I watch too much television programming that revolves around food. Thus, I know and have opinions on everyone mentioned in this Page Six piece. For the record, I absolutely love Paula Deen, who I view as America’s Butter Queen, and I dislike Rachael Ray. I also feel kind of “meh” about Guy Fieri – I like “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” but Guy’s cooking show is kind of boring. As for Anthony Bourdain… I just loathe the man. Out of all of these people, I know Bourdain is probably the most knowledgeable about food and different cultural cuisine and all of that. He may be a brilliant guy. But he’s also as ass, and he has a history of picking fights with chefs and cooks who are basically harmless. Anyway, Bourdain gave a recent interview where he mocked and slammed the Butter Queen, Rachael Ray and Guy Fieri. So Paula Deen slathered him in butter and ATE HIS FACE.
The knives are out for Anthony Bourdain after he blasted fellow TV chef Paula Deen, calling her the “most dangerous person in America.”
Deen, searing back after “No Reservations” star Bourdain gave her and fellow Food Network chefs Rachael Ray, Guy Fieri and Sandra Lee a roasting, exclusively told Page Six:
“Anthony Bourdain needs to get a life. You don’t have to like my food, or Rachael’s, Sandra’s and Guy’s. But it’s another thing to attack our character. I wake up every morning happy for where I am in life. It’s not all about the cooking, but the fact that I can contribute by using my influence to help people all over the country. In the last two years, my partners and I have fed more than 10 million hungry people by bringing meat to food banks.”
Basting Bourdain for his apparent lack of charity and his attitude, she said, “My good friends Rachael, Guy and Sandra are the most generous charitable folks I know. They give so much of their time and money to help the food-deprived, sick children and abandoned animals. I have no idea what Anthony has done to contribute besides being irritable.”
Deen continued, “You know, not everybody can afford to pay $58 for prime rib or $650 for a bottle of wine. My friends and I cook for regular families who worry about feeding their kids and paying the bills . . . It wasn’t that long ago that I was struggling to feed my family, too.”
The TV foodies were shredded by the macho, gonzo chef in TV Guide magazine. He said, “The worst, most dangerous person to America is clearly Paula Deen. She revels in unholy connections with evil corporations and she’s proud of the fact that her food is [bleep]ing bad for you . . . plus, her food sucks.” About Ray: “Does she even cook anymore? . . . To her credit, she never said she was good at it.” On Lee: “I hate her works on this planet, but she is not someone to be dismissed, clearly.” And Fieri: “I look at Guy and I just think, ‘Jesus, I’m glad that’s not me.’ ”
[From Page Six]
If you want to take Ray or Sandra Lee to task, sure. Neither one of them are “chefs” and they’ll say as much. Their whole deal is that they’re trying to teach people (parents, specifically) that it can fun, easy, affordable and fast to cook food at home. Neither Lee nor Ray is really known for their way with fine dining, although I should point out that when Ray was on Iron Chef, bitch held her own and then some, and she impressed the judges. Guy Fieri, I think, is very knowledgeable about food, and you can tell that he has a professional background working in restaurants, but I feel like Guy’s goal is the same as Ray’s and Deen’s – to encourage people to make affordable food at home, and to celebrate inexpensive, less glamorous food throughout America’s rich food-loving diners, drive-ins and dives.
As for Paula – well, the Butter Queen is fabulous. And she knows what she’s doing too. The Lady & Sons, her restaurant, is a Savannah institution, and she is constantly recognized as one of the best Southern cooks in America. She knows her food isn’t healthy, and she says as much. Besides that, she’s a hoot and she has a wonderful attitude and everyone adores her. I want Paula to deep fry Bourdain and serve him with grits.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Good for Paula! Say whatever you want about her, but she is a good old girl who is totally self-made, and who is also oddly progressive for being a good old girl (especially LGBT rights). I like her, too.
And, both she and Ray-Ray refused to wear chef jackets on “Iron Chef,” because they aren’t chefs. Ray-Ray even said Giada’s team should have won their battle (loathe Rachel Ray, btw — nice woman but annoying as hell).
Bourdain reminds me too much of my alcoholic ex. He is terrific smart and knows the business, but this combined with his known sexism towards women in the kitchen leaves me very tepid about him. He also ALWAYS has the knives out for Paula and Rachel and that fool Sandra, but never for the men. Paula is at least a raelly good Southern cook, and Bourdain should respect that. That type of cusine isn’t easy to do.
Remember: Paula was a financial success because of her restaurant. Food Network just amde her a millionaire.
Kaiser, I 110% cosign your post. In fact, it makes me like Rachel Ray just a little bit more (generally she drives me nuts). I hate watching Anthony Bourdain on Top Chef (the only time I watch him as his show is so pretentious and BORING). Bourdain is a weasley little ass and he better watch out because Paula could poach him, roast him, and serve him up in a good old fashion Georgian barbeque, Fried Green Tomatoes style.
Don’t mess with Paula! This idiot (Bourdain)cooked his own goose big time.
Because of Paula Deen, I have 5 different types of butter in my fridge…I know what they are to be used for, and I’m proud of it! Paula really does show quick, affordable meals for struggling families/families on the go, and my son absolutely LOVES all of the food I’ve cooked from using her recipes. Anthony Bourdain is a jerkoff. Plain and simple. Team Paula, allllll the way!
Wow, whats his real problem because it ain’t about 3this chefs that he probably doesn’t even know.
Paula will whip us up some mash potatoes and add butter to his sorry ass….y’all
Bourdain should try marinating in a little less alcohol before his next interview. He’s just using the Food Network as a publicity piñata. FN is for “home cooks” and is not about “fine dining.” It’s cheaper to feed your kids fast food rather than a homemade meal & families need all of the encouragement they can get to cook. Is Paula Deen’s the most healthy food? Well, no. But I bet nutritionally it beats feeding your kids off the $1 value menu at the drive thru.
To love her food doesn’t mean you eat that way everyday. I’m from the south and love fattening southern meals every once in a while. Great lady with apparently more class than him.
.
She is awesome.
That is all.
I used to watch Bourdain’s No Reservations show, as well as A Cook’s Tour, simply because I’m interested in travel/different cultures food – I just can’t with him anymore, though. He is completely insufferable. Knowledgeable? For sure, but his smug is just too all pervasive.
Did anyone see that episode of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern that Bourdain guested on? Yeah, Zimmern’s kind of a dork, but Bourdain could barely hide his contempt for Zimmern and seemed to be looking for an exit the entire time. His thought bubble was like “Okay, I graced this tawdry little program, where’s my paycheck?”
Sorry to go off, I just hate people who project such a condescending air of superiority. I’m gonna go eat an entire stick of salted butter now in Paula’s honor…
Toodles!
I love how Southern women can give the most polite and gracious response, and somehow make it sound way harsher than if they’d just said “kiss my ass.” Long live the Gooey Butter Cake!
