(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,
Summers was auditioning for a gig. He is a lib, but nowhere as nasty as Franken.
Second only to that Australian guy (who's more of a producer than on-air these days) for most annoying on Food TV. Worst thing is that the host of "The Secret Life Of..." sounds like a Summers wanna-be. Yuck.
I remember that call on Hannity's show. I still really like watching Unwrapped. Another of my children's favorite shows. Sunday afternoons seem to go between Food Network and the History Channel.
I LOVE Alton Brown. Sorta like a Masters Class in Food Science and History with a few good recipes thrown in. I never miss his show.
Alton Brown is clearly one of the best things on TV nowadays, let alone FoodTV. He's a "soft" liberal, or perhaps even a libertarian, but he has never made his politics an issue the way Mario Batali has (big Kerry supporter).
Next to Brown on FoodTV is Rachael Ray. A little too giggly for me, but good food fixed the way real people would fix it. Although a little Martha Stewart like in her presentation I also like the stuff Sandra Lee does on Semi Home Made and Giada De Laurentiis is growing on me with her remade/Americanized Italian recipes.
Sara Moulton is good if you want to see classic Julia Childs type cooking (she was a protege of Childs) and Bobby Flay, though stuck on himself, is generally informative, even if he is fairly one note. Michael Chiarello's Easy Entertaining show also usually has some good ideas that everyone can adapt.
Paula Dean's food is appealing, but her "southern hick" routine is wearing thin. Anthony Bourdain occassional appearances are sometimes entertaining, especially when he's in his "New Jersey" mode instead of first generation French.
And Emeril can be fun to watch, some, but he's mostly for entertainment. I don't think I can really learn much that I could apply from him.
Did I mention that I watch a lot of FoodTV? That, Fox and Friday night SciFi (recorded on my PC ala Tivo) pretty much sums up what I watch on TV nowadays.
He also was nam enough to call back the next day and apologize for being a jerk to Hannity. Or at least smart enough to know that he wasn't being paid for his political opinions and ticking off half your audience is never a good idea.
SD
Giada, though -- she's pretty, sure, but that ubiquitous toothy grin seems a little put on to me. Rachael Ray seems more natural, less forced.
BTW, does anybody else think the 'Next Food Network Star' contest was PC-rigged for the gay couple ("Dan & Steve")?
I remember the phone call that Marc Summers placed to Sean. Do you also remember him calling back and apologizing? (I got the feeling that his bosses must have read him the riot act over his phone call to Sean.)
I << heart >> Alton Brown. He's taught me so much about why you do the things you do when you cook. (Folks who watch him will understand that sentence. As for the rest of you, well, just trust me - it makes sense.)
(Emeril's food sure does look tasty, though!)