Giada De Laurentiis is. a. frickin. babe!!

[Rabrrrrrr]

I finally got to see her cooking show yesterday.

WOWSER! HUBBA HUBBA!!!!!!!



And she's a hell of a cook, too!!

[matcom]

1. why yes.

yes she certainly is :D

[GOPisEvil]

2. I'm not a fan of the soft-core-porn lighting on her show, BUT,

I agree that she is a very attractive woman. :)

[matcom]

3. why do you hate America?

x(

[GOPisEvil]

4. I didn't say it made me stop watching.

In fact watching her sometimes makes me think of porn, but that's another story for another time.

[Rabrrrrrr]

5. He's probably burning a flag and spitting on a vet right now,

so won't answer your question until he's done.

[supernova]

14. First use of "porn" for the day!

I say we give an award for the first person to mention porn every day. :+

And special props for it being BEFORE 10AM on a weekday! :D

[GOPisEvil]

27. I'd like to thanks the acad...you like me, you REALLY like me!

:D

[acmavm]

6. But she's annoying as hell. I watch her show because you're right,

she's a great cook and her recipes are simple and easy. BUT she just drives me nuts.

I spend most of my time watching Cooking Channel. Watch the Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) and post your opinion. I'd be interested to hear it coming from a man.

One of the BEST on that channel is Alton Brown of Good Eats. I love that show. A great combination of food science, technique, and great recipes.

[Rabrrrrrr]

9. Ina Garten drives me crazy - she's very annoying

Seems to make good food (made an amazing-looking pork loin yesterday), but annoying voice, annoying presence, and somehow just not very interesting (to me) as a cook.

And please note, I've only seen de laurentiis' show once, and it was the pasta potluck, with three amazingly good looking recipes with all the stuff I love - ham, cheese, pasta, cream... yummy! So I might very well be biased toward her just because of the food she made. :-)

[acmavm]

15. Like I said, she's a great cook. But my poor son, who is sometimes a

captured audience to my cooking shows, says she irritates him too. He's 13 and he loves Jaques Pepin and Alton Brown too. Not so wild about Julia Child (my favorite), loves Bobby Flay and the Cookin' in Brooklyn guy, and Cooking with Master Chefs on PBS on Saturday.

[Rabrrrrrr]

31. I'm glad I'm not the only one to find her annoying!

Your son has good taste, except he should like Julia - she is the master and the queen, after all.

He'll make a fine Democrat.

[tishaLA]

21. I love Giada too

But don't talk about that in the Cooking and Baking Forum--those are fighting words. How about that Spaghetti Carbonara she made yesterday?! Holy Jeebus! It was like an orgasm in a bowl.

[purr]

12. Alton is the man!!

I even have a secret crush on him :) I have my DVR set to record ANYTHING that hes in (obsessive! lol)

[acmavm]

17. Iron Chef America is fabulous. Gotta see it. And I like Mario Batalli.

.

[Rabrrrrrr]

32. Mario drives me crazy

I don't know what it is about him - he is obviously an excellent cook - but there's something about the way he talks and presents himself that I can scarcely tolerate.

[Left Is Write]

102. I love Alton Brown, but

my Food TV crush is Jim O'Connor of "The Secret Life Of..."

I've asked for two Alton Brown cookbooks for my birthday.

[grace0418]

133. I have a crush on Alton too! I love geeky science guys. I know he's

a chef but he always puts a lot of science into his show.

[progressoid]

19. Yes, annoying. And her head is too big! n/t

[acmavm]

24. Hey, that's exactly what my kid says. I wonder how she can eat that

Italian food (what great stuff) and stay so thin.

That and her phony accent are what make me crazy. Oh, and that whacky smile. Sometimes I worry when she picks up a big knife. I sort of picture Jack Nicholson..."here's Johnny".

[LostinVA]

25. Her accent isn't phony -- she was born in Rome

Came here when she was about five, and her parents, grandparents (grandfather is the producer) are from Rome. My great-grandmother was from that area, and her accent was very similar to Giada's when she speaks Italian.

However, her head is WAY too big, and she has way too many teeth. But girlfriend can COOK.

[Lavender Brown]

38. All of my Italian relatives are thin

They don't eat anywhere near the same portions that Americans do.

[Phentex]

48. Some of mine are thin, but we all have big heads...

it's a running joke in the family.

[Telly Savalas]

41. Nigella Lawson has a lot more street cred...

because she looks as if she actually eats what she cooks. Culinary issues aside, I find her more attractive than Giada too.

[Rabrrrrrr]

45. She's a good looker, too!

Plumper than Giada (and there isn't much that isn't), but still within the realm of a hottie!

[mondo joe]

Nigella is great. She knows and loves food. n/t

[Rabrrrrrr]

29. Head too big? I didn't notice that at all.

Will have to check it out next time.

[LostinVA]

35. It is oddly big on her little body; too many teeth, too

But she's still kinda hot!!!

