Food Television-Thoughts
Can't say as I rememmber her name. I only know her as" Hungry Girl". Is she on Frisco's list? Now she really does cut the calories and fat on the things she prepares. That said I do have to say I love most all the cooking shows. (Paula's not too much) When I get done watching them I no longer have the desire to cook. Its great in a way. I watch them and I do get ideas about combining ingredients and preparing dishes. I just leave out the fat and sugar and then I substitute ingredients that I can have. It is still fun for me. Since I've been watching for years I really have noticed them all packing on the lbs.
I love some of the food shows. I know....food porn....but everyonce in a while, I hear something that sounds good, new, exciting...but I get much better ideas from our own Frisco !
I get a kick out of Chopped, and my daughter (19)has even presented me with her own "chopped" basket, and challenged me to make something out of it....so we have done that a few times as weekend entertainment at home !!!
And we have even presented each other with an "Iron Chef" cook off with chicken breast, and each cooked it "our way" --
So, yes, some of those shows are pure poison, but can lead to creativity in the the kitchen !!
And I did hear the Paula Dean gossip around Type 2 diabetes. I wondered if we should send her OUR recipes -- we had some really good fresh bleuberries and sliced strawberries with a mix of greek yogurt, spoonful of honey, and sprinkle of crushed almonds last night for dessert....
I get a kick out of Chopped, and my daughter (19)has even presented me with her own "chopped" basket, and challenged me to make something out of it....so we have done that a few times as weekend entertainment at home !!!
And we have even presented each other with an "Iron Chef" cook off with chicken breast, and each cooked it "our way" --
So, yes, some of those shows are pure poison, but can lead to creativity in the the kitchen !!
And I did hear the Paula Dean gossip around Type 2 diabetes. I wondered if we should send her OUR recipes -- we had some really good fresh bleuberries and sliced strawberries with a mix of greek yogurt, spoonful of honey, and sprinkle of crushed almonds last night for dessert....
Briar Rose 
High Wt 300 lbs. Pre-op Wt loss 34 lbs.
High Wt 300 lbs. Pre-op Wt loss 34 lbs. 
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Food Network is like anything else -- take what you need and leave the rest. I've learned a lot of techniques from watching cooking shows. I think anything that gets people cooking and out of the drive-thru is a step forward.
I have the Food Network App on my iPhone, and I've adapted a lot of Alton Brown and Aarti Sequeria's recipes, for example, to my plan. Aarti made a brined pork loin on this week's show over apples and celery root. I'm going to try it by substituting Splenda for the sugar in the brine, for example. I make Alton Brown's Gyro Meat every couple of weeks. I learned watching Aarti that meatballs can be bound together with baking powder instead of carby things like breadcrumbs. I've made my own Paneer after watching her do it. I'm not sure I ever woudl have considered making my own Paneer or Riccotta, but I have, now, after watching Food Network.
I have the Food Network App on my iPhone, and I've adapted a lot of Alton Brown and Aarti Sequeria's recipes, for example, to my plan. Aarti made a brined pork loin on this week's show over apples and celery root. I'm going to try it by substituting Splenda for the sugar in the brine, for example. I make Alton Brown's Gyro Meat every couple of weeks. I learned watching Aarti that meatballs can be bound together with baking powder instead of carby things like breadcrumbs. I've made my own Paneer after watching her do it. I'm not sure I ever woudl have considered making my own Paneer or Riccotta, but I have, now, after watching Food Network.
Carolyn (32 lbs lost Pre-op) HW: 291, SW: 259, GW: 129.5, CW: 126.4
Age: 45, Height: 5'2 1/4" , Stretch Goal: 122 
C'mon Frisco,
Nigella Lawson and Rachel Ray? I think these women look awesome. And if their health is not an issue, then to my mind they do not need improvement.
As to their dishes, it seems to me they cook things that normal eaters that are healthy should be able to consume in moderate quantities. For me, I know that there are some foods I will never be able to eat because of the "triggery" factors. But, I hope one day to be able to eat food cooked artfully in the French, Italian, or whatever way.
I agree that most of what is still being portrayed is unhealthy, and it is obvious that most of the T.V. chefs or hosts are unhealthy. There should be more healthy cooking and food shows - Hungry Girl comes to mind, but I would like to see some low, low carb cooking shows.
Personally, I love Paula Dean, I'm sure she would be my BFF, she is the real deal. Although I never eat any of her recipes, and her politics bother me because the pork she endorses is not humanely raised and if she is now going to be promoting a diabetes drug, well that just seems ass backward in healthy thinking. Isn't the goal not to take medicine? But, I still love her!! Giada and the Contessa leave me cold, as souless or boring. I wish Adam would stop abusing his body, it's criminal! Zimmer truly is bizarre and only the guys I know enjoy watching him. I don't even know why Guy Fieri has a show. I love Jaime Oliver for what he cooks and how he is trying to change American school lunches. I heard that in Italy all school lunches had to be organic. Compared to here in the states where ketchup and french fries are viewed as vegetables. Before I get too far off track let me say that commerce before consciousness is killing us.
Thank you again for a super thoughtful and engaging post!
Nigella Lawson and Rachel Ray? I think these women look awesome. And if their health is not an issue, then to my mind they do not need improvement.
As to their dishes, it seems to me they cook things that normal eaters that are healthy should be able to consume in moderate quantities. For me, I know that there are some foods I will never be able to eat because of the "triggery" factors. But, I hope one day to be able to eat food cooked artfully in the French, Italian, or whatever way.
