In recent days, I’ve posted a list of the Top 10 Food T.V. Personalities I Enjoy Watching and a list of the Top 10 Food T.V. Personalities That Kind of Get on My Nerves. Some of you have agreed with my choices. Some have disagreed. And some have wondered “Hey, why didn’t that annoying/lovable X make your list?”. Well, what follows is a third and final list – of the Top 10 Food T.V. Personalities I Want to Love But Don’t/Want to Hate But Can’t. Again, in no particular order…
Alton Brown (author, actor, host of such shows as Good Eats, Iron Chef America, and Feasting on Asphalt).
Want to love him but don’t. If I was compiling these lists a year ago, Brown would have made my Top 10 Favorites. Now, I’m not so sure. Most of the time, he’s immensely engaging, informative, and entertaining but, occasionally, I get a real Trebekish vibe off him – sort of a “I know the answers to everything. Aren’t I awesome?” vibe – especially when he’s presiding in Kitchen Stadium. Nice hair though.
Bobby Flay (chef, restaurateur, Iron Chef, and host of shows like Boy Meets Grill and Throwdown with Bobby Flay).
Want to hate him but can’t. I really didn’t want to like the guy and for a while, I didn’t. He’s brash, curt, and overconfident. But, boy, does his stuff look tasty and his show, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, has gone a long way toward endearing him to me. Turns out he’s a bit of a goof. I like that.
Guy Fieri (cook, restaurateur, game show host, host of shows like Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives).
Want to hate him but can’t. If you can get past those frosted locks and breezy bombast, Fieri is actually pretty damn entertaining. And knows what he likes. Which, more often than not, is what I like.
Michael Symon (award-winning chef, restaurateur, Iron Chef, and host of such shows as Food Feuds).
Want to love him but don’t. Seem like a nice guy, cooks like a champ, but laughs like a serial killer. 
Rachel Ray (cook, author, host of such shows as 30 Minute Meals and $40 a Day).
Want to hate her but can’t. Her food doesn’t really appeal, I hate her use of the term “EVOO”, and I can see how many could find her perennial cuteness off-putting but, damnit, I have a hard time resisting bubbly. She is a cutie and does love food, so she’s got that going for her as well. 
Emeril Lagasse (chef, restaurateur, host of such shows as Emeril Live and Essence of Emeril).
Want to hate him but can’t. On the one hand, there’s the failed sitcom and silly showmanship; on the other hand, there’s his awesome southern cookin’ and trademark impish grin.
Marco Pierre White (award-winning chef, restaurateur, host of the fourth season of the UK Hell’s Kitchen and The Chopping Block).
Want to love him but don’t. I like tough but fair and that was what I was expecting to see from Marco when he hosted The Chopping Block. Instead, he came across as self-important and a little dull.
Paula Deen (cook, restaurateur, host of such shows as Paula’s Home Cooking and Paula’s Best Dishes.
Want to love her but don’t. Like I said, I love southern cooking and bigger than life characters but there’s something about Deen’s down-home coziness that I just don’t buy.
Jamie Oliver (chef, restaurateur, host of such shows as The Naked Chef and Jamie’s Kitchen).
Want to love him but don’t. I like the fact that he’s very dynamic and clearly enjoys what he does, but find him a little too annoyingly earnest in his food crusades.
Giada De Laurentiis (cook, guest anchor and contributor on Today, host of shows like Everyday Italian and Giada at Home).
Want to love her but don’t. Yes, I know she’s gorgeous and very sexy, but her Italian accent sounds like a put-on and her Italian cooking, at times, feels way more American than Italian.
Hi joe!!
I have been reading your blog every day for a few months now and I look forward to coming home from school and reading it.
I do miss the Stargate talk though !
I am crossing my fingers and toes that you have some good news for us next week.
I am keeping positive on things. I belive that you and Brad are going to find a way to keep SGU going. I bet Brad has something up his sleeve that will work!
Good Luck!