[progressoid]

47. Yeah,

for those of us who have the perfectly shaped, proportioned, & toned body, it's difficult for us to not notice these things!

:sarcasm:

[mondo joe]

86. I adore the Barefoot Contessa. Knows food, knows entertaining

and on top of it all is a very seet person and a long time liberal.

[I Have A Dream]

167. Yeah, I love Good Eats also. He reminds me of...

McGyver sometimes.

I also like all of Rachael Ray's shows.

[AngryAmish]

7. Food is about sensuality

I hate these cooking shows with slovenly cooks. Therefore, I like her show.

[redqueen]

34. That's funny.

Or sad... depends how you look at it.

[Rabrrrrrr]

37. Who wants food cooked by someone who can't keep their own body clean?

Or their workspace? Ick.

:P

[redqueen]

39. Yeah right...

*that's* what he's talking about.

[Rabrrrrrr]

42. That's how I took it

:evilgrin:

[Lannes]

8. Im partial to Rachel Ray myself

[Rabrrrrrr]

10. I like her, too - she seems a bit frazzled, and makes more daily-style

food than I normally care to watch someone make, but she's good.

Also I like that blond woman who graduated from the CIA. Can't think of her name, but she has a couple shows.

[matcom]

11. this is a better pic

[Beware the Beast Man]

13. Yum-O!

:loveya:

[Modem Butterfly]

23. I LOATHE Rachel Ray

With a fiery vengence!

:grr:

The first time I saw her, she was making a dish that called for Chorizo. As she was cutting it up, she said, "And if you can't find Chorizo, you can use a kielbasa, they're pretty much the same thing,"

For THAT she must DIE!



For those who don't know, Chorizo is to kielbasa as Heavy Cream is to skim milk.

[Rabrrrrrr]

28. Yeah, Kielbasa is WAY the hell better!

[GOPisEvil]

30. Heathen!!!

Chorizo kicks kielbasa's ass!

[redqueen]

36. Sooo... in other words, she doesn't know crap about her recipes?

Good to know.

Tennis players who can't play... cooks who can't cook.

Lookism is really great.

[GOPisEvil]

40. Actually, she is a pretty good cook.

I've made her recipes many times, and they are quick and tasty. That being said, the kiebasa/chorizo remark was way wrong.

[redqueen]

43. I wonder who's putting those good recipes together...

someone who doesn't know the difference between kielbasa and chorizo can't be that good a cook.

[GOPisEvil]

44. She does!

She develops them herself. However, she is not trained as a chef.

And, aside from spicing, they ARE very similar. I mean they are pork-based sausages.

[redqueen]

46. Yeah... right. n/t

[GOPisEvil]

49. You're disputing me with what information?

Do you watch her show? Have you read her books? You heard ONE thing she said that was wrong, and you've dismissed her. She's been on TV locally and nationally for years. She's written 2 books that I know of. Obvioiusly she knows SOMETHING.

I swear I'm not even the woman's biggest fan, but I'm willing to give her some credit.

[redqueen]

51. Yes I've seen her show.

No I don't waste my time on her books.

I dismiss her for more reason than just that idiotic comment.

I'm not gonna get into a flame war over this. We disagree. You're welcome to your opinion, I'm happy with mine. Is that okay with you?

[GOPisEvil]

53. Sounds good.

I actually felt a little silly getting worked up over that. :blush:

[redqueen]

56. hehehehehe

"worked up"

:P

[GOPisEvil]

58. Hehehehehe...

...is it getting warm in here?

[Rabrrrrrr]

50. And, at the root of it, cooking is all about knowing how to substitute

And in that vein, yes, Chorizo and Kielbasa are interchangeable.

Just like Prosciutto and ham can be interchanged.

Or bressaola (sp?) and standard dried beef.

Or, in a pinch, Chorizo could be replaced by a cheesy bratwurst.

Or a polish sausage replaced by a chorizo.

Or mozzarella by fontina.

Or blue cheese for gorgonzola.


For those who are skittish in the kitchen, and not too comfortable, and who think they have to follow a receipe religiously, or who can't find certain ingredients, I think it's VERY helpful for them to know that, hey, things can be substituted.

[Modem Butterfly]

66. Oh my god no!

Chorizo tastes so different from kielbasa it's not even funny. Someone who is expecting something spicy will NOT be amused. Someone who is expecting kielbasa will likely be incapacitated. Sometimes changing one ingredient changes a recipe SUBSTANTIALLY and this is one of those times.

Would you subsitute baking powder for baking soda? Would you substitute orzo for risotto? Would you substitute habaneros for bell peppers?

[Rabrrrrrr]

71. I am NOT saying they are the same thing, obviously.

What I'm saying is, when push comes to shove, a SHITLOAD of things can be subsituted one for another.

