S12.E01: Cinematic Debut

[Gregg247]

I liked Martita during "Comeback Kitchen".  She did well in all the challenges, and was competent on-camera.  Then, she shows up on this show and Giada immediately starts with, "Mar-TEEEET-AH!", and I suddenly realized what I didn't like about Martita last season.  It's not her, it's Giada and her need to make her "Latina Martita" (or would that be "Lartita"?  "Latita"? "La-TEEEET-AH"?  whatever)  It's all artificial, and probably does Martita no favors for winning this show.  

I think I'm going to root for her, despite the way the show is trying to make me hate her.

As for the others, I didn't like Tregayne or Healthy lady right away, because their schticks are both tired on these shows.  The "meat" guy was entertaining in a Jeff "The Sandwich King" way.  The guy who got sent home seemed like a normal person who thought, "hey, I'll bet I could do this show", gets on, and realizes he'd made a BIG, BIG mistake.  His ouster was a true "mercy kill".

[Wings]

I don't care that these are retreads.  I just want to be entertained.  I can put Martita in the final three right now. When 2 of the judges want to do her, how can it be otherwise?  :^)

I don't like the 'lunch lady.'  I think production, after reviewing his job history, gave him that job title. They are unaware of google perhaps?

Sassy black chick can go soon along with Melissa.

I like Monterey. I think she has the potential to do well.  The boys liked her, too.  ;^)

Edited May 23, 2016 by wings707

[Nutjob]

TAR is totally why I remember Aaron--he and his GF "babied" and argued their way through their entire time on the race (I remember her being fairly unpleasant), and IIRC correctly, most people wanted to punch them for it.

[LennieBriscoe]

Who knew "Reality TV Competitor" is a viable career goal? I guess we need to see The Usual Suspects because there just aren't enough new wannabes waiting in the wings. *sarcasm*

Edited May 23, 2016 by LennieBriscoe

[BW Manilowe]

12 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

I wonder if we'll see any of Medusa this season now that her sidekick Tushie is gone.  It's not going to be the same without the two of them.  I'm not sure yet how much I love the addition of Tyler and Valerie.  I'm kind of on the fence about that so far.  I'm wondering if they're going to be around all season or was it just as a segue between "Comeback Kitchen" and this?

Yes, and did you notice how in her second TV spot she didn't even seem like the same person?  Which just goes to show that the comment that woman made about her first spot being a "shtick" was right.

Considering Tuschman left FN only fairly recently, & we don't know when this cycle of the show was produced in relation to that happening, maybe he'll still be on this season. I could be wrong, but I got the impression Tyler & Valerie were just guest judges last night because of Martita's addition to the contenders after winning Comeback Kitchen. The person I didn't like was the girl who wasn't happy about actually starting the competition immediately.

[Wings]

13 minutes ago, BW Manilowe said:

Considering Tuschman left FN only fairly recently, & we don't know when this cycle of the show was produced in relation to that happening, maybe he'll still be on this season. I could be wrong, but I got the impression Tyler & Valerie were just guest judges last night because of Martita's addition to the contenders after winning Comeback Kitchen. The person I didn't like was the girl who wasn't happy about actually starting the competition immediately.

I wondered about Tyler and Valerie as well.  I hope they stay on.  The show was better when Alton was there; you need more than 2 judges.  It is more entertaining to have three (or more) interact and banter.  

Bob Tushman left FN at the end of January this year.  They probably saw this coming long before he actually left so I am not sure we will see him.  I would love that; I really like the guy.  

Edited May 23, 2016 by wings707

[cooksdelight]

Filmimg began in early January, I was signed up to be an extra or taster but couldn't get there when needed.

[mlp]

I was prepared to loathe cutesy Erin because she drove me nuts when she was on the holiday baking show but I ended up preferring her to both of the unattractive blondes.  The older one (housewife) looks really, really rough and the younger one looks like she's anorexic and proud of it. 