WTG, Paula! She’s absolutely right. Bourdain is a blowhard.
If he wants to talk about the nutritional value of their food, fine, but to call her “evil”, “dangerous”, and what he said about Guy, that’s just rude and wrong. Good for Paula for standing up for her and the others character, which is what he was attacking.
sorry, I have to disagree. Guy fieri is a joke, its certainly been a long long time since paula deen was struggling to feed her family, and she and rachel ray make ugly colored kitchenware to feed their multimillion dollar franchises. I’m not really interested in her defending herself by saying how charitable they are. Anthony bourdain is an author, educated in food and culture, not a sellout with spatulas, and his takedowns of sandra lee’s food atrocities are entertaining and spot-on.
I don’t mind paula, but her only defense is that bourdain doens’t give people enough free meat and he’s a meanie? oh, and dangerous and evil? it’s called hyperbole people.
Also, I think Guy is classically trained. I seem to remmeber that when he was on “Next Food Network Star.”
And, Rachel Ray does alot for animal rescue and shops at Marshall;s.
And, Paula deep-fries Mac and cheese. GODDESS.
I eat very, very healthy, but sometimes you need to go someplace where mac n’ cheese is a veggie, and that somewhere is Paula D.’s show.
If it comes to a knock-down drag-out fight.. my money’s on Paula,,,,,I think she can take him, maybe pop him up-side the head with a pound of butter..
I love what Paula said but, honestly, I can’t stand her cooking. RR, can’t stand her regular show but love the cooking segment at the end and love, love, 30 minute meals. Everything she makes is easy and real. Not a million ingredients, quick, usually pretty healthy and really good-tasting. I know she’s dumped on a lot but she does do a LOT of charity work and I like her for that, too. Sandra….well, IDK about her. the few times I watched her show I thought maybe it was a joke. As for Anthony Bourdain….ugh. I like all the exposure he brings to being open to ‘different’ food but he is one pompous ass to be sure. His comments seem unnecessary and mean. I know he’s not one for being diplomatic but sometimes it’s smart.
He should zip it, considering how much he smokes. Butter should be the least of his concerns. I find it hard to believe that he even has any taste buds left. Paula should of told him “don’t hate the playa”
And, Bourdain cooks classic French food: butter, duck fat, organ meat… yeah, really healthy. I personnally would rather have a caramel-frosted pound cake and shrimp and grits than sweetbreads (shudder) or duck confit.
I LOVE Anthony B.,sorry girls 😉
” I have no idea what Anthony has done to contribute besides being irritable.”
love her! I can’t really stand Rachael Ray or Sandra Lee on tv, but I do have some RR cookbooks and they always work and are really good! This makes me want to fight for them and not Bordouche.
I am so sick of this snooty b.s that people give when it comes to food. Live and let live. If people want to eat the food of any of those people, why should it matter to anyone else. No one is suggesting to eat the things they make as an every day diet.
He desperately needs to get over himself, and he is just down right rude on Top Chef.
I admit I partly agree with Tony because as a foodie, Paula’s crushed potato chip-type ingredients and “hamburger on a doughnut” inventions make my left eye twitch …BUT …I love her show, her enthusiasm and lust for family, eating and life. She is fabulous and correct in saying “it’s not only about the food.” She wins hands down.
Two other comments – on Bourdain’s show in Tuscany he was asked to cook for a bunch of locals. They basically laughed in his face, and nearly lynched his ass over the undercooked, clumped pasta dish. Although props to him for keeping in all the footage.
The Iron Chef with Rachel Ray/Batali vs. Giada/Bobby Flay was epic. I know Giada and Flay thought they were a “beautiful” twosome (with like 400 teeth between them) who could do no wrong. Ray/Batali threw down and showed them the door. Legend.
Just wait until life slaps him in the face. It happens and he’s due.
The food puns in that article were killing me. Just sayin’.
Paula is a sassy southern gem who has worked for every penny she has. Bourdain is just a horses a**. You can tell by the tone on his shows and in interviews! Go Paula!
And yes…The Lady & Sons is fabulous!
LOVE BOURDAIN. He’s a snob alright, but he’s an NYC chef through and through, and what he said is why most Americans can’t stand New Yorkers before they get to know them. (If you read his book “Kitchen Confidential”, he has PLENTY of stories of how his arse and ego had been handed to him.) I’ll preface that these people are in the food game, and those in NYC come to expect the best and set global standards on levels only experts will recognize. It is what it is, we don’ t hand out prizes for participating and those Food Network chefs mentioned are not at the game level you see played here. Dont get me wrong, Paula is great for what she does and who she connects to, and I like her as a person… but if you ask me whose food I’d want to enjoy, it’s Bourdain’s. I don’t give a crap about a chef’s charity skills when it comes to foie gras or steak tartare.
But good on her for giving some back. I bet he respects her for it.
He’s an *ss for saying this for sure. I hate people who just outright criticize and insult people. He is entitled to his opinion but it could have been said a lot more graceful and without putting others down.
For me, I’m pretty much done with the FN. I used to love that channel. But now it is essentially reality show after reality show instead of showing how to cook. I’m so disgusted with that. Are we supposed to pay more to get the cooking channel (prob owned by FN) in order to see what FN used to show? Reminds me of Mtv when they stopped playing music and it became all reality shows.
I am so sick of what FN has turned into. Sandra lee’s show is just terrible. Paula Deen while I do like her personality, I think has sold out. Is “Paula’s Party still on the air? When they made that show it just is another example of how FN ruins things.
How many “The Next Food Network Star” shows can they have?? Every f*cking other show is some reality show, I’m done with FN.
I lost all respect for Anthony Bourdain after reading a scathing Atlantic Monthly article about him eating a deep fried ILLEGAL Ortolan (small European bird that is on the endangered list). Apparently the snobbiest of food snobs will go to any length to have one, and he paid something like $3K for the honour. What a horribly douchey and arrogant thing for him to do. Furthermore, his cooking is filled with enough fat to plug a whale’s arteries so piss off Bourdain, you’ve become utterly tiresome.
I love Anthony Bourdain and I think he’s right, that said I do enjoy me some Paula Deen. Not her food, it’s horrid, but her voice and joie de vivre are very infectious (in a good way).
I agree with Bourdain. I think he is trying to say that her food is unhealthy, which it is, and I think he is also trying to make a statement about how any Tom, Dick and Harry can get a show on the Food Network without any culinary background or skills. He is a real chef in the tradition of Eric Ripert, Daniel Boulud, Dan Barber and the list goes on. I do have more respect for actual chefs than I do for any of those clowns on the Food Network.
