Location: On a clear day, I can see Mt. Rainier ... but you can't count on the days to be clear here ...
Posts: 1,872
Food Shows
I don't watch much TV - just not interested in most shows. But I need some shows I can sit down and enjoy with my wife. We only have a few shows we watch together, but some of the food shows we've found, we really like together. I was wondering if others have food shows they like or don't like.
For us:
Anthony Bourdain: He strikes me as a whiner, but I love his show. I love what he does, where he goes, and his attitude toward the people he's around, and the way he's adventurous with the food and drink. Love his new show "The Layover" too for all the same reasons. I just don't like the whiny, sarcastic way he talks sometimes when he narrates.
Andrew Zimmern: You know, I like him. He strikes me as the kind of guy I'd like to sit down with, have a drink and swap stories. For some reason, I'm not that crazy about his show. I'm not sure why. I can watch it, but even though I seem to like him, I don't like his show as much as Anthony Bourdain's.
Man Vs. Food: ... yuk. That's all I have to say. I stopped watching it after a few episodes.
Anthony Bourdain - I love Anthony Bourdain. I've read all his books. I watched his shows but I especially like his work since he left the Food Network. His snarky comments and sarcastic sense of humor match mine (hubby's too). He seems genuine. He's never impolite to people he's with. He doesn't act like an Ugly American when he's overseas. I like that.
Andrew Zimmern - Meh. I don't watch his show anymore. The man needs to learn how not to insult other cultures' foods. "This tastes cadaverous, chewy with undertones of shoe polish." He makes disgusted faces when he samples unusual delicacies. Hey, no one is forcing you to eat this food, Andrew. He visits people in poor countries, goes to their homes, eats the food they've worked so hard to make for him then says their food tastes like a cadavar? That to me is an Ugly American whether that's his intention or not. It's fine to make snarky comments but in a voice over, but it's not ok to do it within hearing of your hosts. Not cool at all.
Top Chef - I admit I watch this with my husband. This past season wasn't particularly good, but previous seasons have been great. I love that they bring real chefs with solid cooking skills though it surprises me to no end how some of them don't even try to learn how to make a desert. You know the show requires a desert challenge at some point. Yes, chefs aren't pastry chefs, but if you're planning to be on the show at least learn how to make some delectable deserts.
Awwww this thread made me smile. My dad would watch these all the time and even when dying of cancer, and couldn't eat through his mouth, he'd still make stuff for us and say, "I saw this on the food channel!"
Sorry to thread jack...just a good memory of my dad. I don't have too many.
Location: On a clear day, I can see Mt. Rainier ... but you can't count on the days to be clear here ...
Posts: 1,872
Re: Food Shows
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coffee Amore
Anthony Bourdain - I love Anthony Bourdain. I've read all his books. I watched his shows but I especially like his work since he left the Food Network. His snarky comments and sarcastic sense of humor match mine (hubby's too). He seems genuine. He's never impolite to people he's with. He doesn't act like an Ugly American when he's overseas. I like that.
Andrew Zimmern - Meh. I don't watch his show anymore. The man needs to learn how not to insult other cultures' foods. "This tastes cadaverous, chewy with undertones of shoe polish." He makes disgusted faces when he samples unusual delicacies. Hey, no one is forcing you to eat this food, Andrew. He visits people in poor countries, goes to their homes, eats the food they've worked so hard to make for him then says their food tastes like a cadavar? That to me is an Ugly American whether that's his intention or not. It's fine to make snarky comments but in a voice over, but it's not ok to do it within hearing of your hosts. Not cool at all.
Top Chef - I admit I watch this with my husband. This past season wasn't particularly good, but previous seasons have been great. I love that they bring real chefs with solid cooking skills though it surprises me to no end how some of them don't even try to learn how to make a desert. You know the show requires a desert challenge at some point. Yes, chefs aren't pastry chefs, but if you're planning to be on the show at least learn how to make some delectable deserts.
Hmm ... maybe I haven't paid enough attention to Andrew Zimmern's attitude, or maybe you're helping me define why I don't like his show as much. My wife and I are from different countries, and have actually lived in 3 different countries together. I LOVE sampling the local foods and drink, but my wife is not quite as adventurous as I am. I don't like the attitude we call "Ugly American," either. (BTW, that attitude isn't unique to Americans. We just have a good name for it when we see it in one of our own ... and we probably recognize it in ourselves faster than in others. I don't like it regardless of where it originates, though.)
Location: On a clear day, I can see Mt. Rainier ... but you can't count on the days to be clear here ...
Posts: 1,872
Re: Food Shows
Quote:
Originally Posted by that_girl
Awwww this thread made me smile. My dad would watch these all the time and even when dying of cancer, and couldn't eat through his mouth, he'd still make stuff for us and say, "I saw this on the food channel!"
Sorry to thread jack...just a good memory of my dad. I don't have too many.
Since the shows are, for me, all about spending time with someone I love, I consider this to be in perfect harmony with the intent of the thread. I'm still able to make the memories with the one I enjoy the shows with. You have to look back, and that is sad, but it is sweet that you have the memories that it brought to mind.
He made the BEST mac n cheese for us one night. He couldn't eat it though (he ate through a feeding tube). But I'll never forget how he cooked for us, so proud.
Iron Chef,
Both Original and America
BEST food challenges ever...
