# The Next Food Network Star - 6/15 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 17, 2008, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-food-network-star-6-15/453167 "2008-06-17T00:19:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-food-network-star-6-15/453167/1 "2008-06-17T00:19:32Z")
Interesting challenges this week. I loved the way Bobby “stole” Aaron’s bacon-wrapped potatoes. Those sounded delish, and the committee was right: that would make a signature dish at a restaurant. His salad dressing sounded good, too. I also liked Lisa’s marmalade. Bye-bye Jeffrey. You just weren’t anything special. But Jennifer and Shane are riding the bubble. I wonder what Lisa dumped when she took the header on the previews? The panel didn’t sound too happy with the food next week. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-food-network-star-6-15/453167/2 "2008-06-17T00:43:01Z")
I’ve been watching a lot of **Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee** lately for the laughs, and as a result, I can’t take TNFNS seriously. What do they care what the food tastes like? Every recipe I’ve experimented with from Sandy’s show has been _disgusting_–or as my sister put it, “The worst thing I ever put in my mouth.” It is so hard to listen to Tuschman (Sp?) talk about the importance of good food when Sandy has a [a recipe for “No Bake” Daffodil Cake on their website](http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_37544,00.html). The first step? Buy two cakes at a bakery. Having said that, I really liked this week’s challenge. It made sense, and it was something that a Food Network “star” actually has to worry about. When was the last time Alton Brown or Bobby Flay had to cook brunch on a train? Yeah, yeah, it was a “Dinner Impossible” style challenge, but that’s his shtick, not actually something “stars” ever need to worry about. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-food-network-star-6-15/453167/3 "2008-06-17T14:19:44Z")
There’s your first mistake: watching Sandra Lee. What a hack! I am soo making [Aaron’s dish](http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_178695,00.html) this next weekend! ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-food-network-star-6-15/453167/4 "2008-06-17T15:40:40Z")
After the third episode, the awards for “Most toned-down appearance” and “Fastest abandonment of an inscrutable point of view” go to the Vulcan. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-food-network-star-6-15/453167/5 "2008-06-17T17:29:58Z")
Lisa bothers me, and I didn’t even see the first episode in which she apparently came off snotty as hell. It’s like she has too much makeup on, and a terrible haircut. It reminds me of the character that Maya Rudolph plays on SNL - the one with Fred Armisen where they’re snooty art people with unpronounceable names. Nipa grates as well. How did she avoid the axe, given her cayenne pepper + sugar seasoning? Seriously! Jennifer is utterly forgettable. I’m sure she’s a nice person, but I had to keep remind myself that she was on the show. Shane is going to go far, I think. At this point, my money’s on Aaron. That potato looked awesome, even if it was death on a platter. Why are they slamming the blonde bubbly girl? She’s channeling Rachael Ray, down to the “30 minutes” tagline… and they find her annoying? I half expect her to show up on an upcoming show and make a vigorous defense of the blonde. I didn’t find her particularly schlocky, compared to who they already have on the network. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-food-network-star-6-15/453167/6 "2008-06-17T17:47:50Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] There’s your first mistake: watching Sandra Lee. What a hack! [/QUOTE] Well, DUH. That’s the whole point of watching her show (and that’s what **pepper** was saying, too). ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-food-network-star-6-15/453167/7 "2008-06-17T20:20:48Z")
[QUOTE=Hippy Hollow] Why are they slamming the blonde bubbly girl? She’s channeling Rachael Ray, down to the “30 minutes” tagline… and they find her annoying? I half expect her to show up on an upcoming show and make a vigorous defense of the blonde. I didn’t find her particularly schlocky, compared to who they already have on the network. [/QUOTE] Kelsey apparently interned on Martha’s show and **Semi-Homemade Cooking**. She’s learned at the knee of the most annoying people on television. She’s basically a younger, perkier, prettier, smarter, more talented Sandra Lee. > [@](#): > > Well, DUH. That’s the whole point of watching her show (and that’s what pepper was saying, too). Exactly. I hate her, but that show cracks my shit up. It’s the best comedy on television. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-food-network-star-6-15/453167/8 "2008-06-17T20:44:10Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] There’s your first mistake: watching Sandra Lee. What a hack! [/QUOTE] That reminds me, I actually saw her **using her Kitchen Aid stand mixer** on a recent “light dessert” episode. You know, the one that comes in a color complementary to each episode’s kitchen decor-and-color makeover, but just sits on the counter? Yeah, apparently she figured out what it’s for, and made some kind of whipped topping or meringue or something for a dessert. I was in too much shock to actually pay attention to what was being made, as one of my usual dead horse argument points about her is the neglected Kitchen Aid stand mixer that they must have bought in every color, merely to go with the week’s color choice. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-food-network-star-6-15/453167/9 "2008-06-18T01:53:33Z")
[QUOTE=pepperlandgirl] Exactly. I hate her, but that show cracks my shit up. It’s the best comedy on television. [/QUOTE] Eh. Too stupid for my tastes, and I watch **Two and a Half Men**! 😃 Jennifer will be the next to go, unless somebody completely screws the pooch next week. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-food-network-star-6-15/453167/10 "2008-06-18T18:40:52Z")
[QUOTE=gotpasswords] After the third episode, the awards for “Most toned-down appearance” and “Fastest abandonment of an inscrutable point of view” go to the Vulcan. [/QUOTE] Everything about this post made me laugh. I too was wondering how they could take Kelsey to task, while Rachel Ray is well on her way to ruling our planet, despite her obnoxious abbreviations and her dialed-to-eleven perkiness. Shane has got to be on the chopping block soon. Sure, Jennifer is kind of bland, but she has the sense not to choose a product name with “gac” in it. Sounds scrumptious! ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-food-network-star-6-15/453167/11 "2008-06-19T02:26:44Z")
I just hate the tear-fest. Man up, folks. You don’t see Top Chefs cry (too often). At this point, I still don’t know which chef is which. I miss Top Chef. StG