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Kelsey Nixon to Star on Food Network's Web Show

partysugar — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:00:52 -0800

Kelsey Nixon, the perky blonde contestant on the fourth season of the Next Food Network Star, is getting her own show. In the November issue of Utah Valley magazine, she discusses her new role at Food Network:

I've been approached by so many production companies, but I think Food Network is the route I should go. I'm working on a project with them right now - a web show about teaching cooking basics. . . My co-host on the show is Spike Mendelsohn from Top Chef and we have a great time. I'm the one to do the 'by-the-book' classic methods, and he uses crazy ingredients from all over the world.

The show will be a part of F2 a new website the Food Network is launching in early 09. According to Kelsey they plan to shoot 65 episodes and have wrapped filming on the first 13. This is an interesting move for Food Network and I definitely look forward to checking out the chemistry between bubbly Kelsey and spastic Spike. What do you think of the unlikely duo?

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Food Network Aims to Entertain With 2010 Lineup

YumSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:30:20 -0800

Looks like Food Network's switching gears to focus less on cooking expertise and more on entertainment. On the roster for 2010: more Brian Boitano, and a new show, Worst Cooks in America.

Worst Cooks in America, which premieres Sunday, Jan. 3, features 12 "hopeless cooks" who are divided into two teams, one under the tutelage of network vet Anne Burrell and the other led by Arizona chef Beau MacMillan.

The show's premise: bad cooks undergo a five-week "culinary boot camp" where they will learn kitchen techniques from Burrell and MacMillan that they must apply in weekly elimination challenges.

After the contestants have been narrowed down to two, they will compete for a grand prize of $25,000 in a final challenge that has them preparing a three-course meal for a panel of food critics who think the dishes have been prepared by chefs Anne and Beau.

For even more entertainment, Brian Boitano fans should also stay tuned for the return of the Olympic medalist, who's back with a second season of the screwball show What Would Brian Boitano Make? in March. Will you tune in to watch either of these shows - or are they too far a departure from the classic cooking shows that once dominated Food Network?

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Kelsey and Spike Debut Their New Show on Food2

partysugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:05:28 -0700

During the last season of the Next Food Network Star, many of you thought perky blond Kelsey Nixon had serious star potential and were shocked when she got kicked off the show. But the spunky home chef assured readers she wouldn't be going anywhere when she announced she was getting her own show with Top Chef's Spike Mendelsohn on Food Network spinoff site Food2.

The enthusiastic contestant kept her word. Today, Kelsey & Spike Cook debuted on Food2's website with two episodes: one demo of easy-to-make steak and another featuring breakfast items. Unlike Food Network's other new show, 5 Ingredient Fix, I feel an instant connection with the duo - especially since we've gotten to know them on reality shows past.

They have a fun, lighthearted chemistry that holds my attention. Watch the video below and tell me what you think. Do you like the duo's dynamic? What do you think of the Food2 beta website and its other new shows?

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What to TiVo: Sunday

BuzzSugar — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:50:06 -0800

ABC has the 2009 American Music Awards
CBS is new with Amazing Race, Cold Case, and Three Rivers
FOX is new with The Simpsons, The Cleveland Show, Family Guy, and American Dad
NBC has Sunday Night Football: Eagles at Bears
The Food Network is new with Next Iron Chef
HBO has the season finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm
Showtime is new with Dexter and Californication
E! is new with Girls Next Door and Leave It to Lamas
MTV has repeats of MTV Cribs and has Drumline
VH1 has repeats of Tough Love and Sex Rehab With Dr. Drew

Should TV Chefs Be Responsible For Promoting Eco-Friendly Cooking?

YumSugar — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:00:26 -0700

When we recently disagreed with the assertion that cooking shows are too unrealistic, many of you seemed to share our opinion that food TV can actually be rather inspiring. Well, here's another question for you to ponder: Should TV chefs serve as role models?

In a Huffington Post article titled "Nasty Habits of Food Network Celebrities," columnist Isabel Cowles criticizes Food Network chefs like Giada De Laurentiis, Sandra Lee, and Guy Fieri for "encouraging wasteful, unhealthy behavior."Cowles derides De Laurentiis for using (and not recycling) nearly 1,000 square inches of aluminum foil on an episode of Everyday Italian. She frowns on Sandra Lee's use of packaged foods that come in more bags, bottles, and packaging. She doesn't approve of a chili recipe by Guy Fieri that calls for four pounds of meat from three animals, which, she maintains, encourages the reckless consumption of big-agriculture meat. Cowles argues:

The image these chefs are creating of our country's food ethos and practices wreaks of wastefulness, over-indulgence, and laziness. The Food Network and its celebrity chefs should inspire Americans to savor quality food and the entire process of making a meal . . . It's a shame that these chefs don't use their popularity to truly help improve how Americans cook and eat.

I'm curious to hear what you think. Are television chefs being wasteful? Is it their responsibility to serve as an example for the rest of us? Should cooking shows lead the way in encouraging America to reduce its kitchen carbon footprint - or is society expecting a little too much?