If one is an area where one cannot get Chorizo, which would be most of America, one can subsitute Kielbasa. Will it be the same? Obviously not, but it will be close enough for shits and giggles. Should she have said something other than Kielbasa? Yeah, maybe she should have - but you know what? If someone is in an area that doesn't have Chorizo, they're in an area that won't have anything suitable as a substitue.

Jesus, learn how to make subsitutions.

What's the sense of saying "If you can't find prosciutto, then use pancetta"? Or "If you can't find black truffles, use white truffles"?

Get a grip.

[Modem Butterfly]

89. Again, not without changing the recipe SUBSTANTIALLY

Somethings can't be substituted for other things. Learn to make substitutions? Learn to cook in the first place. Some things, despite being similar, can't be substituted for other things. The difference between Chorizo and kielbasa is much closer to the difference between pancetta and bologna. Both have their uses, both are pork products, but using one for the other would change the recipe substantailly. Rachel Ray, or at least the producers of the show, should have known that.

[mondo joe]

90. And if what she said was "they're basically the same thing" she was way

off.

There's no probablem with innovating a substantially different recipe. But to not even recognize how different Kielbasa and Chorizo are is a sign of stupidity.

[Modem Butterfly]

91. It's also negligent to not tell people they'll have to alter the recipe

Let's face it, a lot of folks watching Rachel Ray for cooking tips are going to be rather inexperienced. I imagine this particular substitution would turn many of them off to cooking for quite some time...

[mondo joe]

79. Anything can be substituted. But some will make it taste shitty.

And Chorizo and Kielbasa are radically different.

[Modem Butterfly]

67. Yeah, in the same way that corn starch and grits are similar

I mean, they're both made from corn, right?

[GOPisEvil]

68. Oh come on.

We were comparing sausages. Corn startch and tortillas are completely different.

If you were making a recipe that called for chorizo, and lived in a part of the country where it is not easily obtained, you could substitute another pork sausage. That's the point. Yes, the taste would be different, but the point is learning the technique, not repeating a recipe.

[redqueen]

92. Can kielbasa be opened and cooked like chorizo?

Or will it stay chunky?

I'm curious now...

[GOPisEvil]

95. Hmmm...I've never opened it myself, but I guess you could.

I'm not sure it would crumble like chorizo either. That's an interesting question.

[redqueen]

96. I have to try this now.

My kids will complain, but hey, it'll taste the same!

[Left Is Write]

106. No, kielbasa wouldn't crumble.

If you were going to substitute something for chorizo that could be opened, crumbled, and cooked, a hot Italian sausage would be a better substitute than kielbasa.

[patcox2]

114. That would depend on whether its cured or fresh kielbasa

And for the record, fresh kielbasa would make a good alternative for chorizo, it would not be hot, no chilis, but its nice and garlicky.

If all you know is the Hillshire Farms smoked kielbasa crap, you don't know jack about kielbasa.

[Left Is Write]

116. I am most familiar with cured kielbasa, yes.

But thanks for insulting me anyway.

[patcox2]

124. I'm sorry, got carried away by this heated food argument.

How very french, a heated discussion over which is the best sausage. This is what the french argue about in bars, instead of nascar and the yankees. Except they'd have it down to which town makes the best sausage.

[Left Is Write]

127. They don't argue over cheese?

And thanks for the apology. I understand.

[patcox2]

129. Cheese, sausage, bouillabase recipes, cassoulet, anything.

I was joking about the rubes, too.

[Modem Butterfly]

120. The spices are much of the point of using Chorizo though

I agree with Left is Write, a hot Italian sausage with extra paprika would be a decent substitute.

[patcox2]

122. Yes, you are right, but she's taking it easy on the rubes.

Its hard to get some things out there in the sticks.

[Name removed]

125. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[patcox2]

128. Sheesh nothing. I am suggesting that she should not be criticized

for being accessible. I am defending this cooking show against the criticism that it deviates from culinary purity, by suggesting that it is actually thoughtful and less snobbish to give people who might have a dificult time finding certain ingredients an easy to find, even if less than perfect, alternative.

In other words, I think its a good thing that she suggests easy to find ingredients because not everyone is lucky enough to live in a food-snob area where you can get micro-greens and fresh ramps and whatever other pretentious foodie fad ingredient.

I often humorously refer to my own environs as "the sticks," and my neighbors as "rubes," because I happen to have grown up in and live in the sticks among rubes.

Mock disdain over the supposed lack of sophistication of those who know not the glories of fresh kielbasa is, well, funny to me, because to me it is absurd that anyone would actually feel superior, or feel that another is inferior, over such a thing. Please don't be insulted.

[Modem Butterfly]

130. And you're insulting people to do it

Nice.

Chorizo is hardly a pretentious foodie fad ingredient any more than any other type of sausage. In recommending people use kielbasa rather than chorizo because they're essentially the same thing, Rachel Ray wasn't being accessible, she was being patronizing. For that she deserves to be criticized.

