# I am hopelessly addicted to the Food Network **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 6, 2005, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-hopelessly-addicted-to-the-food-network/325015 "2005-10-06T05:49:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-hopelessly-addicted-to-the-food-network/325015/1 "2005-10-06T05:49:08Z")
Since this is tv related, I figured it would go in CS over MPSIMS. But I am utterly, hopelessly, completely and without any doubt hooked on the Food Network. I haven’t been locked into a particular television channel like this since my pre-teen years with Nickelodeon. But ye-GODS, I cannot NOT watch Food Network. I, who at first mocked and scorned the idea of “Iron Chef” as ridiculous and utterly superfluous now watch it every night (and I root with all my heart for Chen Kenichi…oh Lord, how sad is that…?) I am fascinated by Bobby Flay and Emeril Lagasse, Jimmy O’Connor, Rachel Ray and others…and I have to admit that Giada de Laurentiis is insanely hot… On the bright side, my interest in cooking has been ignited (although apparently it’s hereditary) and as such the Lady Mung and I get to bond in the kitchen. Admittedly, I’m usually cutting vegetables under her tutelage, but it’s awesome quality time. It’s not just cooking, it’s learning! Ok…is it just me, or is anyone else stuck on Food Network programming? ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-hopelessly-addicted-to-the-food-network/325015/2 "2005-10-06T05:59:11Z")
Everyone in my house loves it. Mmmm, Giada. I want to marry her. Two problems with that, though. ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-hopelessly-addicted-to-the-food-network/325015/3 "2005-10-06T06:03:12Z")
> [@Harimad-sol](#): > > Everyone in my house loves it. > > Mmmm, Giada. I want to marry her. Two problems with that, though. I am unaware of those two problems. Enlighten me, to my sadness. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-hopelessly-addicted-to-the-food-network/325015/4 "2005-10-06T06:06:15Z")
This channel is a lot more fun and useful that I ever thought it would be. Iron Chef America is my current fave of their present lineup. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-hopelessly-addicted-to-the-food-network/325015/5 "2005-10-06T06:08:35Z")
> [@Hung Mung](#): > > I am unaware of those two problems. Enlighten me, to my sadness. She’s already married, and I am also a woman, so we couldn’t get married anyway most places, but a girl can dream, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-hopelessly-addicted-to-the-food-network/325015/6 "2005-10-06T06:13:38Z")
And, as a camera guy and a technical director, I have to say I’m completely FAS-cinated by ‘Good Eats’ from Alton Brown. It’s like a cooking show for hopeless nerds. LOVE it. ---
**Author:** ![katie1341](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/91b2a8/32.png) [@katie1341](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/katie1341)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-hopelessly-addicted-to-the-food-network/325015/7 "2005-10-06T06:24:44Z")
I’m addicted, too. I know that Rachel Ray annoys the crap out of a lot of people, but I love her. She always looks like she’s on the verge of burning something or some huge kitchen disaster. Since I’ve started watching the Food Network regularly, I’ve purchased a food processor and an insanely expensive (to me) chef’s knife. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-hopelessly-addicted-to-the-food-network/325015/8 "2005-10-06T06:29:40Z")
I watch _Good Eats_ faithfully as well. And whatever shows contain Rachael Ray. I’m also a fan of _Unwrapped_ and the various food competition shows. ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-hopelessly-addicted-to-the-food-network/325015/9 "2005-10-06T06:40:18Z")
> [@Harimad-sol](#): > > I watch _Good Eats_ faithfully as well. And whatever shows contain Rachael Ray. I’m also a fan of _Unwrapped_ and the various food competition shows. Have you watched the dessert competitions; the ones where they sculpt with sugar among others? I never even knew such things existed. I saw a contingent of Korean chefs create a dragon sculpture out of sugar once…it was beautiful. **katie1341** , I used to find Rachel Ray somewhat annoying at first, but I got used to her. I think she has two fantastic shows. And were it not for _Unwrapped_ I would never have discovered Ro’s Barbecue in North Carolina. Definitely a treat for me. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-hopelessly-addicted-to-the-food-network/325015/10 "2005-10-06T06:46:26Z")
> [@Hung Mung](#): > > Have you watched the dessert competitions; the ones where they sculpt with sugar among others? I never even knew such things existed. I saw a contingent of Korean chefs create a dragon sculpture out of sugar once…it was beautiful. > **katie1341** , I used to find Rachel Ray somewhat annoying at first, but I got used to her. I think she has two fantastic shows. > > And were it not for _Unwrapped_ I would never have discovered Ro’s Barbecue in North Carolina. Definitely a treat for me. Oh, yes, I’ve watched the dessert competitions. They do make some beautiful things. Those sugar sculptures that look like they’re made of glass fascinate me. ---
