Comeback Kitchen

[RCharter]

And let me just note how very, very, very incredibly irritated I get whenever I hear "well, my food is really bad, but hopefully I can cover it up with a good presentation."

I realize that part of this show is about finding a good host, but if you can't make decent food what the hell is the point?  You should just try out for a regular talk show.  I truly hate when a contestant says that, they should be so upset that they created shitty food....not hoping that they can sell their shitty food with a big smile and a story about grandma.

You know how mad I would be if I watched the Food Network for recipes, and got all fired up because of a great presentation and then found out the dish actually tasted like shit?

[Totale]

4 hours ago, RCharter said:

You know how mad I would be if I watched the Food Network for recipes, and got all fired up because of a great presentation and then found out the dish actually tasted like shit?

You don't really need to worry that much.  I'm sure there have been clinkers over the tears, but on the actual shows (the few times they still make recipes on those shows and don't do so hanging from a helicopter or something) those recipes come from the Test Kitchens, are written by professionals and and are all vetted. The winner among these losers will mostly get to make recipes the way the weather girl makes it rain.

[Wings]

4 minutes ago, Totale said:

The winner among these losers will mostly get to make recipes the way the weather girl makes it rain.

Ha ha ha ha!  Love this.  And oh so true. 

[ladytenor]

Quote

 

Realistically, having a POV or some specific type of cooking style is irrelevant with this network. 

The reality of it is that whoever ends up winning the series has a future as a judge on GGG or whatever future competitions they dream up. How many of the previous winners, with the exception of the ever present Fee-etty have had more than a couple of episodes of whatever show they were promised, and ended up on the celebrity judge circuit.

 

Damaris is still doing her show. She posted just a day or so ago asking for old style Southern Dessert recipes. 

I was a little disappointed last season that the finalists basically were doing their version of DDD,  Why go thru a cooking competition if your show is not going to be about you cooking, but visiting restaurants and reviewing them. FN seems to be leaning that way...I think since they have the Cooking Channel they are putting a lot of their cooking shows there and turning Food Network into "Let's visit this restaurant and see what they are serving" or competition shows. Reminds me of MTV, they started out as a music channel and 24 hour music videos, then they turned into reality TV shows.

[cooksdelight]

Damaris' show was cancelled. She announced that on Facebook a month or so ago. I think she may be contemplating a cookbook.

[Wings]

20 minutes ago, ladytenor said:

Damaris is still doing her show. She posted just a day or so ago asking for old style Southern Dessert recipes. 

I was a little disappointed last season that the finalists basically were doing their version of DDD,  Why go thru a cooking competition if your show is not going to be about you cooking, but visiting restaurants and reviewing them. FN seems to be leaning that way...I think since they have the Cooking Channel they are putting a lot of their cooking shows there and turning Food Network into "Let's visit this restaurant and see what they are serving" or competition shows. Reminds me of MTV, they started out as a music channel and 24 hour music videos, then they turned into reality TV shows.

That type of show probably has higher ratings.  I never watch someone cook a dish, I find them boring.  I also avoid Guy Fieri at all costs!    

[cooksdelight]

If you're a glutton for punishment, Penny's season is airing now on Cooking Channel. 

[spiderpig]

2 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

If you're a glutton for punishment, Penny's season is airing now on Cooking Channel. 

As Jack Nicholson said in Terms of Endearment:

"I'd rather stick needles in my eyes."

[Skyfall]

On May 19, 2016 at 6:30 PM, MajorWoody said:

Realistically, having a POV or some specific type of cooking style is irrelevant with this network. 

The reality of it is that whoever ends up winning the series has a future as a judge on GGG or whatever future competitions they dream up. How many of the previous winners, with the exception of the ever present Fee-etty have had more than a couple of episodes of whatever show they were promised, and ended up on the celebrity judge circuit.

Jeff doesn't judge on The Kitchen.

8 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

If you're a glutton for punishment, Penny's season is airing now on Cooking Channel. 

That's also Jeff's season and he's one of the good winners. Watching this season makes me miss the old format and how they showed the contestants living together. Sadly it doesn't have Alton though.

10 hours ago, ladytenor said:

Damaris is still doing her show. She posted just a day or so ago asking for old style Southern Dessert recipes. 