I agree that most of what is still being portrayed is unhealthy, and it is obvious that most of the T.V. chefs or hosts are unhealthy. There should be more healthy cooking and food shows - Hungry Girl comes to mind, but I would like to see some low, low carb cooking shows.
Personally, I love Paula Dean, I'm sure she would be my BFF, she is the real deal. Although I never eat any of her recipes, and her politics bother me because the pork she endorses is not humanely raised and if she is now going to be promoting a diabetes drug, well that just seems ass backward in healthy thinking. Isn't the goal not to take medicine? But, I still love her!! Giada and the Contessa leave me cold, as souless or boring. I wish Adam would stop abusing his body, it's criminal! Zimmer truly is bizarre and only the guys I know enjoy watching him. I don't even know why Guy Fieri has a show. I love Jaime Oliver for what he cooks and how he is trying to change American school lunches. I heard that in Italy all school lunches had to be organic. Compared to here in the states where ketchup and french fries are viewed as vegetables. Before I get too far off track let me say that commerce before consciousness is killing us.
Thank you again for a super thoughtful and engaging post!
In Italy, very few children eat school lunch, rather opting to go home to eat during the 2 hour break. They go home so as not to be forced to pay almost $7 for lunch. Organic or otherwise, that is prohibitive for most.
Here, we are also slaves to the bottom line. We can all agree that organic is great, for those who can afford it. Unfortunately, public schools cannot, hence crap lunches for our kids. Perhaps, if school systems would allocate funds differently, there would be money for healthy meals. Until the politics of public instruction change, kids will continue to be fed crap. But, the reality is that the problem is less to do with food and more to do with politics.
(a public school teacher and former resident of Italy)
Here, we are also slaves to the bottom line. We can all agree that organic is great, for those who can afford it. Unfortunately, public schools cannot, hence crap lunches for our kids. Perhaps, if school systems would allocate funds differently, there would be money for healthy meals. Until the politics of public instruction change, kids will continue to be fed crap. But, the reality is that the problem is less to do with food and more to do with politics.
(a public school teacher and former resident of Italy)
Frisco, you've done it again! This is a fantastic post!
I've always had an issue with that Paula Dean - who knows how many Americans she's "inspired" - inspired into developing diabetes. I remember one of her shows, just about makes me ill. She was cooking up an entire menu for a "girl's day" or something. So she makes burgers. But burgers aren't enough, they need to be cheeseburgers. But cheeseburgers aren't enough, they need to be bacon cheeseburgers. But oh no, bacon cheeseburgers aren't enough still, so instead of using bread for a bun, she cuts a Krispy-Kreme donut in half lengthwise and uses that for a bun instead.
On another show, I saw her attempt to literally deep fry everything that they were cooking that day. She made deep-fried ribs!
You're right that most of these people are at least overweight, if not obese, and we're taking cooking instruction from them.
A few years ago, I used to watch FoodTV every day. Now I don'****ch it at all.
I've always had an issue with that Paula Dean - who knows how many Americans she's "inspired" - inspired into developing diabetes. I remember one of her shows, just about makes me ill. She was cooking up an entire menu for a "girl's day" or something. So she makes burgers. But burgers aren't enough, they need to be cheeseburgers. But cheeseburgers aren't enough, they need to be bacon cheeseburgers. But oh no, bacon cheeseburgers aren't enough still, so instead of using bread for a bun, she cuts a Krispy-Kreme donut in half lengthwise and uses that for a bun instead.
On another show, I saw her attempt to literally deep fry everything that they were cooking that day. She made deep-fried ribs!
You're right that most of these people are at least overweight, if not obese, and we're taking cooking instruction from them.
A few years ago, I used to watch FoodTV every day. Now I don'****ch it at all.
Heaviest weight: 310 pounds (Male, 5'10")
Good post, Frisco!
Anyone remember the Galloping Gourmet? He was a Brit, a hilarious guy, real name is Graham Kerr, had a cooking show on PBS in the 60s or 70s. Cooked with cream and butter, mostly French style which was very popular back then, although he himself was thin/normal weight. Then his wife had a heart attack and nearly died, and apparently he blamed a lot of her problems on his cooking, so he "got religion" about healthy eating. I expect kinda the same thing to happen with Paula Deen. At least I hope that's what happens.
I've pretty much stopped watching food network because although I enjoy watching people cook, and have learned a lot from watching them, I don't really care for the competition shows like Iron Chef, where they have to cook something in a certain number of minutes. I don't learn anything in those shows, and they seem to have taken over the network, dammit.
Anyone remember the Galloping Gourmet? He was a Brit, a hilarious guy, real name is Graham Kerr, had a cooking show on PBS in the 60s or 70s. Cooked with cream and butter, mostly French style which was very popular back then, although he himself was thin/normal weight. Then his wife had a heart attack and nearly died, and apparently he blamed a lot of her problems on his cooking, so he "got religion" about healthy eating. I expect kinda the same thing to happen with Paula Deen. At least I hope that's what happens.
I've pretty much stopped watching food network because although I enjoy watching people cook, and have learned a lot from watching them, I don't really care for the competition shows like Iron Chef, where they have to cook something in a certain number of minutes. I don't learn anything in those shows, and they seem to have taken over the network, dammit.
Height 5' 7" High Wt 268 / Consult Wt 246 / Surgery Wt 241 / Goal Wt 150 / Happy place 135-137 / Current Wt 143
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In maintenance since December 2011.
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