[BearFlagDemocrat]

107. I think you're confusing

Mexican Chorizo with Spanish Chorizo. Spanish chorizo is more of a cooked formed sausage, mexican chorizo is a spiced ground pork, more often than not uncooked and easy to crumble.

Spanish Chorizo is VERY difficult to find outside of large cities on the east coast. I live in Southern California, and we can't even find it without driving over an hour away. Mexican chorizo we can find in any supermarket, though.

I'm so sick of food snobs. With the amount of information she has to cover in 30 minutes (and she works her ass off during those shows, she doesn't use nearly as many sub outs as other hosts do), it's quite understandable for her to tell people that kielbasa can be used as a substitute. 99% of people in America who can't get ahold of spanish chorizo won't know the difference.

[redqueen]

109. I've never even *heard of* Spanish chorizo...

who you callin a food snob, food snob?

;)

[Modem Butterfly]

110. She wasn't using Spanish chorizo anyway

[BearFlagDemocrat]

131. She *always* uses Spanish Chorizo.

I've got 4 of her cookbooks, and a Tivo season pass to "30-minute meals". Believe me when I say that she consistently uses Spanish Chorizo in her cooking. She does her show in New York City. In New York City, it's as difficult to find Mexican chorizo as it is to find Spanish Chorizo in Southern California.

But hey, easy way to settle the argument: tell us what dish she was making, and we'll find her recipe on foodtv.com.

[Modem Butterfly]

136. That is so scary.

I've got 4 of her cookbooks, and a Tivo season pass to "30-minute meals".

:scared:

I don't recall the dish she was making, and in any event, FoodNetwork.com isn't a comprehensive archive of every recipe from every show (recipes expire after a certain time). A quick look at her recipes on their website show that she doesn't actually specify which kind of Chorizo she uses, which is pretty unusual for someone who, as you claim, always uses Spanish Chorizo.

[BearFlagDemocrat]

138. Nice ad-hominem attack.

Completely expected, but still. You're trying to save face, I get that.

It's not unusual at all, where she's broadcasting from, spanish chorizo is "chorizo". Mexican chorizo is almost unheard of. Not to mention, many of her recipes substitute chourico (Portugese chorizo) or andouille, both of which are completely unlike mexican chorizo, but very similar to spanish chorizo.

[Modem Butterfly]

142. Are you kidding?

Telling someone you find their tastes in cookbooks to be scary is an ad hominem attack?

:rofl:

And you think I'm trying to save face in a discussion about sausage?

:spray:

Look, I'm not a big admirer of Rachel Ray, but even I admit that she is capable of using ingredients from outside the New York metropolitan area. Certainly someone on a nationally broadcast show aimed at folks who don't have a lot of time to cook might be interested in using ingredients that most of the country can find, including Mexican Chorizo and Polish Kielbasa. And hopefully, someone with the talent and experience to have a broadcast audience knows whether or not she's using Mexican or Spanish Chorizo. If she's as into using Spanish Chorizo, and only Spanish Chorizo as you claim, surely her recipes on FoodNetwork.com would specify that. But nope, they don't, and in fact most of the recipes available on their website don't even specify that you treat the Chorizo in a manner that would indicate which type of Chorizo you're using.

Jesus Christ, I can't believe this discussion has descended into such minutae...

Edited to change a smiley...

[BearFlagDemocrat]

143. The error is yours, see.

And hopefully, someone with the talent and experience to have a broadcast audience knows whether or not she's using Mexican or Spanish Chorizo.

Of course she knows. It's just that outside of the Southwest, Mexican chorizo is almost unheard of. Spanish Chorizo is just "chorizo". When people say "bell pepper" you think green, but if they specify "red" or "yellow" then you know to use those kind. Same thing.

Spanish chorizo is smoked, and derives its flavor from paprika instead of chili powder. Kielbasa is a smoked sausage, more heavily garlic than paprika, but still similar. Mexican chorizo, which is possibly what you're thinking of, is uncooked spiced ground pork. It's uncooked, so it's impossible to slice. It's very heavily spiced with chili powder, so don't try to use it in your paella.

Jesus Christ, I can't believe this discussion has descended into such minutae...

It happened right here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=3488348&mesg_id=3488521

[Modem Butterfly]

147. ROFLMAO!

Of course she knows. It's just that outside of the Southwest, Mexican chorizo is almost unheard of.

I'm not sure where you've traveled, but Mexican Chorizo is extremely common throughout the country. You simply don't know what you're talking about on this point. Furthermore, it's a bit embarassing to have to explain this to someone who seems interested in cooking, but uncooked sausage is quite easy to slice in it's natural casing, particularly if it's chilled.

[BearFlagDemocrat]

149. Only about 20,000 miles

Back and forth across the country a few times, and up to the pacific northwest on numerous occassions. But I get it, you don't have any facts to produce despite being asked, so you have to accuse me of not having any experience, which came back to bite you in the ass.

And good luck trying to get thin slices out of mexican chorizo, you'd have to freeze it first.

