnant . Of course she has to show us her naked bloated belly on Instagram! Why do women now have to show us their bellies without clothing or show us in their undies to announce miscarriages like. Hillaria  Baldwin did ? 

[Brookside]

From an old episode that's airing today locally.

Zacharian:  "There's no fuss about this"

Sunny:  "You say there's no fuss but there's something about your hands and the connectivity between your hands and your brain that make everything look really good."

And all about a piece of overcooked salmon and ancient broccoli. 

[bichonblitz]

Jeff's fajita's looked fantastic. Nice job with the crab rangoon, too. Everybody else, meh. 

[Koalagirl]

On 2/29/2020 at 3:38 PM, snowydaze said:

Looks like nasal voice Katie Lee is pregnant . Of course she has to show us her naked bloated belly on Instagram! Why do women now have to show us their bellies without clothing or show us in their undies to announce miscarriages like. Hillaria  Baldwin did ? 

I posted the People article a few comments above.  Sorry you have an aversion to seeing pregnant bellies.  She’s had fertility issues and has probably gone through hell trying to achieve that “naked bloated belly” and now feels blessed to show it off.  

[cameron]

Just got done watching today's new episode with Alex Guarnaschelli on.  She showed pictures of her daughter.  You would think that as a professional chef she would help her daughter eat healthy.  Very overweight for her age already.  Such a shame.  Must be taking after her mother's genes.

[Irlandesa]

That was weird that GZ only made three cocktails.  I thought at first it was a way to hide that Katie Lee was pregnant because they weren't sure she was ready to announce it when this was filmed (I saw the second half before I saw the beginning of the ep.)  So by leaving three out, it wouldn't be obvious when they left her out.

But then I watched the beginning of the ep and she announced her pregnancy so that wasn't the reason.  So bizarre.

[bichonblitz]

Well, that was an underwhelming congrats to Katie on her pregnancy. I don't know what I expected. Maybe a little more than what they did especially considering Katies struggles to conceive. Where was all of Sunny's yelling, screaming and jumping around? It was like hey, congrats, now let's get on with the show. They gave Marcella a lot more fanfare. Twice. 

[Irlandesa]

12 minutes ago, bichonblitz said:

Maybe a little more than what they did especially considering Katies struggles to conceive.

But this might actually be why she asked for it to be low key. She could be nervous about the pregnancy or wants to be respectful that this news might cause others struggling to conceive, who it sounds like she has been interacting with on social media, mixed feelings.