My New Addiction

Is Food Network. I mean, I've been watching a show here and there for a few years, but suddenly, it's my go to programming. I love Unwrapped, Feasting on Asphalt, Throw Down, Iron Chef America, anything with Rachel Ray, anything with Paula Deen, anything with Alton Brown.

It's sad really. I don't watch any of it for cooking tips or techniques. Although, occasionally I'll use one anyway. I have a new way of making mushrooms thanks to my bestest friend Alton. But mostly, I'm watching for sheer entertainment value. And mostly I watch stuff that I couldn't make anyway.

My very favorite in this category is Challenge. I love, love, love the cake challenges. How did anyone ever come up with this concept? I would have loved to be in on the meeting about that.

"Well, you know those cake contests that they have, we want to do them only on TV and we want to have themes so it's not just wedding cakes, but goth wedding cakes or not just birthday cakes, but princess cakes. And oh, instead of being able to feed x number of people, we want them to be three feet tall. And finally, it's not going to work unless they are forced to move the cake after they finish meeting all of these requirements."

"You're crazy, Jim, no one would watch that!"

"Why not, they watch Survivor don't they."

And here I am. I don't watch survivor or any of those other reality shows, but for some reason, I could watch Food Network Challenge for like 12 hours straight. There is not a marathon long enough.

You'd think I'd be a better cook as a result of all of this Food Networkyness. But you'd be wrong. If anything I am a worse cook because I don't have a TV in the kitchen, so I want to cook really, really quick to make sure I don't miss the new episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

Oh well, the good news is that I at least know all the good places to eat in Portugal, so next time I'm there, we're covered.