Had it with the Food Channel...

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Originally Posted by Daisy and Delilah

Great information, Richard. You Californians are grilling geniuses.

Do you use the citrus marinade for fish at all? Minus the meat tenderizer?

I never realized how many uses there are for cilantro. Eating it alone is difficult for me. Mixing it with other things, it really tastes great. Especially in salsa and guacamole.



Giada eating those donuts, holy cow!! I hope she had a cigarette afterward.:eek:

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OH, Why do you read my mind?

I had the tube on and was in the kitchen cooking. I could hear GD 'making out' with her food. It sounded vile-the moans and groans!:eek: Then I thought the same thing......Does she roll over and go to sleep?

I saw part of the "Best Thing", It's all re-creations and probably places they had recommended to them.


Shrimp heads, in different forms aren't uncommon, but they are deadly.

Well, not deadly but.......

If you look at a shrimp head carefully you will see a sharp barbed spike that protrudes from in between their eyes. I was eating dried shrimp and got that spike shoved into my gums. I'll spare you the details but it's cost me dearly!:confused:

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I had to laugh, just after I posted the last time, someone fired up a feast next door, you could smell citrus all over!


Fish........I have only done the 'foil fish' packages.

I take foil and place a thin layer of potatoes or lemons down, then the fish/fillets, lemon pepper, top the fish with the lemons or taters and wrap it up.

It you choose to cook a whole fish? A few green onions in the belly will give the fish a nice onion-y flavor, cilantro is also a good stuffer!

Trout is far and away the best fish to cook this way!

The potatoes/lemons keep the fish from sticking to the foil-they are pretty much stuck to the foil, so do not bother to try and salvage them for the meal.

A citrus marinade will 'cook' the fish and make it flake, like a ceviche, I have to admit I never have prepped a fish too much before cooking it.


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I checked the prices on the tilapia I bought. It was 5.98 for about 6 lbs of fish. You get the head and have to dig around for the meat, but it was well worth it. I like the whole fish on the plate. It is a challenge, but food should be fun!

I am seriously hungry for some fish right now!! I can't wait to get to the store for some fish. The foil pack sounds delish. I'm lucky to have a great fish market/restaurant about a mile from here. A little pricey but fantastic.

The entire shrimp head looked dangerous to me. Duff was loving them. He seems like a guy that would eat anything.

Ahhhhh......to walk outside in Florida and smell citrus wafting through the air. I'll be looking for a Mexican family cooking out.:D

i watched the last 40 minutes of the program last night-The groupings and food choices for each set of chefs is pretty predictable.

The 'offal' group had a pretty good grasp of cooking the meats they got.

I was pretty interested in the pig ear and the menudo.

I'll watch again to see who else goes to the final show.

And what's up with the Judge In The Hat?;)

Cooking all those innards kinda looked weird to start with but the finished dishes didn't look too bad The people seemed to enjoy them.

The judge in the hat is Gael Green(I think). An older lady. She looks so familiar to me for some reason.

I was in St. Augustine yesterday and bought some mahi mahi. I'll try the fish with citrus marinade and potatoes. I can't wait. Probably tomorrow.:)

Richard, do you cook lamb? I have some chops. I've never bought it before. I've never heard anything but negative comments from people I know. FN talks about it like it's the greatest thing on the planet.
What do you think? What's the best way to cook it?

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Originally Posted by Daisy and Delilah

I was in St. Augustine yesterday and bought some mahi mahi. I'll try the fish with citrus marinade and potatoes. I can't wait. Probably tomorrow.:)

Richard, do you cook lamb? I have some chops. I've never bought it before. I've never heard anything but negative comments from people I know. FN talks about it like it's the greatest thing on the planet.
What do you think? What's the best way to cook it?

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I have had lamb, but never cooked it. It's not common in my neck of the woods. I do see it in the more expensive 'hoods.

The last time I ate lamb, it was pan fried. I was surprised because of the denisty of the meat. Nothing bad about it-I was used to the texture of pork chop. A good PC makes you work for a bite. Lamb is a more delicate meat.

