S14.E01: Are You a Main Attraction?

[smiley13]

Wasn't I Beat Bobby Flay woman the only one who did a variety of fried chicken?

[ruffy666]

OHMYGOD Jason... I mean, presumably these guys have to go through several rounds of casting before they make it onto a show?  Did they intentionally cast a sacrificial lamb?  I was embarrassed FOR him, thank goodness they put him/us out of our collective misery after only one episode.

I am mostly ambivalent towards Adam but it does seem unfair that he's had plenty of hosting opportunities already and apparently wasn't too successful so why is he here?

[candall]

Well, that was a mess.  Was the casting criteria 1. Florida resident or 2. prior Food Network experience?

 

Mississippi woman's much vaunted "soothing" delivery made me want to pinch her, not cuddle up to share girl secrets.  Although I thought the dish with clam shells was even less park-friendly than the jambalaya shooter.  You can't just FU the challenge, people--most of the time.

 

"Healthy flair" woman:  begone.

 

I'm disappointed to learn Adam is a ringer, with loads of FN experience.  He's relaxed and fairly funny and his food is interesting.  (I still want a deep-fried tempura bagel with ice cold lox.  Yum.)

 

So we're going to slog through six or seven weeks eliminating the cannon fodder and ultimately work our way to the Palak-Adam showdown?  I'm okay with that.

[Wings]

Most missed the idea of the challenge.  They were looking for unique street food basically and not burgers, though that worked.  

When in a pinch put something in a wonton wrapper.  Not sure jambalia would be the best choice but she wouldn’t have been in the bottom. 

Octopus was a bad choice for this given the dish would be chosen by a diner who may not be familiar or adventurous enough to try it.  And lose the the top knot, Amy.  

Enough southern comfort food.  And, btw, Mac and cheese is not southern, it is everywhere here, Canada and Europe.  It’s origin is thought to be Italy or Northern Europe. No one made it last night but it’s coming.  ;>  I am bracing myself.  My southern friends don’t claim all foods are southern, but it is rampant with TV chef contestants. 

I was hoping for Vietnamese and modern Asian to show up. 

I could not understand much of what Manny said.  

Edited June 12, 2018 by Wings

[bkathi]

I didn't understand why she didn't turn the jambalaya into a burrito? Or an egg roll.  Same with clam boy.  It's not rocket science!

[smiley13]

Harrison lost me with cooking rabbit.   Seriously?  Everyone wants to take their kid to a theme park to eat the Easter bunny.

Same with Amy's octopus.   

[AntManBee]

1 hour ago, joanne3482 said:

Like all of you, that was bad, bad, bad.  I kept wondering why jambalaya woman didn't do like a jambalaya arancini.  Not Italian obviously, but she could have chopped up the shrimp and made the rice and shrimp into balls and deep fried. Now you have a food you can eat with one hand and bonus - it's deep fried. 

Exactly!  I was wondering why she didn't just make a jambalaya boudin ball?  Even if it tasted awful, I'd give her props for making (a) street food, (b) adapting on the fly, and (c) staying on "brand."  That she didn't come up with that makes her suspect, to me.

The new cast seems universally awful.  I don't even find the attractive one that hot.  Perhaps Beating Bobby Flay Chicken Lady has a chance, otherwise this seems set up for an Adam or Amy coronation.  Or maybe *gasp!* both.

[cooksdelight]

If Adam wins this, I am done. I feel used already, the entire competition is tainted, to me. 

Couldn’t she have put the jambalaya ingredients on a stick, with a little sauce in a cup for dipping?  I agree with @Wings, they totally missed the challenge for the most part. If they are going to be that dense going forward, I may skip the rest of the season.

[whinewithwine]

8 minutes ago, AntManBee said:

Or maybe *gasp!* both

Because LBH and Bobby, keeping in theme with Comeback Kitchen, can't make up their minds?

[smiley13]

11 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

If Adam wins this, I am done. I feel used already, the entire competition is tainted, to me. 

Couldn’t she have put the jambalaya ingredients on a stick, with a little sauce in a cup for dipping?  I agree with @Wings, they totally missed the challenge for the most part. If they are going to be that dense going forward, I may skip the rest of the season.