I was a little disappointed last season that the finalists basically were doing their version of DDD,  Why go thru a cooking competition if your show is not going to be about you cooking, but visiting restaurants and reviewing them. FN seems to be leaning that way...I think since they have the Cooking Channel they are putting a lot of their cooking shows there and turning Food Network into "Let's visit this restaurant and see what they are serving" or competition shows. Reminds me of MTV, they started out as a music channel and 24 hour music videos, then they turned into reality TV shows.

Damaris ended her show to likely spend time with her new husband.

[Snarklepuss]

I was under the impression that Damaris ended her show herself, not that it was cancelled.  Does anyone know for sure?  I have to admit this has been bothering me because I like her and her show.

[cooksdelight]

I found an article on Food Network Gossip's site, but you have to fill out a stupid survey just to read anything there. I saved you the trouble. :)

Quote

It appears that Southern At Heart with Food Network Star season 9 winner Damaris Phillips will be coming to an end after a final new episode on Sunday, February 28th.  Despite winning Food Network Star in 2013, Damaris was already on her fifth season of Southern at Heart.

Damaris Phillips posted the following messageon her Facebook page today:

 

"Please tune in tomorrow at noon for the very last episode of Southern at Heart. As they often are, this ending is bitter sweet, but I am taking from the experience wonderful memories, life long friendships and an incredible group of fans who have supported me every step of the way. Thank you all for your words of encouragement, kindness, and humor as I sometimes fumble. I look forward to sharing my new projects and will keep you as updated as my inept social media self can manage."

It isn't clear if it was Food Network's decision to end the show or if it was Damaris' decision.  The show has already had five seasons and the ratings for the show were just as good or better than other shows on Sunday such as Brunch @ Bobby's and Giada Entertains (Recent ratings - 1-3, 1-17, 1-31), so I don't think Food Network would decide to cancel it.

Perhaps her contract from Food Network Star ended and Damaris decided to move on or she is moving in another direction after her recent marriage.  I will try to find out the reason why Southern at Heart is ending and let you know if Damaris has future plans with Food Network.

[Wings]

I caught the last few episodes of Jeff and Penny's season.  I was bummed to see it started with the episode after Penny was booted.  Damn.  I wanted to see her in action again.  She fascinates me.  I had forgotten how good Jeff was.  I have never seen his show but caught him on The Kitchen (horrible show) once.  Sunny Anderson and Kathy Lee are too much for me to stomach.  

[Viqutorious]

This show has morphed into Top Chef wannabe.  None of them have enough talent to carry their own show. If they did have talent, Giada and Bobby will ruin them with the Food Network school of adjectives.

i wish they would just play Mad-Libs when they presented their food.

Edited May 23, 2016 by CheeseBurgh

[cooksdelight]

These 8 minute demos are painful to watch....

[howmanywords]

Jeff's show that he got as a result of FNS actually lasted a while compared to some of the others.  I believe it lasted 5 seasons, then Jeff got another short lived show $24 in 24, a couple of 1 hour specials and then he got the gig on The Kitchen. He's definitely been put to good use.

[LexieLily]

Aw, I liked Michelle :(

[cooksdelight]

I liked her also, but she totally bombed both times. I am hoping it's Martita.

[autumnh]

I just could not do Penny.

 

Also, When did Valerie Bertnelli because a cooking expert? she is everywhere....ugh.

Edited May 23, 2016 by autumnh

[Percysowner]

Yay, it was Marita for the win. I'm glad because I was not up for another round of "make Dom happen". I would have preferred Michelle, but at least it's not Dom.

[BW Manilowe]

2 hours ago, howmanywords said:

Jeff's show that he got as a result of FNS actually lasted a while compared to some of the others.  I believe it lasted 5 seasons, then Jeff got another short lived show $24 in 24, a couple of 1 hour specials and then he got the gig on The Kitchen. He's definitely been put to good use.

I'm not sure if he's a regular host or not, but Jeff & Marcela Valladolid were hosting an offshoot series (in the vein of Chopped Junior, but not a kids' show) of The Kitchen, called The Kitchen Sink, which I saw this afternoon on FN. So he also has that show, at least periodically if each of The Kitchen's hosts takes turns hosting it.

