Did you ever watch these cooking shows: Galloping Gourmet with Graham Kerr? Yan Can Cook with Martin Yan? The Frugal Gourmet with Jeff Smith? Cajun Cooking with Justin Wilson? And of course, we can’t forget when Julia Child graced the tv screen with her many memorable shows!
Well those classic cooking shows are now part of culinary tv history ever since Food Network aired back in 1993. It hard to believe it’s been in existance for about 15 years! As luck would have it, my office building downtown is next door to Food Network’s Chicago office, literally… and I’m also within less than a city block walking distance from Food Network’s other office. I haven’t quite figured what they do in these specific offices, yet it doesn’t surprise me why they would be located here in Chicago. We’re definitely a foodie city that has an appetite as diverse as the people who live here!
Back in 2005, Food Network created a reality television series called The Next Food Network Star, where contestants go through a series of culinary challenges. The winner is then awarded with their own television series on the Food Network. Wanna take a guess who won the very first The Next Food Network Star show? Two Chicago caterers, Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh. These two hosted a show called Party Line with Dan & Steve, now titled Party Line With the Hearty Boys, which premiered on September 18, 2005. They both went on to make a total of 32 episodes up through November 12, 2006, which was the end of their series. Since then, they’ve returned back to Chicago to run their successful catering business, The Hearty Boys. As a fellow Chicagoan, it makes me proud that our city was represented!
So this week’s Foodie Freebie is all about the Food Network. They recently came out with a magazine in the fall of 2008 and I’m giving away a one year magazine subscription (10 issues) to 2 lucky readers!
Some guidelines:
– Giveaway is only for those who live in the United States. My apologies to my international readers!
– You must have a valid email address so that you can be contacted if you win.
To enter the giveaway, leave a comment about:
– Your favorite Food Network celebrity or show. What is it about this tv station that keeps you watching? Are there specific shows you miss that are no longer aired? Is there any kind of show you’d like to see featured on Food Network? Let’s hear all about your thoughts about Food Network!
Deadline: Thursday, January 29, 2009 at 12 midnight CST.
TWO Winners will be randomly chosen by Random.Org’s Interger Generator based on the number of your comment and will be announced on Friday, January 30, 2009. Good luck!
I love Giada. She is my favorite. She is friendly, fun, and I love Italian cooking so her show appeals to me the most. I overall, love the Food Network. Although some shows appeal less to me than others, I could sit and watch it all day.
Oh, I would LOVE THIS!!
My favorite host is Giada. I love her shows because her food is elegant but completely attainable.
As far as the network itself goes, rarely do I turn it on and not find myself immediately engulfed in whatever they are showing. Food is fascinating!
Great question – I can’t wait to hear other’s responses and maybe get some ideas of other shows to watch. For pure entertainment I really enjoy Iron Chef America and Throwdown with Bobby Flay. For cooking inspiration I like Bobby Flay and Giada who tend to do recipes that are nice enough for company and challenge my skills (or lack there of), but not impossible or filled with ingredients out of my price range!
My favorite food network show is Ace of Cakes, just because of how amazing those cakes look (and how much they cost) and that people are willing to cut into them.
My all time favorite Food Network show is Tyler’s Ultimate. The reason behind it is that whenever I get inspired to make a dish by him it always turns out wonderful! The proportions are spot on and the taste is amazing 🙂
I love Food Network!! I have been known to spend all weekend doing nothing but watch Food Network and make grocery lists. Ha! My favorite right now is Guy Fieri, I just love him and his crazy hair!!
I love Alton Brown! I also like Guy Fieri’s show where winning contestants ended up with their recipes available at Fridays. I always go try them!
Food Network is on all day Saturdays and Sundays at my house.
PICK ME!!! (or whateva)
I love Ina Garten’s show. Her food is always creative and delicious, and I love the way she presents her recipes, almost like she’s cooking with you in your kitchen.
I absolutely LOVE Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives with Guy Fieri. I think it is so interesting to see what types of food he finds in all of these little out of the way places. I also really like Alton Brown – the way he explains the reason behind everything he does. Honestly, I watch FN all the time. 🙂
I am a Paula Dean junkie! Honestly, I don’t cook much of her food because of the high fat content, but her personality sucks me in! I love FN, but wish they would show more regular ocoking shows other than on Saturday mornings. I like all the new stuff (like Chopped, and Ultimate Recipe showdown) but I watch for the recipes and people, not for the contests and reality shows.