[Modem Butterfly]

151. Oh, so you haven't traveled much. That makes sense then.

I grew up in the Pacific Northwest eating Mexican Chorizo. I live in Atlanta and the Mexican variety is about all you can find. You see, like any immigrants, Mexicans have brought their cuisine with them. Mexican Chorizo has become common as Mexican food has become common in the US. Spanish cuisine has been a bit slower in catching up. It only makes sense, when you think about it. In fact, assuming you spend much time in grocery stores, take a look at the meatcase next time and you'll see what I mean.

I think it's sad that you feel a discussion as asinine as whether or not Rachel Ray is a good cook is some sort of contest, but that's your perogative. I hope someday you look beyond the paint-by-numbers easy-bake oven world and branch out to other cooks. Heck, check out the butchers in your own backyard. There's a whole world of food going on out there that takes longer than 30 minutes, and it's not as difficult to prepare or as exotic as you might think.

[BearFlagDemocrat]

154. I see, haven't spent much time in NYC, then?

Which is where Food TV does its broadcasting. Due to the large numbers of Cubans, Dominicans, and yes, Spanish, mexican chorizo is very hard to find, as are mexican restaurants and mexican taco stands. Spanish cuisine rules there, there is none of this "catching up" because it is the predominant Hispanic cuisine of the region.

And, as I already told you, I live in Southern California, which is one of the places where you can walk into a grocery store and find chorizo, but thanks for parroting my own words back to me.

However, I do find your seeming hypocrisy amusing. You accuse others of being "patronizing", and then say, "Oh, so you haven't traveled much. That makes sense then." You accuse others of being insulting, then your posts get pulled by the moderator. You accuse others of jumping to conclusions, then you accuse me of not knowing about more complex food?

Honey, you have no idea how much food I prepare, or how complex it is, or that I subscribe to Cooks Illustrated, Bon Appetit and Gourmet. Or that I enjoy Cooks Illustrated's Jamaican grilled pork tenderloin with mango salsa as much as I do Rachel Ray's sea scallops with vermouth or Alton Brown's brined roasted turkey.

[mondo joe]

158. She works out of CA anyway, not NY.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/hosts_celebrity_chefs/article/0,1974,FOOD_9889_1842136,00.html

Food Network broadcasts out of NY but the shows are not necessarily filmed there.

To say nothing of the fact that NYC is filled with specialty food stores, and even if it weren't it's not exactly a challenge to import the ingredients you want from another state.

[BearFlagDemocrat]

160. You're still on de Laurentiis

We're talking about Rachel Ray. :)

[Modem Butterfly]

166. Give it up

You're clearly talking out of your ass on the subject, which is amusing enough, but now you're displaying your ignorance about TV too. Just because a network is headquartered in a city doesn't mean all of their shows are shot there.

Honey, you have no idea how much food I prepare, or how complex it is, or that I subscribe to Cooks Illustrated, Bon Appetit and Gourmet.

:rofl:

Stop it, you're killing me!

:rofl:

Look, it's great that you're literate. Really, that's wonderful. But if you're going to pull facts out of thin air, at least try to not contradict yourself.

If you dig Rachel Ray, that's fine. Others, including myself, don't. Some of us have been downright appalled by her. It's an opinion about food and cooking, a very subjective thing. If you're sure that Rachel Ray must have been using Spanish Chorizo because it's simply IMPOSSIBLE to find Mexican Chorizo at all in NY (chuckle) then that's cool. If you're sure that Rachel Ray must have been using Spanish Chorizo becuas it's impossible to find Mexican Chorizo anywhere outside the SW (chuckle), then that's cool. It's just sausage, it's really not worth getting this worked up about.

Edited for clarity. Ahem.

[Modem Butterfly]

93. Hey, risotto and brown rice are both rices

But I wouldn't recommend substituting one with the other without changing the recipe substantially.

Could you substitute another pork sausage for Chorizo? Sure. But kielbasa is about the last one I'd recommend, right after recommending you make something else and right before summer sausage...

[Rabrrrrrr]

88. Oh, sure, I subsitute corn chips for corn on the cob all the time.

I'm negligently fucking stupid that way.

[Modem Butterfly]

94. Cool! Are you cute? Maybe we can get you a Food Network show!

:evilgrin:

[redqueen]

97. .

:spray:

:rofl:

[mondo joe]

99. On half the food network shows the hosts measurements are more

important than the ingredient measurements.

[Rabrrrrrr]

170. ROTFL!

Good one!

I'd love to have a cooking show!

My breasts aren't big enough, though.

:rofl:

[mondo joe]

83. Rachel Ray doesn't know food. She knows how to slap a meal

together in a half an hour.

[patcox2]

119. What kind of chorizo? What kind of kielbasa?

The dried, cured, hard chorizo that comes in small links and is like a rougher-textured pepperoni or hot spressata? Or the fresh chorizo, ground pork chilis and spices in a natural casing?