Oy, you don’t hate Rachel, hey? Giada is one I have to agree with you on – every time she says “mozzarella”, I want to find one and throw it at her. Jamie Oliver really needs to shut up already. Just thought of another one, Rick Bayless. Remember him? He cooked some authentic Mexican food. Well researched, very informative, but alas, I heard his restaurant in Chicago was awful and very expensive. Now I want Mexican food. 😉
Joe…I agree with you on most of these. But Giada. Sorry, the low cut shirts suck me in everytime.
Also…long time SG fan….long time blog lurker (think I’ve posted like 3 times) just want to say, you guys did an amazing job. I hope MGM has some good news for you guys soon, but if not, thanks for the MANY years of entertainment!
Alton – haven’t seen him recently, just a bit at the mic in Food Stadium, so he’s still adorable to me.
Emeril has queued applause on his show like he’s demonstrating a Sham-Wow or something. I can’t get past that to admire the food.
Paula Deen – there’s supposed to be something about a Southern woman’s down-home coziness you just don’t buy. That’s how you know she’s authentic Southern. She’s polite enough to put everything she has into hospitality and just a little more. It’s that little more you’re sensing.
Jamie Oliver – I love his food crusades, but he’s not getting anywhere until he figures out corn politics. Then, he’s not getting anywhere. That speech impediment he has would be cute if I didn’t keep picturing him accidentally spitting in the food.
I can watch Giada De Laurentiis can cook crap all day, I don’t care. I can’t stand Rachel Ray though, she’s too loud. gives me headaches, if I tried to pay attention to what shes saying.
And that shorty awards thing, Joe you can help us make the last push, we just need 60 more votes.
Hey Joe,
Have you seen the andouille sausage battle? If you want to see a touch of the know-it-all in Alton get taken down, watch how he pronounces “cipollini” and the Iron Chef’s reaction.
Love Alton, personally, but I was really surprised by that one.
Just a little something to warm your heart.
Alton Brown – agree. He did teach me about onions and how they emit a gas when you cut into them, hence the watery eyes. If you cut it when it’s cold and use a sharp knife it will help.
Bobby Flay – disagree. Don’t hate him. Don’t like him either. No reason.
Guy Fieri – disagree. I love him, period. I want to ride in his red convertable.
Michael Symon – who?
Rachel Ray – disagree. I like her and her 30 minute meals. Joe you could do a version of her $40 A Day show. Yours would be called $1,000 A Day, Tokyo Style!
Emeril Lagasse – agree. He seems harmless enough.
Marco Pierre White – who?
Paula Deen – agree.
Jamie Oliver – disagree. I like Jamie. Why do I always miss the part where he gets naked?
Giada De Laurentiis – disagree. Don’t want to love her and don’t.
Wow. These past couple of days have been a real eye opener. Didn’t realize there were so many chefs and cooking shows. Didn’t realize just how much I watch them. Thanks Joe. Enjoyed your blog.
Want to know what torture is? Waiting at the dentist’s office and they have the tv on Rachel Ray. I’d rather take 1039 consecutive x rays than to have to watch her show for more than 30 seconds. Hadnt thought in terms of wanting to love/hate someone, especially food channel personalities. Been enjoying the lists of the last 3 days. Thanks for the entertainment and still waiting paitently for some miracle word on the sg front, ANY sg front…
And I dont know what to make of what Space said, its over isnt it? Couldnt they wait to see what the ratings were gonna be like in spring?
Hey Joe,
I actually have seen a few of these…and I liked them! Not sure what that means…but I am easily entertained by food. Well…I am here aren’t I.
Best to you Joe & of course the pups,
Always,
Cheryl 🙂
I’ve never been able to watch Paula Deen for more than a few minutes at a time. Yes, she’s got Southern charm, but her unnaturally blue eyes actually creep me out a little. For instance, in that picture you posted…she looks like a doll from a horror movie — one that smiles at you before it pulls out a hatchet and starts chopping up people….okay maybe I let my imagination get away from me, but still, those eyes…
I love Rachel Ray’s 30 minute recipes — cuz that’s about all the time I want to spend cooking during the week. And I love watching to see how many things she can carry at once from the refrigerator without dropping something.