I have 4 favorites! Sorry I tried really hard to narrow it down, but just pikcing this four was hard!
I love Alton Brown, Tyler Florence, Ina Garten and Paula Deen.
I love just about everyone else too, but these people make the food and entertain which appeals to me.
The shows I miss a lot is Food 911 hosted by Tyler Florence and the Original Version of Iron Chef in Japanese. There was a raw intenstiy to it that I loved.
I’d love to see more represntation from the East. As an Indian, further a South Indian there is little to no exposure and understanding of the depth and uniquesness of south Indian cooking.
Indian cooking is simplified and brought down to curry which irks me.
This is what I try to highlight in my blog.
I love AB. I dvr Good Eats. Other than that show, I’ll watch whatever is on. I especially like the competition shows like URS, Food Network Challenge, and Iron Chef America. I’m also enjoying the new Will Work for Food. Adam was my fave in last year’s Next Food Network Star.
I love this magazine, what a treat to have a year subscription.
My favorite show is Paula Deen, I haven’t made much of her food but it always looks amazing!
Such a great prize 🙂
My fav host is Alton Brown. I love how well he explains the science aspect of cooking/baking so that I (the average cook) can understand it. He and Giada are pretty much the reason I keep watching this station, because of how well they explain stuff.
I miss the original Iron Chef, it was so interesting.
I’d like to see a show featuring ethnic foods that you don’t typically see, like a different technique, such as a stir fry.
I love, love, love Nigella – I think Nigella feasts is my favorite FN series of all time! Not only are her recipes amazing, but she describes the food in such an eloquent and quirky way – I love it!
My favorite show is Barefoot Contessa. I’ve also actually enjoyed the new show “Chopped” because it’s fun to see people’s creativity.
I have trouble with Giada, because I’ve tried several of her recipes, and some are great, but others are almost inedible.
My favorite show was Alton Brown's Feasting on Asphalt. It was a showcase of two things I love, food & folk studies! A lot of people think Folk Studies is just learning about quilts and bluegrass music, but it's about things like graffiti, urban legends, and FOODWAYS! I love learning what people in different parts of the country eat!
I have a tie for shows: Good Eats and Barefoot Contessa. Alton for the basic knowledge and Ina for the meals…so fattening but soooo good! But we DVR probably 5 shows on a regular basis. If there was a cable package with that and HGTV, I’d be set 🙂
Oh gosh! I can’t pick one favorite. But the ones the keep me tuned in are Paula, Giada, and Ina. I also like Big Daddy’s House, Diners Drive-in and Dives, Iron Chef. As for shows I miss, they would probably be Nigella and David Lieberman. I’m also a fan of the competiton shows as well. The FN always has something on to keep me entertained.
Unwrapped is one of my favorite Food Network shows because you get to learn so much history behind the food you eat. It’s like a culinary museum.
My current favorite show would be Giada – her recipes never seem to fail me. And of course, who doesn’t love Iron Chef?
I think they need to get an Asian themed show in their lineup, my biggest beef with them lately is that their shows all seem to look the same.
I love food network! It was instrumental in developing my love of cooking. It has really opened my eyes to new ingredients, cuisine, & techniques. My favorite shows are Giada at home, throwdown, ace of cakes & iron chef. This is such a great giveaway!
My favorite FN celebrity is a tie between Rachel Ray and Alton. I love that Rachel is not a trained chef and makes dishes that the average person can make. I can ignore her funny phrases and acronyms. Alton is great because he explains the science behind things and a geek like me loves that.
I really miss the original Iron Chef and Sara Moulton’s show (Sara’s secrets I think).
I’d love to see FN have a cooking blog feature show.. where they take something from a random cooking blog and make it to see how it turns out and if the poster was truthful 😉
I’ve become addicted to FN…too many shows to chose from to pick just one! : ) If I *had* to chose, it’d be a tie between Ultimate Recipe Showdown (since I’ve had online friends on that show) and throwdown with Bobby Flay…he has a great sense of humor and admits when other people’s dishes are better than his.
My favorite host is Guy Fieri….I was iffy about him at first, but I am so addicted to Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives that he’s grown on me… 🙂 I really like Throwdown with Bobby Flay as well…and of course, NOT Food Network, but anything that Anthony Bourdain is on is the top of my list. 😉
I don’t think I can choose just one FN show. I have loved every one of Giada de laurentiis’ recipes and am liking her new show, “Giada at Home”. I also love Paula Deen (and Bobby Deen!), Bobby Flay, Ina Garten, and Ellie Krieger. I do miss my Hearty Boys. They were the only winners of FN Star that I really cared for. At least I can still look up their recipes online!