Food has become entertainment, and whether it’s Bourdain’s cranky shtick or Paula’s southern routine, they both play it like masters, exaggerating it over the years until it has become a caricature. I’d take either over rah-rah ray-ray, because both have taught me a lot about two types of cuisines and styles of living, whereas Rachael, imo, has dumbed things down almost as much as Sandra has. I watch these shows to learn methods and recipes, but Cdn Food Network doesn’t show Guy cooking, only eating at Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. That has worn a little thin for me. Alton Brown is my fave though – smart, enthusiastic, curious and funny as all get out.
She looks literally like cartoon character.
wow, there is ALOT going on with paula’s hair and eyes and teeth. it’s kind of like a car accident- hard to look away.
I luv Paula Deen!!!!
Food Network is for people who want to LEARN how to cook and feed their families, NOT for people who want to be chefs.
As far as Deen’s food being unhealthy. Things I have seen him eat on his show and praise on Top Chef are not all healthy and calorie minded either.
You don’t watch Food Network in order to try and be a 5 star Michelin chef, you watch it to learn simple recipes that your family may like. If you want to appeal to the likes of Bourdain and his snobbery, you go to culinary school.
ITA, what philanthropic gestures has Bourdain contributed to the world, his community?
Way to keep it professional Bourdain. Ass.
i love paula she is so loving and her story is one of inspiration
Paula Deen is an embarrassment to women in general and Southern women in particular.
Bourdain has never been known for mincing words; he says what he feels. And considering the American weight problem we are currently experiencing, Paula Deen IS dangerous.
Team Bourdain
Cosign with Annaloo….
Put me in the Bourdain camp. I really enjoy his No Reservations show. Pompous ass-check, snotty chain smoker-of course. Knows his sh*t-absolutely. He did a retrospective on his early days recently and was surprisingly very humble and honest. He had a serious drug problem when younger and now considers himself to be a writer rather than a chef.
I also like Rachael Ray; I think she gets a bum rap. She’s just trying to make cooking accessible to a McDonalds culture. I like Paula Deen, too. Have her cookbooks.
You want to know a real snob-Mario Batali. He did a guest shot on Emeril’s show with other chefs for some charity and the man just seethed with contempt for Alton Brown. I’ve also heard him snark on Emeril. Great chef, though.
He may be an asshole, but sorry, he’s right. That said, Paula Deen has every right to call him out on it.
Being a d-bag is Bourdain’s schtick-so it’s no surprise.
Whenever I make Paula Deen’s Peach Cobbler it’s a big hit!
Guy Fieri on Triple D All the way EVERY Monday!
A NO for No Reservations!
Ms Paula is a Southern Belle who would not dare denigrate her dignity for foolishness! Bring on the butter m’am!
Rachel Still gives great 30 minute meals!
Damn, Tony. “Evil”? “Dangerous”? That’s some might big talk from a former junkie who loves to eat liver taken from tortured ducks.
Before Anthony Bourdain ranks out Paula for being unhealthy, he needs to quit smoking and stop advocating things like Foie Gras (which, if you knew how they get it, you’d never touch again) and Ortolan (which, hello Tony, ENDANGERED? Fuck you and your erudition, anyway.)
I used to watch his show. He lost me when he gave Ted Nugent a segment. Anyone who thinks that violent right-wing asshat pedophile has anything useful to say is not someone whose opinion I can respect.
Also? I’ve got books crammed with recipes from Paula, Rachael, and Guy. I don’t think I’ve ever even seen a Bourdain recipe. I can’t deal with Rachael’s show but I get her magazine for the food. Guy Fieri is basically an acid-wash cockatoo but he makes a mean macaroni salad. However, the one restaurant he recommended in Oklahoma City was pretty bad. Sorry, Guy.
As for Paula? Well, I’m a native Californian who currently lives in the south, and I can’t deal with her yippy corn-pone for too long. But the woman can make some good food, and that’s no lie. You don’t have to use her recipes at every meal; even she doesn’t advocate that. But she’s got it going on.
Maybe if Bourdain quit smoking his sense of taste would come back and he’d understand what was good food and what was just stupid affectation.
Samigirl, wait. There are five kinds of butter? I had no idea!
Ms. Deen struggled with depression for years and went through hell and back again. Then she discovered that cooking lessened the symptoms of her depression. Screw Bourdain. Jackass.
I’m a healthy eater for the most part, but I do enjoy something bad for me once in a while. I’m not going to call Bordain the epitome of fresh healthy living, he smokes and drinks and then criticizes Paula’s use of butter in her cooking… well that’s like the pot calling the kettle black.
Duck confit is delicious but it’s also poached in it’s own fat. Duck fat is lower in saturated fat then straight butter…but it’s the lesser of two evils, kind of like choosing between a larger fast food burger and a smaller one…should you eat them both regularly, absolutely not.
I tune Bourdain out when he starts talking about the fancy restaurants in a country that no one can really afford, but it is nice when he talks about the local style of eating which typically includes a lot of local vegetables and lean meats. I think it would be prudent for Paula to show a little more moderation on her show considering that obesity is a huge health epidemic.
However, the only reason Bourdain wins this round for me is because his quote Deen “revels in unholy connections with evil corporations” is true. Watch the documentary Food, Inc. and you will see why Bourdain feels that way about Deen’s connections with Smithfield.
Team Bourdain (although, as I’m from the UK, I have no idea who Paula Deen is). But from a look at the recipe ideas of hers mentioned here in the commments, and from a google search, it’s clear he’s right – her food is completely unhealthy. She markets herself as a home cook, which means an everyday cook in my book. He markets himself as a restaurant chef, which means an occasional treat. It doesn’t seem to me that he expects people to eat duck confit and sweetbreads (YUM!) every night, but she is suggesting deepfrying macaroni cheese and serving a burger on a doughnut? Bourdain’s right – baaaaad.
As for the others he mentioned, I have no idea who they are either. However, I’ve just seen a photo of Guy Fieri and just his hair annoys me, so I doubt I’d be able to watch his programme.
Regarding foie gras – it always bothers me that they use it so much on food competition shows like Top Chef and Hell’s Kitchen, and the judges gobble it up without a second thought. They could use that influence to do a lot of good, instead of promoting one of the most disgusting examples of widespread animal cruelty.
Oh yeah, watch this hilarious video and tell me Paula’s not evil (don’t worry, I don’t really think she’s the devil)!
http://gawker.com/5661106/paula-deen-slowed-down-is-terrifying?tag=tv
I live in Savannah, Georgia and Paula is basically the city’s mascot. Her restaurant is always full and everyone absolutely adores her. She’s a great woman and I love her response. This guy anthony whatever clearly has some issues.
Bourdain is an insufferable douche. And he works very hard to make sure everyone knows it.
BORE-dain is a pompous idiot who learned nothing from the Ina Gartner debacle. Paula with her infectious laughter is fun to watch and makes it look easy to cook.
Guess I’m in the minority. I would have flipped those names in the title. She sold her soul to devil long before he did.
