Paula is not known for low fat cooking so when she says she’s going to use butter that is the inside joke, she always uses butter. Well, almost always I did see one recipe where she used margarine and she warned everyone in advance that what she was about to say would be shocking coming from her. When she says she’s going to use “a little” butter she uses about an entire stick. She always gets this mischievous look on her face while she’s adding it. When she laughs it’s a genuine “I’ve been nipping at the cooking wine” laugh, even if it’s about nothing, unlike some others coughIna GartenMartha Stewartcough who can’t even fake a good laugh.
Paula uses heavy cream, whole fat milk, butter - if it’s fattening she uses it and that’s one reason I love the show. Sure you don’t want to eat like that all the time but if you are going to make a special meal or some good old homestyle comfort food you want it hardcore.
I’ve seen something in this thread that I don’t think I’ve ever seen in a SD thread before, it seems that everyone was able to agree on one thing, that Bobbie Flay is an ass. Isn’t it great when we can all come together like that?
I watched him in the '60s and early '70s, during his heyday, because in those times it was funny and entertaining to see the host of the show get fairly looped every day. And he did. Granted, he had a pleasant personality and good sense of humor and timing. IIRC, he developed a full-blown drinking problem, and then later at some point, he found religion. That’s why you don’t hear about him anymore.
What about the Frugal Gourmet? He was on PBS a few years ago. I liked his way in the kitchen–down to earth, but also interesting. IMS, he was accused of sexually harassing his staff and out went he…
Noone remembers Julia Childe? <checks into AARP perks and calls Shady Oaks Nursing Home>
The thing is, I think, that The Frugal Gourmet, The Galloping Gourmet, Martin Yan, Julia Child, Chef Tell… they were never achieved the pop-celebrity status that Emeril and his ilk have attained. When cooking shows were on PBS, they were low-budget, bare bones, educational and non-flashy. Now there’s a lot of glitz, glamour and being a “foodie” is an in thing to do. They have budgets to rival some sitcoms, and their faces are everywhere - marketing darlings.
My favorite cooking show was the one with Jacques Pepin and Julia Child; they had an amazing rapport, excellent combined talent, and a real passion for what they were doing - not so much the cooking as the teaching others to have a passion for cooking.
Emeril comes across as having a passion for teaching others to have a passion for Emeril.
See Altons show on making tea? Not that I will ever make that poison, but his tea kettle was beyond frigging cool. Err, beyond poop-fucking shit cool, in Pit-ese.
As a FoodTV junkie, I usually spend either Saturday or Sunday mornings hunched in front of the tv watching these shows, and Giada de Laurentis is one where I get a LOT of recipes. Her recipes are fairly easy, and delicious (polenta with gorgonzola was KILLER…).
However, if I see her widen her eyes and say “Doesn’t that look YUMMY?” one more time, I am going to go into convulsions.
I love that kettle. I have been looking for a kettle like that since I first saw that episode.
Used to be that Food Network would show old shows like The Galloping Gormet at like 4am. I used to love to catch it when I could. He was a hoot and the food usually looked delicious, but how he became an alcoholic is no mystery. His show always reminded me of that joke recipe for rum cake that goes around every Christmas. (You know the one. Test the rum, sift the flour, test the rum).
I have a funny story about my Grandmother and the Julia Child show. My Nana’s jelly rolls always cracked on her and she got all excited when Julia was going to make one on her show. Nana was finally going to find out what she was doing wrong. Julia rolls the jelly roll and it cracks. Julia laughed and said “that happens, just cover it with powdered sugar, you’ll never notice it”. Nana was pissed.
I wouldn’t say that. Justin Wilson and Jeff Smith were both pretty popular and I’d say they were on the same level as Food Network’s B and C list stars. Not Emeril or Wolfgang by any means, but on the level of Masahiro Morimoto, Mario Batali, Tyler Florence, Rachel Ray, et al? Sure.
And to use a non-cooking example, what about the Happy Trees guy? Bob Whatsit? He was never on anything other than PBS and I bet most people my age and older would know who he was if they watched TV in the 80s and early 90s.
I love Julia Child. I grew up watching her show, and was saddened at her death earlier this year. One of my husband’s presents to me for Christmas was her book The Way to Cook. It’s the first one I’ve owned from her, and I was pleased to see her personality come out in the book.
Once again, my foes seek to thwart me. DAMN. That was the one.
Re: Julia Childs and company, I prefer the foods made on 30 Minute Meals or whatnot by far. Julias food, the few times I watched her show, was heavy, difficult to make, and not really geared towards one or two people, while most modern shows have healthier food (other than the crazy butter woman), and it scales better to cooking for one or two.
I only cook for myself and my husband most of the time, and I love 30 Minute Meals. I have the second cookbook and it’s very much worth it - although I’m still working on getting them to 30 minutes and not 45-60.