I loved Yaku when he was on CK, especially the episode with Sammy.  They were hilarious together.  That's still one of my favorite CK shows.  I do not like his huge bushy beard though.  If a chef must have facial hair, he should keep it neatly trimmed - like Scott Conant for example.  All that long hair that can drop into food is very unappetizing.

So far I like LunchLady although I suspect he's going to be like the big guy last season who always looked sloppy - not a good look for a food handler.  The rest of them, except for the two blondes and fake-y Tregaye, seem OK so far.

[Wings]

47 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

Filmimg began in early January, I was signed up to be an extra or taster but couldn't get there when needed.

Ah well,  I like the guy and would have loved to see him on this. 

[bluepiano]

23 hours ago, Albino said:

Five minutes in I wanted to punch Tregaye in the throat.  How many times have we seen the "sassy black woman" stereotype on these shows?  The constant hair flipping and hand gestures and eye rolls are so tired and so affected. At least think of something new.

That was my reaction to pretty much everyone this season. Deja vu all over again. Maybe after so many seasons it's hard to come up with something original, but these people all seem like retreads of contestants from previous seasons: the model-chef, bro talking about meat, southern mom, sassy black woman, cute Italian guy who the women fawn over etc etc.

I'm initially liking Rob, but the Lunch Lady shtick could get old fast, and I think he could become a cartoon of himself, like Pie Style.

Melissa does remind me of Nikki Dinki, at least looks-wise, but without the personality. It seems like every season someone comes on talking about making healthy versions of guilty foods, but then drops that approach when they realize no one cares.

Is there another country in Europe that produces chefs? Do we only get Italians because of Giada? A contestant from Russia or Spain would be a nice change. They also have accents. Or, thinking way outside the box, someone from South America or Asia? I know, that's crazy.

And is there another kind of American cuisine besides southern? FN already has way too many southern cooking shows. And the judges keep mentioning all the southern contestants like it just happened by accident.

The Real Housewives alum seems an easy target to dump on, but modern Cuban food is more interesting to me than Mexican, which we've seen a lot. (And after Comeback Kitchen I'm really over Marteeeta and her cutesy Latina act).

So far the best thing this season is that no one's said "culinary POV," and the judges seem to have dropped their insistence that every recipe be connected to a story about your grandmother from the old country or involve some revealing personal anecdote. (But then it's early yet).

Edited May 24, 2016 by bluepiano

[cooksdelight]

Quote

Is there another country in Europe that produces chefs? Do we only get Italians because of Giada? A contestant from Russia or Spain would be a nice change. They also have accents. Or, thinking way outside the box, someone from South America or Asia? I know, that's crazy.

Danushka is Czech, so there's that. Maybe Giada nixed any more females coming in with gorgeous looks and an accent, taking away attention from her.  Give me a sexy French guy any day, over an Italian chef.

[biakbiak]

I am actually sort of surprised that Martita made it through when they already had Ana. Yes, I  realize that there is a difference between Cuban/Miami inspired food and Mexican/California cuisine but I would have thought that the TBTB would have thought them too close despite having no problem with eight million cooks who do "Southern."

Edited May 23, 2016 by biakbiak

[candall]

15 hours ago, txvoodoo said:

Anyone who uses "on fleek" should be automatically eliminated.

I was aware, but that was my first time to hear someone really say it.  Sigh, my life is so remote.

I like to support any woman who weighs more that 103 pounds and faces down a television camera, but oh shit, "smidgeons"?  Noooo.

They would have to drone in a still-warm bite of that Cuban dish to convince me it was delicious.  That "never been in a professional kitchen" Real Housewife was lucky only one thing on the stove burst into flames.  She was so egregious, I think they had to have Bobby kvell and declare hers the "best dish of the night" to justify keeping her.  I also suspect the little slivers of cod were dried out beyond redemption and artificially praised.

