Food Network Fall Shows

Two of my favorite shows on Food Network are Barefoot Contessa and Everyday Italian. This past weekend, both shows came out of hiatus and have new formats for the fall lineup. Let's see how the premiers stacked up.

Barefoot Contessa (Saturdays @ 1:30pm ET)
In previous seasons, we sat opposite Ina Garten in her kitchen as she made everything from a Sunday rib roast to the most elaborate bouillabaisse. Over the course of the shows, audiences were introduced to Ina's circle of friends -- those who cater to and partake in the Hamptons social scene. However, the focus was always on the food and learning tips and tricks from Ina's years of experience. Her quiet confidence made fancy dishes seem approachable -- you too can make this food!

In this season's premier of Barefoot Contessa, the show has been rebranded as "Back to Basics", suggesting that the producers felt she had strayed too far into over-the-top cuisine. Unfortunately, this episode also incorporated a contrived plot of testing a recipe and then having one of her friends shop for the ingredients as part of test-driving the recipe for himself. The show went so far as to include Ina taking digital photos on her handy Canon camera (a co-sponsor plug? I can only assume so!), which did not fit in the format at all. Throughout the episode, we keep hearing Ina say "I think" and "I hope", playing it up that she is testing this recipe (filet mignon) for the first time herself. This works against the strengths of previous seasons -- now, I'm not so sure I can make this -- Ina doesn't know what she is doing, so how will I or her supposed friend fare in making the dish? The story ends well, but it just seems too scripted to be believable. Hopefully this episode/format was a flash in the pan and won't carry over to future episodes.

Giada at Home (Saturdays @ 1:00pm ET)
I was slow to come around to liking Everyday Italian, Giada de Laurentis' homey-yet-upscale Italian show. The food originally seemed too far removed from my daily life (ironic given the title) and Giada's too-large smile was creepy to me. Over time, either the show toned things down a bit or else my tastes changed, because by last year, I had become a convert. Her food was interesting -- fancier than I would make most days, but worthy of a gourmet dinner at home for a special occasion. In addition, she had moments of greatness where she would "Italianize" dishes and wind up with something really interesting.

In the new season, Everyday Italian has been repositioned as a new series, Giada at Home. I was really looking forward to this -- it was advertised as a beachy, Californian show with lots of entertaining. The premier episode "Rock the Block" shows us her suggestions for food items for the local block party. The title is cheesy, but the format is worse! I like the idea that Giada is now free to make some non-Italian food (although she does work in a bit of mascarpone in the season opener). However, the show is filmed real-time, a la 30 Minute Meals. We see Giada scampering around the kitchen, looking for that garlic and cornstarch. I'm much more interested in learning technique and recipes than watching someone dig through their pantry. Without the careful editing that was a hallmark of Everyday Italian, we're left feeling rushed and flustered -- everything happens too quickly in too short a time period. In an effort to change from a "stir and cook" format, we see Giada hanging posters for the block party and complimenting 8 year old kids on their chalk drawings that advertise the show.

In both season premiers, Food Network is aiming to sell us on a lifestyle. For me, I just want the food. Did you watch? What did you think?