I love so many of the shows on Food Network. It is the first channel I check when I’m looking for something to watch on TV. There’s really something for everyone on this channel – which my husband appreciates 😉
If I had to pick a favorite, it would be a tie between Barefoot Contessa and Everyday Italian. Okay, I can’t pick! I love, love, love the food these ladies come up with and their recipes always come through for me.
I think it is a toss up between Giada and Ina…everything i have every made of theirs has alwas been a hit! And i love that i can always go for them for exactly what i am looking for.
I love to watch FN and yell at the TV. You are doing it wrong, there is a better way, are you kiddng my with that stick of butter and my favorite “why don’t you just rub that raw chicken all over the fridge handle”.
My favorite chefs/cooks are Ina, Alton and Guy.
mellisa.willis@sbcglobal.net
I love the Food Network. My favorite cooks are Guy, Alton and Rachel.
I also really like the Food Network Challenges and Unwrapped.
What a great topic for this week’s giveaway! I would have to say my favorite celebrity would have to be Alton. And Giada. And Sandra Lee. And Guy.
Sorry for so many faves, but each of them brings such a unique food perspective to their shows.
Oh, and I, too, love Iron Chef America for pure entertainment reasons.
What a fun giveaway!
I will watch many of the Food Network chefs, but my favorite shows to watch are Good Eats and Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello. As far as recipes I’m attracted to when I browse online, I tend to make more Emeril and Bobby Flay recipes. I also think Anne Burrell was a good addition – her recipes seem to be getting very popular, very quickly.
That leads me into what I would like to see more of on FN – I’d like more shows on more advanced techniques. Kind of like Molto Mario used to be. I feel like I’ve “outgrown” some of the easier shows since I’ve been cooking for awhile now – I still make those dishes, but I no longer need recipes or much instruction on how to do them. That’s why I think Anne Burrell is a step in the right direction.
– Renee (rels09 on WC)
Alton Brown and Good Eats are my favorite because they’re entertaining, educational, and yummy!
I miss Iron Chef japanese. As entertaining as Iron Chef America is, the original is still better.
I remember being very young and watching Yan Can Cook on Saturday afternoons. My dad was also a fan of The Frugal Gourmet so I watched that with him. Now I really love shows like Top Chef, and my favorite culinary personality is probably Ina Garten.
I don’t have cable, but I watch FN at the gym when I can. I really like Alton Brown because of the mix of food and science. I’m a geek at heart and have a total crush on Alton!
I LOVE the Barefoot Contessa. I wish she was my friend so she would make me yummy food and we could throw fabulous dinner parties together. I originally started watching the F.N when the Japanese Iron Chef was on and my friends in hs were all addicted to that show. It was hysterical. I wish they would bring that one back! Iron Chef America is just not the same.
I keep meaning to subscribe to this magazine, but I always forget!
I absolutely adore Ina Garten, so I watch her show all the time. In all honesty, my tv is rarely on anything but the Food Network. I watch it morning, noon, & night. I love it!
I don’t know if I could chose just one! I love Giada, Rachel when she travels, Good Eats, Guy’s shows, Simply Delicioso and Down home with the Neelys. I love any show that food network has (it’s really the only station I have watched since age 13!) I miss Sara Moulton’s show!
Ooohhh…I really hope I win one of the subscriptions.
I enjoy Paula Deen because she’s so “down home” and makes things that I can make (although they aren’t the healthiest).
I haven’t watched it lately but I did like Rachael’s $40 a day show.
I have a TV in my kitchen so often when I’m cooking or baking, Food Network will be on in the background.
I can’t wait to check the new magazine out. I live and breathe everything Food Network. I think my favorites are the challenges, such as Throwdown and Iron Chef America but you can almost always find me hooked to Good Eats and Everyday Italian. And in honor of my Southern born husband, Paula Dean is a must!
For me it’s a toss up between Ina and Giada. I love them both! The only time I really get to watch the food network is on saturdays and sundays while I do things around the house.
I love giada and ina gardner. I think they both are amazing in the kitchen and create beautiful flavorful recipes.
I really love Throwdown and Diners, Drive ins and Dives, I have definitely gotten many culinary inspirations from seeing how pros do it!
