Re: Chopped w/Martha Stewart

Razzy 7 · ‎03-11-2010

Exactly, proudlyfromNJ. The Food Network has no responsibility for teaching or showing people how to cook. They are in the business of making a profit, period. They are broadcasting shows that are successful, i.e. profitable. If competiton shows like Chopped are successful that's the type of show that will be on. If there are larger audiences for shows that teach people how to cook, those are the shows that will be on.

I happen to prefer the "how to cook" shows, but clearly those aren't the ones that most people watch.

lovesrecess · ‎03-14-2010

I watch Trisha Yearwoods show because I enjoy watching her make actual food people will eat...I also sometimes watch Ina Garten when it isn't her having her male friends over for lunch, which is rare. Then it is more about decorating the table or buying $60/lb cheese....no thanks. Those are the only shows I ever watch on Food Network now. Sure hate how it has devolved into silly cooking contests and shopping games.

lovesrecess · ‎03-14-2010

There are fast food chains that must throw out items such as biscuits after they have been baked for just a couple of hours....into the trash....can't sell them....per health dept. now that is a huge waste! I would happily eat a biscuit that was baked two hours earlier....

Novemberbaby · ‎03-09-2010

I like most of the judges on Chopped but all I see with Martha Stewart is her being critical & know it all. She always comes off sounding that way.

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

@lovesrecess wrote:
There are fast food chains that must throw out items such as biscuits after they have been baked for just a couple of hours....into the trash....can't sell them....per health dept. now that is a huge waste! I would happily eat a biscuit that was baked two hours earlier....

Hopefully, people who work there are able to take them home.

Whenever I make biscuits, as soon as what is left cools completely, I just put them in L&L and they are good for plenty of time to get through them.

I don't like food waste, either.

Financialgrl · ‎03-13-2010

Not a Chopped comment but a FoodNetwork one. Years ago FN did a show on waste. Two teams - Anne Burrell and Alex Guarnaschelli vs Bobby Flay and Michael Symon. The premise - both teams would prepare food for 100 ppl from all food/meat gotten from the pile that the restaurant would not use and would be thrown away, went to farms to use their fruits/veggies/eggs/tomatoes, etc that would have to be thrown out bc it did not meet the standard to move on to grocery store - so they had slightly blemished tomatoes, eggs either too large or too small to fit in cartons, etc. Most of the food was "donated" bc it would otherwise be thrown out.

The show had Dept of Agriculture reps there taking temps and testing all the food to make sure it would not make anyone sick. Most of the fish and meat were going to be thrown out bc restaurants didn't feel they could serve it in their upper scale establishments bc it was maybe 2 days old and they only used fish that was delivered fresh that morning. Before being allowed to use, all food tested to make sure it was ok.

THe judges were from the restaurant/food world and everyone was fed. They ended the show saying we could take all the food that didn't meet our definition of what we'd buy in grocery stores (slightly bruised, odd size, etc) that ended up being tossed and no one would ever have to go hungry.

CelticCrafter · ‎03-09-2010

@Financialgrl wrote:
Not a Chopped comment but a FoodNetwork one. Years ago FN did a show on waste. Two teams - Anne Burrell and Alex Guarnaschelli vs Bobby Flay and Michael Symon. The premise - both teams would prepare food for 100 ppl from all food/meat gotten from the pile that the restaurant would not use and would be thrown away, went to farms to use their fruits/veggies/eggs/tomatoes, etc that would have to be thrown out bc it did not meet the standard to move on to grocery store - so they had slightly blemished tomatoes, eggs either too large or too small to fit in cartons, etc. Most of the food was "donated" bc it would otherwise be thrown out.

The show had Dept of Agriculture reps there taking temps and testing all the food to make sure it would not make anyone sick. Most of the fish and meat were going to be thrown out bc restaurants didn't feel they could serve it in their upper scale establishments bc it was maybe 2 days old and they only used fish that was delivered fresh that morning. Before being allowed to use, all food tested to make sure it was ok.

THe judges were from the restaurant/food world and everyone was fed. They ended the show saying we could take all the food that didn't meet our definition of what we'd buy in grocery stores (slightly bruised, odd size, etc) that ended up being tossed and no one would ever have to go hungry.

My daughter is a restaurant manager for Darden. They have their own harvest program. They have to butcher their own fish and steaks and what is not considered to be restaurant quality, although perfectly fine and edible, is vacuumed sealed, dated and frozen until it's picked up and distributed.

lulu1 · ‎03-29-2011

@Novemberbaby wrote:
I like most of the judges on Chopped but all I see with Martha Stewart is her being critical & know it all. She always comes off sounding that way.

I watch Chopped a lot. (it's on A LOT) MS is by far the most critical judge EVER.

Financialgrl · ‎03-13-2010

@CelticCrafter wrote:
@Financialgrl wrote:
Not a Chopped comment but a FoodNetwork one. Years ago FN did a show on waste. Two teams - Anne Burrell and Alex Guarnaschelli vs Bobby Flay and Michael Symon. The premise - both teams would prepare food for 100 ppl from all food/meat gotten from the pile that the restaurant would not use and would be thrown away, went to farms to use their fruits/veggies/eggs/tomatoes, etc that would have to be thrown out bc it did not meet the standard to move on to grocery store - so they had slightly blemished tomatoes, eggs either too large or too small to fit in cartons, etc. Most of the food was "donated" bc it would otherwise be thrown out.

The show had Dept of Agriculture reps there taking temps and testing all the food to make sure it would not make anyone sick. Most of the fish and meat were going to be thrown out bc restaurants didn't feel they could serve it in their upper scale establishments bc it was maybe 2 days old and they only used fish that was delivered fresh that morning. Before being allowed to use, all food tested to make sure it was ok.

THe judges were from the restaurant/food world and everyone was fed. They ended the show saying we could take all the food that didn't meet our definition of what we'd buy in grocery stores (slightly bruised, odd size, etc) that ended up being tossed and no one would ever have to go hungry.
My daughter is a restaurant manager for Darden. They have their own harvest program. They have to butcher their own fish and steaks and what is not considered to be restaurant quality, although perfectly fine and edible, is vacuumed sealed, dated and frozen until it's picked up and distributed.

@CelticCrafter- that's great and that was what the show was trying to advocate we do - that rather than sending it to the dump do exactly this. Oh and for the fresh fruit/veggies that stores often toss - much is capable of still being good by cutting out a bad spot or take all that off size food and if you are just gonna toss it - distribute it all to poorer areas or food kitchens so poor are getting fresh versus all that processed food which is often cheaper.