The only reason Rachel’s team won Iron Chef was because she had Mario Batali who is an amazing chef. His food impressed the judges, her food did not. ESP that wine noodle thing.
Ray and Lee aren’t cooks which is why their stuff is hit or miss, mostly miss, yuck.
LOVED Paula’s response!
Bordain is a tool!
Team Bourdain here. I am sick of the Deen y’all crap. How many fricking ways can you make mac & cheese? Lee is horrible and insulting to cooking. RR gets on my last nerve & Guy has taken talent and is turning himself into a cartoon. Bourdain is a pompous ass but at least he has skill, something that has been lost in our new Kardashianized world.
Team Bourdain…but if he so much as looks at Alton Brown sideways I will cut a b*tch.
@bros- I totally agree! I think bourdain is awesome and wish I had his job. I can’t even watch Paula Deen. So much butter and mayonnaise thrown around I get nauseous. Dont get me started on Sandra. Anyone seen here Kwanza cake? I challenge any one in need of a good laugh to google it and find the footage of her making it on her show. Truly disgusting!
if any of you follow bourdain’s show and life, you’d know he did quit smoking, right around the time he had a baby. so please, paula’s obesity is a much bigger health issue.
Aaargh!! I’m torn!! I like anthony mainly cuz he’s easy on the eyes I admit I don’t watch his show though! My time belongs to andrews bizzare foods n dining with death!! I don’t care one way or the other for guy and I actually like sandra…can I tell u?? Lol but ugh racheal?? I despise her!! It would take a lot of time and sore thumbs to describe how I feel about her! She at first I adored!! Bought sum cookbooks n dvds but oy vay!! Now?? Damn she works my last nerve! He’s right does she even cook anymore? How the hell did this chubby tart become a talkshow host?? Really?? She’s honestly in my opinion the beyonce of culinary!! But I adore paula!! Does she put butter n everything?? Yes!! And that’s how I like it! She makes food for the average family and she’s right ppl like me can’t afford 500 dollar saffron or 2000 for 6oz of ribeye steaks from the gods of beef!! Da fluck!! My kitchen doesn’t get touched without butter! It shuts down because butter is a necessity! But there are healthy organic creams and butters out there and of course there’s moderation! Heck u can actually get sick and die if u drink too much water so hello!! Learned that n pharmacy school! So anthony shut up and back off of paula! Racheal?? Tank the bish but leave my butter sister alone! Lol
Geez I didn’t know Anthony was such a jerk. I can’t even figure out why he would have an opinion on the other cooks/chefs. There is plenty of room on TV for all. I enjoy watching Anthony Bourdain’s show with my husband. I also like Andrew Zimmern. I find them both funny and I learn a lot about the culture’s of the areas they visit.
Well, I love Batali the best because he is one badass chef. But after reading and watching Bourdain for years, I have to love him.
RR and her EVOO make me want to puke. And Fieri really needs to lose the douchebag look from the 90’s he is always rocking. Bowling shirt, stupid hair, glasses on the back of his head. Ugh. Lee can’t cook at all. Paula seems OK-I love butter so I embrace that.
Anthony Bourdain is a bad ass. I love him. But I also think he is just a bitter person who has had a lot of shit happen to him in the past few years and he doesn’t handle it well. However, I love Paula Deen and I love that she handed him his ass on a big buttery spoon. And sometimes, there’s nothing wrong with indulging in some rich cooking.
Call me Team Bourdain on this one. I agree with Bourdain. Paula Deen does have some horrible corporate connections with Smithfields and whoever does her cookware. And I’m sorry, classic french cuisine with is healthier for you than the over processed crap she throws into things. I’m also not a foie grais eater, but plenty of people out there eat things I wouldn’t-veal, lamb etc.
Food network shows are a joke. The only one worth watching is chopped to me. They are all about entertainment, not really teaching people how to cook healthy and easy food. (that said, I heart Alton brown. :D)
@vickyb — I, too, ignore that Guy Whatshisface because of his hair!!!
Totally superficial, but hey… it’s a gossip site. LOL
I LOVE BOURDAIN. that said, paula deen is cute but impossible to take seriously (which i guess is her appeal)
i am sure bourdain gives back as well.
it’s a chef vs cook showdown (yawn!)
Maybe Paula should hit him in the face with one of those hams. (I bet he’d fall down and cry like a little girl.) NO ONE takes a ham to the face like Paula Deen!
I LOVE butter! I LOVE that Paula Deen LOVES butter! In these calorie-phobic and carb-phobic times, Paula is a breath of fresh Southern air.
I’ve been watching FOOD NETWORK since its inception. I’m trying to like Cooking Channel but really all I like is BITCHIN KITCHEN LOL!! Rachel has ran her course with her messy recipes..”messcipes” if you will and Sandra uses too many “processed foods” for me but I do like her style (drinks).
That being said…WTH is Bourdain?? I must just click right over that fool because I can’t remember one show I’ve watched with him on it. So he can just go choke on a chicken bone for that attack on PAULA!
P.S. Ina Garten snooty ass is who gets on my last nerve with her xanax laugh.
I like Bourdain, like Paula D. as a person. But it’s not cool to be calling people out all the time.
Bourdain may be insufferable but I never miss No Reservations. It’s one of my all-time favorite shows. And to me, his book is a must-read for everyone who loves food and cooking and dining. I like Paula’s show too but sometimes I just cringe when she cooks. It’s like you’re gaining weight just by looking at what she’s cooking.
Where are people’s personal responsibility for weight gain? No one forces anyone to eat fattening food, people do it on their own and REFUSE to do any sort of exercise.
Since when is it McDonald’s fault or Paula Deen’s that people cannot control their food intake? Are we, as a society that dependent on others, that we are now expecting chefs, cooks and restaurants to change what they do so we can be healthier, instead of being the adults that we are, and do those changes ourselves?
If I gain weight, that is who I blame- ME. Not Ronald McDonald, Paula Deen or the Hersey Corp. I am responsible for my body and my health, not anyone else. Only lazy people, looking for excuses blame others for why they are the way that they are. If you are fat, it is YOU, not Paula Deen making you that way.
Um. Anthony Bourdain is Teflon.
and Rachael Ray is so annoying.
@ ruebenesque: it is not cheaper to eagt fast food. why do people think this? have you never shopped in a grocery store? check out the $20 showdown:
http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=what_20_will_buy_at_the_drivethru_and_at_the_supermarket
as for anthony b. someone needs to tell this douche that he is only a chef. who cares what he thinks about anything?
paula deen makes me nuts, but in this case i agree with her. i still say her big fake smile is absolutely terrifying.
Anthony used to work for Food Network. This feud is about a decade long and this is just one of his latest rants about it.
I love Bourdain and I loathe the Food Network, especially Fieri. Is there anything worse than a 43yr old grown ass man trying to look like he’s still 16? Also, Deen’s food IS unhealthy. Rachel Ray IS irritating. Nothing to see here folks, move along.