Love Guy Fieri, although I don’t know how he avoids stroking out from the food he eats at some of those great dives on his show….
I’m kinda with you on Rachel. I suppose having read that she didn’t really want to do the show in the first place makes it a little more entertaining, at least for me, because of those times when you can see on her face that she’d rather be doing something else.
And yet…she’s still cute as a button.
I also have a feeling that they make her say E.V.O.O. way more than she would ever do otherwise.
As for Giada, she is in fact the Queen of Sexy Food TV Cleavage, but while I’ve only seen her show about .38 times, this never fails to make me giggle:
It’s a Giada Disaster
♥ஜ☆Patrick Gilmore ♥ஜ☆ Carl Binder ♥ஜ☆ Patrick Gilmore ♥ஜ☆ Carl Binder ♥ஜ☆ Patrick Gilmore ♥ஜ☆ Carl Binder ♥ஜ☆ Patrick Gilmore ♥ஜ☆ Carl Binder ♥ஜ☆ Patrick Gilmore ♥ஜ☆ Carl Binder ♥ஜ☆ Patrick Gilmore ♥ஜ☆ Carl Binder ♥ஜ☆ Patrick Gilmore ♥ஜ☆ Carl Binder ♥ஜ☆ Patrick Gilmore ♥ஜ☆ Carl Binder ♥ஜ☆ Patrick Gilmore ♥ஜ☆ Carl Binder ♥ஜ☆ Patrick Gilmore ♥ஜ☆ Carl Binder ♥ஜ☆ Patrick Gilmore ♥ஜ☆ Carl Binder ♥ஜ☆ Patrick Gilmore ♥ஜ☆ Carl Binder ♥ஜ☆ Patrick Gilmore ♥ஜ☆ Carl Binder ♥ஜ☆ Patrick Gilmore ♥ஜ☆ Carl Binder ♥ஜ☆ Patrick Gilmore ♥ஜ☆ Carl Binder ♥ஜ☆ Patrick Gilmore ♥ஜ☆ Carl Binder ♥ஜ☆ Patrick Gilmore ♥ஜ☆ Carl Binder ♥ஜ☆ Patrick Gilmore ♥ஜ☆ Carl Binder ♥ஜ☆
Any show-n-tell ideas for tomorrows post? *giggles*
I consider Rachel Ray my mentor in the cooking department. I grew up in a household where my mother, a good cook, didn’t believe she was a good cook and didn’t want anyone in the kitchen when she cooked. so I grew up knowing nothing in the kitchen. I fumbled around for years until I started watching 30 Minute Meals show. then I started learning stuff that helped me, like learning how to use a knife, how to cut vegs and not myself, how to layer flavor and how to make soup. Her philosophy of “Learn the method, not the receipe” I have adopted as my own and I have found it to be effective for me. I don’t much care for her recipes as I don’t like spicy food with peppers and hot sauce, but I learn how she does things, then I can change the ingredients to suit my tastes. It works!
I really want to like Giada but she seems to be so fake. My sister and have taken to calling her Big Head because of her giant bobble head.
Also, next time you watch her show listen to how loud they have the mic turned up on her cutting board. It sounds like she is chopping inside my head it’s so loud.
Also while I generally agree with your thoughts on people like Alton Brown I actually find him brilliant on Good Eats but he does come off as incredibly smarmy on The Next Iron Chef.
I got a Paula Deen cookbook for Christmas from a friend. Some of the recipes look good, but I don’t know much about her.
Hey Joe,
Thought you might enjoy this parody of SGU. The hope is that these parodies will become viral and raise awareness about the cancellation of SGU which seemed to be hidden as much as possible by SyFy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1x-BL2XXbI
I hope it’s okay to use SGU videos as a fan, I tried contacting MGM but I got no response.
