Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Fancy Food Show Hall of SHAME!



The #1 Hall of Shame Winner is...Emeril Lagasse, a man for whom I have a lot of respect in many ways, but his sauces are sugar based. You never see an Italian grandmother standing over her pot of tomatoes in Italy with a cup of sugar or a container of corn syrup but unfortunately even Emeril instead of using nice ripe tomatoes and great seasonings resorts to this trick of sweetening the sauce. It's plain bad cooking and from a man who SHOULD know better. Go stand in the corner Emeril, along with Rachel Ray and The ladies from the Silver Palate who get a shameful mention for hiding the sugar in the form of evaporated grape and pear juice.



#2. Mustard Bread Crumbs...what a great idea.Coating the fish with mustard can make the bread crumbs soggy and the fish less crisp. I was very exciting to try this new product from the Iron Chef...until I tasted it. Mustard for dessert is not so appealing. I checked the ingredients...SUGAR...in bread crumbs. Bad idea, bad taste, SHAME on you Iron Chef.

That's it. I'm done. I have more than 200 additional potential entrants for this category. There was so much (S.O. told me not to say crap, or shit), bad food at the food show, that I just can't pick. I find the top two the most offensive because they are big names and widely available. Most of the other entrants were just crap food that likely won't get far and it does not deserve too. Just a general warning to the consumer, read the label, if you see corn syrup, put it back, if you see hydrogenated fat, put it back. If you see sugar, think...is this a product that needs or should have sugar? If so, great, but if it's a chip, or a pretzel, or a salsa, put it back. Use your dollars to tell the manufacturers to work on flavor, not covering up the lack thereof with sugar.

Let me give you a few more GOOD products to send you off. Blue Smoke Salsas have a natural sweetness from good onions The Extra Hot is not so hot, but it is delicious. Check out Bluesmokesalsa.com

Oogies makes really good flavored popcorn. It's not low calorie but it tastes really good. Check out www.oogiesnacks.com

Two rotten, two good, and a reminder to read your food labels.

Now we go back to our regular programming. I think we need some recipes for all the amazing vegetables that are hitting the Farmer's markets these days. When you support your local farmers you are supporting your own health. Eat your vegetables.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Have you ever heard of a site called Datalounge. You got talked about there and I thought you might enjoy the comments. Here you go.

A link to the best of show. A top 10 of new products. A hall of fame.

I can't wait til he does the Hall of Shame. If you read the whole thing you find out Emeril Lagasse will be in it with one of his products, AND he takes a slam at Rachel Ray...I love this man.

see link
by: Anonymous 19 posts 07/03/08 @23:21

Number 3 is hysterical.

by: Anonymous reply 1 07/03/08 @23:22

Mmmm. Truffle butter.

by: Anonymous reply 2 07/03/08 @23:24

I don't get it. You mean the Kwanzaa cake with the corn nuts didn't get a prize? Not this year or last year? HA!

RACISTS!

by: Anonymous reply 3 07/03/08 @23:29

He didn't mention Dale and Thomas Popcorn. It's to die for.

by: Anonymous reply 4 07/03/08 @23:34

R4

I think these are mostly new products. Dale and Thomas has been around so long it is likely no longer at the food show.

by: Anonymous reply 5 07/03/08 @23:52

Anyone who slams Rachel Ray is my hero.

by: Anonymous reply 6 07/04/08 @06:09

Alright how many of you have ordered the pomegranite wine reduction?

MMMMM

by: Anonymous reply 7 07/04/08 @06:30

Okay, he's smart, he can cook, has great recipes and is opinionated and outspoken.

Oh...and easy on the eyes. I wonder why the food network has not grabbed him up.

by: Anonymous reply 8 07/04/08 @07:34

Where do those of you who live in the flyover states shop for things like truffle butter?

As an eater I am so happy to live in NY.

by: Anonymous reply 9 07/04/08 @10:28

Zabars carries this most wonderful truffle butter. I have been using it on popcorn.

by: Anonymous reply 10 07/10/08 @14:40

Food Snobs are terrible in bed.

by: Ekaterina of Yuriatin reply 11 07/10/08 @14:49

When is the WORST going to be posted? The Hall of Shame is the one I want to read.

by: Anonymous reply 12 07/10/08 @19:00

R9 I agree. I live in SF, and have had some of the best food since moving here.

by: Anonymous reply 13 07/10/08 @19:07

San Francisco is a great food town.

I remember being in Omaha and attempting to cater a party. I went searching for a store that carried white truffle oil. At the time it did not exist. I had to internet order and pay for overnight shipping.

by: Anonymous reply 14 07/10/08 @19:44

Dude can't write and sounds kind of rude. Did he really swan around calling soda vile in front of its producers?

by: Anonymous reply 15 07/10/08 @20:09

R15

My guess is that a certain amount of hyperbole is used in the telling of the stories.

Try the recipes, maybe you think he can't write, but he can cook...I got some great stuff off that site.

by: Anonymous reply 16 07/11/08 @10:05

WHEN is the Hall of Shame coming up?

Anyone know?

by: Anonymous reply 17 07/14/08 @10:12

The Hall of Shame is up.

He really only blasted two big names. I was hoping for more dirt.

I just love his uncensored mouth. He tells Rachel Ray to stand in the corner with Emeril Lagasse and calls shit shit and crap crap even though he has been 'talked to' about his language apparently.

see link
by: Anonymous reply 18 07/16/08 @17:47

He is so wonderfully OUT there and I mean that in the best way possible.

Karl said...

Damn, I can't believe I missed the Kwanza cake.

"Almost Homemade" is famous in the food world, for the alchohol consumption. I think one has to be drunk to eat that crap. (Damn, my language)

Anonymous said...

Karl,
I am so loving your blog! The hall of shame and fame is a lot of fun to read.

I'm going to make one of your recipes sometime. Maybe I'll start with Jordan's Drunken beef stew...

I might get to meet you when you come to Minnesota. I might even bake you a chocolate torte - though I'm a little intimidated about baking something for a chef.

Karl said...

Myrna,

Do not be intimidated. I love dark bitter chocolate anything. Torte's are wonderful.