Recently in Food Network Category

It's July 4th weekend, and I think Ina Garten's got a message for all of us:

INDEED!

Grab your stamens of crocuses! Ina Garten has something to say about burnt cheese, and it's not kind. Check out the Barefoot Contessa video above to find out how she feels when her GOOD cheddar and GOOD gruyere get singed...

Great! She'll make lunch.

Ever since I saw the intro to this (GOOD) episode of Barefoot Contessa last year, it has ranked as one of my favorite Ina Garten moments. The combination of her WASPy sass and pleasant hospitality mixed with the images of her swabbing down a deck are too amazing to be denied. Plus, she makes mention of a tugboat. How bad can that be?

Just remember that if you view this while cooking, please be sure to use GOOD vanilla extract.

It's been a while since I checked in with one of my favorite Food Network personalities, Giada De Laurentiis; so I thought now would be as good a time as ever to see how's she's been doing. Today I turned on Everyday Italian mid-episode, and voila! It only took about three seconds before I started to laugh, and no, it wasn't because of her patented googly eyes and giant smile (although, they were pretty funny too). No, what made me chuckle the most was a random shot of Giada with — well, I don't want to ruin the surprise. A few images after the jump.

Thank God for Red Lasso. I just gained entry to their Beta, which means now I can easily post clips from the Food Network. What a glorious revelation. Why not kick things off with Sandra Lee who's baking CAAAAKE!!!

Guess which Barefoot Contessa regular is now modeling for the menswear department of Target? I'll give you a hint: it's not Jeffrey.

I'm a little under the weather; so rather than compose a full post, I thought I'd just assemble some good old fashioned lovable links.

• Rachel Ray suffers at the hands of a vengeful, silence-seeking waiter. [midseasonreplacements]


• The Hills guide to Los Angeles. [Gridskipper]


• The Monte Carlo Casino in Vegas has caught on fire. So yeah, don't go to the top floor. [LA Times]


• And because you want more crazy, here is the full 45 minute long, uncut version of the Tom Cruise Scientology video. I confess, I haven't endeavored to watch the whole thing yet. [Digg]

A few weeks ago, I noticed that Sandra Lee would be creating a Kwanzaa cake on her show, Semi-Homemade, and at the time I wrote that I couldn't imagine what sort of awful concoction she would smear together for this holiday disaster in waiting. Well, I've since seen her Kwanzaa creation with mine own eyes, and it was, to put it lightly, repulsive. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to write about this Food Network abomination, which is why I'm so delighted to see that sg-dub of Midseason Replacements has taken on Sandra Lee in a series of screencaps that are truly amazing. You guys don't understand how much I look forward to sg-dub's Food Network bits (especially when they lampoon stuff I've recently seen/vomited at). If you have no idea what I'm talking about, do yourself a favor and follow the link:

•AS-SALAAM-ALAIKUM, SANDRA LEESTEINBERG [Midseason Replacements]

"Happy Kwanzaa, black people.  From me and my breasts!"