**Author:** ![Thalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f475e1/32.png) [@Thalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thalion)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-hopelessly-addicted-to-the-food-network/325015/11 "2005-10-06T06:48:31Z")
> [@Hung Mung](#): > > …and I have to admit that Giada de Laurentiis is insanely hot… I walked into the room one day when my wife was watching _Everyday Italian_. I was stunned by this woman! My wife told me that she has a crush on her and loves to watch her cook, because everything she does is sensual. I told her that I would watch Giada read the newspaper! ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-hopelessly-addicted-to-the-food-network/325015/12 "2005-10-06T16:22:17Z")
My wife is hopelessly addicted to the Food Network. She started years ago with Emeril, but got sick of him (plus she says his recipes don’t work). Then the Time-Warner bastards took it off in Houston for a couple of years. When it came back, she first got hooked on Rachel Ray, then got tired of her perkiness. Now it’s Alton. I have to admit (though not to her) that even I like Alton. She’ll watch just about anything on that network except the disgraced Emeril and Rachel, and that annoying southern woman. She also shifts to PBS on Saturday for Jacques Pepin and (especially) America’s Test Kitchen. This is an addiction that has worked out very well for me, because she’s become a great cook. ---
**Author:** ![Available\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@Available\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Available_Jones)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-hopelessly-addicted-to-the-food-network/325015/13 "2005-10-06T16:52:23Z")
Alright, more Food Network fans! We Dopers do have the best, ahem, taste, in TV. Shows like How To Boil Water have made me the cook I am today. Thanks to Mario Batali, I have whipped up some pasta recipes that have bowled over my family members and friends. Thanks to Alton Brown, I now know the right way to cook a steak. I think I have learned as much watching these shows as a first-year cooking school student. And yes, Giada is make-a-guy’s-heart-ache HOT! Rachel ain’t bad either, especially lately. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-hopelessly-addicted-to-the-food-network/325015/14 "2005-10-06T16:59:36Z")
I love the sugar competition shows where they make those huge sugar sculptures and then have to move them at the end. Good tension. ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-hopelessly-addicted-to-the-food-network/325015/15 "2005-10-06T17:07:43Z")
I’m a big fan of AB. We also like Unwrapped a lot. It reminds me of the segments on Mr. Rogers Neighborhood where he’d tour the Q-Tip factory (or whatever). And Giada? Just put _her_ on a plate for me. Mmmmmm. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-hopelessly-addicted-to-the-food-network/325015/16 "2005-10-06T17:28:13Z")
We watch it at our house, too, during dinner. We like Emeril and Unwrapped and Good Eats. I think Alton Brown has taken the cooking show to another level. They have lots of interesting shows about cuisine all over America, and elsewhere. I’m still at the stage where I think Rachael is annoying, but she is not difficult to look at, which helps. I haven’t seen the program with Glada, I’ll have to look for it. ---
**Author:** ![Albert\_Rose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Albert\_Rose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Albert_Rose)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-hopelessly-addicted-to-the-food-network/325015/17 "2005-10-06T17:57:56Z")
I love it! I’ve actually decided to change my career because of this network. I was a high school math teacher, now I’m going to be a Pastry Chef. [Here](http://www.orlandoculinary.com/) is my new school. ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-hopelessly-addicted-to-the-food-network/325015/18 "2005-10-06T19:03:53Z")
I am also addicted to the Food Network. \*Good Eats \* is may favorite, but I’ll watch almost anything they air. I even enjoy _Cook’s Tour_, which they tend to bury at 3AM. It would be easier to point out the shows I don’t like, which include whichever one has Dave Lieberman and is supposedly about cooking on a small budget. Bull_shit_, that’s a small budget. Come shop on MY budget, jackass, then show me how to cook something. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-hopelessly-addicted-to-the-food-network/325015/19 "2005-10-06T19:06:53Z")
> [@cbawlmer](#): > > I am also addicted to the Food Network. \*Good Eats \* is may favorite, but I’ll watch almost anything they air. I even enjoy _Cook’s Tour_, which they tend to bury at 3AM. I’m a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain and _A Cook’s Tour_, but they bury it because he has a new show on the Travel Channel, _No Reservations_, and because he constantly talks shit about Food Network’s more annoying celebrity chefs, particularly Bobby Flay and Emeril. ---
**Author:** ![Psycho\_Pirate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Psycho\_Pirate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Psycho_Pirate)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-hopelessly-addicted-to-the-food-network/325015/20 "2005-10-06T19:29:04Z")
No love for my favorite Paula Deen and her show, _Paula’s Home Cooking_? Southen style comfort food at it’s finest. Plenty of butter and mayonnaise to go around, too. Yummy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-hopelessly-addicted-to-the-food-network/325015.md?page=2)