I hear that rosemary is a good herb to pair it up with. Otherwise, I have nothing!:D

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I went out this morning and the store with the parking lot BBQ. It was rolling with chicken. I'll take my camera along next tome and take some pics for you to see!

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Originally Posted by Daisy and Delilah

do you cook lamb? I have some chops. I've never bought it before. I've never heard anything but negative comments from people I know. FN talks about it like it's the greatest thing on the planet.What do you think? What's the best way to cook it?

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I don't like lamb any more but I cooked it years ago and ate it up! I quick pan fried it as I did w/pork chops and sometimes I broiled them. Just added a little rosemary and we were good to go. Now they taste odd to me, musky or something. That isn't the right word but I can't find the right word. Give it a whirl; you may love them. My son still does.

Thanks! I have my rosemary plant ready to go with it when I cook it. Do you marinate with the rosemary or throw it in the pan with the oil, Maybe both? I was told to get mint jelly to go with it but I don't think I would like that.:confused:

I got the chops for a good price at my favorite Spanish store and they look good. I'll let you guys know when I cook them.:)

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Originally Posted by Daisy and Delilah

Thanks! I have my rosemary plant ready to go with it when I cook it. Do you marinate with the rosemary or throw it in the pan with the oil, Maybe both? I was told to get mint jelly to go with it but I don't think I would like that.:confused:

I got the chops for a good price at my favorite Spanish store and they look good. I'll let you guys know when I cook them.:)

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Yes, I forgot to mention the mint jelly. I don't care for that at all, though. As for the rosemary, I kinda rub it into the meat a little, rather hard to do w/rosemary but it always came out pretty good.

I love lamb, but unfortunately I'm in the minority in this house. I usually just buy a half leg boneless roast rather than chops, since the chops are so expensive. I don't like mint jelly with it or rosemary. so I just score the top of the roast and stuff fresh sliced onion in the scores, and sprinkle with pepper and roast. Dee-lish!!!!

I'd do some olive oil, rosemary, pepper, salt and lemon in a marinade.

POM,

What do you do for sides?

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Originally Posted by RICHARD

POM,

What do you do for sides?

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I personally like roasted potatoes with the lamb. Don't peel them - just dice them up and throw them in the same pan with the meat. Also - anything apple is good - such as spiced apples, or maybe a baked stuffing with apple, onions and celery. Just about anything goes good with lamb IMO.

Ok - now I'm hungry for lamb! Since I seldom use my oven in the summer even tho I have central air, I'm thinking of another way to fix it.

How about cooking it with indirect heat on the gas grill? Throw on some fresh corn on the cob when it's almost done, and serve with some nice homemade potato salad, and a salad of fresh tomatoes and onions in olive oil.

Who wants to join me??? :D

I watched parts of last night's TVFN show.

I really think that these shows do not pick the best people for the shows.

Why do they pick the mentally defective? I have to laugh when people get emotional over a salad? A pea? An imperfect egg?

I guess you could, in theory, season a dish with tears?:eek::rolleyes:

Thanks for all the lamb info everybody. Mint jelly sounds like something I wouldn't like for any reason and certainly not with a meat I'm not even accustomed to yet. Yuck! I'm so happy all of you don't like it either. I just couldn't see the connection.

Richard, what does TVFN stand for? I know I'm having a senior moment here.:rolleyes: Are you talking about NFNS? I can't believe how those people are supposed to be chefs but they can't cook food until it's done?? This has to be done on purpose for the drama.

Then we had the incident of Debbie being hit in the head by Michael with the oven door. C'mon....are we stupid? Neither of them saw that coming? If she was hit as hard as she pretended to be, she couldn't have pulled herself together so quick. Did anybody notice there were no marks on her face at all? I was thinking a black eye would have been a given. I guess that entire incident was to take the happy attitude from Michael for awhile so we all won't think he stays ecstatic.:rolleyes: Not to mention the drama involved when Debbie got whacked.:(

I can't forget to mention Jeffrey and the lousy dish he cooked. Did he have a brain freeze? How can he be so savvy every week and all of a sudden, he can't think of anything? That's his job, his life, etc. I was getting sick watching him cut up those lobsters. That was brutal and it could have been left out of the show.

