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Food on TV

Goldfynche

New member
An otherwise boring, uneventful Saturday afternoon. So flicking through the TV channels. I came across the 'Food network' channel. All this afternoon, it's "Grilling with Bobby Flay". Some amazing dishes being turned out. And I finally understand what 'Green onions' are. In the UK, we call them 'Spring onions' Lovely, raw, in salads, as well as a distinct flavouring in oriental dishes.
The only thing that depresses me, about these food programmes. Is that they always have a super sized kitchen area, with more than enough work surfaces. Every conceivable dish, pan and utensil and every electronic gadget ever invented, all brand new, at their finger tips.

One thing I am wondering though. Do you guys (& gals) get genuine Cheddar cheese, actually from Cheddar, in the S.W. UK? Or is it just a generic name for a similar kind of cheese, made over there?

It did amuse me though. Listening to the host and his guests trying to get their tonsils round the pronunciation of Worcestershire sauce. :D
The definitive correct pronunciation is Wooster-sheer. (as in foot, not as in food) Though, in the UK, it invariably gets shortened to Worcester sauce.
 
We have very good domestic cheddar cheeses made here in the states. Just as we have Swiss cheese, provolone cheese, mozzarella cheese and so on. Of course I must say that some imported cheeses are much better. My favorite cheddars are domestic though.
 
Lol, what you see on the Food Network is just TV. Some of the sets they use look very big due to tricky camera work. Most of the sets are very small.
I have worked construction for over 30 years and like to think I have a pretty good collection of tools and equipment. But, whenever I watch a home improvement type show I see tools I can only wish I had. Where I may use a shovel, Norm Abrams has a 10 ton bucket loader come in to dig a fence post hole. I feel in a lot of ways they do the same for cooking shows to spark interest in the sponsors products.
 
Sir Goldfynche I must agree with IC compltetly on all points!

There are many great Cheddar Cheeses from the USA. One of my own favorites is from a Creamery in the State of Vermont called Cabot Creameries. They put out excellent products!

You made me laugh when I read about the pronunciation of Worstershire Sauce:D We Americans can certianly butcher the English language at times;) And of-course it all depends on where you hail from! Here in America we have lots of distinct accents from different regions. You will not hear that as much on TV as in real life travels. But it keeps things interesting, and fun!

So how do you like the Food Channel so far? I love the Iron Chef shows best, they are fun to watch.

Cheerio!
 
It is strange. Because here in Europe. Different countries are very jealous of their national 'institution' brand names, like cheddar or other famous names, and protect them, through the courts, very vigorously.
I only came across the 'Food network' channel, by accident. But shall certainly give it another shot.
BTW. Worcestershire is not only famous for it's sauce. It is also in the heart of the Cider growing region, and, coincidently, is not too far away from Cheddar.
 
Oh. And thankyou for the Knighthood, you appear to have bestowed upon me.:)


You are most welcome!:)

I am glad that you can get the Food Channel, at times they do have a few good things on!

That is interesting that there is a place called Worstershire and also Cheddar; and here is one silly American who would have never known this had you not shared it here with us!

We have a few places with some "Foodie" names...for one there is Hershey, Pennsylvania. Yes it is home to the Hreshey's Chocolate Factory.
 
All the traditional famous british cheeses like Cheddar, Wensleydale Cheshire, Stilton, Red Leicester (pronounced Lester) etc. Are all named after the towns where they were originally created.
 
Hey Guys,
Cable/satellite tv did not make it into my new household budget again this year… so no Food Network! But thankfully PBS still continues to impress! Have seen their new travel/cooking series "Culinary Adventures w/ Ruth Reichl"? It's billed as "a tour of the world's exotic cooking schools". I am LOVING it, so far!
Last week the former editor of now defunct "Gourmet" magazine traveled to the Pacific Northwest and feasted on clams, salmon, halibut and crab...
This week she traveled to Venice w/ her friend actress Dianne Weist and they took cooking lessons and roamed the beautiful city on foot and by gondola... they prepared lots of seafood and pasta, grilled cuttlefish, pork and herb-stuffed duckling roasted directly on an oven-rack, and tiramisu... a feast for the tummy and the eyes!
 
