BANTER BLENDER #98: Forty-Five Minutes of “Barefoot Contessa” Chat

Calling all “Barefoot Contessa” fans. This week’s “Banter Blender” is devoted 100% to Ina Garten — from her recipes to her friends and everything in between. Ben Mandelker (bsideblog.com) and Andrea Nawalanic hash it all out as they share their favorite meals, their fondest memories, and some of their most honest criticisms about the Food …

WATCH WHAT CRAPPENS #87 & 88: Double Dose This Week!

Exciting news in the world of Watch What Crappens. We recorded to podcasts this week, the first of which with YouTubers “Your Reality Recaps.” Here’s the official description of the first episode: On this very special crossover episode, the Watch What Crappens crew (Matt Whitfield, Ben Mandelker and Ronnie Karam) join the gang from YourTVRecaps …

Who Will You Vote For On ‘Food Network Star?’

Well, the latest great season of Food Network Star is rapidly drawing to a close with viewers getting to select a winner on this upcoming Sunday’s show, and for the first time ever, I must admit that I truly like all the final contenders. If you haven’t watched last night’s episode, beware: spoilers ahead…

Sizing Up The ‘Food Network Star’ Contestants

It’s hard to believe, but we’re on our eighth season of Food Network Star, and this year, the competition began a little earlier than usual, premiering last week in the middle of May. Our old friends Bob Tuschman and the incomparable Susie Fogelson are back, as well as the show’s mainstay of mentors — Bobby …

Sandra Lee Curses, Is Fun

Sandra Lee, Food Network star and First Lady of New York, has many detractors. Most assail her utterly disgusting recipes (Kwanzaa cake anyone?) and others her sing-songy delivery. Well, Sandra Lee haters, we now have more grist for your mill. Outtakes of the flaxen cook attempting to get through a shoot have surfaced. They’re replete …

Chef Francis Dimitrius of Villa Blanca Talks to B-Side Blog

Lisa VanderPump isn’t the only person at Villa Blanca making a splash on TV. The restaurant’s executive chef Francis Dimitrius recently appeared on Food Network’s Extreme Chef, the show which tasks chefs to brave the elements and concoct a meal in just thirty minutes. Francis, who Lisa VanderPump told me on Sunday was almost a …

Meet The Next Food Network Stars!

It’s summer time, which means we’re already three episodes deep into one of my favorite reality shows ever, Food Network Star (née The Next Food Network Star). So far this seventh (!) season has been pretty excellent, but could we really expect anything less from something involving the inimitable Susie Fogelson? The cast is wide …