Bye, Havird.  "These cahds ah mahked."

[jumper sage]

1 hour ago, bluepiano said:

Is there another country in Europe that produces chefs? Do we only get Italians because of Giada?

Hmmmm, she filmed in Italy and now this........[gives side eye, walks away]

[joanne3482]

2 hours ago, bluepiano said:

Melissa does remind me of Nikki Dinki, at least looks-wise, but without the personality. It seems like every season someone comes on talking about making healthy versions of guilty foods, but then drops that approach when they realize no one cares.

I think for the most part most people accept that 'healthy' versions of comfort foods aren't going to taste anywhere as good as the regular. What I would love to see is someone just cooking regular healthy food. I grew up with meat, starch, canned veggie for dinner so this is what I know. How can I make veggies taste better? How do I pick certain veggies that I've never seen before in their raw (read uncanned) form? What I appreciated about Nikki Dinki (as I recall) was that she wasn't trying to take bad for you and make it healthy, but trying to minimize the importance of meat and increase the veggies which is good for people and good for the environment. I can buy a cookbook and I can experiment on my own, (which I've done) but it's never quite good. 

[Aquarius]

19 hours ago, Albino said:

Five minutes in I wanted to punch Tregaye in the throat.  How many times have we seen the "sassy black woman" stereotype on these shows?  The constant hair flipping and hand gestures and eye rolls are so tired and so affected. At least think of something new.

Oh no you di-int!!  Which is what my husband and I scream every time she comes onscreen.

They're amazed that Monterey doesn't mention being a model and traveling??  Seriously?  Because WTF does that have to do with being a FOOD Network Star?

I was laughing at the way Valerie was all lounged back in that chair at the theater.  I don't know why.  It just cracked me up.

Bobby:  I've really had it with these gorgeous guys with the thick Italian accents.

Me:  I couldn't agree more. 

[Wings]

My guess is that they are looking for another program of southern food. They are not there by happenstance. 

Count me in on being tired of Italian and Mexican food.  

Cuban food is also very simple and just okay for me.  Restaurant fare tends to be very salty. 

How about someone just cooking good, modern food?  That is what I do. Sometimes it has an Asian slant other times French etc.  I NEVER use canned food.  Dom loves canned tomatoes as do most Italian home cooks and pizza joints.  

20 minutes ago, Aquarius said:

I was laughing at the way Valerie was all lounged back in that chair at the theater.  I don't know why.  It just cracked me up.

I loved this too!  Giada followed suit and leaned back, too.  I wish they would judge in those chairs always. It encourages the casual banter we saw.  

[cooksdelight]

Let's have them blind taste test in those chairs, then swivel around. Like The Voice.... only with food! 50 percent of the score goes to taste, 50 percent to the video/camera presentation.

[Aquarius]

3 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

Danushka is Czech, so there's that. Maybe Giada nixed any more females coming in with gorgeous looks and an accent, taking away attention from her.  Give me a sexy French guy any day, over an Italian chef.

I'm really not sure being raised in Canada by Czech parents qualifies one as European.

[cooksdelight]

She travels there to visit her parents all the time, they must have moved back.

[spiderpig]

I really liked Valerie.  She even made LBH tolerable.

[Aquarius]

1 minute ago, cooksdelight said:

She travels there to visit her parents all the time, they must have moved back.

Maybe.  My husband was raised in the United States but his parents are from Slovakia.  Some of their family and his godfather returned when they retired.  I think with the fall of communinism that became more common.

[J-Man]

I guess Tuschman had to leave in order not to be traumatized by one more season with that Vagina Table.

[spiderpig]

1 hour ago, J-Man said:

I guess Tuschman had to leave in order not to be traumatized by one more season with that Vagina Table.

Hey J-Man, I'd love one of those tables if it would fit in my dining room. We have a second-floor walkway that would show it off to all its naughty perfection.