We have very good domestic cheddar cheeses made here in the states. Just as we have Swiss cheese, provolone cheese, mozzarella cheese and so on. Of course I must say that some imported cheeses are much better. My favorite cheddars are domestic though.

And also bleus. Here in Illinois, out in the Amish Country the Amish and Mennonites are known for their Swiss-Style Cheeses and Maytag Bleu- a copy of Roquefort from France...
 
Speaking of sets of Food Network cooking shows... maybe you all know this already (did we talk about this here once before?) but Ina Garten's "Barefoot Contessa" series? The first couple years the show was filmed in her beautiful home kitchen. Even though it was a roomy space- for a home kitchen... the "smallness" of it presented many challenges for her film crews. SO... an exact replica- with HUGE floor-space and WIDER pass areas for instance, between her kitchen island and the counter-tops was built on a new "set-kitchen" in a barn on her property, to accomodate cameras, dollys, carts, a team of film-crew, etc... So her shows are still filmed at home. And her set-kitchen looks exactly the s ame as it did before- but it's actually a new kitchen in a barn across the yard w/ double the original floor-space/square-footage! Interesting, huh?

Barefoot Contessa - Barn - Ina Garten - House Beautiful
 
Doing a bit of resesarch regarding cheddar cheeses here in the states, I found that the original dairyman Harding is the one that introduced the making of it here. I love Vermont Cheddar and New York Cheddar. I prefer extra sharp myself.
I would love to try that which is made in Cheddar. Just reading about it and the after taste of apples really sounds appealing. Cheddar cheese and apples has always been a great combination to me. I even put cheddar cheese in my apple pie.
 
I must concede that probably, Cheddar is the most basic cheese available. All the other cheeses in the UK, can only be slight variations of the original recipe. Although 'Cheshire' is beautifully creamy. Caerphilly is another famous cheese, from Wales. Some years ago An attempt was made to produce a British equivalent of Camembert. They called it 'Lymeswold' I liked it. But they stopped producing it after a year or so.
Do you also get Cheddar in Mild, Normal and Mature, as we do?
 
Yes, we have Mild, sharp, exrta sharp and then the more expensive artisian aged cheddars. I'm sure there are aslo so many different types like Colby and Monterey Jack.
 
Wow Kevin, I love PBS and yet watch it so little all because I have so many other choices. Now after reding your post I will have to make a concious effort to watch it a little more often! Of-course I really do not spend much time watching at all, I do not have much time to indulge in that pleasure.
 
I very rarely watch the food network. I am a big fan of the PBS cooking shows though. I have watched most of the people on PBS for ages.There is not a one of them that I don't like and for the most part, they cook every day foods.
 
I loved the English chedder when I was over there a few years ago. It is such a pain in the backside when looking for good imported cheeses. I look forward to my trip over there in a few months!
 
I loved the English chedder when I was over there a few years ago. It is such a pain in the backside when looking for good imported cheeses. I look forward to my trip over there in a few months!

Funny... I'm currently reading "A Twist in the Tale" by Brit- Jeffery Archer. it's a good book chock-full of stories the endings of which all take unexpected turns on the last page. In a story I read just last night British cheddar is mentioned and longed for by a character. Just a neat coincidence!
 
Cooking Channel coming soon!

On May 31, the Fine Living Network will be replaced by the brand-new Cooking Channel.

Here are the new shows:

UNIQUE EATS (new exciting restaurants)
FOODCRAFTERS
FOODOGRAPHY (cultural food themes)
SPICE GODDESS
INDIAN FOOD MADE EASY
COOK LIKE AN IRON CHEF
CARIBBEAN FOOD MADE EASY
CLASSIC COOKING BLOCK (Julia Child, etc.)
A WEEK IN A DAY (Rachel Ray)
BRUNCH WITH BOBBY FLAY
FRESH FOOD FAST
CHUCK'S DAY OFF
CHINESE FOOD MADE EASY
EVERYDAY EXOTIC
DAVID ROCCO'S DOLCE VITA
FRENCH FOOD AT HOME
RACHEL ALLEN: BAKE

 
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