And what kind of kielbasa? Hillshire farms smoked tubes of crap, which is what most people might know for kielbasa, or the real stuff, fresh kielbasa, the garlickiest sausage on earth?

People on cooking shows do have to realize that nor everyone has access to things like chorizo; I bet there are places in the US that are hundreds of miles from the nearest chorizo. But they always have the Hillshire Farms "Poop Tube" kielbasa. And the benighted citizenry of these backwaters will still be better off following a bastardized version of the recipe than they would with their usual fried baloney for dinner.

Food snobs, bite me. Its possible to be a gourmet without being a snob.

[Modem Butterfly]

123. She was using Mexican Chorizo

She didn't specify what kind of Kielbasa people should use, but in the US, most are smoked. In any event, the flavors are radically different unless you go to a speciality meat shop, and if you're doing that, why not get Chorizo?

Anyone, regardless of where they live, will notice in a second the radically different flavor of a dish that was meant to be made with Chorizo and was instead made with grocery store kielbasa and vice versa, but your patronizing attitude is noted.

[BearFlagDemocrat]

134. So which recipe?

What was she making? Took a quick look at her recipes on foodtv.com, and every single recipe she makes with chorizo (about a dozen) refers to spanish chorizo. A dead giveaway is when she tells you to remove the casing and to "slice" or "dice" or "butterfly" chorizo, all of which are pretty impossible to do to mexican chorizo.

[Modem Butterfly]

135. That's simply not true

First of all, there are less than a dozen. Second of all, it is entirely possible to slice natural sausage in the casing, which most of the recipes call for. Finally, recipes on FoodNetwork.com expire after a time, so they do not reflect every single recipe made on every single episode of her show or any other.

[BearFlagDemocrat]

137. Most of her recipes

call for the casing to be removed. And even if they didn't, have you worked with mexican chorizo? It's ground very finely and very soft, and it's impossible to slice or dice.

But do tell us, which recipe was it? What was she making? If it has ever been on her show, it will be in her cookbooks, and I own all of them. I'm really curious as to when she's ever used mexican chorizo, considering she's lived her whole life in New York.

[Modem Butterfly]

139. Again, simply not true

Only a couple on the FoodNetwork.com website include the instructions to remove the casing, and one of those allows andouille as a substitution if it's finely chopped. Not all Chorizo is finely chopped in the casing, either. The grind, like the spices, vary from maker to maker (as do all sausages).

I'm not sure what your thing with Rachel Ray is all about, but most folks don't remember the details of every gag-worthy meal they've ever seen prepared on a cooking show. My memory of the dish, or even the rest of the ingrediants, has been eclipsed by my disgust.

[BearFlagDemocrat]

144. Nice dodge.

I'm not sure what your thing with Rachel Ray is all about, but most folks don't remember the details of every gag-worthy meal they've ever seen prepared on a cooking show. My memory of the dish, or even the rest of the ingrediants, has been eclipsed by my disgust.

Impressive, but painfully obvious. That's game!

:party:

(edit: Wow, I just realized I'm having an argument with the Comic Book Store Guy! "Worst. Cooking. Show. Host. Ever. I was online in minutes voicing my displeasure.")

:hide:

[Modem Butterfly]

145. Oh, I get it now

You want to be in some kind of pissing contest over some glorified cook and sausage. Whatever.

Edited for clarity. Chuckle.

[BearFlagDemocrat]

150. Huh,

seems like someone was so worked up over chorizo that they still haven't gotten over it to this day. Who was that?

No, wait, it will come to me...

[Modem Butterfly]

153. Busted.

In this post, you said:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=3488348&mesg_id=3490739

Spanish Chorizo is VERY difficult to find outside of large cities on the east coast.

But in this post, you say:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=3488348&mesg_id=3492137

It's just that outside of the Southwest, Mexican chorizo is almost unheard of.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[BearFlagDemocrat]

156. Dear, the two aren't mutually exclusive.

Why, there are some places in this country where people haven't heard of chorizo at all!

:scared:

[Modem Butterfly]

164. An awful lot of places, judging from your two conflicting posts!

:rofl:

[redqueen]

148. Actually...

I've was inspired by this little flame war to look up this Spanish chorizo... I'm curious, now... and in the process of finding out more about it, I've discovered that Mexican chorizo also comes in a smoked variety.

I gotta find both of these produts... thanks for the edumacation!

[Modem Butterfly]

152. If you can find a Basque butcher, check out their version as well

Quite tasty.

[redqueen]

155. I'm quite excited to do so!

Not sure that I'll be successful, but I'm sure gonna try to find it.

[BearFlagDemocrat]

157. Ethnic markets are a great place to find rare foods.

And usually cheap, too. I get my whole nutmeg from a local Indian store for almost 25% of what I'd pay at a specialty grocer. Get my curry powder there too, because they sell it by the pound. :)

There's a cuban restaurant/market that sells spanish chorizo down in the city, but it's about an hour away from me depending on traffic. :(

[redqueen]

159. Thanks for the tip...

I'll try to find Cuban markets... I *love* Indian groceries... always get Tikka Masala spice mix there.