[RCharter]

I'm surprised that I like so many contestants this season.  And it seems like they are putting more emphasis on the food....which is really nice.

I think Lenny is everything Pie Stahl tried too hard to be.  There seems to be an authenticity to him that I like.

I think they should have sent Melissa home.  They SPECIFICALLY told her not to say that her food was "not so good food made healthy" and she did it again.  If someone can't take simple direction to not say certain words, I don't see how they can succeed.  However, I'm okay with them getting rid of someone for food over presentation.  

And...ultimately, I think its an interesting POV...healthy cooks always get an early boot, but its a show I would be interested in as would people that are trying to lose weight, or have a food allergy but want to eat tasty food.

[RCharter]

8 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

Let's have them blind taste test in those chairs, then swivel around. Like The Voice.... only with food! 50 percent of the score goes to taste, 50 percent to the video/camera presentation.

I agree, but I want an 85/15 split....it would encourage tastier food and less schtick.....because if I have to go through this season hearing "well, my food tastes terrible....but my big smile, winning personality, and cutesy presentation will save it" I could potentially rage stroke.

[RCharter]

On 5/23/2016 at 8:48 PM, ivygirl said:

The rest I can take or leave, though I was looking forward to calling today's booted contestant "Harvard." 

What the over/under on his parents wanting to name him "Harvard" but either didn't know how to spell it, or thought it would sound classier with an extra "i" in there?

On 5/23/2016 at 10:06 PM, Irlandesa said:

With so many people having food allergies or thinking they have food allergies (celiacs disease is totally a thing but also a thing? Self-diagnosing anti-gluten freaks) Melissa has a potential concept there. I could see a show where substitutions or alternatives are suggested to the recipes to make it safe for people with various food allergies.  But equating that with healthy cooking is just wrong.  Nuts are healthy to everyone but people with a nut allergy. 

LOL.....I'm a self-diagnosing anti gluten freak....so I would appreciate her show.    Us special snowflakes have to stick together.

Edited May 24, 2016 by RCharter

[Snarklepuss]

I've decided that the only way I like some of these people is for entertainment value.  As far as being "the next" FN Star?  Eh.  Lunch Lady may know how to cook but he may be more fun as comedian.

Yaku's beard looks wet - I think he needs to lose the Jeri Curl or whatever he's putting in it.  YUCK.  Someone get him a beard net!

Comparing Melissa to Nikki Dinki is an insult to Nikki, IMHO.  At least Nikki looks somewhat healthy, unlike Melissa with the sunken eyes, ashen complexion and gaunt face.  She looks more like a "Real Housewife" than a Food Network Star.  Saying "bad for you" should have earned her a kick out the door.

Upon second viewing, I actually came away liking Jernard more.  He's got a lot going for him professionally, and he's funny too.

[Snarklepuss]

19 hours ago, wings707 said:

Bob Tushman left FN at the end of January this year.  They probably saw this coming long before he actually left so I am not sure we will see him.  I would love that; I really like the guy.  

ITA.  Knowing the way corporate America works the way I do, his departure was in the works internally for some time before before any official announcement was made.  It might have been known to him and those affected by it for a while before he was officially gone.  Too bad, it won't be the same without him.

[candall]

3 hours ago, RCharter said:

LOL.....I'm a self-diagnosing anti gluten freak...

Me, too.  Not for celiac syndrome, but because Wheat Belly made a lot of sense to me.  (I can see firsthand that "fields of waving grain" don't exist anymore.)

I wouldn't watch a show or follow advice from that stick, though.  HFF!  Healthy Fats Forever! 

[qtpye]

On 5/23/2016 at 9:52 AM, Gregg247 said:

I liked Martita during "Comeback Kitchen".  She did well in all the challenges, and was competent on-camera.  Then, she shows up on this show and Giada immediately starts with, "Mar-TEEEET-AH!", and I suddenly realized what I didn't like about Martita last season.  It's not her, it's Giada and her need to make her "Latina Martita" (or would that be "Lartita"?  "Latita"? "La-TEEEET-AH"?  whatever)  It's all artificial, and probably does Martita no favors for winning this show.  

