"Rick" > wrote in message
...
> I can not STAND this woman.
>
> Why does she have her own show? Has she ever had an original thought in
> her life? I've never learned one thing or picked up one tip watching
> her; it's all just regurgitated Cooking 101. And there's just something
> so smug and self-satisfied about her demeanor that I just want to smack
> her in the face, real real hard.

I like the show, but not enough to record it or to arrange my schedule so I
can see it. I think the food is generally sound and uncomplicated --
falling to the class of comfort food with a little flair. In some ways Ina
reminds me of Martha Stewart. She has what I would call an east coast
attitude. You can read it as reserved but confident or you can read it as
snobbish. I think she would be an interesting person to have a cocktail
with and I wouldn't mind being invited to a party at her home.

You might be surprised at how many people would benefit from Cooking 101.
Kids are growing up in homes with parents who have multiple jobs and in
single parent households. Kids don't take things like Home Economics in
school like they did 50 years ago. If you look at what people have packed
into their carts at the supermarket you will see that for many, cooking
means opening boxes, cans, and jars and heating prepared foods. Many people
eat several meals each week at places like McDonalds and KFC. Salads come
from bags. Mashed potatoes come from a box. I'm sure that a good many
people wouldn't have a clue how to make meat loaf or pot roast.

I think her house and kitchen are wonderful. Someone complained that the
kitchen never looked messy. I can't think of any cooking show where the set
looks messy. I do find the staged events with "guest" to be stilted and
contrived. I think that is the worst part of the show. The guests seem
very uncomfortable and I sort of feel sorry for Ina. It makes her look like
she has to bribe people to get them to visit her. One the other hand, it
appears that she is using her friends and family as props for her show. I
think the show would be better without guests. She should just set-up the
party as if people would be arriving momentarily like Julia Child did in her
early days.

I have seen a number of posts here that citizen her because she is obese.
There is no denying that she is large, but I think she has a lot of good
qualities. She is pretty, intelligent, and a successful business person. I
don't think it is any more valid to dislike a person because of their weight
than it is to dislike them because of their skin color or nationality.

In the end, if you can't stand her, then don't watch. I don't care for
Bobby Flay and I turn to another station rather than watch him. I find
myself watching fewer Food TV shows for one reason or another. I don't like
some hosts like Flay. I'm burnt-out on Emeril and Sarah. I don't think
that "semi-homemade" cooking is worth the time. The Naked Chef is too dirty
looking for my taste. I've seen all the Martha Stewart segments when they
aired on her MS Living program. I already know "How to boil water." The
food on the Iron Chef turns my stomach. As they say around here "that don't
leave much."