Bakemom, im right there with you. I keep my TV on the food network channel almost all weekend. Right now I'm watching an Iron Chef America rerun and my mind is just spinning with ideas. Hmmm... kumquat tomato salad.....

I love the ones you mentioned plus the competition shows. Iron chef america, The cake competitions and/or sugar sculptures, Bobby Flay's Throwdown and my most recent - the next food network star.

Hi, I almost never come over to Conversations, just saw this thread. I'm another foodie who is addicted to the cooking shows and to Top Chef. I've watched all the previous seasons of it. Also love all the chefs you mentioned, Bakemom, plus Alton Brown, Giada DeLaurentiis and Mario Batali. I've found that if you use a lot less olive oil/fat than the recipes, you can actually make them pretty healthy.

We've also been watching the Next Food Network Star. It's really interesting to compare what qualities the Food Network executives look for, with the qualities they look for on Top Chef.

I've never made Ina's wheatberry salad, I'll have to look it up. I've made Bobby Flay's fish tacos, using tilapia. I've also made a bunch of Rachel Ray's recipes.

We have been without any sort of cable or color TV for 31/2 months.
I am convinced going WITHOUT is even more fattening. I get bored. I eat.

Hmmm,

GGG

http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=6

This recipe is fabulous. I made it this afternoon. Double it because it's so good.

Ooh, just what I need, another fix for my recipe collection addiction.
LOL, I don't do much cooking but I do collect the recipes. Someday....
Bobbie

I watch them all, too, but it would never occur to me to actually make a recipe from a TV show. I just like to watch somebody else besides me cook. LOL!

I have never seen or heard of Top Chef, but have watched the last 2 episodes of Next Food Network Star which I have found very interesting!

Lime

Did you see Tyler do that Beef Tenderloin (looked like a filet to me) topped with crab salad and little grilled tomatoes on the vine on the side? Oh man..... I dont try alot of the recipes either, but I've got to try those lettace wraps and that steak and crab salad.

I'm going to look up that beef recipe.

Top Chef is on Bravo. You can visit Bravotv.com and check out what has happened so far. This is season three and there have been just a few eliminations. You also get to rate the plates by presentation which is fun.

I like Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road Tortilla Soup. I think it came from Rachael Ray. The flavor is deep and complex. I usually make it more during the winter, so I use corn off the cob put up from the previous summer. I dry char it in a Calphalon pan instead of grilling it. Same for the red bell pepper. I often don't use tortillas or chips either. I like the soup just as well without it. I make large batches and store in individual freezer containers. I think I'll go dig in the freezer now....

Ok. I've got the previous episodes of TOP CHEF set to tape so I can catch up and I'm planning on watching tomorrow nite. It sounds like the next food network star so I'm sure I'll enjoy it. They show previous episodes of that too, so check them out. Its a fun show. I'll have to check out that chicken soup recipe too. I love learning different ways to fix chicken. I'm so tired tonite, tho, supper is going to be a bag of popcorn. *sigh*

Here is a link that might be useful: Tylers Ultimate Surf & Turf

I went over to my son's girlfriend's parents house tonight and we had Bobby Flay fish tacos. She made them with swordfish and it was delish. I don't have a good tortilla soup recipe, so I will search on foodtv.com tomorrow for that.

Top chef is a lot like Project Runway in that at the end of the day it's the designs/food that counts. It's very fun to watch when you get into it and they run marathons of it on the weekends, so you can cook along with it.

seedmama, do you have a link for that tortilla soup? I googled it but didn't find it... haven't searched Rachel Ray's site yet.

:-) My favorite food program is Bizarre Food. lol. Won't make you fat. :-P

lynnem,
I didn't have the name quite right; probably why you couldn't find it. Sorry about that.

I'm so excited you are going to try it, especially with fresh corn available right now. Please let me know if you like it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Why-the-Chicken-Crossed-the-Road Santa Fe-tastic Tortilla Soup

Ha! I just came over to discussion....
I never deglazed a pan before, and now I always do when browning meat.
I love Alton, and I'm excited to see Amy with her new show.
The new Iron Chef will be neat too. I bet the guy from Louisiana wins.

Is anyone watching Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares? I saw a few episodes of this in England this past summer, and now he is doing an American version. I know he has a foul mouth and a violent temper. I've never watched Hell's Kitchen cause watching a grown man yell at and demean people and throw pots and pans isn't my idea of entertainment.

But so far he has been absolutely spot on with his observations and criticisms of some of the American eating establishments he has visited and turned around. He seems very perceptive about the weak spots at each restaurant and knows exactly who to point the finger at!