On the days that I don't have to work, I love watching my favorite cooking shows while I am doing my house work. Food network has it right...about the time I turn on the TV I can watch Barefoot Contessa, Giada at Home, and other lovely shows where chefs and cooks do it up right. Today Ina Garten made Tuscan white bean soup, roasted leg of lamb, and roasted fennel with summer fruits and a mascarpone sauce for dessert. Giada made some amazing looking chicken and steak fajitas with a corn, black bean and tomato salad and espresso churros. I mean really. Great, quality food.
There's only one problem with Food Network's lineup. Right in between Giada at Home and 5 Ingredient Fix (my FAVORITE show), my day is interrupted with 30 Minute Meals. Sometimes what she makes is ok. But sometimes she leaves me grimacing in disgust at the different things she finds acceptable when thrown together. If I hear her remind her watchers one more time that OREGANO means "joy of the mountain" in Greek, I think I am going to throw a gyro at the TV.
My intense dislike of Rachel Ray began when I watched her make a 30-minute disaster that she claimed was intensely reminiscent of San Francisco. The meal included "chow mein" made with spaghetti noodles. Yes, you heard me. Spaghetti noodles. That left me convinced that Rachel has indeed NEVER been to San Francisco. Today's show really grossed me out. Ms. Ray decided to make "ballpark favorites" to eat at home. What in the world possessed her to make mac-n-cheese-dog casserole is beyond me. However, I suppose that just like beans and weiners, it's an acquired taste. But as I watched her pull out an icky little package of pork dogs (ewwwww!!!), cut them up, and pan fry them in EVOO (EVOO!!!!), I knew that olive oil makers around the world were probably mourning this horrid misuse of their treasured product. I know I almost was.
After this happened the only was I was able to survive the remaining 18 minutes of the show was by pressing the mute button.