I like Good Eats and Iron Chef America. I really miss Taste with David Rosengarten and Cooking Live with Sara Moulton. They were both such informative shows. I’d like to see less chatty shows with everyday meals. I’m much more interested in elaborate food that I wouldn’t normally attempt at home.
I love, love, love Ina Garten. I also really enjoy Giada. I think that some of the shows are getting a bit to “over the top” though. Like Paula Deen, her shows now are nothing like when she first came to Food Network.
Great give-away!
I am completely addicted to Food Network! I have learned so so much about cooking and baking from watching, and so much about food itself too. My husband and I watch Iron Chef American faithfully every Sunday night, and we also really enjoy the reality series like Next Food Network Star and Ultimate Recipe Showdown. Honestly, I think I like every show on there for different reasons!
I loved to watch Sara Moulton when she had her show; she was so careful and conscious of making sure the viewers understood the technique or where to get a certain ingredient. She was down to earth and very likeable. I also enjoyed watching Michael Chiarello; he seemed like a very generous host and enjoyed what he was doing…lastly, Mario Batali I respected very much because he was one chef I never saw taste his own food or put his fingers on a finished product!
oh, i love giada and ina… their recipes are simple yet very tasty…
but honestly, i can have foodnetwork on the entire day and never be bored!!!
My favorite show is Paula Deen. I love the way she cooks.
Ohhh this is a fantastic giveaway! I have been dying to get a subscription to this magazine. My favorite shows are good eats and barefoot contessa. Giada is wonderful too though…. Really anything could be on though and I will watch in fascination!
I used to love Giada De Laurentiis and her show Everyday Italian. I loved it so much, that my 2-year old daughter’s name is Giada 🙂 after the lovely chef.
My husband’s family is Italian and so the show really helped me create some of the dishes my husband was used to…and some new ones as well.
I could literally watch FoodNetwork all day long, if I was home. I would probably eat everything in the fridge though, so thank goodness I have a full time job! hahaha
I love the variety…different chefs from different backgrounds, creating works of art that are also out of this world delicious!
I also like that there are shows geared to quick and easy recipes and low fat/carb recipes.
I used to love this show called “The Best Of”…I don’t know if it’s been taken off the air, but I haven’t seen it around. That, and $40 a day were great!
I turn on FN whenever I get the chance and am truly content to watch whatever is on =) I really like Ina, Paula, Alton, Guy, and (don’t judge me) Rachel. Oh and Emeril. Ok I am done.
Oooo, and I also have a new found love for Ace of Cakes…apparently I wasn’t done. We don’t have DVR so I can’t record any shows which means I don’t watch any of them regularly. I don’t really “miss” any shows from the past bc I don’t watch any of them each week on a schedule. I watch FN because it really gives me inspiration and I love to watch each chef’s style and personality come out in their food.
I love Guy Fieri! He’s such a down-to-Earth fun personality. With that, right now I’m loving Ultimate Recipe Showdown since it features home cooks with their best recipes.
I also love watching Iron Chef America (more than the other one because I can see using many of the ingredients myself)… since I have to DVR most of what I watch, I can’t say I miss any one show. I’ll watch about anything they have on as long as I can come away learning something new about food or cooking.
I can’t get enough of Ina.
She’s what I want to be when I grow up. 🙂
Her food and her home embody the style I want to have.
Upscale, but not snooty. Simple, but elegant. Food that dazzles when presented, but is easy to prepare. French inspired, but appreciated by any culture.
She’s the Calvin Klein of the kitchen if you ask me.
I also appreciate that she does as much ahead as possible so you can enjoy being with your guests.
🙂
I like Giada although I never seem to catch her show. I also really like Ellie Kreiger and the new show with Sunny.
I started watching FN because I heard about 30 Minute Meals. I used to really like the show, and felt like her recipes were do-able. Now I think she cooks (and talks) SO fast that there’s no way anyone who doesn’t know the recipe by heart could make it in 30 minutes. Plus, she uses so many ingredients!
All in all, though, I love FN and the wesbite is one of my go-tos when I need a meal idea.
Oh! I want that magazine so bad!
I have watched the Food Network a lot in the last few years and at some point or another I have loved them all. Right now my favorites are Ina, Bobby Flay, and Tyler Florence. I like Tyler’s show especially because he is so mellow and quiet.
I really love Iron Chef America and Alton Brown. I also like Ted Allen’s new show Chopped.
One thing I wish they’d do a show on is cooking for 1 or 2. Like simple meals that don’t leave you with too many leftovers. Or cool ways of using leftovers!