A lot of the foods did not look like things you would eat only with your hands.   Whatever that was that she cooked in the paper would have to be really messy.

[Brookside]

2 hours ago, Koalagirl said:

I must be living under a rock because I don't remember his season on FNS and I haven't seen him on any other shows. 

 

2 hours ago, Marmiarmo said:

Me, too.

Things are going to get a bit more crowded under this rock.  I'll bring some snacks though, and an air mattress.

[Wings]

 I don’t mind Adam being there because I have some hope he can do an on the road show (Vietnam as suggested) to bump some DDD off the roster.  I haven’t even seen one of those.  A few clips were enough. 

I think Palak and Adam will win in another double header.  FN  may cook up a way to claim they will do a show together.  I am in favor of a double win, the more new blood the better. 

3 minutes ago, Brookside said:

 

Things are going to get a bit more crowded under this rock.  I'll bring some snacks though, and an air mattress.

I’ll bring Sangria; fruit is good for you. 

[smiley13]

I saw the usual comments about "Southern" cooks.  The people from Florida don't count as Southern in my book, so who else is besides Rebekah and the lady with ten jobs from Mississippi?

[Gregg247]

That guy with the red glasses and the "Yummy Yummy Yummy" gimmick had to go, but its kind of sad that he failed here as well as failed his auditions to join The Blue Man Group when he was on "Arrested Development" years ago.  Back to the model house, dude!

[cooksdelight]

1 hour ago, Brookside said:

 

Things are going to get a bit more crowded under this rock.  I'll bring some snacks though, and an air mattress.

Here is Adam’s IMDB profile. He’s an actor, apparently. Under “Self” you get all of his food show appearances.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3110536/?ref_=nv_sr_1

[mlp]

Here's a list of the contestants and the shows they've been on before FNS.  Most have already been on a FN competition.  I vaguely recall Manny from MC but not the woman who was also on that show.

https://www.foodnetworkgossip.com/2018/06/food-network-star-season-14-contestants.html

[Koalagirl]

I'm almost willing to bet that it will come down to Adam and Amy at the end to create even more drama.   With this batch of contestants it almost isn't hard to believe.

[backformore]

5 hours ago, joanne3482 said:

Like all of you, that was bad, bad, bad.  I kept wondering why jambalaya woman didn't do like a jambalaya arancini.  Not Italian obviously, but she could have chopped up the shrimp and made the rice and shrimp into balls and deep fried. Now you have a food you can eat with one hand and bonus - it's deep fried. 

I would have done jambalaya "style" shrimp and peppers, on a bun.

[PamelaMaeSnap]

Re: this:

"Christian Petroni (Port Chester, NY) - Food Network's Chopped (won), Also a judge on Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay.  POV - Food people want to eat."

If anyone ever comes on this show with the POV: Food people don't want to eat, I'll be rooting for them like a mofo.

[StaceyNotStacie]

1 hour ago, Koalagirl said:

I'm almost willing to bet that it will come down to Adam and Amy at the end to create even more drama.   With this batch of contestants it almost isn't hard to believe.

That wouldn’t surprise me. I was expecting both of them when they kept on advertising a shocking premier. 

None of the newbies impressed me, although it usually takes a few weeks for me to warm up to a few contestants. I do like that there were two vets of the competition, as it most likely makes the other contestants work a bit harder. 

[CouchDweller]

18 hours ago, jackjill89 said:

What exactly is a food novelist?

After looking her up, I realized that I just read her book, Food Whore.  It was actually a really enjoyable novel.  The book was about someone who worked as a food reviewer, so it had a lot of detailed descriptions in it.  I've never heard the term food novelist before, though.

[Wings]

12 minutes ago, CouchDweller said:

After looking her up, I realized that I just read her book, Food Whore.  It was actually a really enjoyable novel.  The book was about someone who worked as a food reviewer, so it had a lot of detailed descriptions in it.  I've never heard the term food novelist before, though.

Interesting.  She probably coined that occupation after having written the book wanting to have a definable place in the food world.  I have no problem with that though it sounds silly. 