Also you have to see if there going to put the theme ingredient in the ice cream maker
Location: On a clear day, I can see Mt. Rainier ... but you can't count on the days to be clear here ...
Posts: 1,872
Re: Food Shows
Quote:
Originally Posted by WadeWilson
Iron Chef,
Both Original and America
BEST food challenges ever...
Also you have to see if there going to put the theme ingredient in the ice cream maker
My wife likes Iron Chef. It's one I watch from behind the desk ... then I wind up playing Sudoku or facebooking, or coming to TAM ... But I look up dutifully when prompted to see what someone has make, or maybe if they have put the theme ingredient in the ice cream maker .
Hmm ... maybe I haven't paid enough attention to Andrew Zimmern's attitude, or maybe you're helping me define why I don't like his show as much. My wife and I are from different countries, and have actually lived in 3 different countries together. I LOVE sampling the local foods and drink, but my wife is not quite as adventurous as I am. I don't like the attitude we call "Ugly American," either. (BTW, that attitude isn't unique to Americans. We just have a good name for it when we see it in one of our own ... and we probably recognize it in ourselves faster than in others. I don't like it regardless of where it originates, though.)
I'm an adventurous person when it comes to food. My husband and I aren't from different countries per se, but different culinary traditions. There are things his family eats that I haven't had before and vice versa. It wouldn't occur to me (I wasn't raised in a barn!) to make faces or nasty comments. I've lived overseas for a few years too. Markets in other countries are fascinating. Especially the wet markets where the food is still...... alive!
My wife likes Iron Chef. It's one I watch from behind the desk ... then I wind up playing Sudoku or facebooking, or coming to TAM ... But I look up dutifully when prompted to see what someone has make, or maybe if they have put the theme ingredient in the ice cream maker .
In the original, when they use any fish or sea creature ingredient for ice cream, my appetite is curbed...
Great diet though...
Location: On a clear day, I can see Mt. Rainier ... but you can't count on the days to be clear here ...
Posts: 1,872
Re: Food Shows
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coffee Amore
I'm an adventurous person when it comes to food. My husband and I aren't from different countries per se, but different culinary traditions. There are things his family eats that I haven't had before and vice versa. It wouldn't occur to me (I wasn't raised in a barn!) to make faces or nasty comments. I've lived overseas for a few years too. Markets in other countries are fascinating. Especially the wet markets where the food is still...... alive!
I loved my mother in law when she was still alive. I had a GREAT time with her, even when I was still very new to their language. I loved going to the market with her, and I did learn that you don't buy anything that isn't moving because you don't know how old it is. When I still didn't recognize many of the things in the market, I went with her, and there was a tub of long, grey things in water that looked almost like unflavored gelatin. This booth was in among several fish and crustacean booths, so I assumed this was some kind of sea worm that they were selling. My mother-in-law, just before buying some, reached in and grabbed one up and put it in her mouth ... that's the closest I've come to getting sick. I later learned that they were noodles and not worms .
They eat a lot of uncooked seafood in my wife's country, and a lot of fermented vegetables - tradition from the days before refrigeration, but it is still a staple of their diet. I've learned to love that. I also learned to like a lot of things - especially street food - that might make some of the more queasy on here a bit uneasy.
Where I came from, we hunted a lot, and ate rabbits and squirrels when we got them. My wife was fine with rabbits, but squirrels almost turned her stomach. It took a while for me to realize why: In her country they are thought of as being in the same family as rats. She'll eat them now, and she brags to her friends that she eats them, but I can see in her eyes that she doesn't really want to eat one again .
When travelling, whether in the US or out, I ALWAYS look for local flavors of food and drink. Since most of my travel is for work, I usually ask the people I'm working with to give me good recommendations, and I let them know I'm adventurous. They usually oblige with some good local flavor. If my wife travels with me, we have to scale it back a bit, and that seems odd to me. I would bet more people in the world would be queasy with food from her home culture than from mine, but no matter, she is just not as adventurous as I am with food.
EDIT: When I was in field engineering, I travelled a lot. My wife accompanied me a lot on those trips, too. It did get to be too much. Now, in the R&D job, I travel on average 5 - 6 times/year on average, but they're good trips usually. This last year, I've been to Novi Sad, Serbia once, Paris 3 times, Boston once, Houston once, and Cancun once. It looks like the upcoming year is going to take me to Seoul at least once, and back to Cancun at least once more ... we'll have to see where else since I don't have them working just yet.
Love Good Eats. The geek factor coupled with the cooking knowledge is great. Hate that it's ended (with just a few specials on their way). Posted via Mobile Device
I love food competitions, I cannot handle just sitting there watching someone cook. I don't cook. As of late, however, I have become addicted to cooking related cooking shows.
Hell's Kitchen is my favorite
Kitchen Nightmares
Chopped
Worst Cooks in America
Next Food Network Star
Top Chef
Man Vs. Food (always makes me hungry)
If you had asked me if I would be watching these shows 2 years ago, I would have hit you with a ripe artichoke.
Iron Chef,
Both Original and America
BEST food challenges ever...
Also you have to see if there going to put the theme ingredient in the ice cream maker
I'll have to go with Iron Chef too - I like the American version personally. I like Andrew Zimmern too. Iron Chef makes me hungry and some things on Zimmern's show makes me queasy.
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Food Shows 