I have been watching Food Network for several years and I have at one point or another, loved all the personalities. My favorites right now are Bobby Flay, Ina Garten, and Tyler Florence. I love watching Tyler cook. Everything seems so simple and he is quiet. I know that sounds funny, but it’s nice to just chill out and listen to him talk about food and the sounds of cooking are not overwhelming (it’s not like Rachel Ray yelling about how YUM-O the EVOO is). I really like their Food Network Star show, but wish I could see last season’s winner. I can’t remember her name, but she had short dark curly hair. She might come on during the day, but I liked her too because she’s quiet. I like to relax while I watch other people cook!
One thing I do wish they’d make a show of is cooking for 2 people and how to keep portions small so you don’t end up with massive leftovers OR some cool ideas of how to use leftovers. I feel like so many shows are making meals for like 6 to 8 and sure I can do the math and reduce the ingredients, but sometimes the dishes don’t always turn out well that way.
I like Dinner Impossible. I like that show with either host, though I prefer the first host though it could be because I am more familiar with him.
I love Ina. I find Giada a little over the top, and I adore Bobby Flay.
Great question! I watch a ton of Food Network at home. I DVR Giada, the Barefoot Contessa, Alton Brown, Iron Chef and so many others. I get so many ideas and so much inspiration from all of them. If I had to pick a favorite I’d probably go with Ina. I tend to make her desserts more than her savory recipes but they’re always a hit!
I love Ina, Tyler and even Giadia. (Though it took me quite awhile to warm up to her)
I totally loved Door Knock Dinners! Very old school FN. Where Gordon Elliot would show up at someone’s house and have a chef cook dinner from what was in the pantry.
I also miss Cooking Live with Sara Moulton.
I love Ellie krieger and watch her show and liked all her recipes.
Sara Moulton was my favorite Food Network show. Along with tasty recipes she taught you the techniques she was using.
Oh how I love Food Network. I can say that they are a big reason why I got into cooking so much! I would say my favorite is Giada…I just love her and her food. I’m a big fan of Ina Garten too. I love watching both of them. I think Tyler Florence and Bobby Flay are hot! 😉 Just thought I’d add that in!
I love Alton Brown because I feel like I really learn something. I also like Giada.
I love the Food Network. It’s pretty much all I watch morning noon and night. Seriously, it’s even on at the gym I work out at.
I love Barefoot Contessa. She reminds me of my mom and I like her simple ways.
I love me some Paula Deen! a huge plus from her is her sons are super hot =]
I love her personality and humor. Of course I cook her food but feel horrible after I eat it.
I love me some southern cooking
Alton Brown, hands down my favorite. I love cooking, but being a scientist, I love to hear why things work the way they do when I cook. Alton makes great food and teaches the science in an entertaining way. He makes learning fun, the best kind of teacher.
As a Southerner, I love Paula Deen. I find her show to be the most realistic on the network, and I just love her sense of humour. In total, I’d love to see more shows focusing on baking and sweets. I’m not big on cooking, but I love to bake and make candy. And besides the competition shows there really aren’t too many focusing on sweets.
give_me_a_latte at yahoo
I love the way that Giada's food looks. Everything looks so yummy. I also like Alton Brown for the way he breaks everything down & explains not just how things should be done, but why.
I have been addicted to The Food Network since they hit national cable! (until then watched public tv for cooking shows)
Hands down favorite is Tyler's Ultimate….his recipes rock (when the network publishes them correctly)! Have tried many and they are keepers.
Also love Good Eats, Barefoot Contessa, Guy's Big Bite, Boy Meets Grill, Michael Chiarello….for great recipes.
For entertainment love Diners, Drive-in & Dives, Old Dinner Impossible, Throwdown with Bobbie Flay… some of the challenges…depends on topics.
Wish that Ming Tsai & Rick Bayless were on the food network!
I miss Gordon Elliott’s “Doorknock Dinners”! I loved watching a professional chef poking through someone’s pantry and fridge and coming up with some kind of interesting meal from leftovers and a box of frozen fish sticks.
I have several favorites, it’s so hard to pick just one! Barefoot Contessa is wonderful, she’s so calming to watch. Paula Deen is so funny and positive, I love her family shows were they go on a vacation or travel somewhere and Paula’s Party is fun. I also like the Next Food Network Star…I haven’t seen that aired for awhile, I hope it wasn’t cancelled.
Thanks for the great giveaway!