[Wings]

1 hour ago, backformore said:

I would have done jambalaya "style" shrimp and peppers, on a bun.

Much better idea.  Jambalaya is just okay even if well done, for me.  A shrimp po boy would have been the way do New Orleans though.  A close second in 'hell no' category was the clam dish.  Don't remember who made that. 

I bet Bobba and G had a meeting after this challenge to make sure the directions were very clearly stated in the future.   

[cooksdelight]

3 hours ago, Koalagirl said:

I'm almost willing to bet that it will come down to Adam and Amy at the end to create even more drama.   With this batch of contestants it almost isn't hard to believe.

I don’t know if you watched the Comeback Kitchen episodes, but Adam cooked a really, really bad dish and was pushed ahead anyway. So, I wouldn’t be surprised that your prediction is right.

[StaceyNotStacie]

I found it interesting in the final discussion that they commented how Adam would be good for a travel type show while Amy would be a good fit for a weekend how to cooking show. It makes me wonder what exactly they’re looking for: are they looking for a traveling foodie or the second coming of the Pioneer Woman.

[biakbiak]

1 minute ago, Stacey1014 said:

are they looking for a traveling foodie or the second coming of the Pioneer Woman.

Neither which is why I don’t think either will win. I bet Adam goes out first and relatively soon. 

[Surrealist]

8 hours ago, smiley13 said:

Harrison lost me with cooking rabbit.   Seriously?  Everyone wants to take their kid to a theme park to eat the Easter bunny.

Same with Amy's octopus.   

I had two pet rabbits as a kid. There's no way he could have sold me on that meal.

[backformore]

I'm trying to think under what circumstances I would walk around a theme park eating octopus.  

 Nope. It just seems wrong.

Same with rabbit. It might be delicious, I don't know. But it's a BUNNY.

And the judging on that part was so arbitrary. One person decides, based on whatever criteria they want.

[Forget me]

I know this was filmed before Anthony Bourdain’s death, but a show featuring Adam traveling the world, and cooking exotic food sounds like it would fill a void.  (I know these shows are on different networks...)

[Surrealist]

20 hours ago, jackjill89 said:

What exactly is a food novelist?

Not entirely sure, but would anyone object to me adding "Food eater" to my resume?

[cooksdelight]

5 minutes ago, backformore said:

I'm trying to think under what circumstances I would walk around a theme park eating octopus

Ok.... I did.... LOL

I was at Disneyland and California Adventure one time, for a couple of days with my nephews. There are different restaurants and food stands in between the parks. I got pasta to go, in a cuplike thing, and it had the baby octupus hanging on for dear life.

[Maverick]

20 minutes ago, Stacey1014 said:

I found it interesting in the final discussion that they commented how Adam would be good for a travel type show while Amy would be a good fit for a weekend how to cooking show. It makes me wonder what exactly they’re looking for: are they looking for a traveling foodie or the second coming of the Pioneer Woman.

  As soon as Tyler said "we were tasked to find one person to send back to FNS" I knew that both of them were going.  So since they abandoned the cooking show prize after Damaris' season the fact that Tyler and Valerie discussed a Saturday morning cooking show and it made it past editing makes me think that's what they're looking for.  Adam has had some Food Network shows(and other TV hosting gigs like on FX) on his original season he was dinged for his cooking and 'food authority'.   He mentioned several times through Comeback Kitchen wants redemption for his cooking ability.  

[Wings]

7 hours ago, smiley13 said:

I saw the usual comments about "Southern" cooks.  The people from Florida don't count as Southern in my book, so who else is besides Rebekah and the lady with ten jobs from Mississippi?

You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a southern transplant in Florida.  They are everywhere.  

[smiley13]

22 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

Ok.... I did.... LOL

I was at Disneyland and California Adventure one time, for a couple of days with my nephews. There are different restaurants and food stands in between the parks. I got pasta to go, in a cuplike thing, and it had the baby octupus hanging on for dear life.

So Rebekah's dish could have been a good to go park item if you got pasta in a cup at a park.

[Brookside]

29 minutes ago, Nonnie said:

I know this was filmed before Anthony Bourdain’s death, but a show featuring Adam traveling the world, and cooking exotic food sounds like it would fill a void.  (I know these shows are on different networks...)

