Iron Works

You may or may not notice, but in addition to changing my banner and "about" photo each month, I also try to change the items in my sidebar. I make sure my book and movie lists are up to date, I put a few of the cds that are in my car on there, and I "single out" some of the new songs I can't get out of my head.

One place I keep getting stuck on is "watching," my television show list. I keep wanting to put different shows on there, but the truth is I just don't watch that many shows. I watch some sports (especially during baseball season) and some PBS (or PBS-like) how-to shows. That's pretty much it - no "appointment TV" for me.

Lost and 24? Just pops and buzzes to me. Every week three or four posts about these shows end up on my bloglist and I get no closer to being even the least bit interested in them. I'm not bragging or anything, in fact my lack of interest sometimes worries me. Has the suspense-loving part of my brain died? If so, what's next - the romance-loving part?

I'll let others figure out the answers to those questions (when they're not busy decoding all the secret numbers from Lost, that is). What I wanted to write about is the one show I will be adding to my sidebar (and should have added a couple months ago, actually) - Iron Chef America.

Just as I've somehow avoided the 24 and Lost hype, I was never sucked into the Japanese Iron Chef when it was the hot new thing. I tried watching it, but could never figure out what all the buzz was about. I think for me it was hard to care about anything the chefs were making when so much of it looked inedible.

I admit that I started watching the American version at first simply because Alton Brown emcees the show, but I have become completely hooked on it now. I know the idiosyncrasies of all the Iron Chefs (especially Bobby Flay, whom I've been watching since we first got the Food Network) and most of the judges (especially Vogue's Jeffrey Steingarten, who doesn't seem to care one ounce about the chefs' feelings). While I don't think I've ever come away from an episode thinking I could (or would) make something I saw cooked up during the competition, I often find myself willing to try almost all of the entrees. The only think that really turns me off is the stuff that comes out of the ice cream maker (trout sorbet anyone?).

So look for that change to my television list, but nothing else from Food Network. The "humor" of the new Ham on the Street feels forced (and anyone could have seen that coming before the first episode even aired just from the annoying commercials), Unwrapped seems to be running out of interesting subjects, Rachel Ray is getting more frantic and more depressing to watch, I can't stand that little Nigella Lawson-wannabe Giada DeLaurentiis, I'm getting more than a little tired of all the dessert competitions, and who the hell is Dave Lieberman? All of the sudden this guy is all over Food TV and I have no idea where he came from. Anyone?

Thank God for Alton, that's what I say.

Comments

[Donna]

Rachael Ray rules in our house. Personally, she drives me crazy with her over the top enthusiasm for every morsel she tries, but she's Jessica's idol. Even she laughs at her though and does a pretty decent imitation.
All of the girls really like the dessert contests. They watched the Elvis birthday cake episode yesterday.

[Marisa]

Dave Lieberman is actually a guy from Philly. While he was in college, he and some friends made a couple of cooking shows in their college tv studio, and it was such a big hit (I think it was Yale) that he got some hype and the Food Network jumped on it. As a 26 year old girl, I find him to be deeply appealing. But that's just me.

[sam]

I have no idea where Dave Lieberman came from but I'm glad he's here. I think Food Network realized they needed some eye candy for the ladies and while I do love Alton Brown & Mario they're not exactly uh, fetching.