The premise seems to be the hosts debate the merits of Food A vs. Food B (today it was pie vs. cake, with each "taking a side" in the "debate") & make examples of their preferred food to prove their point. I forget which food won. I also don't know if Jeff & Marcela are the regular hosts or if they use Katie Lee, Sunny Anderson, & Geoffrey Zakarian as hosts too. The other thing I don't know is how long it's been on. Today was the first I'd seen it though it was plugged on yesterday's ep of The Kitchen.

[backformore]

Please tell me we have seen the last of Matthew.  He does not ever need to be on TV again.

[Snarklepuss]

Bummed it wasn't Michele but OK with Martita.  I can't believe Dom went down to the wire yet AGAIN.  They were gushing over him, meanwhile what we saw of his performance wasn't that great.

[Snarklepuss]

Sorry, wrong thread.

Edited May 23, 2016 by Snarklepuss

[mlp]

Martita definitely did better than Dom in the end and was more deserving of the win.  She's outgoing and beautiful.  I wish I liked her.  I didn't care for her the first time around and I can't quite put my finger on why.  There's something about her that rings a bit self-involved and calculated.

Poor Michele.  She's a good cook and a nice person but she just isn't good at performing.  She comes across great on shows like Food Fighters when she can be herself and wing it but FNS is not for her.

I hate to say it but Matthew was right when he wanted them to organize their presentation.  Nevertheless, I hope I never see him again.

[xaxat]

My favorite moment? When the kitchen ninjas came out. 

Everything else? Not too impressed.

[biakbiak]

Given the awfulness of the other aspects of his dish it shouldn't bother me so much but I was irrationally annoyed that Chris served his mimosa in a martini glass.

[spiderpig]

No-o-o-o-o-o-o!  Not Mardrdrdrteetah. She of the aren't-I-cute shoulder wag. I hate it when women do that (looking at you, Damaris, and Megan Draper of Mad Men).

[J-Man]

Martita chose not to mention it in her final "Please choose me" speech to the judges, but she made a good point in her Talking Heads comments: Dom already was allowed to do a pilot and they didn't choose him, so why not give someone else a chance? 

[cooksdelight]

Because someone at FN will not let Dom die. We'd like to, and they never listen to the viewers.

Also, Dom's final plea made no sense. "When I first came here, I was working on a food truck in NY.... now look at me!" or something like that. Kid, you're still working on a food truck because that's all you got to do. No one wants to put you on TV so go sell your mac & cheese.

Edited May 23, 2016 by cooksdelight

[cattykit]

All I can say from watching Comeback Kitchen is that in each case, there's a very good reason none of these people won the first time around.

I liked Michelle but come on, eight hundred versions of a lobster roll.  I'm originally from New England and I loathe seafood.  There are other things on the menu.

If I were designing Comeback Kitchen, I wouldn't have ended it this way.  I would have just continued it with the three or four people left, and funneled the losers from each week of the mothership through it, with someone finally emerging toward the end to go back to the mothership.  In fact, until I saw the actual version, I thought that's what they were going to do.  FN could have milked two shows for the price of one.

Edited May 23, 2016 by cattykit

[howmanywords]

5 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

Because someone at FN will not let Dom die. We'd like to, and they never listen to the viewers.

Also, Dom's final plea made no sense. "When I first came here, I was working on a food truck in NY.... now look at me!" or something like that. Kid, you're still working on a food truck because that's all you got to do. No one wants to put you on TV so go sell your mac & cheese.

I never thought Dom made much sense heh.

I'll add Penny, too. I never, ever want to see her again..I have felt that way since her season ended but they keep bringing her back.  I've lost track of how many times she's popped up on FN. Her, Dom and Matthew please go far away!

[bluepiano]

15 hours ago, backformore said:

Please tell me we have seen the last of Matthew.  He does not ever need to be on TV again.

I feel like Matthew redeemed himself slightly compared to how unbearable he was in his initial season. For me, Penny is the one that I most never want to see again, followed closely by Dom.

I have never gotten the apparent infatuation with Dom that the FN brass has. Considering that in his season he was eliminated and then won the chance to come back for the finale, this was actually his third shot. He's still awful on camera about half the time, yet the judges continue to make excuses for him. He chokes while eating during a live presentation yet still makes the final two? What the heck.

I feel like Marteeeta won not because she was that good, but because she was a little less bad than everyone else. If they ever do Comeback Kitchen again they need to do a better job of picking the contestants.

[cooksdelight]

I still can't believe Dom got as far as he has on FN after walking out of a presentation. That's usually killer for anyone else.