Sorry, but Adam is not the person to fill the void left by Anthony Bourdain's death.

[smiley13]

3 minutes ago, Wings said:

You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a southern transplant in Florida.  They are everywhere.  

"They"?  You act like there is something wrong with people from states considered Southern, lol.

[Brookside]

32 minutes ago, backformore said:

 

Same with rabbit. It might be delicious, I don't know. But it's a BUNNY.

 

At least it wasn't a mouse.

[HyeChaps]

Maybe if she just stuck a spoon in each “cup”  

Folks walk around with ice cream served in cups with a spoon. 

[cooksdelight]

59 minutes ago, smiley13 said:

So Rebekah's dish could have been a good to go park item if you got pasta in a cup at a park.

If she were allowed to add a utensil. My pasta came with a fork. Ice cream in cups comes with a spoon. But I guess the idea was to make something you eat with your fingers, no utensils allowed.

[chenoa333]

Giada NEVER fails to make herself the "main attraction" by displaying her ginormous breasts. And as usual, she is completely smitten by the young, handsome contestant who used to be a model.

[meowmommy]

13 hours ago, Koalagirl said:

I must be living under a rock because I don't remember his season on FNS and I haven't seen him on any other shows. 

He was a runner up with Lisa Garza to Aaron McCargo.  He seemed like a lightweight even then, but he's much more polished now, no doubt owing to the experience he got hosting multiple shows for FN.  I agree with the folks who've said some of the runner-ups have had more success on FN or CC than the winners.

Palak seems very smooth and ready for camera, plus, y'know, she beat Bobby Flay.  

1 hour ago, chenoa333 said:

Giada NEVER fails to make herself the "main attraction" by displaying her ginormous breasts.

OMG she had them locked and loaded, especially in the first dress.  How many yards of tape does it take to hold them in place like that.  BTW, did anyone notice when she was supposedly going to take a big bite of anything, she was clearly posing and they cut away immediately?  No way would she take an actual bite of actual food.

Jason...sigh....I just can't imagine the applicants they rejected in order to bring this guy forward.  Yummy yummy yummy burger burger burger????  He was too juvenile for Romper Room.

[Aerobicidal]

“When a star brings the heat, they simply explode on the scene.” Lord honey, butter my banana and call it a Roman candle!

Manny is an unholy cross between Emeril Lagasse, Alexis Mateo, and someone who just snorted Honey Boo Boo Child’s special extra large Pixy Stix. Bam! indeed.

Jambalaya in the Park sounds like it could be an episode title of Cajun Justice, the next Blues Traveler Album, or a descriptor for Guy Fieri’s fashion sense.

If novelty blazers are going to be a signature feature on this show, someone better show up with one covered in teeth and boobs just to see if Giada tries to compete with it.

“I want you to know about my Mississippi, my South.” Lord honey, if you want to talk about your downtown delta on episode one, at least wait until the judges are sitting at their table which could possibly evoke similar euphemisms.

If there is one thing that has been underutilized at carnivals and theme parks, it is doubtlessly the funnel. For all these years, the funnel cake has been saddled with the responsibility of single-funnelly representing its cause. After this episode, I expect funnel dogs, funnel curds, funnel juices, and elephant funnels to finally hit the state fair scene.

“I’m running out of time so I’ve got to pull it.” Lord honey, squeeze my sausage and call it a handheld funnel!

Jason apparently thinks America needs a hybrid of David Cross and Sally Jesse Raphael on ecstasy. And . . . I agree, but not as a cooking show host. I think he would be excellent as a politician or a Blue Man Group understudy.

“I don’t care how good it tastes; I don’t want to dump it all over my face.” Lord honey, we’ve all been there!

“It’s everybody’s personal package and it tastes good.” Lord honey, we are bringing back the Spice Network in more ways than one!

During the first half of the episode, I was thinking that Samone might be Amy Sedaris in a really immaculate disguise. By the end, I’m starting to think that well over half the contestants are Amy Sedaris in disguise.

I’m excited that so many of the Future Stars seem unpolished and incompetent. I’m disappointed that two the biggest train wrecks got sent home but, lord honey, call my slider yummy and book me a season pass! 