[BearFlagDemocrat]

161. Yep,

That's where we get the paneer for our saag paneer, too. Can't get enough of that stuff.

Got my g/f a Persian cookbook for Valentine's Day this year, and imagine my surprise when I found that you can't get dried limes from a grocery store. :P Luckily, there's a Persian market only about 45 minutes away.

[redqueen]

162. Persian, eh?

I have a recipe for Turkish Delight... however I'm afraid to even try it... sooooooo complicated!

[AlCzervik]

140. Her and her "Garbage bowl" "Yummo" blech!

[48pan]

132. No question. One hot babe. n/t

[underpants]

16. Yes she is but I prefer the "Semi-Home made" 's Sandra Lee

:wow:

[GOPisEvil]

18. Really?

I don't think she's all that attractive. :shrug:

[underpants]

20. Who hosts all those shows is no accident

Gina is European sexy
30 Minute Meal lady (is that really that hard?) is Mary Anne cute
and Sandra Lee wears really low cut tops.

That is part of the sell. Husbands will sit around and watch too but not for the reasons the wives think.

Same formula works for Fox News too.

[GOPisEvil]

26. I dunno. She turns me off.

Plus, she never really COOKS anything. :shrug:

[Left Is Write]

103. She reminds me of a Stepford Wife.

And you're right - she's not really cooking. However, for the kitchen-impaired, I imagine her ideas are pretty helpful.

[GOPisEvil]

141. I think that's it. The Stepford wife thing.

I dunno, she just puts me off somehow.

[tishaLA]

22. Semi-ho is revolting!

The only things she has going for her are barely contained in her foundation garments.

[bicentennial_baby]

33. She looks like a cyborg...

Meh...

[mondo joe]

52. I'll take the Barefoot Contessa over stick figure girl any day

I like my cooks to like food. :-)

[GOPisEvil]

54. Why would you equate someone's physical size to how much they like food?

For all we know, Ms. DeLaurentiis eats 5000 calories a day. :shrug:

[mondo joe]

65. I don't. I'm basing it on how they talk about it and prepare it.

But I think some prefer a thin young thing to someone who knows and loves food.

[Rabrrrrrr]

73. HA HA! That was so dumb, it made me laugh

So, apparently, "thin young thing" and "someone who knows and loves food" are mutually exclusive.

BWUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[mondo joe]

80. Nope. What I'm saying is I think some viewers want to see a thin

young thing first, and the food is a distant second.

If stick figure girl was a great chef I'd have no issue with her.

But as it is, all she seems to have going for her is her appearance.

[Lavender Brown]

85. You keep calling her "stick figure girl" and yet you're saying

that everyone else is judging her on her appearance. She seems to be a good cook, and I think the way she talks about food is interesting. She went to one of the most prestigious cooking schools in the world, for what it's worth.

[mondo joe]

87. Yes, I call her that because I think it's her sole reason for being there

at all. I don't think much of her as a cook, and if she weren't photogenic I don't think she'd be on TV at all.

[Left Is Write]

104. Why refer to anyone as a "stick figure girl"?

I'll never understand why it's okay to make derogatory remarks about people's body shape, whether fat or thin.

[mondo joe]

111. Because that's her only claim to fame, IMO. n/t

[Left Is Write]

112. Okay. You seem to think her looks are her only "claim to fame."

That's no reason, in my opinion, to refer to anyone as a "stick figure." People are not sticks.

(BTW - I've seen her cook. I've never gotten the impression she doesn't know what she's doing.)

[mondo joe]

113. I don't think she's utterly incompetent - but if she didn't have her looks

there's no way she'd have a cooking show.

It's just another case of choosing looks over talent in the same way that any cute girl with big boobs who can carry a tune can get a music contract and their video on MTV, while more talented but less attractive people often can't.

Doesn't mean good looking people can't be talented too. Nigella Lawson is great, so is Jamie Oliver. But this young lady is not in that group.

[Left Is Write]

117. Step aside from her cooking talent or lack thereof for a moment.

My issue is with calling people "sticks", not anyone else's assessment of Giada's cooking ability.

[mondo joe]

118. Yes, I got that. I'm sorry it troubled you. I don't think people are

going to stop making observations about appearance anytime soon.

In this case it was made because I think her appearance is all she's about.

[Left Is Write]

121. You can make the observation about her appearance

without resorting to derogatory language. That's all I'm saying.

[Rabrrrrrr]

61. I like 'em to like food as well, but they don't have to be addicted to it

in fact, I prefer the ones who AREN'T addicted to it.

[Left Is Write]

105. You know -

I like to think I'm a good cook. My husband certainly thinks so. I love food. I taste my recipes all the time as I'm going along. But someone might look at me and decide that I can't possibly be a good cook.

