I managed to catch four out of the five Chefography shows this week on the Food Network. Here's the rundown, with my thoughts:
Rachael Ray: I will admit to being a RR hater. She's just too...cutesy, and it bugs me to no end that she uses both the acronym AND the full word/phrase when she talks. Like "EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil!" As if we don't know what EVOO means after hearing it a million times per episode. Another annoying factor is that she always calls her food "healthy" when most of the time, it's far from it. There's a difference between "fresh" and "healthy" but little Rachael doesn't seem to know this. A cheesy enchilada made with fresh ingredients is fresh, but not necessarily healthy, Rachael. Oh, and the fact that she tips $1.82 for a $15 meal bugs too.
However...[long pause]...[sigh]...[groan], I have to admit that, after watching her Chefography, I kind of sort of maybe hate her a bit less. The girl has worked hard to get where she is, and she seems like a relatively nice person. I'll be talking less smack about her, and that's all I can give right now. But I'll still laugh heartily whenever Anthony Bourdain makes a RR joke.
Bobby Flay: People either love Bobby or hate him, and I definitely luuuuuurve the guy. He makes grilling sexy and pretty darn fabulous. He knows how to eat, and he takes big bites of food. Yeah, he's cocky, but for some reason that makes him even sexier. His recipes work, and he just has that lust for life that I admire. His Chefography didn't disappoint, and only confirmed what I already know: Bobby is da man.
Sandra Lee: Clearly the Food Network chose to skip a huge part of Sandra's career: Her rich, now-ex-husband who helped fund many of her projects. They made her out to be some Mother Teresa, struggling to make ends meet, helping her "grammy" and all that other sappy crap. Bottom line: She still sucks, her curtain kits are only good for creating fugly decorating disasters and her boobs are still down to her waist. And knowing how to make 100 dishes out of Bisquick does not a chef make.
Tyler Florence: Is it just me or was Tyler a spitting image of River Phoenix when he was younger? The resemblance is a bit eerie, in fact. I didn't know much about Tyler until seeing his Chefography, so I found it to be very educational and entertaining. Plus this guy knows food - I crave everything he makes. Now I know there's all this talk about how he's putting on a few pounds, but he's still a hottie potattie in my book.
Nigella Lawson: I will no longer make fun of Nigela's oversexed cooking techniques after seeing her Chefography. Though born into a life of privilege, this woman has overcome numerous tragedies and obstacles in her life and I truly admire what she's achieved. She is an inspiration to me and countless others. She's a wonderful cook, mother, wife and an all-around domestic goddess. Actually, she's just a goddess. Period.