I think I'm going to root for her, despite the way the show is trying to make me hate her.

As for the others, I didn't like Tregayne or Healthy lady right away, because their schticks are both tired on these shows.  The "meat" guy was entertaining in a Jeff "The Sandwich King" way.  The guy who got sent home seemed like a normal person who thought, "hey, I'll bet I could do this show", gets on, and realizes he'd made a BIG, BIG mistake.  His ouster was a true "mercy kill".

Giada is the one who pushed Martita into the "Fiery Latina" role, even though Martita wanted to do more culinary points of view.

I think she is a little threatened by Martita, because Martita does not have to wear low cut tops to distract from an unpleasant demon like smile.  If Giada had her way, Maritita would come out in a giant Sombrero and begin every segment with "Hola lovers".  This way she would be eliminated fairly quickly and Giada could still be the sexy Mediterranean babe of the network (I know Marita is from Mexico, but there is a strong Mediterranean/ Spanish influence there).

[Wings]

7 hours ago, RCharter said:

LOL.....I'm a self-diagnosing anti gluten freak....so I would appreciate her show.    Us special snowflakes have to stick together.

Me too though not 100% as I would like.  It is hard to eliminate bread though I did find an excellent gluten free brand, finally. 

[xaxat]

6 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

Yaku's beard looks wet - I think he needs to lose the Jeri Curl or whatever he's putting in it.  YUCK.  Someone get him a beard net!

It's probably Bigen hair dye.

[Snarklepuss]

3 hours ago, wings707 said:

Me too though not 100% as I would like.  It is hard to eliminate bread though I did find an excellent gluten free brand, finally. 

I went completely wheat free for several months - Lost 15 lbs. but then plateaued, then gained it all back while on the same diet - go figure.  I was even making gluten/wheat free/low glycemic cakes, too.  Now I just practice moderation.  But I'd still be interested in hearing more about cooking wheat free.

[cherry slushie]

I'm in the minority here; I liked Erin on the Holiday Baking Championship because she was so damn creative. I'm hoping the trend continues on TNFNS. I also liked Ana during her run on the RHOM, so I'm kind of rooting for her.  

That being said, we all know Damiano will be around for a while as long as Giada develops a lady boner for him like she does with all the rico suave Italian guys.

ETA - I'd like to see Tyler Florence as a permanent judge on the show, and I was really impressed with Valerie's low-key, cool demeanor. I guess I'm used to her judging the kidlets, which is a whole other ballgame.

Edited May 25, 2016 by cherry slushie

[RCharter]

11 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

I went completely wheat free for several months - Lost 15 lbs. but then plateaued, then gained it all back while on the same diet - go figure.  I was even making gluten/wheat free/low glycemic cakes, too.  Now I just practice moderation.  But I'd still be interested in hearing more about cooking wheat free.

I'm interested in the world of wheat free baking....but being GF has forced me to become a little more careful about what I eat, so I would like to think I make better food choices because of it.  I do feel somewhat less bloated, but that could be because I have to make better decisions because so many of the things I like are closed off to me.  

For the past week I've been dying for some cheez-its....but I can't eat them, and when I did eat cheez-its....I could easily polish off a box in a day....its shameful...but true.  I've also seen a commercial for Little Ceasars stuffed crust pizza....and I'm dying for that too....but no can do.  So, I'm almost forced to eat better (although GF substitutes tend to have just as many...if not more calories....there are just fewer options).

I also think I've become a little more creative when it comes to cooking.....I made a lasagna the other day that used zucchini instead of lasagna sheets.  It was much healthier and just delicious (IMO).