@cherluvya:
♥ஜ☆Ivon Bartok ♥ஜ☆ James Bamford ♥ஜ☆ Ivon Bartok ♥ஜ☆ James Bamford ♥ஜ☆ Ivon Bartok ♥ஜ☆ James Bamford
yup!!
cooking shows, cooking shows… blah, blah
This was your final post on the subject Joe? I thought you could have strung it out for a bit longer. Like what kind of cooking show host would the guys and gals at Bridge be? That would have been an awesome post.
Cheers, Chev
Is that Paula Dean woman on drugs in that photo? No-one looks like that normally.
Cheers, Chev
Hey, you never mentioned Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa). She could be my best friend/neighbor any day. Real food, most of it delish (I’ve make lots of her recipes).
Hello! Comment ça va today? Moi trés bien!
…euh je ne connais que Jamie, j’aime beaucoup ses émissions!
…ce soir encore un restaurant, ça me change des 1 par ans, depuis que je vie à Paris j’y vais chaque semaine!!…mais je pense que c’est pas très bon, j’ai peur de m’habituer aux bonnes choses et que plus rien de m’émerveille.
Gros bisous!
Anais
Hey Joe I was curious, why is it that in the Stargate universe when someone is out of phase they don’t phase right through the floor?
I was wondering if you would get to Guy Fieri. My husband and I enjoy watching his show. It was great when he featured a restaurant in the town we live in several months back.
Now, Rachel Ray, I could do without her. She’s too perky for me.
Hi Joe,
Just wondering if you have any SGU updates that ou can pass on yet, love your blog hope you are well
I think you are spot on with all of these.
We’re pretty similar in our opinions on this list.
Alton Brown: Very informative, engaging and entertaining. But come on! Who is actually going to make their own tortillas from fresh corn? At times I expect him to go buy a cow so that he can have fresh milk to make his own cheese.
Bobby Flay: Without a doubt my favorite “celebrity chef”. I love his style, and his cooking. He really shines when he has his wife Stephanie March as a guest. Sometimes he can come off as a bit of a dick on ICA, but I’ve worked in high pressure kitchens, and I’ve been there, so it’s understandable.
Guy Fieri: He was my choice for the winner of The Next Food Network Star that season. Not because I really liked him, but because he was the best of the worst. However, he has really grown on me over the years. He’s very entertaining. And like you said: he likes what I like. Plus he drives a bitchin’ Camaro on DDI&D.
Rachel Ray: Adore her. But sometimes she’s a little over the top on the bubbly. I find myself on occasion wishing she’d pop a Xanax.
Emeril Lagasse: I used to have a huge problem with the way he mangled the dialogue on his show. “Here we’ll put the onions in the pan. Frying. The beef we’ll cut.” But that was cured once the wife & I scored tickets to his show and were just thoroughly entertained. We sat right next to his prep area on the set and got to taste each recipe. And even made it on TV in the episode “Back to New Orleans” from season 12. Plus I love Cajun food. I make a variation of his Cajun Crabcake that totally kicks ass.
Paula Deen: Love her. She’s like a “mom”. Albeit one with 7 digits in her bank account. I too, have to wonder how much of that is real. But I’m willing to let that slide most of the time.
Jaime Oliver: He’s pretty creative and handy in the kitchen…and slightly entertaining. But he does have a tendency to get on my nerves. Good in small doses, is he.
Giada De Laurentiis: Like you said, she’s pretty easy on the eyes. I once read a comment where someone said: “I’ve watched Giada’s show all season…and I still can’t boil water.” And I also find her forced Italian pronunciations highly annoying…and forced. But some of her recipes are fantastic. My favorite is a shrimp lasagna roll-up.
@Thornyrose
Try being in a hospital social room with horse jumping on TV. OMG so dull and boring..
