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Is the Food Television Industry Too Cheesy?

partysugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:43:33 -0700

In what is becoming a disturbing trend, more and more celebrity chefs are hamming it up on screen and being made to look like cartoon characters. Take the beginning of Hell's Kitchen, for example. The cheftestants frolic around stupidly: one throws a giant animated tomato, another catches the tomato, and yet another slices the tomato in half with a larger-than-life animated knife. Clearly these scenes were filmed on a green screen.

Rotoscoping - the film technique in which live action is mixed with animation - can also be scene in the opening credits of Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals. In it, Ray spins and sits on a colossal clock. The Rescue Chef - another Food Network show starting Danny Boome - is oozing with cheese. Even Bravo has jumped on the bandwagon with the super-cheesy portrait photos of the Season 4 Top Chef contestants.

Am I the only one whose noticed and is bothered by this trend? What do you think? Has food television becoming too cheesy?

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What's Your Appetite For Fall's Foodie TV Lineup?

YumSugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:50:18 -0700

It's impossible not to be dismayed by the end of Summer, but there are things about Fall to anticipate, too - like the return of television shows that are actually compelling, and the novelty that comes along with brand-new programming. With regards to food-lover's fare, networks are full of tasty turnouts for Autumn; whet your appetite for the shows by matching the theme of the new show to its title. How hungry are you for Fall's food-centric lineups? There's only one way to find out!

Take the quiz

Meet Our New Food and Entertaining Video Channel, YumTV!

partysugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:43:19 -0800

I'm a huge fan of PopSugar Rush and BellaTV - that's why it brings me great honor to introduce our new food-related video channel, YumTV! We're creating an exciting lineup of original shows that will debut every week. YumTV is your ultimate guide to all things food, drink, and entertaining. We'll show you how to throw the perfect party, cook killer apps, browse the farmers markets, shake up creative cocktails, and much more!

In today's first episode, we talk about one of the most important side dishes of the Thanksgiving meal, mashed potatoes. To learn how to add a punch of color to our basic mashed potatoes recipe, watch YumTV now!

Are Cooking Television Shows Too Unrealistic?

partysugar — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:50:52 -0700

In his blog on the New York Times, food journalist Mark Bittman makes the claim that food television - particularly cooking shows that teach a viewer how to make something - are too unrealistic. Unlike the real world, the chefs never make mistakes and each dish always comes out perfectly. He says:

When you watch most celebrity chefs go to work on TV it is a) baffling and intimidating, and b) a charade. Baffling and intimidating because nearly every ingredient is usually prepared in advance, and what isn’t is selected so that the chef can show off his (almost never “her”) knife skills, which are bound to intimidate nearly all of us who can never aspire (and why would we, really?) to chopping an onion with our eyes closed.

While I understand how the lack of miscalculation may isolate a viewer, I disagree with Bittman. I enjoy the Barefoot Contessa because her world is an escape from my reality: In her sunny Hampton house the food is consistently delicious. Rather than feel intimidated, I feel inspired! What's your take on Bittman's perspective?

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Kim Kardashian Is Latest Face of Carl's Jr.

YumSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:50:27 -0800

Guess who's joining the ranks of Paris Hilton, Padma Lakshmi, and Audrina Patridge as Carl's Jr. spokesperson? None other than reality show temptress Kim Kardashian.

Kardashian is teaming up with the burger chain - known for its risqué commercials - to promote its new premium salads. It'll be the first commercial spot the company has done for a menu item that's not a burger. The reality TV star tells People that while she's a healthy eater today, she has a number of fond memories involving Carl's Jr.

"Driving to Las Vegas, my dad would take the family and we'd stay at Circus Circus and we always stopped at Carl's Jr," she says.

"I remember this food fight my sisters and I all had in the back of the van – it was so funny. We got in so much trouble!" Do you think Kim Kardashian and Carl's Jr. will make for fun viewing?

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Michelle Obama to Appear on Paula's Party

partysugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:15:40 -0700

Possible first-lady-to-be Michelle Obama is scheduled to make an appearance on Food Network's Paula's Party. On the primetime television series, Southern belle Paula Deen speaks with Obama about the first meal - seafood gumbo complete with lobster, shrimp, and mussels - she cooked for Barack.

After the conversation Deen invites Obama into her kitchen where she teaches her how to make fried shrimp and Creole french fries. The episode airs on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. My tivo is already set; I'm excited to see how Michelle moves in the kitchen.

How about you? Will you watch?

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Food Network Announces its 2007 Programming Additions

YumSugar — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 09:58:17 -0700

Get your TiVos warmed up, there's some new stuff coming to Food Network. They just recently announced their 2007 programming additions and here's what we can expect this summer:

Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives - starring - looks like Food Network is putting their new star Guy Fieri (who, I might add was absent from any of the Food Network's South Beach Festival photos I saw) behind the wheel of his 1967 Camaro looking for the best diners, drive-ins and dives the US has to offer. Debuts April 23.
Simply Delicioso (working title) - Galavision superstar Ingrid Hoffmann brings her Latin lifestyle expertise to America. Debuts in July.
Food Dudes (working title) - Follow two young chefs, Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook, try to make a name for themselves and their catering business. Debuts this fall.

To check out the rest, and there's at least one that I'm going to be sure to TiVo, read more

The Next Food Network Star - The third season of the Food Network reality show beefs things up by expanding its format to have contestants compete on location and not just in the studio. Begins June 3 at 9pm.
Feasting on Asphalt 2 - Alton Brown (my personal Food Network favorite) hops on his motorcycle for a second season of touring the back roads of America in search of good eats. Hopefully he doesn't break anything this time (he had an accident last year where he broke his collarbone).
The Next Iron Chef of America - Food Network's looking for someone to join Batali, Cora, Morimoto and Flay. They're casting now for professional chefs to be contestants on the show. Alton Brown is hosting, and I have a thing for food reality TV, so I'll probably end up watching this too. Debuts this fall.
America's Best Recipe - Nine everyday contestants prepare original recipes in front of a live Las Vegas audience. Airs in 2008.

So what do you think, are you looking forward to any of these?

Source: Digital Producer Magazine

What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:30:25 -0800

Caramel takes a starring role in these pecan cupcakes.
Check out our new food and entertaining video channel, YumTV!
Are you a fast food junkie?
Thirteen wines under $20 that make perfect hostess gifts.
It's down to the final four on Top Chef; did you watch?
Thanksgiving: We've got plenty of tips and menu ideas to get you through!

Yummy Links: Gordon Ramsay on the Big & Little Screens

YumSugar — Thu, 17 May 2007 01:39:15 -0700

All of my blabbering about Top Chef has almost made me forget that Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen begins June 4th! There are twelve contestants facing off this season and they range from retirement home chef to short-order cook. Could be interesting, but will it be as captivating as TC? - TV Food Fan

Oh and since I'm on the topic of Gordon Ramsay, rumor has it that his autobiobraphy, Humble Pie, has been optioned in to a movie. I wonder who will play him... - Yahoo News UK

Update:
In case you don't get enough Ramsay this summer, it looks like Fox has picked up a US version of Hell's Kitchen for the fall. - The Futon Critic [Thanks for the tip BuzzSugar!]

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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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