[NikSac]

@RCharter throw some cheese in a non-stick skillet and I bet you'll love the crunchy results. I'm a Cheez-it freak too and I can vouch for this snack. You might need to drain it on paper towels depending on how oily the cheese is, but it'll be yummy. 

[RCharter]

22 minutes ago, NikSac said:

@RCharter throw some cheese in a non-stick skillet and I bet you'll love the crunchy results. I'm a Cheez-it freak too and I can vouch for this snack. You might need to drain it on paper towels depending on how oily the cheese is, but it'll be yummy. 

Thanks for the tip....that actually sounds delicious.....I'm gonna try that!

Can I ask how long you leave it in the skillet and how much cheese you use for each..."cheez-it?"

[candall]

Sorry to stray so far off-topic, but for people who want grain-free bread, try "Oopsie Rolls" which originated from the www.yourlighterside.com site.  Can be adapted into multiple forms--hamburger buns, cinnamon rolls, etc.

My best tip to share.  You can't believe how tasty and satisfying.

[leighdear]

I just realized that this season, we were mercifully spared one of the most annoying culinary tropes ever: The bespectacled and slightly chubby bearded hipster guy chef that is obsessed, overwhelmed and completely immersed in all things bacon!  ;-)

[xaxat]

Now that you have mentioned it, I can't get that stereotype out of my head.

"At my secret supper/fight club we do farm to table, snout to tail, fresh, fresh, FRESH!"

[Alapaki]

Between Giada and Martita I may drown in rolling rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr's this season.

But. . . there's eye candy.  Which is good for me.  And, which means we'll get catty-Giada, which is good for everyone.

So, I'll stick it out.

[Kathcart]

I liked how they saved us the trouble of snarking on the contestants by having the contestants snark on each other in their THs.

[OoogleEyes]

I don't know about y'all, but I am OVER the "South in your Mouth" thing.

 And please, Sweet Baby Jesus, don't make "Smidgens!!" happen.

Edited May 26, 2016 by OoogleEyes

[Maverick]

 The also seems to be stacked with bakers.  Considering FN's recent flurry of baking shows, I;m assuming one of them will win and they'll have a new baking show or they'll plug them into a revamped Food Network Challenge.

[spiderpig]

Can't wait for tomorrow's episode.

You're right - I have no life.

[paramitch]

First off, I admit it -- I love "Cutthroat Kitchen," and as someone who's watched Alton's shows ever since his "Good Eats" days, it's a great opportunity for him to totally troll competitive reality while also having a great time. He's visibly having a blast on that show -- far more than he ever had on this one as a judge. (Although I miss him, since he was the only one with the gravitas who truly seemed to take it seriously.)

The downside however is that while I liked several of these people on CK, I disliked most of them here (and those I disliked -- that "Love Chef" guy and Tregaye -- I now actively loathed. I did think Yaku did okay (although I agree with those wanting him to cut off that mat of beard), and I liked Monterey and the guy from "Amazing Race" even if they were pretty rough -- they still had a lot of personal charm (and Monterey was frankly really funny and personable on CK).

On 5/23/2016 at 8:59 AM, LennieBriscoe said:

Who knew "Reality TV Competitor" is a viable career goal? I guess we need to see The Usual Suspects because there just aren't enough new wannabes waiting in the wings. *sarcasm*

But I don't really mind this, because the real next "Food Network Star" is in the vast majority of cases not going to be someone with zero media experience. Which is where social media has come in, and competitive reality. I don't mind that we're getting people with some experience -- I do mind that so many are still SO bad on camera at simply talking about food, and that far too many of them rely on a tired schtick that will only hurt them with viewers (Tregaye, ugh, it was all so fake -- I remember her at least being mildly amusing on CK, but here I just wanted to throw things at her).

On 5/23/2016 at 11:12 AM, mlp said:

I loved Yaku when he was on CK, especially the episode with Sammy.  They were hilarious together.  That's still one of my favorite CK shows.  I do not like his huge bushy beard though.  If a chef must have facial hair, he should keep it neatly trimmed - like Scott Conant for example.  All that long hair that can drop into food is very unappetizing.