Don’t get me wrong. I’m a huge animal lover but watching horses jump over things is less fun than watching paint dry.
Sadly I was there for like an hour waiting for someone to print off some forms/get the medication so I could leave the place(Slowest hospital ever..)
So dullll…..
Offtopic..
Saw the latest Australia news on tv when they were speaking about missing people. Harsh news, that’s the horrible thing about flooding and things like that. Tidal currents can be pretty strong. Hope everyone is found safetly however.
@Jamie Oliver
Skimmed through the pictures and saw you posted about him Joe. Have a lot of respect for the guy, he want to several American schools trying to teach about healthy food, however a lot of the kids hadn’t even heard of half the vegetables he was showing them. Stuff like tomatos, potatos. Kinda insane. He was trying to help with the growing obesity problem facing society.
Also speaking of Food personalitys.
Gordan Ramsey is hilarious and awesome at the same time if you watch his shows. Oh wow. You could imagine him making a good Stargate leader, for one he wouldn’t stand for any backtalk, guy uses cuss words every 2 seconds on his shows.
Also sorry for the double post.
We at at Paula’s Lady and Son’s just before she blew up and she was very sweet, much the same as you see her now; a very sweet southern lady, and her sons were so polite, charming and perfect gentlemen (making me wish I could ditch my date for one of them!)
I was impressed by how nice they were, and they were great with their mom; you can tell that she raised them up well. I loved that when her pants fell down on TV she just hitched ’em up and kept on cookin’.
Yesterday the pod people failed to close the office early despite a blizzard, which I wasn’t aware of in my windowless circle of hell. Clearly they meant to strand us in the office all night, so that they could slip pods under our desks. I hiked home 40 minutes in the blizzard. Shiny 1, Pod People 0. BTW if I start posting about my love of Birkenstocks and majolica you’ll know that I’ve become one of Them.
Hmmm. Potato chips on a sandwich? I have not seen that since my childhood days watching the local “Casey Jones and Round House Rodney”show in the days of black and white TV. I agree with you on Racheal. She is just so cute, especially in that picture. It makes me want to smile, but she is married so I try not to watcher. I like Emeril enough to buy on of his stove top grill, not my best investment, but love is enthusiasm and I like the pic that shows his kitchen a bit of a mess like mine when I cook. I can’t say much about the others because I do not have cable. Keep smiling and enjoy that food.
You sure have/know a lot of tv chefs. 😛
Funny how these are probably the ones I watch the most on the food network minus the Marco guy I didn’t even recognize him.
I would toss Paula Dean for Mike Smith any day. At least Mike is genuine and cooks healthy! Yes he has a quiet maritime influence which is low key but he is nice. But aren’t all Canadians?
Maybe he needs a few stupid maritime idioms thrown in for color…How about “I was pisscuttin’ it to the market on my wheeler and I lost it and wound up in the puckerbrush!”
You are a hard man to impress! I could watch any of those guys/gals.
I did love the picture link from Lou Zucaro 😀 . That was just priceless!
You left out Tyler Florence (or did I miss him?). I made his BBQ chicken yesterday and it was so good/easy. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/the-ultimate-barbecued-chicken-recipe/index.html
The brine makes all the difference.
I guess it’s totally subjective, but I find Rachel Ray’s voice the equivalent of someone trying to cut up a propane tank with a circular saw.
Joe, I’ve got to agree with you about Michael Symon’s laugh! But I love him anyway. I’ve got a soft spot for Emeril: he hooked my son on cooking. We even made a pilgrimage to Emeril’s home town, Fall River, Mass. Gosh you watch a lot of Food Network shows.
So what’s with the brining craze?! It’s a technique I had not heard of until recently and now everyone it doing it. Except me. Haven’t tried it yet, but I had a brined rotisserie chicken at a friend’s house on New Year’s Day: very tasty.