I do love Anthony Bourdain’s show… but I love Paula more! She’s a southern gal and she’s totally self-made. Her food isn’t always healthy, but they always remind me of what my grandmother used to make. You can tell Paula really enjoys her being in the kitchen and connecting with people. Now, Rachael kinda gets on my nerves, but I’ve made several recipes out of her cookbooks and they are delish and nutrish (sorry!). Sandra cracks me up only because she is always clearly drunk on her show. Guy… ick.
Fun fact: My aunt and uncle live down the street from Paula in Savannah. My aunt ran into her at Publix and they had a conversation about how the yams were awfully expensive. It just made me love Paula even more.
Gee NOFrank… guess you kinda forgot about how Nugent works with wounded vets. can’t bring that up with your hard core left stance can ya!
Back on topic
Cosign with Smith and Annaloo.
I think they all have a place on the FoodNetwork chain.
I prefer Bourdain. I just love that badboy foodie to bits. And you have to give him major props for his Lebanon no reservations show. They have only showed it a handfull of times, but it was great!
Pyewaket! I agree with you a bazillion percent!
Yes I love to watch food shows, and yes I do make some of the recipes from them, BUT it is my fault that I am morphing into a teletubbie! They are not here forcing me to eat, fastfood isn’t hijacking my mind and car to pull in! DUH! Me me me is responsible for what I eat! Novel concept isn’t it. LOL
I am pretty much over Foodnetwork, and I have always been loyal to PBS for cooking shows. But lately my cooking porn of choice is the Create channel and the Cooking channel!
Check your local cable listing for Create. It is all PBS all the time! It has lots of cooking shows, travel shows and ‘how to’ shows.
Anyone who would deep-fry cheese cake is evil. I can feel my arteries clogging up just by watching Paula cook.
Does working with vets negate the fact that Nugent fathered a child outside his marriage? That’s his current marriage, btw. And he “took custody” of a teenage girl in his youth, like Steven Tyler did. But not in a drug haze like ST, since Nugent has always claimed that he’s never done drugs.
@BETTY: Paula should of told him “don’t hate the playa”
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LMAO!
i am such a foodie! i personally LOVE rachel but only bc she is sooo good at giving suggestions on how to change up her meal ideas into something i prefer [exchanging seasonings or meats out] and i use a lot of her guidelines for making quick but yummy meals… i also love deen, her cooking – while not healthy – is YUMMY and i like to indulge… i have a lot of fav food shows i watch and yeah, bourdain is an ass… i am glad deen gave him a piece of her mind!
Wow, am I in the minority here–cannot stand Paula Deen…at best, she’s just a nasty cook always licking her fingers and double dipping. I wouldn’t eat anything she makes. Also can’t stand her fake, exaggerated, loud persona and find her obnoxious and often inappropriate in her personal appearances. LOVE Bourdain…he’s a snob, but he’s earned it.
@DavidBowie – absolutely.
Also, while I find RR annoying, I have found her recipes and tips (never used a “garbage bowl” before she suggested it) to be the most helpful. As a single mom with a demanding job, I need to get healthy meals on teh table FAST and she honeslty helps me do so.
PD irks the living hell out of me, but I can’t parse how much of that is her and how much is because she reminds me of my former MIL.
I adore Paula Deen! My Mom is a Southern girl, and Paula brings up lots of happy memories of family. I wouldn’t recommend eating her recipes on a daily basis, but I make a lot of her food for special occasions, and it’s always fantastic. Anthony Bourdain was just being obnoxious.
Love me some Tony Bourdain. What is this bit about how he shouldn’t be knocking his fellow chefs on the FOOD CHANNEL? Bourdain’s show is on the TRAVEL CHANNEL. It’s about TRAVEL and FOOD. Not about teaching you how to cook. Not about how to feed your family on a working paycheck. Not at all. Sure, he’s an ass, but QUEL ass. He never claimed to be anything else. I’m totally surprised you haven’t had him as a Hot Guy yet … have you seen that nude photo of him holding a soup bone in front of his, um, sweetbreads? WOW.
Ray is a joke — so what if she got her start at HoJo’s? — and don’t get me started about Fieri. He’s all over the place wherever he can find a slot. So is she. I’m surprised either of them isn’t selling tampons and real estate yet.
And since I’m hearing about all the Southern-fried looooooooove for the Butter Queen: you can find more than a few people down there who hate her like nobody’s business. There was a huge stink about how she scooped up a local restaurant of near-landmark status and trashed it to create her own restaurant. I know at least four people personally who would LOVE to deep-fry her ass. And her cookware is a not-so-cheap lift of Le Creuset but without LC’s longevity.
Zimmern … my God, do I love him. But he’s also about travel and food. So really, comparing him OR Bourdain to Food Network’s recipe posse is like comparing apples to oranges.
Hi there, Justaposter…as it happens, my husband is a retired Marine, and I know plenty of vets who can’t stand Nugent. I also know of quite a few celebs who do a hell of a lot more for vets than he does and they don’t talk about it to further their political agenda. I can think of one in particular who regularly pays extra medical expenses and retraining for injured vets, to the tune of several million dollars a year, and does not take any publicity for it at all.
Having been in the veteran trenches for many years, I think I can safely say that Nugent can take his hard right bullshit and pin it to a tree with one of his beloved arrows, Bourdain or no Bourdain.
I like Bourdain’s show. It’s never boring. Always something interesting, if unsettling. (Hold the fried tarantulas, thank you very much. Or is that Andy Zimmern I’m thinking about?)
Rachel Ray is trailer park. I’d like to boil her alive in her damn EVOO.
Fieri’s okay, although I think the runner-up on The Next Food Network Star should have won, not him.
As for Deen, I love to watch her, she’s a lot of fun, but her cooking is a heart attack on a plate.
Love Anthony & he’s just being honest.
Maybe Paula should take a note from his honesty and discuss her diabetes?
@original Kate- This is a great idea & I do think if people are careful shopping & willing to cook they can buy more for their money at the grocery store. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t want to cook or feel like they don’t have the time. Most of my friends feed their kids supper from a fast food restaurant or pizza chain at least 2x per week while on their way to after-school activities or games. Sad, but true.
Also-look at the prices for the supermarket stuff at your link! I’m not sure what part of the country they were in & they did note that some stuff was on sale, but those are definitely unusual prices for my part of the country. 1 lb of strawberries this morning at the grocery store was $3.99- not $1.97. The Morningstar Farms stuff (which I buy a ton of) is $4.49. The some examples they used didn’t include any meat either, which would be a hard sell for a lot of people. If you’ve ever taken kids to a MacDonald’s you’d be shocked at how cheap the happy meals are. I suppose it gets more expensive down the line when the medical bills start to roll in.
