Food Bites: Food Network, Cablevision and Super Chefs

January 11, 2010 by NJ_Chef 4 Comments

So, for those of you who don’t have to deal with the whole Cablevision/Scripps insanity, I consider you the luckiest people on Earth. I also envy you to the highest degree. For those of us having to deal with Cablevision, you know my rage.

The day of the Super Chef Battle on Food Network; Flay and Comerford vs. Emeril and Batali. But, through a very strange series of events that I still don’t quite understand, Food Network was no longer on Cable. Now, Cablevision says that this is all Scripps’ fault. Frankly, I don’t care whose fault it is. I just want Food Network back! I mean, come on! The DAY the Super Chef Battle was supposed to take place and THIS happens?! COME ON!

All rants aside, I finally saw the episode thanks to my girlfriend’s quick thinking; she has AT&T U-Verse and still has Food Network, so she DVR’d it for me. So, for those of you who haven’t seen it yet, DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER. Everyone else, feel free to keep on reading.

So, the secret ingredient was “anything from the White House Garden.” I found it funny that Batali and Emeril were stealing little bits of veggies from Flay and Comerford. Getting to the battle itself, the veggies from the WH Garden were supplemented by local proteins (meats, fish, etc.). It was a very intense battle. I mean VERY intense. It was the first time I had ever seen Bobby Flay screaming for a time check so many times. I was rooting for Emeril and Batali to win, but at the same time, I was hoping for Comerford to win (gotta root for a fellow Filipino!). The different techniques were on full display in this battle. It was very, very fun to watch. All of the dishes looked delicious! The one I wanted to try the most was that turkey dish Emeril and Mario Batali collaborated on. It looked very appetizing and despite being a little burnt, I’m sure it was extremely delicious. In second place on my taste list was the raiviolo that the judges were raving about. That one looked really good as well and it caught the eye of my girlfriend as well. I was a tiny bit sad that Emeril and Mario lost, but I was very happy and proud that a Filipino chef won. Whatever the outcome, everyone in the battle earned the moniker “Super Chef.”