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Are There Too Many Chef Shows on TV?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:30:02 -0800

We've already talked about the abundance of dance shows on TV, but there's another genre that seems to be taking over the networks - competitive cooking. NBC just picked up United Plates of America, a new series by the producers of Top Chef which will pit hopeful restaurateurs against each other for the ultimate prize of starting their own chain. The winner gets to open four locations on the night of the finale. That's a pretty cool gift package, but it has me thinking - don't we have enough of this programming on TV already?

The premise does sound more unique than most, but it used to be that the Food Network was the only TV cooking choice with its popular Iron Chef franchise. Since then, other channels have gotten in on the act, too, like Fox's Hell's Kitchen and of course Bravo with Top Chef, Top Chef Masters, Top Chef: Just Desserts . . . need I go on?

Of course, if you're a foodie, you may be excited to have yet another show for your TiVo queue, but I wonder if all of this is overkill. How about you?

Ted Allen to Join Food Network

partysugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:15:12 -0700

I'm not sure if you've noticed, but the Food Network is overhauling its programing schedule. It seems like every week a new series debuts. It started back in February with the introduction of Pat and Gina Neely followed swiftly by Danny Boome. Other recent newcomers include Sunny Anderson and Mary Nolan.

Although I find it overwhelming - new chefs, new concepts, new shows, how can I get to know them all? - I'm looking forward to checking out Ted Allen! The Network announced today that they've nabbed the Top Chef judge to host a new primetime program called Food Detectives. Good Eats meets Myth Busters in the show, with Allen answering popular food questions like: Can an apple a day keep the doctor away?

The show sounds informative and interesting, and I look forward to checking it out when it debuts on July 29. What do you think, will you watch? How do you feel about all the new shows on Food Network?

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Is Food Network's Chopped a Ripoff of Top Chef?

partysugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:15:09 -0800

If you watch Food Network on a regular basis, you must know - by the bombardment of promotional commercials - about its new culinary competition, Chopped.

The show, which is described as a series that "challenges four up-and-coming chefs to turn a selection of everyday ingredients into an extraordinary three-course meal. After each course, a contestant gets 'chopped' until the last man or woman left standing claims victory," is hosted by former Top Chef judge, Ted Allen. Although Chopped does not air until Tuesday, Jan. 13 (at 10 p.m.), many feel the show is a complete ripoff of Top Chef.

After watching the promo video, Eat Me Daily declared that "Food Network is totally trying to mimic Top Chef's more professional veneer, especially in the light of the more amateurish low-budget feel of the Next Food Network Star."

Spurred by the Internet's backlash against Chopped, Ted Allen has taken to his blog to defend the series. To find out what he had to say, read more.

Following a long, detailed description of each episode Allen states:

There also is a culinary straightforwardness about this show that I find really satisfying, and particularly appropriate for a company called Food Network. There is no sleep deprivation, no "Big Brother" house full of bunk beds and cameras, no booze-fueled personal drama (as much as we all love the brainwashing and catfights on that certain show I used to judge). There are no team or catering challenges. Best of all, there is no product placement, so you never see passionate lovers of good food being forced to use packaged convenience junk thanks to Kraft/Altria/Exxon's sponsorship.

I'll admit when I first heard about the show, I wondered if it would be too similar to Top Chef. What do you think about the competition's resemblance? Is Chopped a cheap, made-for-the-masses knockoff?

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Sandra Lee to Debut New Food Network Show

partysugar — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 07:50:38 -0800

Both Ina Garten and Giada de Laurentiis premiered new Food Network series last Fall, so it's no surprise to learn that another of the network's biggest stars, Sandra Lee, is set to begin production of a new cooking program.

Sandra's Money Saving Meals will premiere on May 10 at 12 p.m. The show will focus on Lee's "triple A factor" of accessible, aspirational, and affordable food. She'll provide cost-saving tips for grocery shopping and feature innovative ways to use leftovers.

As more and more people look for inexpensive meal options, it's only natural for the Food Network to move toward a recession-friendly lineup. In a statement, Bob Tushman, the senior vice president of programing, said:

At this critical economic time, Sandra comes to the rescue by providing our viewers with creative ways to save money and time while cooking great meals at home. We appreciate the dedicated passion and in-depth knowledge Sandra brings to this topic, and we look forward to launching this new endeavor with her.

Although I've never really been a fan of Sandra's 70/30 semi-homemade philosophy, I'm curious to see her tips on affordable eating - after all, she was made from scratch! What do you think about the new series? Will you watch Sandra's Money Saving Meals?

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The Not-So-Amateur Gourmet Joins Food Network

YumSugar — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 14:28:31 -0800

Adam Roberts, everyone's favorite Amateur Gourmet is getting his own online show. Called The FN Dish, the weekly show is a behind-the-scenes look at what's going on at the Food Network. It'll also cover food-related ideas, recipes, and stories that Adam finds exciting.

In his first few episodes, he interviews all the big Food Network stars. It's a little fan gushy, but not too much, and I really am looking forward to seeing what he cooks up, especially his coverage of the South Beach Food & Wine Festival. If you're interested to see what Adam whips up behind the scenes of Food Network then check out the first episode of The FN Dish just read more.

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