Monday, June 16, 2008
The Next Food Network Star: Episode Three, June 15
Dallasite Lisa Garza scored again on the third episode of The Next Food Network Star on Sunday, with a basil-orange marmalade that pleased surprise high-wattage guest judge Martha Stewart and a display of geeky fandom that pleased the Food Network's dour panel of judges.
Garza, who co-owns Dallas restaurant Suze, shared her win with fellow contestant Aaron, who made a vinaigrette. The challenge was to make a product that could be bottled or canned and then marketed. The most prevalent product was spice mixes.
The judges were charmed by Garza's girlish enthusiasm over meeting Stewart, one of her idols. She jumped up and down excitedly, then cried real tears.
Kelsey cried, too, but she ended up getting called "annoying" by Food Network's heartless Susie Fogelson. (Which only made her cry more at the end of the show, whereupon the other contestants drew around her and hugged her, saying, "You're not annoying!")
Garza failed the show's first challenge by miscalculating an on-camera spot. She sped through her spiel, then had to endure 15 45 seconds of yawning silence.
Casey Thompson, chef at Shinsei and a finalist on the most recent season of Bravo channel’s Top Chef, calls Martha Stewart "a big name and a big personality".
"She's very educated in the culinary industry, even though she is not a chef," Thompson says. "I would've been afraid."
On Top Chef, Thompson's most devastating celebrity encounter was with well known chef Anthony Bourdain.
"When I saw Anthony Bourdain, my knees almost buckled," Thompson says. "He’s not the cutest thing on the earth, but to me he is absolutely adorable. He’s just so sarcastic, and so good, and not afraid of anything. I was completely enthralled. He blows me away."
Devising a bottled product would be easy since Thompson already has a trusty spice mixture.
"We call it Shinsei spice," she says. "It’s one of those things you see at a lot of restaurants. Abacus uses a seasoning house blend. Everyone’s is a little different. Our Shinsei spice is based on togarishi powder, it has dried seaweed. We put it on chicken, and a few other things."
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Billusa99, says:
TG... she sped thru her spiel in 15 seconds and had to endure 45 seconds of silence.
I thought the whole "package a product" was lame, because none of the FN chefs they used as an example had any products before they were FN stars. I know they need to fill air time and scare the hell out of those guinea pigs, but something more "real world" would've kept my jaw off the floor.
Anonymous
1 year, 5 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Teresa Gubbins, says:
billusa thank you for your correction, the story has been fixed excuuuuuse me for getting the seconds wrong, i am an IDIOT
i thought the packaged-product challenge was there for one reason: martha stewart guest-spot
lisa sure does seem like a shoo-in. who else is even close?
Staff
1 year, 5 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Billusa99, says:
I agree on the Martha spot. It's certainly a chick thing with Martha, as Agent99 likes her, too. For someone so famous, I was astounded that she was dressed up like she just came off a K-Mart fashion ramp.
(That mouse is a scream!)
Anonymous
1 year, 5 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
jtmbls, says:
I'm really not trying to be a smartass here, but do people really watch this show? I know it's summer and all - my dvr is so incredibly bored it started recording Farmer Wants A Wife all on its own (I swear!) but cooking? How interesting can that be to watch? Maybe I will have to give it a peek...
Anonymous
1 year, 5 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Teresa Gubbins, says:
jtmbls, i get the feeling that the only people watching this thing regularly are food journalist types who are reporting on it every week.
in general, i like the Bravo reality shows better (<em>Project Runway Season 4</em>, coming in july!). The Food Network stuff is lame. but since a Dallas person is in it this season, it's a Very Big Deal
Staff
1 year, 5 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Scott Doyle, says:
Needs more Deadliest Catch, imo. I can't explain why, but it's addictive. =(
Verified
1 year, 5 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
jtmbls, says:
Project Runway! Yes, yes, yes!!
Anonymous
1 year, 5 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Laura Evans, says:
Oh project runway, how i've missed you so..... I've watched my fair share of food reality shows, but can't take the whole not being able to test the food myself :(
Staff
1 year, 5 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
wannabe, says:
I am so bored with Food Network!!! Lame, lame, lame. They seem to do the same shows over and over, but with a new name. "follow that food" just came back as, "how did that food get on my plate", seriously? Who cares about being a food network star anyway? My dream is to be a celebrity and have 15 minutes of fame...lame.
Anonymous
1 year, 5 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
jtmbls, says:
Reality shows - Project Runway is def the fiercest!! I used to love America's Next Top Model the first few seasons but if I have to listen to one more word from Tyra Banks, I am going to vomit.
Wannabe - Then you should sign up for the next season of Farmer Wants a Wife...If you want to be a farmer’s wife. A far cry better than Bret Michaels or Flava Flave at any rate!
Anonymous
1 year, 5 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
Pavel Lishin, says:
Speaking of vomit, after <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=5197674&page=1">reading this</a> I've never been more glad that the only TV in my apartment that is even capable of receiving a signal is a set that's sitting on its side as my night-stand. I don't understand how you guys watch this garbage. I watched about 15 minutes of "Extra!" at the dentist's office before my root canal, and those 15 minutes were the worst part of the visit. (I know it's not a reality show, but I assume that it panders to the same bored, housebound demographic.)
Verified
1 year, 5 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
jtmbls, says:
That's the problem - Thanks to the dvr and TiVo you no longer have to be that house bound demographic. Just a lazy Sunday here and there...
Anonymous
1 year, 5 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal
ijules, says:
I watch this, mostly to drool over Bobby Flay. It is something he shares with Tony Bourdain, nothing really classically handsome there just something earthy and hot. But yes, I agree it almost HAS to be Lisa. I wanted to hate her, really I did but am finding it impossible as she grows on me more each week-as long as she shuts up about the fashion, no one loves shoes more than me but I do not need for her to inform me that she is wearing a dress and heels, I can see that. I loved what a dork she was over Martha compared to the squealer who is incredibly annoying. For the record, I am neither bored nor housebound.
Anonymous
1 year, 5 months agoLink to this comment | Suggest removal