[Rabrrrrrr]

171. You can cook me dinner any time!

I don't care if you are "stick". In fact, I'm more willing to trust a thin cook than an obese one.

:P

[Warpy]

55. NEVER TRUST A SKINNY COOK!!!!!

If one looks like a supermodel, forget it. It's strictly a formula cook, never tastes the recipes to see how it all turns out.

Julia Child looked like a REAL COOK.

[Phentex]

57. Julia Child was big boned....

:eyes:

[GOPisEvil]

59. That's pure, unadulterated bullshit.

[Rabrrrrrr]

60. Oh, bullshit

If someone is thin, it just means they don't overeat. It doesn't mean they aren't tasting their food.

[DS1]

62. I'd eat her biscuit

[Rabrrrrrr]

63. Speaking of which....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x3462824

[DS1]

70. Is that a new mini cooper, or a classic mini cooper?

Left hand or right hand drive? This is important

[Rabrrrrrr]

74. A new one, right hand drive, manual transmission,

with rhododendrums in place of brakes.

[DS1]

76. I was hoping for triangular wheels

With Triangular wheels I can save thousands on the hydraulic system I won't need to go bouncing up and down the road... Slowly.

[Rabrrrrrr]

78. Consider it done!

and the carburetor is being replaced with a picture of Alec Guinness.

[DS1]

81. And the horn goes

"Well I suppose if I were you, I'd have to kill myself."

[Rabrrrrrr]

84. And your "I'm in reverse" warning thing goes

"You make me sick with your heroics. There's a stench of death about you. You carry it in your pack like the plague. Explosives and L-pills - they go well together, don't they? And with you it's just one thing or the other: destroy a bridge or destroy yourself. This is just a game, this war! You and Colonel Nicholson, you're two of a kind, crazy with courage. For what? How to die like a gentleman... how to die by the rules... when the only important thing is how to live like a human being."

[Jessica]

64. I like her ... and pretty much

every cook on the Food Network is annyoying. My current favorite, Paula Deen, makes me cringe sometimes - but I love watching her cook!

[KG]

69. i like paula dean

does that mean i need help?

[Lavender Brown]

72. No

Paula's awesome!

[BearFlagDemocrat]

108. I jumped off the Paula Dean bandwagon

...as soon as she showed her recipe for Krispy Kreme Donut bread pudding. The amount of fat and sugar in that recipe made my teeth ache just watching it.

[Lavender Brown]

115. That's just gross

Most of her other recipes are very indulgent, but they tend to have better ingredients. Ick!

[Rabrrrrrr]

77. Oh, she drives me crazy

That fucking accent and the way she swings it around! ARGH!!

And she doesn't make very interesting foods, necessarily, either. Granted, I've seen her show only a few times, but she seems very....I don't know....school marmish. And not very creative. Or interesting.

[GOPisEvil]

82. I like that she doesn't take herself too seriously.

Some of her food looks tasty. It's also not what I'd call health food (not that there's anything wrong with that, in moderation).

[redqueen]

98. Now that's what I'm talkin about!

I love her show... yummy recipes and no annoying "why don't they have more shows where the male cooks have to look like models?" thoughts in the back of my head.

:evilgrin:

[El Fuego]

75. She's Dino de Laurentiis' grandaughter (the famous director)

Talk about having a charmed life.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

100. Gigantic head/tiny body syndrome....

I have a hard time watching her because I find myself mesmerized by her incredibly bizarre body proportions. She is a very short, tiny woman with a HUGE head and stunted extremities. Look at that photo of her -- her head is just about as long as her upper arm (or is it her arm is just about as short as her head?). For the show they she is either on an elevated flooring or the range top has been set very low for her height.

Face it -- she is a human bobblehead!

[patcox2]

126. Merv Griffin says that big head = star (they're telegenic, photogenic).

Many many big stars have the big huge head thing, exaggerated features. It makes them lookm good on screen. Merv Griffin used to talk about it, it was how he would choose people for his shows.

Think of Marlon Brando, or for a great example, Humphry Bogart, he was about 1/3 head. Judy Garland. There are many.

[geniph]

101. Personally, I want to do unspeakable things with Jamie Oliver

that boy just brings out the DEEEviated PREEEEvert in me!

:loveya:

[Burma Jones]

146. NIGELLA NIGELLA NIGELLA

I saw one of her shows in which she ate a strawberry. I blushed.....

[margaritamama]

163. Life is not fair

If you can cook you shouldn't look that good!

[cestpaspossible]

165. Please tell her to STOP STALKING ME!

basta!

[Iris]

168. Maybe. But this is a horrible picture.

She looks like she could use some fiber in her diet.

[Rabrrrrrr]

169. Sonofabitch, I go away for 24 hours and a simple discussion FLAMES AWAY!

Wish I had been here in the heat of it all...

and to think it started with Giada's hotness, and turned into a vicious verbal onslaught of personal attacks over interpretations of sausage.

God, I love DU!