My dad died a few years ago after having been confined to his bed for a prolonged period of time. One of his joys in life at that point was watching Mario Batalli (sp?) and Emeril on The Food Channel and he’d have us tune in whenever they were on. For that simple pleasure they will always have a place in my heart, no matter what they are like nowadays.
Every picture of Paula Deen I’ve seen, she has a fake smile.
Yes, Paula, people can EASILY tell the difference between a real smile and a fake smile. My advice to you: put someone behind the camera that you actually want to smile at.
I just used Alton’s game hen tips. Tastes like chicken.
Sparrow Hawk: Why brine? http://www.finecooking.com/articles/why-brining-keeps-meat-moist.aspx
Alton Brown would be ok if he didn’t like to hear himself talk so much. Some of the information is interesting but get on with the cooking.
Bobby Flay makes good stuff he just comes across like a cocky smug ginger which bugs me. Besides that everyone knows gingers have no souls.
Guy Fieri has a great job. I always wonder if the owners are annoyed at having to give this guy all those portions. Sometimes it seems like they don’t really want him there. Like you said the bling is a little much but thats what he’s recognized for now so I guess he’s stuck with it. I bet if he lost it nobody would like him.
I like Rachel Ray, started back when she had a small cooking show. I don’t watch her current show unless the wife says one of the recipes looks good.
I don’t like Jamie Oliver. Never have, he comes across like this wannabe good guy please everyone when he’s a douche and a crappy teacher. Like when he tried to teach those british kids how to be a chef he was horrible and they all hated him. All that show he puts on like he’s doing it on the fly is such B.S. too, then his snobby douchey friends all show up… whatever.
Giada, no interest really. Comes across like the type who would flip out if you used the wrong dinner utensil, or walked in the room with the plastic on the furniture thats never used.
The other guys I’ve just sorta watched briefly and turned the channel.
Just a heads up to Joe and Sparrow and other Michael Moorcock fans. Mike goes in for surgery tomorrow morning: http://www.multiverse.org/fora/showthread.php?t=20877&page=6
It wouldn’t hurt to send some good vibes, thoughts and/or prayers his way!
das
Does this blind item, perchance, have anything to do with SGU?
http://www.tvline.com/2011/01/blind-item-dead-drama-showing-a-pulse/
Hey Joe, do you like Lidia Bastianich? (Assuming you’ve seen her show!)
Also, I agree with some of your choices, I totally love Triple D and Guy Fieri, but loathe Bobby Flay (or as I call him Bobby Flay-Me) as he comes off kinda cocky and nauseating, and Rachel Ray is just too bubbly and perky.
@ Chev
I’ll raise you another…
♥ஜ☆Patrick Gilmore♥ஜ☆ ♥ஜ☆Carl Binder♥ஜ☆
There really are only two originals…but hey, it is fun to just to see their names. ummm, did I say THAT out loud? Ha, no one is going to see this anyway. *giggles*
Patrick Carl Patrick Carl Patrick Carl Patrick Carl Patrick Carl
Okay…
Joe…just in case you didn’t see this…Patrick has another body of work. On Twitter we called it #NakedGilmore
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/bf7a310832/whenepisode-1-from-the-church-of-jerks
Don’t miss this Joe…had us all laughing all night long. See…I am giving you a “Show-N-Tell” *giggles more*
Symon: “Seem[s] like a nice guy, cooks like a champ, but laughs like a serial killer.” HA! XD I can see why you’d say that, but he just seems so cuddly to me. (It doesn’t hurt that he strongly reminds me of a good friend.) Plus, who doesn’t love a man who’s so passionate about pork?
Emeril: I used to hate him for his shouting-to-an-empty-studio ways and odd pronunciations of ingredients. Then he was featured in the New Orleans episode of No Reservations and, like Tony Bourdain, I found that I couldn’t hate a guy with such dedication to his cooking and his community. And his food does look tasty.