Why didnt he focus on his achievements and good things he is doing instead of spending his energy on negative bashing of pretty innocent people? Sign of immaturity and some jealousy as well.
Hating on Paula Deen is like hating on Betty White, you’re gonna come out looking like an ass.
Paula is fucking awesome. End of story.
WRT Bourdain featuring Nugent on his show – AB was in Boston and featured a segment about a local right-wing radio hack, and mentioned that he didn’t believe in only having people on who share his point of view on things politically. So I highly doubt that he and Nugent are sympatico in that regard. I wouldn’t care to be around Nugent, but I respect that Bourdain has people on with whom he disagrees. It’s a change, at least.
I’m going to play devil’s advocate here because I’ve met and taked with Bourdain. He’s not an arrogant dick in person and has confessed multiple times that Rachael Ray is actually a very pleasant woman.
For those complaining Bourdain smokes: he stopped in 2007 when his daughter was born.
I am calling Paula out here (though I do love her) on the Guy Fieri claim: Fieri has screwed over the Boys and Girls Club of America before (see: an episode of Dinner Impossible where Guy Fieri refuses to let Robert Irvine use the stoves in his restaurant because “it’s too close to dinner rush” http://foodnetworkhumor.com/2009/12/guy-fieri-on-dinner-impossible-w-video/)
Paula Deen quit putting out candles, but if you ever see them at Big Lots or on ebay, BUY ONE. They fill up a room better than those overpriced ones from Yankee, and they smell AMAZING. I have some of her cookware as well, very easy to clean. If she is “reveling in her connections with big corporations,” than count me in as one of the people who’s grateful for that, because her products kick ass and aren’t unecessarily $$$.
I’ve watched “No Reservations” and while I’ve always enjoyed it, I find Bourdain’s constant crankiness off-putting at times. Having said that, I do think he’s a sexy mofo. I do find “Bizarre Foods” w/Andrew Zimmern a more entertaining show.
As for Paula Deen and her co-horts at the FN, while I don’t think any of them are “the devil”, I find that all of them are only palatable in very small doses.
I’d eat a meal prepped by Deen, Ray or Guy any time. Bourdain, not so much. The guy is a pompous douchebag and none of the meals I’ve ever seen him prepare look palatable. They are always underdone and would probably be over priced.
I think Anthony Bourdain is pretty smug and arrogant, but it’s not like he’s ever pretended to be anything else either. +, if you actually watch his show, he pretty frequently turns his nose up at “fine dining” for street food, home cooked meals, and inexpensive food.
Paula Dean drives me nuts – she comes off as fake as can be, and I’ve long suspected that she either totally fakes or certainly enhances her accent. Also, her food is gross – how many thing can half a jar of mayonnaise really improve??
God, that woman’s ‘picture smile’ is creepy as hell… Like those dolls you see in horror movies, or someone under some sort of mind control. Though it must be pretty nifty that her teeth emit a glow bright enough to read by at night. No offense to those who like her, but she just rubs me the wrong way for some reason, & her accent grates on my nerves terribly.
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@Jaded – “I lost all respect for Anthony Bourdain after reading a scathing Atlantic Monthly article about him eating a deep fried ILLEGAL Ortolan (small European bird that is on the endangered list).”
I didn’t know anything about this before reading your comment. =\ It spurred me to do some research to see if he talked about it in an interview… I was incredibly pissed off by what I turned up.
Quote Huffington Post (Source: http://huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/05/anthony-bourdain-colbert_n_919203.html ) – “Colbert asked Bourdain about Bourdain’s experience eating ortolan, which he wrote about in Medium Raw. “It’s endangered,” Colbert points out. Bourdain swiftly responds, “some say” and goes on to explain the ritual of eating the small bird while wearing a shroud, a tradition that goes back hundreds of years.”
Completely sidestepped the issue. You have to be a really arrogant asshole to think you should have the right to contribute to the destruction of an entire species purely so you can say you’ve eaten it. Think how many percentage point’s worth of birds that “meal” may have eliminated? He shouldn’t have been allowed to write about having done so in his publication without being investigated legally.
I love Paula, but watching her whip something up while she is wearing that rock and all those rings THEN watching her lick her fingers is just gross.
all the bourdain haters are missing the point that he is smug and arrogant precisely at the people who deserve it. he is never anything less than authentic, respectful of local food cultures and cultures in general, loves authentic food and the context and environment from which they spring (food anthropology), and can’t stand the corporate spatula and bbq sauce marketing TV sell out ‘chefs’ on food network. His show is amazing and award winning. it’s well researched, respectful, and brings to left what a lot of other food or travel shows leave unexamined. he’s not some elitist french chef, and is a huge advocate of the best food being street food, and the things ignored and off the beaten path.
Bore-dain desparately wants to be an intellectual. After years of coke, cigs and booze have rotted his brain, he is now a demented book-sniffer. His show has spiralled ever downward, boring, repetitive, self-referencing, egocentric. He now wanders the desert with musicians known only to 10 other people in the world, eating bar steaks and proclaiming himself a messiah. Ugh! Zamir again? Please!
My mother never let anyone near her kitchen, and as a result, she never taught me to cook. Once I married and had children, I was truly grateful for the Food Network. They don’t just have the recipes, they show you how to make them. My kids LOVE Paula Deen, and especially, her fried chicken recipe. Anthony Bourdain has a right to his miserable opinion, but I’ll defend Paula any day!
This comes down to whether or not you’re OK with Bourdain’s manner/delivery. He is a sarcastic, temperamental SOB and I love him for it. I bet he had a big grin on his face when he made these comments. Yeah, he still made them (which I’m OK with) but there’s a difference between makign them with a smile and making them in all earnestness. I don’t believe he REALLY thinks Paula Deen is the face of evil in the US.
Also, Bourdain is not one of those people who thinks fatty/buttery foods are the devil, at all, even if it came across that way from the quote.
And as someone above said, he quit smoking a few years ago when his kid was born, and although Nugent has been on the show a few times, Tony has commented, on that same show, that he doesn’t agree with Nugent on anything, but that he still likes the guy. I really admire that, I admire anyone who can get past personal differences of opinion/belief and hang out with almost anyone.
I don’t agree with a lot of what Bourdain says, but I still think he’s a super cool and knowledgeable guy. And I love No Reservations.
Hilarious! Great article and so true.
I’ve enjoyed reading the comments here, but two things confuse me. One is the ortolan story. I don’t think that they are an endangered species, although the preparation and eating of them has been banned in France. They, like so many of the animal foods we eat, are not exactly raised lovingly. And if Bourdain is to be believed, he and a bunch of other famous chefs whom he refuses to name, were brought to a restaurant and surprised with the meal in the back room. They all revelled in the ritual of it. If Bourdain had refused to eat it, the bird would still have been raised and butchered cruelly. But he’s the only one at the meal who’s talking about it, and I like that kind of honesty. He is as quick to show his warts as he is to point at those of others.