[Brookside]

4 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

If she were allowed to add a utensil. My pasta came with a fork. Ice cream in cups comes with a spoon. But I guess the idea was to make something you eat with your fingers, no utensils allowed.

Or napkins.

[AAEBoiler]

On 6/11/2018 at 3:40 AM, Psychobunny said:

I almost miss Matthew.

Shut your mouth!!!! If you say his name 3 times he appears like a bad penny. Dammit, said her name too!!!!

[Koalagirl]

17 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

I don’t know if you watched the Comeback Kitchen episodes, but Adam cooked a really, really bad dish and was pushed ahead anyway. So, I wouldn’t be surprised that your prediction is right.

I did and that's when I realized the fix was in.

[Destiny74]

Jason?  How hard did they look to NOT find someone else better than him to put on this show?  Food Blogger?  I would rather watch paint dry.  Does he have any followers, other than his family and friends?  He was so annoying.  I agree with the above poster, how many people were turned away so they could have a space for this guy?  Easy first out though.

Christian will only be able to rest on, "I vacationed in Italy as a child," for so long.  Schtick is going to get old fast.  Almost as fast as OOT Miami guy...but not quite.

Manic Manny, that is all.

I have to laugh when, in talking heads, people shoot down the others but they don't do well on the challenge themselves.  I'm looking at you, Samone.

I like Palak.  She seems real and I like that she didn't come in with a sign and sparklers announcing that she beat Bobby.  That shows some humility and restraint.

Harrison is good looking but I don't trust that he can cook, yet.  Good looking guy who knows a few fancy dishes to cook for date nights.  We'll see.

I still don't like Amy.  She's a snot.

Adam is still a ringer.  He's already a FN hosting pro.

Jamablaya lady needs to think a little harder, try a little more.

MS Queen?  DON'T COOK FOOD YOU CAN'T MAKE TASTE GOOD IN THE ALLOTED TIME.  That's like, rule #1 for this comp.  If it takes hours to slow cook or roast something, it isn't going to taste right done in 45 minutes.  

[Surrealist]

49 minutes ago, Destiny74 said:

I have to laugh when, in talking heads, people shoot down the others but they don't do well on the challenge themselves.  I'm looking at you, Samone.

I hate when the contestants weigh in on one another's performance. Whenever they say something negative, they usually bomb during their own presentation.

I like Palak too. When I first saw her on my screen, I thought "She looks familiar." Then, I think, Bobby brought up her beating him, and I was like "Oh, yeah. I watched that episode."

[Wings]

On 6/11/2018 at 5:22 PM, smiley13 said:

"They"?  You act like there is something wrong with people from states considered Southern, lol.

LOL!  Not at all.  That is just an expression used to note that there are many of something. 

On 6/12/2018 at 1:24 PM, Surrealist said:

I hate when the contestants weigh in on one another's performance. Whenever they say something negative, they usually bomb during their own presentation.

I like Palak too. When I first saw her on my screen, I thought "She looks familiar." Then, I think, Bobby brought up her beating him, and I was like "Oh, yeah. I watched that episode."

The episode of Beat Bobby with her on it was timed to coincide, clearly.  I just watched it, too. 

They are all asked, by a producer sitting right there, to critique their fellow contestants and urged to do negative as well as favorable comments.  And of course they show the ones that become relevant. 

Edited June 15, 2018 by Wings

[Surrealist]

4 minutes ago, Wings said:

The timing of Beat Bobby with her on it was timed to coincide, clearly.  I just watched it, too. 

They are all asked, by a producer sitting right there, to critique their fellow contestants and urged to do negative as well as favorable comments.  And of course they show the ones that become relevant. 

Oh, really? Subtle much, Food Network? I watched the Palak/Bobby episode a while back. I can't even remember when it came on.

I figured that the critiques were producer-driven, but it amuses the hell out of me when they bomb in their own presentations. The producers and crew are probably back there high-fiving when it happens too. 

[cooksdelight]

I’m starting to wonder if Adam being there is so once he finally messes up (and he will, trust me) they can get rid of him once and for all and not have him on FN anymore.