Giada: To be fair, she is an American of Italian descent — scion of the De Laurentis movie-making clan — so her Italian is honestly come-by if perhaps a bit exaggerated on screen. From what I’ve heard, she initially resisted having a cooking show because it seemed too much like joining the family business. I like that she’s thoughtful about her career.
Hello Joe:
Thank you so much for your blogs on food! I also like to watch cooking shows and competitions and so enjoyed your take on all of the TV chefs.
Most of your observations were right on the mark (not pandering!) and I agree with most of your opinions, likes and dislikes.
In that light, I came across a brand new trend in food which I thought might be of interest to you…
Here is the first paragraph of the article:
“The newest dessert at the Manhattan restaurant Park Avenue Winter doesn’t just come with a spoon – it comes with headphones and a voiceover by the artist who designed it.”
http://nydn.us/hdQO1v (via NY Daily News)
Thanks again for the highly enjoyable read!
Best,
BillieO
I still like Alton even if he can, at times, come across as a know it all or a bit direct or too sarcastic. There’s a good youtube of him doing a lecture/QandA at google and I feel that some of the questioners were treated a bit harshly.
I grew to like Flay. Didn’t at first because he came across as too arrogant, but his geninue goodness and goofyness is what endears him to me.
I like Guy. Regarding him eating a lot on triple D he said that he only takes 2 bites of any given dish so that he can sample other things as well. Lots of cooking for just 2 bites.
You’re right about Symon’s laugh.
I also like Tyler Florence, who also seems like a good person with good food. Robert Irvine I like too and I think that he should have a cooking show.
Also I still think that you should be an Iron Chef judge… at least once.
Oh and Claire Robinson is GREAT!!!
I wish Batali had his own show again.
I also think that Aaron Sanchez would have made a great TV chef as well as his Chefs v. City partner in crime Chris Cosentino whose restaurant.
Nigella is wonderful.
Kelsy from Kelsy’s essentials on Cooking Channel is wonderful
As are some of the other folks on Cooking Channel.
Ok enough from me
Cody
This is a total necro post, but I have to say–I know EXACTLY what you mean about Bobby Flay! At first I thought he was overly competitive to the point where it turned me off, but then as I saw his dishes, I thought his arrogance was at least somewhat warranted, and as you said–he’s a goofball! Throwdown is a great show. I’m also biased toward Bobby because he likes cooking with hot peppers, which are my favorite.
I’m also into AB–I think he’s sweet. I’m kinda proud of him for losing so much weight over the last year. That seems like such a rare thing with food personalities.
And as far as Iron Chef Symon goes–I think he’s pretty lovable. If you see him on Next Iron Chef or Cook Like an Iron Chef on the Cooking Channel, you can get an idea of how kind he is. He seems pretty clear in his criticisms, but I suppose the language he uses often serves to soften the blow, so to speak. He seems like a guy who just wants to get along with everybody, and I appreciate his Mediterranean leanings in terms of the style his dishes are in.
And lol@ Emeril! I watch reruns of his old show and just laaaaaaugh all the time, haha. I think he cooks more like a restaurant chef than a cooking instructor, though. Sometimes he uses way too high of a heat when he’s cooking steaks and he can overcook them right on the air. That strikes me as something someone would do if they were in a kitchen trying to get meals out really quickly (using that high of a heat, that is), and he couldn’t pay attention to it enough to make sure it came out properly because the relaxed pace of the cooking show distracted him a bit.
I also think he cooks with too much fat at times, to the point that his dishes seem less appetizing than they could be if he’d just cut back a little. I’m not even talking in terms of health–I’m all for decadence, but sometimes too much cheese, sour cream, or butter just overpowers the rest of the entree.
And I can’t agree with you on Rachel Ray. She’s been on since I was a little kid (I’m only 21 now), and even then I thought “this lady’s obnoxious.” Maybe it’s the way she always sounds like she’s shouting? I don’t know, something about her…
As far as Jamie Oliver goes–have you seen Jamie at Home? That show is adorable, if a bit weird at times. I always find it entertaining, though.