[jumper sage]

On 5/20/2016 at 3:01 AM, RCharter said:

You know how mad I would be if I watched the Food Network for recipes, and got all fired up because of a great presentation and then found out the dish actually tasted like shit?

I get it!  I have never made a dish from Rachel Ray that ever tasted good.  There is always something off.  I am a pretty good home cook.

[RCharter]

52 minutes ago, jumper sage said:

I get it!  I have never made a dish from Rachel Ray that ever tasted good.  There is always something off.  I am a pretty good home cook.

just reading your post makes me so mad!  there shouldn't be the ability to save shitty food with a good performance, if you're on a cooking show, the food should be paramount.

But then again, isn't Rachel Ray now making dog food?  So perhaps the stars do align :)

[RCharter]

3 hours ago, bluepiano said:

I feel like Marteeeta won not because she was that good, but because she was a little less bad than everyone else. If they ever do Comeback Kitchen again they need to do a better job of picking the contestants.

But thats just the nature of this show.....you remember in Cinderella where there were the two ugly stepsisters, but one of them was markedly uglier than the other.  Like one of them sort of looked like Olive Oyl, and she was a little plain in the face, but the other step sister was ugly a disaster.....she had hair sprouting warts on her nose and chin, she was like 500 pounds, she wore too much rouge and she had a giant forehead.

Food Network Star is the slightly ugly stepsister.  Top Chef is Cinderella.  Hells Kitchen is the stepsister with the warts.

[Skyfall]

Unpopular Opinion: I think they should've sent both back. Dom was starting to show real progress finally.

[grisgris]

So who won? My DVR cut off right at the very end. I hope it was Martita.

[biakbiak]

35 minutes ago, grisgris said:

So who won? My DVR cut off right at the very end. I hope it was Martita.

It was Martita though don't blame your DVR they waited to announce the winner until they were several minutes into the first episode of FNS.

[grisgris]

Oh, OK.Thanks for the scoop. I'm still waiting to watch FNS from last night. I thought it was some crazy spoiler where the winner wouldn't be revealed in to we were well into the new FNS season.  I'm so glad Martita won.

Dom has had numerous chances to get somewhere. I think he was only capable of hitting a certain plateau and that was it. I always thought he was just meh, nothing special in either the personality or looks departments.

I never did understand the appeal of Michelle. I thought she was a disorganized mess on camera. Why would FN want to focus a show on preparing food that most of the nation isn't privvy to on a regular basis? I thought her appearance was off-putting as well.

Matthew has a very long way to go. He's still very immature and arrogant. However, I have to agree with him that a tiny bit of organization would have helped their ensemble presentation tremendously.

Gosh, I hope Martita isn't in Giada's orbit much this time around. Otherwise, it'll be back to "hot mamacita."

[Snarklepuss]

On 5/23/2016 at 6:48 AM, cooksdelight said:

Because someone at FN will not let Dom die. We'd like to, and they never listen to the viewers.

Also, Dom's final plea made no sense. "When I first came here, I was working on a food truck in NY.... now look at me!" or something like that. Kid, you're still working on a food truck because that's all you got to do. No one wants to put you on TV so go sell your mac & cheese.

LOL, that's so true!  I've come around to thinking that Dom was never a serious contender, but was probably hired to be reality competition fodder.  Because they've actually gone out of their way to ruin any chances he ever had of being a FN star of any kind by repeatedly reeling him back into these things and then dropping him.  They had to have known all along what their intentions were with him. I just don't buy that they were really sincere about giving him second and third chances.  And I don't even get the feeling he was that invested in winning this time either.  It felt to me like he was just humoring them and doing it for the money because he knew they weren't serious.  Now we'll probably see him make the rounds of "Triple G", "Cutthroat Kitchen" and "Chopped".  He and Marcel Vigneron, perfect together, LOL.  :-P

[cooksdelight]

Hey, Marcel has his own restaurant now, the kid's doing OK.

[Snarklepuss]

I actually like Marcel, he's come a long way.

[Snarklepuss]

On 5/23/2016 at 5:01 PM, jumper sage said:

I get it!  I have never made a dish from Rachel Ray that ever tasted good.  There is always something off.  I am a pretty good home cook.

I found that was more true of her later recipes than her earlier ones.  As time went on she added more ingredients (and stranger ones) to everything.

