The Internet is down. I don’t know why. The phone is working but the DSL isn’t, and what more is there to say? The occasion of the Internet being down seems like an odd time to write a blog post, but there’s nothing else to do; why not write a blog post?
Though I’m generally not much of a fan of culinary competition shows, one show that’s starting to grow on me just a little is Dinner: Impossible. The situations are utterly contrived, of course, but that’s not why I watch it. Mostly I find that I like Robert Irvine. I’m not going to start a Robert Irvine fan club (idolatry isn’t my style in any event) but of all the chefs that I’ve seen on the Food Network, he’s about my favorite. Well, Alton Brown is probably my favorite, but I don’t think of him as a chef, not in the same way Robert Irvine is. Alton Brown is more of a… an… well, that’s another show.
The Internet is down so I can’t double-check anything, but I seem to recall reading that Robert Irvine joined the Royal Navy (that would be the British Navy for those unfamiliar with the lingo) at the age of fifteen and served aboard the royal yacht HMS Britannia. I don’t know what his cooking credentials are (his cheferismus) but I doubt that you serve aboard the Royal Yacht if you can’t boil water. And those arms! I’d pay money to see him bench-press Paula Deen.
That said, I now wish to issue citations for overuse of certain words in cooking shows.
Infused. “It’s infused,” she enthused. Yeah, yeah, whatever.
Everyone in the pool. This is a Guy-ism for “put everything in the goddamned pot.” So shut up and do it already.
Now. Take the word now out of Emeril’s vocabulary and he’d practically be mute.
EVOO. Enough with the Rachael-isms. I can almost deal with delish and yum-o and GB, but EVOO tends to break my spirit. I also think that eating at her house must be pretty boring; everything must taste like olive oil. Not that there’s anything wrong with olive oil, but can I get ranch dressing on my salad, please?
Hey, the Internet is back up. But don’t think for a minute I’m going to bother double-checking anything.
Is That All?
11 years ago
6 comments:
I believe that Robert Irvine was fired from Dinner: Impossible just over a year ago, because the Food Network alleged he had fudged his resume. They said he'd claimed to have been a White House chef, but as far as I could learn, all he'd said was that he had COOKED in the White House, which he did. Anyway, they put one of the newest Iron Chefs in there, but he was a total dud. Is it possible they're bringing Irvine back?
And, BTW, I saw Irvine cook with Paula on a holiday show last fall--they're adorable together.
From Wikipedia, which one has to take with a grain of salt:
On November 20, 2008, Food Network announced that they had rehired Irvine to host six episodes of Dinner: Impossible with a scheduled air date in March 2009,[23] but later indicated the first episode would be shown on April 8, 2009
If one can believe the ads on the Food Network, they are bringing Irvine back in Dinner: Impossible next week (I think it's next week). I didn't know they fired him, though I might quibble that the difference between cooking in the White House and being a White House chef isn't as great as the Food Network thinks.
I like him, either way. He can be a little stern, but when the time comes to unbend, he seems to be a decent fellow.
And Michael Symon, who replaced him, is an absolute stick, except for the times when he's whining like a petulant five-year-old.
I really liked Robert Irvine, so I'm psyched to hear they brought him back. Dinner: Impossible was probably my favorite Food Network show until they axed him. The new had no personality whatsoever.
I never saw Dinner: Impossible with Michael Symon. I've seen him on a couple of Iron Chef America shindigs, but it's hard to get any sense of the man's personality while he's trying to turn the Secret Ingredient (butadiene rubber, or was it mutant squid?) into five dishes. I think I recall referring to him as "Chef Psilocybin" for no apparent reason.
But I do like Robert Irvine.
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