The other thing I don’t understand is how charitable actions are related to cooking, or to overtly commercial acts and endorsements.
The reason Bourdain can be a jerk is because he’s so much more than just a “cook”… he’s a poet, an inspiration and a true badass. Plus he’s a hottie. Love him :-D. Paula Dean is alright I guess :-/
I like Paula Deen and Anthony Bourdain but I also understand that Bourdain is a douche but that’s part of what I like about him. I think of him like a food Anthropologist, he goes around and experiences a different culture and their diet. It’s fun. I do appreciate his show but he had no right to insult Paula, Rachel, Sandra or Guy the way he did though. It’s true that Paula’s food is not meant to be eaten regularly and can be bad for you but I think any human with a lick of sense knows that. She’s the one we turn to when we want to treat ourselves.
On another note, have you ever cooked Guy’s chicken parmesan spaghetti? OMG it’s AMAZING!!!!
OMG why are people saying he’s a food snob? I’ve seen him eat crickets and shit… you guys just like to whine or something I swear :-/
If nothing else, this event brings to light the plight of the Orlotan.
I love this site!!
Keep ‘Celebitching’ & save Orlotans!!
Dean & Bourdain can take care of themselves!!
Read all the comments WOW
agree with @bros: all your posts 🙂
Love Bourdain, Watch his show (watch marathons on holidays 🙂 )
bros thank you for your articulate contribution to this thread. The posters here obviously know nothing about what a genius and a badass Bourdain is. He’s incredible at his craft and truly inspiration. You guys should really check out his shows, they’re really good… none of that heavily marketed TV personality crap. One of the few authentic people left on TV. Dean sounds like a crybaby “waaaaaaaaaaaa, I was poor, stop picking on me”.
Team Bourdain! That dude says what he means and means what he says… he’s real. He didn’t get to where is by kissing ass… You want a real opinion go to this guy. You want to feel good about yourself and drench your dreams in butter, Paula Dean is your girl.
rubenesque: i live in seattle and those prices seem about right to me. but the point is that for about the same amount of money you can get a few meals, not just one happy meal, thus it certainly is cheaper – and remember this isn’t including sodas or dessert.
you can make something like lasagna and freeze it ahead of time, or get a crockpot and throw stuff in it in the morning and when you get home dinner is ready, which i love as i hate cooking. it isn’t hard -there are tons of quick family recipe cookbooks out there. taking kids to mcdonalds on a regular basis is nuts. with the effort it takes to drive to mc donald’s you could make something simple, cheap & healthy like steamed fish & veggies. plus i think it is important to get kids involved in cooking, so they can learn about ways to eat healthy, and not just gorge on fast food when they leave home.
Hmm, I love Paula Deen (I’ve been extolling the virtues of her show to my friends over here, as it’s not shown on our version of the Food Network) AND I seriously heart Tony – even though we’d come to blows in real life as he’s very anti-vegetarian and there’s no way I wouldn’t put him in his place. Plus he’s a handsome devil 😈
Rachel Ray is meh and I’ve watched some of the Diners etc. programme which is only all right. And one of my favourite pastimes is ripping the piss royally out of Sandra Lee on YouTube.
But Bros is right. Bourdain knows his onions and always has the good grace to know when he’s been bested. His programme on returning to El Bulli (RIP) was honestly the best bit of TV I’ve seen in years.
Plus, and I’m going to have to disagree with many of you here, but her comment” “Deen continued, “You know, not everybody can afford to pay $58 for prime rib or $650 for a bottle of wine. My friends and I cook for regular families who worry about feeding their kids and paying the bills . . . It wasn’t that long ago that I was struggling to feed my family, too.” is absolute facetious nonsense.
I can’t see her eating Haitian street food like Tony. AND this is the same woman who has insisted people buy professional ovens and features exclusively artisan products. Which is brilliant and all, but don’t pretend that your programme is aimed at “struggling families”
omg Anthony Bourdain is a jerkoff in real life! I live in a small town. We have a mcdonalds tho, and one morning while I went in for my muffin, I was shocked to see him there! It was a slow morning and only his family and myself were in line – and old Anthony was bitchin this young girl out like he was the freakin mcdonald police! He bitch about how he wanted his food prepared – he didn’t ask nice, he demanded it had to be prepared in a certain way – the girl looked scared while the ppl with him were quiet. They looked uncomfortable and embarrassed while his voice got louder and louder. At first I was happy to see him, but after listening to his rant – I wished I had gone to the grocery store for my stupid muffin. Now whenever I see him on tv, I can’t turn the channel fast enough. Come on, it’s damn mcdonalds. It’s a small town and his food options were slim – but you don’t have to be rude to get what you want. Geez.
I appreciate Anthony’s candor and humor. I feel people take themselves way too seriously as pseudo-celebrities, and these tv cooks/hosts are right at the top. If you folks actually watch No Reservations, you might find he does not eat crazy things just to do it, and if he does it’s a comment on the grass roots products that area of the world uses to survive, or had in the past. Those folks out in the world are the ones making the most of what they have and cooking tasty food.
Further, when he does make his way to a culinary hot spot, or features a well known “foody” chef, it’s to both present the food and highlight how regional cuisine can be both a reflection of the area and it’s history and incorporate new trends. His show is thoughtful, educational, and hugely entertaining.
I agree that some of these cooks are also entertaining and provide tips and techniques for the average cook and are mostly harmless. However, the trend should be pointed straight away from the average and everyday and people should aspire to better things. Maybe eat a little better by cutting costs and eating a little less. We don’t have to settle for what’s convenient and easy, and lots of the healthier, more interesting fare is likely easier to make than that casserole or pasta dish. Look at any type of Asian cuisine (Indian, Cantonese, Japanese) and you’ll find they are radically easy to make, utilize a base supply of spices, and can create hundreds of different dishes.
That’s some of the thinking behind Bourdain’s comments (in my opinion) and he holds the position that we’ve taken the worst styles and presented them to the public as “easy” and “affordable”. You don’t have to be a chef to prepare, eat, and enjoy the majority of the food he presents on his show. Again, if you actually watch the show most of the meals are prepared by local families as presentations of “HOME COOKING”. I would also hazard to guess many of the families do not have nearly the time and resources as those of us who casually post comments on webpages about who is the most righteous celebrity chef personality. Bourdain summed up beautifully what all this banter adds up to – “Who cares?”
Paula Deen’s accent is real. In fact, she’s a lot more intelligible than most of the Georgians I lived amongst. The Southern accent in general drives me nuts, but the Deep South has a range of accents that are perfectly fine-tuned to irritate the piss out of me.
Anyway… yes, her accent is real and yes, people do speak that way in the Deep South.
He is absolutely right !!
I love Anthony. Love Alton more. Rachael Ray makes realistic food. Paula Deen scares me. My arteries clench as soon as I hear her voice.
