Sunday, August 14, 2011

Foodie Idols - and no, it's not a singing competition

Everywhere you look on tv these days there is a competition show of some kind- singing, dancing, even cooking. I'm not a fan of the Big Ones- American Idol, Dancing With the Stars- no thanks. But I am hooked on a couple food competition shows !! Food Network Star, which ended today, and MasterChef, which is winding down as well. I really enjoy watching the competitiors grow and learn and change within the course of the shows, and I've shed a tear or two as some of my favorites have been eliminated. 

As usual, I'm getting waaaay off the track I intended to go down. Sigh.......So, Foodie Idol. Who are mine ?? I have a few. Mario Batali, because I think he is an amazing chef, I love watching old reruns of Molto Mario with the chef. We are both amazed at Mario's vast knowledge- not just food but facts about the regions he is cooking to represent. He's had a couple other series on tv as well, and I loved all of them.

Another.....would be Ina Garten. She is The Ultimate Hostess. And what a life story she has ! One amazing career after another. Almost like a modern day Julia Child. I love her every-woman approach to cooking, ingredients I recognize and can actually find at the store I shop at. Homemade lime curd, yep, I can do that. Her pot roast recipe is something every cook should master. I have all of her cookbooks and cherish them.

Julia Child, of course. What self-respecting foodie doesn't love Julia Child ? Ok, maybe not everyone LOVES her but surely any foodie can give her credit for bringing classic French food to the American home. The Smithsonian felt she made such an impact that the purchased her kitchen and recreated it at the museum- how cool is that ? I'm not much for chick flicks but Julie and Julia was so amazing and heartwarming and made me want to get back in the kitchen after struggling through some very major life changes.

And because I'm a bit of a wine snob at heart, I must include a sommelier that I look up to for many reasons- Alpana Singh. I have her book and have read it through several times. What an inspiration she is !! She's made a name in a very veyr male-dominated field.  Her incredible knowledge of wine is just.......well, amazing. And she is often a judge on Iron Chef America........well if I had a genie in a bottle I'd wanna be her !!!! I'd love to be able to meet her and just pick her brain !!!

Of course there are loads of others that I find interesting, entertaining and fun to follow. And as shows like Food Network Star and channels like Cooking Channel bring a bigger veriety of  chefs and personalities to the small screen, I keep "meeting" more !!

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