[jumper sage]

3 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

I found that was more true of her later recipes than her earlier ones.  As time went on she added more ingredients (and stranger ones) to everything.

I found this to be true of others like the Pioneer Woman.  She started her blog as a homeschool blog, which was excellent by the way, and her recipes were an add on.  Good food.  Now I hardly recognize her recipes and have no inclination to even try them.

[Snarklepuss]

On 5/25/2016 at 10:22 AM, jumper sage said:

I found this to be true of others like the Pioneer Woman.  She started her blog as a homeschool blog, which was excellent by the way, and her recipes were an add on.  Good food.  Now I hardly recognize her recipes and have no inclination to even try them.

A few years ago RR was accused of using a "ghost writer" for her recipes.  In fact, he was even identified as a regular on her talk show.  She reacted very defensively by putting out a cookbook and making a point to advertise it as her own personal work.  I don't doubt she protested a little too much.

Edited May 26, 2016 by Snarklepuss
Had to delete double post

[leighdear]

Rhee has a list of her favorite recipes and I've tried several of them and they were all very good. The olive cheese bread (#36) alone is worth going through this list.  Plus I always use her enchilada recipe, berry cobbler and her aunts salad dressing recipes.  

http://www.foodnetwork.com/chefs/ree-drummond/ree-drummonds-top-recipes.page-15.html?c1=TB_DGTL_desktop-reedrummond&c2=Taboola&c3=FN_msn-msn&c4=The+Pioneer+Woman%27s+Top+Recipes#

I'm also a Marcel fan and hope he continues to do well.  Matthew however, is an absolute lost cause for me, as is Dom.There is no way I will ever voluntarily watch them ever again. 

Edited May 25, 2016 by leighdear

[MajorWoody]

Finally got caught up and watched the underwhelming finale.

Flay said something to Giadas dream date Dom along the lines of "this is the best we have seen you" after he spent the first minute choking on a crouton and chugging lemonade with his back to the camera and crowd. How in the hell did this buffoon ever get invited back, let alone make it to the final two? On his best days he is dull and a generic Italian cook, on most days he is a disaster in front of the camera or crowds. 

I wanted Michelle to do better, but as others have posted, how many times can you cook a lobster roll over the course of a season? Then to make the major error of leaving a minute on the board indicates she just wasn't prepared for the big time.

Matthew is and apparently always will be an egotistical, loudmouth, douchenozzle who thinks he is perfection personified and everyone else is either an idiot or beneath him. Who exactly in the FN chain of command actually thinks people would waste their time tuning in to a show with that asshat as the host? Good riddance.

 

MarTEETa and her phony on and off accent was the best of a mediocre to poor group. Once again, she doesn't seem like a jerk or a bad person, just inauthentic based on what I have seen.

I hope next time they go with this gimmick they at least bring back some quality contestants. But I doubt it.

On a closing note, in case I didn't make it clear: Matthew is an annoying pain in the ass jerk who has no business on this network. He is the kind of guy who gets stopped for a traffic violation, and wonders why the cop ends up giving him a handful of tickets. At least Penny toned it down a bit this year. Matthew ramped up the obnoxiousness.

Edited May 31, 2016 by MajorWoody
Spelling

[cooksdelight]

I'm beginning to think they bought back the bottom of the bucket in order to preserve some of the previous favorites for an all-star season. At least, I hope so. Otherwise....

[Skyfall]

Are we using this for all seasons? If so premeire episode this season is poping up on demand. Since it's not aired officially yet I'll use spoiler tag.

 

I'm with Joy, Danuska is cracking me up in the her attempt at trying to be warm and smile. If Matthew stays this calm and sticks to this southwestern POV I'll actually be rooting for him. Not only do we not have that cuisine on the air currently, but he's also younger and more knowledgeable in social media. So maybe air a (pretaped) weekly S&S through the FB live platform while doing The Kitchen as the social media guy connecting with the audience and reading tweets and such to the main cast for a segment each episode. For the prime time show they'll undoubtably would try to force on him, just steal Food Porn's (THANK GOD SEASON TWO IS STARTING!) concept under a different name and have him travel to the trendy places that people are raving about on social media. You know what just have me run Food/Cooking, I'll turn that sh*tshow around in no time ?

Edited May 14, 2017 by Skyfall