I expected they would oust the healthy girl-Katie? Instead, they got rid of Teddy. Teddy was sorta forgettable.

I made my mahi mahi yesterday but I had to cook it inside because of a grill incident(long story). I marinated it in orange juice, lime and lemon juice. I also sliced fresh lime and lemon for the foil packets I made. Garlic, onions, peppers(assorted), smoked paprika, basil, sea salt, peppercorns ground. I wrapped the fish in foil after marinating for about 30 minutes. I precooked some sliced potatoes and added those and baked the packets for about 15 minutes at 425 degrees. It was delicious.

I haven't done the lamb yet but I'm dying for it now. Ellie, I'll join you too!!:)

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Originally Posted by Daisy and Delilah

Richard, what does TVFN stand for? I know I'm having a senior moment here.:rolleyes: Are you talking about NFNS? I can't believe how those people are supposed to be chefs but they can't cook food until it's done?? This has to be done on purpose for the drama.

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TV Food Network.

I meant NFNS.:confused::)

The contestants can cook, but making them pair stupid ingredients and giving them time limits is the problem.


Here's the rub.

I would not pair Captain Crunch with tuna, nor put grapefruit with lobster.

The idea that someone would plan a meal with ghastly combos like that has no bearing on what people can cook.

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Steamed fish is the absolute best.

If I cook fish I like to grab a piece of hard bread, butter it up and use it to sop up the 'fish juice'! that you get!

OR

(Again, this is a make as you go recipe!)

Gather up all the packets, drain the broth and place into a saucepan. Add milk and butter, a little cornstarch and heat. A splash of white wine and you are there!

You can leave it rough or run a boat motor thru it, strain the solids out for a smooth sauce.

Terry - if you have lamb chops - I'd recommend broiling rather than pan frying. Much more tasty that way IMO. My Mom used to fix them like that all the time. Geeze - I can remember when lamb was cheap and we had it often. Same with scallops - they were always on the dinner table.

What happened????? I love them both, but only rarely buy either because of the price. :eek:

I thought about broiling them. I'll try that, Ellie. Thanks.:)

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Originally Posted by pomtzu

Same with scallops - they were always on the dinner table.

What happened????? I love them both, but only rarely buy either because of the price. :eek:

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The health of the Chesapeake Bay has been negatively effected by various things. Also, now people can get scallops shipped to places like Colorado, so there is a broader market for a smaller quantity, that's why your scallop prices have gone up so much! The people in states in the middle of the country, though, probably are glad to at least have the chance to buy them at any price, which before the days of overnight shipping, wasn't a very good idea!

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Originally Posted by Karen

The health of the Chesapeake Bay has been negatively effected by various things. Also, now people can get scallops shipped to places like Colorado, so there is a broader market for a smaller quantity, that's why your scallop prices have gone up so much! The people in states in the middle of the country, though, probably are glad to at least have the chance to buy them at any price, which before the days of overnight shipping, wasn't a very good idea!

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I lived on the Narragansett Bay growing up! :D Dad had a boat, and we were always going out fishing and clamming in the nice weather. No clam rakes for us tho - we did it the old fashioned way - with our toes at low tide. Those were the good old days!;)

When I visited Maine about 5 years ago, we ate at a restaurant that served all kinds of seafood. I ordered a platter, all fried. Don't usually order fried but I was on vacation.;) I was served these gigantic sea scallops, fried to perfection and some unbelievable tartar sauce. That was probably the best seafood meal I have ever eaten in my life!!! It was in a small town. I can't remember the name of it. I will never forget it.

