I don’t watch the Food Network.
Or food shows on any other network, for that matter. Rachael Ray? Who’s that? I didn’t even watch America’s Test Kitchen even though I worked behind the scenes and got to carry a bowl of potatoes robotically across the set on camera once.
Part of it is that I don’t watch very much TV period. We don’t have HDTV. We don’t have TiVO. We’re lame.
Another part is that, although some of the shows may be interesting, I find the personalities too annoying. Emeril is annoying. Giada sexing up the camera makes me a little uncomfortable. Bobby Flay makes me want to take the only cookbook of his that I own and, with my crème brûlée torch, ignite it one page at a time. It’s a fine line between entertaining and annoying. If you’re reading this blog, you probably know what I mean.
But the real reason I don’t like to watch food shows is that you find yourself getting very invested in the process of cooking, but you don’t get to participate in the rewards. And the rewards are key. Instead, you get to watch them eat, and then struggle to come up with new and surprising ways to say “delicious.”
What about me? Now, I’m really hungry and I just wasted an hour during which I could have been cooking up something just as good. Okay, maybe half as good and definitely only an eighth as pretty, but the point is I’d be eating by now. And I wouldn’t be mad.
Carolyn shared *your* link with me! I mostly share your Food Network opinions, though the addition of Nigella on Sundays is swaying me. I'm a wee bit obsessed with her at present.
Posted by: Maureen | January 08, 2007 at 09:33 AM
You know, I came this close to writing, *except for Nigella.* Thanks for stopping by!
Posted by: Tammy | January 08, 2007 at 11:23 AM
That's so funny! The only food TV I can bear to watch is Nigella (and I can't even deal with much of her). My only exception is that I do watch Food TV when I'm a prisoner for three or six hours on a JetBlue flight with DirectTV...
Posted by: Julie | January 09, 2007 at 02:19 PM
Might as well, you certainly can't eat.
Actually, I've never flown JetBlue. How dare I assume their food is crap?
Posted by: Tammy | January 09, 2007 at 02:29 PM
I love ALL of your reasons not to read your blog and they will keep me coming back...although I am a friend of tomatoes that taste like tomatoes. (I'm a new Californian and have not quite gotten over the novelty of flavorful produce.)
Posted by: Carol | January 20, 2007 at 12:22 AM
I understand. Food Network is an aquired taste! I only watch it for Alton Brown. It seems that, unlike everybody else, I don't enjoy watching Nigella.
Posted by: Amy Marie | March 08, 2008 at 04:19 PM