I totally enjoyed that CK episode too -- my favorite thing about Yaku on that was that he was so bewildered and outraged that all of it was actually happening, yet he also managed to get in the spirit of things and have a good time. Totally agree on his beard though.

Last but not least, while Martita is by all accounts a perfectly lovely and talented woman, she is just nails on a chalkboard for me, nearly unwatchable. She is certainly now much better on camera, but she never seems authentic to me. (However, I can't ding her too badly on that, since FN has never seemed to want to LET her be authentic.) I keep finding myself wishing I liked her more than I do.

PS -- Last but not least, I got a kick out of Valerie Bertinelli just totally kicking back and speaking bluntly, and what was kind of charming to me was that Giada totally seemed a little star-struck by her. It was really funny how Valerie would speak up, and then Giada would practically jump up and down agreeing her, complete with little heart-eyes. Bless her LBH heart.

Edited May 28, 2016 by paramitch

[ivygirl]

On May 24, 2016 at 8:16 PM, cherry slushie said:

I'm in the minority here; I liked Erin on the Holiday Baking Championship because she was so damn creative. I'm hoping the trend continues on TNFNS. I also liked Ana during her run on the RHOM, so I'm kind of rooting for her.  

That being said, we all know Damiano will be around for a while as long as Giada develops a lady boner for him like she does with all the rico suave Italian guys.

ETA - I'd like to see Tyler Florence as a permanent judge on the show, and I was really impressed with Valerie's low-key, cool demeanor. I guess I'm used to her judging the kidlets, which is a whole other ballgame.

I'm rooting a bit for Ana as well. Ironically, she's one of the the more relatable contestants on this show. 

I actually kind of like Damiano... He's obviously fodder for Giada Luv, but I liked him on the baking show, so I'm not upset to have him on. Erin is creative but I wish she'd stop trying so hard to be a character with a catchphrase. If she mellowed out I might root for her.

While I'm here  I might as well admit that I really like Valerie. I thought her cooking show would be awful, but I actually enjoy it. And, I think she's a good judge. So I wouldn't mind seeing more of her.

So basically cosign most of your post :)

I rewatched the show this morning and go figure, I found Allergy Lady even MORE annoying. I also found myself more annoyed by Tregaye's snotty talking heads. She wasn't that great herself!

[grisgris]

I thought that this year's batch of recruits are all retreads of the past: Sassy black lady, overaged sexpot wannabe, health nut, model, sexy Italian man, big goofy teddy bear oddball guy, southern mom. All that was missing was some type of food blogger/nerd/hipster.

I thought Tyler, and in particular, Valerie, were awesome. I thought she handled Giada very smartly. I was afraid that Giada was going to be condescending, etc., since Valerie isn't, you know, a "chef." Valerie isn't culinary competition and is happily married IRL, plus has more (and better) before-the-camera experience than Giada will ever hope for. I think those two were just on for the first episode to make the segue from "Comeback Kitchen." I know I saw Anne Burrell in the season kickoff promo.

I was OK with the guy they sent home. He seemed even more ill-at-ease in front of the camera than Dom was (if that is possible.) They also need to cull the herd of some of the southern focus. They also need to turn beard-guy around to his initial POV he presented with. Gluten-free girl and "sass in your mouth" (or whoever she is) can go next.

[mlp]

I wish Tyler and Valerie were hosting the show with Bobby Flay.  They all seemed to have a relaxed and good-natured camaraderie plus I think there should be more than two judges.  And I can't stand Giada.  Tyler isn't afraid to tell it like it is and Valerie is pretty straight forward too.  I think she's beautiful.  No matter how closely I look at her when she's on, I can't believe that she's in her late 50s. 

Edited May 29, 2016 by mlp
correct stupid spelling error