There is no point to this story except for the fact that the talk about scallops brought back those memories. Thanks ladies.:D

Terry - did you have to mention Maine?? Now you've got me thinking of a nice big Maine lobster. Thinking is the key word here - since they are definitely not in my food budget. :eek:

Around here we have Chesapeake Bay crabs - which are really delicious - but a whole lot of work for just a little meat. There's a knack to picking crabs that I have never mastered, and all I end up doing is cutting my fingers up on the sharp shells, and getting the Old Bay seasoning in the cuts, which stings like the devil. If someone picks them for me, I'm only too happy to pig out on them! :p

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Originally Posted by pomtzu

Terry - did you have to mention Maine?? Now you've got me thinking of a nice big Maine lobster. Thinking is the key word here - since they are definitely not in my food budget. :eek:

Around here we have Chesapeake Bay crabs - which are really delicious - but a whole lot of work for just a little meat. There's a knack to picking crabs that I have never mastered, and all I end up doing is cutting my fingers up on the sharp shells, and getting the Old Bay seasoning in the cuts, which stings like the devil. If someone picks them for me, I'm only too happy to pig out on them! :p

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Yummy!!! I'm with you, Ellie. Maine lobster sounds so good!! I don't know anybody than can afford lobster. I always look at the lobsters in the store and know they are the same ones I saw last week.:)

I love crab too!!! Love it!! We have blue crabs here and they're just like your's. Alot of work for a little meat. I really enjoy making crab cakes when the big can of Phillips crab meat goes on sale.:)

I had East Coast crab at the family reunion a few years back, Ill stick to Alaskan King Crab legs.

I love the lobster tails. Lobster used to be a bycatch or a trash catch only fit for prisoners, when/how did it become a luxery?

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Originally Posted by pomtzu

Terry - did you have to mention Maine?? Now you've got me thinking of a nice big Maine lobster. Thinking is the key word here - since they are definitely not in my food budget. :eek:

Around here we have Chesapeake Bay crabs - which are really delicious - but a whole lot of work for just a little meat. There's a knack to picking crabs that I have never mastered, and all I end up doing is cutting my fingers up on the sharp shells, and getting the Old Bay seasoning in the cuts, which stings like the devil. If someone picks them for me, I'm only too happy to pig out on them! :p

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Can you believe that I had crab legs for the first time just a couple of months ago? They were good but too much work, definitely not the meal to have when you're really hungry and my friend had to keep helping me w/removing the crab from the legs. That was really adult. LOL When my son was home, we went to a special restaurant for his birthday and I ordered lobster, which I hadn't had in probably 20 years. It was delicious but too rich for my aging tummy and I paid the price the next day. I'm the same way w/shrimp, though; I can only eat a little.

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Originally Posted by pomtzu

Terry - did you have to mention Maine?? Now you've got me thinking of a nice big Maine lobster. Thinking is the key word here - since they are definitely not in my food budget. :eek:

Around here we have Chesapeake Bay crabs - which are really delicious - but a whole lot of work for just a little meat. There's a knack to picking crabs that I have never mastered, and all I end up doing is cutting my fingers up on the sharp shells, and getting the Old Bay seasoning in the cuts, which stings like the devil. If someone picks them for me, I'm only too happy to pig out on them! :p

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I'm in the same boat, Ellie! Raised on fresh lobster (you don't want to know how we got it when we were kids!), I came to Maryland, got introduced to the blue crab, and said - you want me to get MEAT out of that thing? You're kidding! My husband spoils me; on the occasion we're at a crab feast, he'll share. He knows I hate picking them, but I do love the meat! :)

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Originally Posted by Daisy and Delilah

I always look at the lobsters in the store and know they are the same ones I saw last week.:)

I love crab too!!! Love it!! We have blue crabs here and they're just like your's. Alot of work for a little meat. I really enjoy making crab cakes when the big can of Phillips crab meat goes on sale.:)

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LOL,

Just admit you have named the lobsters and bring them treats when you shop!:eek:


Out here we get the little plastic tubs of Eastern crab......They should sell it on Rodeo Drive....;)


I love this thread....I always get hungry when I leave it.

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Originally Posted by Daisy and Delilah

Then we had the incident of Debbie being hit in the head by Michael with the oven door. Did anybody notice there were no marks on her face at all? I was thinking a black eye would have been a given.

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I did, I did! I didn't realize it was the oven door, I thought he collided his hot pan with her face.

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Originally Posted by RICHARD

LOL,

Just admit you have named the lobsters and bring them treats when you shop!:eek:


Out here we get the little plastic tubs of Eastern crab......They should sell it on Rodeo Drive....;)


I love this thread....I always get hungry when I leave it.

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I might as well name them!!! LOL They're so cute with their little arm bands.

