Ok, I can finally read this thread now that the finale has been shown on Food Network Canada.

For my money, I would've gone with Adam because I think he had the best pitch of the three and I believe he's the most likely to come up with fresh new ideas after the first standard cooking show.

I like a balance of standard cooking shows and shows like Feasting on Asphalt, Ace of Cakes, David Rocco's Dolce Vita and Chef at Large.

Quote from: Dr Rotwang!;229570How are they fakes?  Not a challenge to out, just want clarification.

Sandra Lee drives me nuts.  I can't stand her.

In fairness to Mrs. Ray, she is at least honest enough to admit she's a fake.    But her constant mangling of seemingly every dish I've ever watched her cook sets my teeth on edge.  Showing me an episode where she cooks sometihng "Asian" is thebest way to induce a homicidal rage.  

And Sandra Lee, well, she doesn't really cook at all, she just opens a fucking can or a box.  Her "creations" actually remind me of nothing so much as the kind of horrifying stoner/bachelor concoctions we all remember from our younger days, and the fact that she's one of the most disturbingly glass-like human beings I've ever seen is just pudding in the punch.

All I can say is a good cooking show lets you know that if you put forth the effort, you can expand your horizons. With patience and an understanding of the ingredients you can make meals in your own home you thought you had to travel to a foreign country or pay 40 bucks a plate for. These were shows with actual chefs or people with solid culinary backgrounds letting you know that while food isn't quite art, the science can be learned.

Most shows on Food Network nowadays are smiling friendly strangers cooking food that anybody can, should, and will learn better by paying attention to the family cook. It feels like such a waste and it's now that I really understand why Good Eats is the only show on that channel anymore that I want to watch when it's on.

I don't see how the next smiling friendly stranger from some reality show fiasco will change anything.