I look at the price of crab and I always think, what it took to pick that meat, no wonder it's so expensive!!

There's a little restaurant in Daytona Beach that makes a crab cake that's delicious!! I almost bought some crab meat today. YUM!!!

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Originally Posted by cassiesmom

I did, I did! I didn't realize it was the oven door, I thought he collided his hot pan with her face.

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I think it was the oven door, Elyse, but I can't be positive. What a performance she put on. Awwww shucks, maybe he really did clobber her.:rolleyes:

It was the pan that clipped her on the cheekbone, and he was moving pretty quickly, so it was a hard hit. You could tell afterwards that that side of her face was swollen, but only from certain camera angles.

Makeup can hide a bruise, but not the swelling. I wouldn't be surprised is she had a black eye the next day, but at least she was in a kitchen, and there was ice to put on it!

Thanks, Karen. From the angle we got, it was a pretty hard hit. I guess she did pull herself together really well.:)

You have got a great eye! I couldn't see anything wrong with her.

Rats, rats ... The Food Network re-ran all of this season's episodes to date earlier today, and I missed all except the most recent one, which I saw Thursday night. Can anyone tell me who's looking good or not so good?

They sorta come and go, Elyse. The ones that I think are looking good, screw up the next week and vice versa. For some reason, I think Melissa looks pretty good and so does Debbie. Those two are fairly consistent.

What does everyone else think? I still think Jamika is the most pleasant and easiest to listen to for the times I've seen her.

I was hoping that my cable sys would put NFNS on their On Demand part of the package. Nope. I'll have to watch the marathon when they run them again.

I was watching some TV when I came across a program in Japanese and thought I saw someone familiar.

This dude looked like the "Chairman" on the Iron Chef show. Didn't think anything about it until today.

I stopped on the Sci Fi channel for a second and there is an actor that looks like the Chairman on the IC show....

I checked the IC site and sure enough, it is him. I never knew he was an actor.....Seems like he has a pretty extensive Marital Arts background too!


Check out the tat this guy has!

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm527862528/nm0001092

That's really cool, Richard!! I had no idea he is an actor either. He is really cute and that tattoo is gorgeous!! I'll never look at him in the same way again. Look at that bod!!:eek: :D

I was reading/watching the blog and video blog from "Bob" and "Susie", the FN's judges on Next Food Network Star. Apparently they covered Debbie's face with makeup. That's at least what one of them said.

I don't know if you guys watched tonight, but I was certainly in agreement with the judge's decision. I'll be interested in your opinions. Don't want to be a spoiler.

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Originally Posted by Logan

I was reading/watching the blog and video blog from "Bob" and "Susie", the FN's judges on Next Food Network Star. Apparently they covered Debbie's face with makeup. That's at least what one of them said.

I don't know if you guys watched tonight, but I was certainly in agreement with the judge's decision. I'll be interested in your opinions. Don't want to be a spoiler.

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I forgot!!!! I was watching the fights !:mad:


D&D,

I didn't know anything about him either until I checked it out.

In the opening of the old IC show he did some gymnastic moves that I thought were done by a stand-in, I was wrong!

I think that is why Alton Brown is never seen with him.....He is SCARED of getting his butt kicked!!;)

I also agree that the right person was sent home. She is a sweetheart but doesn't have much appeal on camera.

I think it's going to be a very hard decision to choose from the people that are left. All of them have something special. I hear about many people loving Debbie.

Richard, Now that I look at the Chairman, he really looks familiar. Alton Brown stays pretty quiet(acts intimidated) around everybody. He seems like a dynamic personality but I think it's a front.;)

http://www.primalgrill.org/

Has anyone ever paid attention to this guy?

I like him beacuse I he makes me laugh.


There is nothing irritating about him.

He presents the food with none of the stories about stealing recipes, where he ate it, where he went to eat it.......He just gets into the cooking and is basically boring.

He does remind me of a university professor doing a cut and dry version of his class. You know the kind-I wrote the text, so pay attention!:D

He does cook some bizarre stuff. He just did a BBQed eggplant and some kind of Indian/cheese kabob!

Strange, but worth a look?