Paula is from Albany, GA, and the people there talk just like that (and so do most of those who live in north AL, north GA and rural TN). Yeah, her eyes, smile, body and laugh are bigger than life. It’s a Southern thing. It’s reasonable to criticize the professional history of a public figure, but it’s just poor manners to diss someone’s (especially a grandmother’s) personal appearance.
I love Anthony because he’s a smart-ass. I like Paula Deen too but I cannot stand Rachel Ray.
I LOVE Paula’s personality, her voice, and her cooking, but Bourdain has a valid point about her corporate ties. Read the label on baked goods sold under her name at Walmart, and you’ll find wholesome ingredients like bleached flour and hydrogenated oils. It’s processed crap with her picture on the package. Wealthy celebrities should have enough integrity to endorse products they’d actually use. I doubt Paula would serve Walmart’s version of her gooey butter cake to her dog.
Eh… I’ve never watched Paula’s show. So, no comment on her. But, I have mixed feelings about Bourdain. On the one hand, his smug arrogance about everything really annoys me. But, on the other hand, I find his show very entertaining and often learn interesting tidbits about other cultures by watching it. I guess, for me, Bourdain is best in small doses.
@ kendra: the image of anthony b. demanding his egg mcmuffin be cooked a certain way is hilarious. as for bitching out the girl behind the counter, all i can say is somebody needs to get over himself.
Bourdain is culinary punk rock. Paula Deen et al represent the establishment. So it all makes sense.
I always liked Bourdaine. I thought he was a funny sarcastic guy that basically meant well and was nice despite his sharp tongue. I watched a few episodes of his show and he was awesome. Then he did a show in Romania (my home country) and brought a Russian translator that didn’t speak very good Romanian and made a mockery of my country. Despite his half assessed apology for an appalling show I’ve never forgiven him and every time I see him I have a bad taste in my mouth. So he’s not ALWAYS that respectful of the culture he visits. Nothing really big against the guy but Paula giving him a big f-u put a smile on my face.
I DVR BOTH Paula Deen AND Anthony Bourdain’s shows. They are FAB!!! I have gotten to where I don’t hardly watch Paula’s show anymore, simply because I don’t have time with a little one, and I’ve seen so many of her shows.
I DO watch the new episodes of “No Reservations” because I like to see where Anthony is visiting and hear his witty comments.
That being said, I have been aware for a LONG time, that Anthony Bourdain OBVIOUSLY has some esteem issues. It’s obvious by the caustic comments he makes. He definitely has an inferiority complex in my opinion, by the way he attacks everyone else, but he tries to make like he’s above everyone else.
I am not surprised that he made the comments that he did, but he should have known that Paula was gonna school his ass! She’s a sassy southern woman who’s not gonna take his shit for ANYTHING!
Yes, she endourses mass products, BUT she was a broke, single mom for many years. I don’t blame her one bit for getting all she can out of her 15 minutes. You would be too, if you had been in her shoes!
As for Sandra Lee…that woman had a rough life growing up and had to act as the mom and feed all of her siblings, when she had NO MONEY as a teen. Sandra’s mom was a MESS and completely unreliable as a mother. Sandra cooks the way she does to show people that even if you don’t have hardly ANYTHING, you can still make something out of almost nothing! She’s a dynamo like Paula.
I have ALL of Paula Deen’s cookbooks and have made MANY yummy thinks out of them. My husband is a picky eater, but LOVES everything I make him from her cookbooks. My neighbors love all of the desserts I make them from her cookbooks, too.
Rachel and Guy…meh…but still…they work hard and mean well.
Much as I love me some Bourdain, dude needs to BACK the F OFF!!!
I think I’m gonna go home and make me some Paula Deen pumpkin bars, which all my family and neighbors love!!!
@original kate- I believe the term is “preaching to the choir.” 😉 I’m a vegetarian and make everything from scratch- including baby food & grow my own organic veggies, but thanks for the tips. I grew up in the northeast, but now live in the south. There is a very different culture here around food- some good, some not so good. Suffice to say I am not so “Rubenesque” around here! I think our points are similar & you should look at my original post. I’m not a Deen fan, but think anything that gets people cooking is a good idea. I even said it was nutritionally better than fast food. It is really easy to feed 1 or 2 people cheaply & nutritiously, especially for those willing to cook. It gets more difficult with 2+ kids both financially and time wise. I understand why people get sucked in to feeding their kids fast food- it’s very cheap, fast & it’s become part of kid culture. Not that that’s a good thing!
I am huge fan of Tony. He is a god among chefs ( and in my city chefs are SNOBS ) and a rock star of the culinary world. He is an amazing writer and a freaking cool dude. Sorry ladies but F RR and the rest of them ..I dont even know who they are!
Team Tony!
Ok Sandra Lee is just terrible, her show is basically “let’s all watch the drunk woman make stuff from a can “, but Paula Deen is great. Sure, it’s not healthy but it’s not like she’s pretending it is.
This is funny lol. I totally love AB, and being a bit of a pretentious ass is part of what makes him entertaining.
And good for Paula for giving it back in style!
Paula’s food is not healthy. But a chain-smoking alcoholic is the last person who should throw stones.
I disagree with this article, I love Anthony!!!! I love that he’s cultured, knowledgeable, and he’s the type of guy I’d love to get drunk with! Paula’s food is not my cup of tea. I would weight 200 lbs if I ate her cooking.
At last, an opportunity for me to rank the TV chefs! As a longtime foodie, and certified excellent cook, I must chime in. Anthony Bourdain is divine – he’s smart, savvy, experienced as a chef, writes well, and has lots of sex appeal. Rachel Ray, of EVOO and YUM fame, is annoying and cannot really cook well. Paula Deen is the most annoying person alive – her recipes are pedestrian at best and most were popular in the 60’s.
Sandra Lee is laughable. Giada de Laurentis is a fool. Mario Batali is a good chef, but WAY too full of himself.
Love Alton Brown.
There – I’ve gotten it off my chest
Bon Appetit!
Here’s my problem with everyone saying the FN shows help you make quick, easy, healthful, and cheaper meals for your family. Most of them really don’t, especially RR. Her portion sizes and the amount of food and the number of ingredients she uses for each meal terrifies me. It actually takes you less time, fewer ingredients and is healthier and cheaper to make a roast chicken with vegetables like Daniel Bouloud or Ina Garten would than to cook anything RR or Guy would make.
That said, I admit that I was fortunate that I grew up in a cooking family. I can look at a complicated recipe and figure out what ingredients I can leave out and how to dumb it down for every day use. I’ve cooked long enough that I don’t need rules any more, just guidelines and ideas. If you’ve picked up some techniques from the food network like knife techniques or found some spice combination you liked, great. But if I had to give advice it would be to take what you learned and now apply it elsewhere. Cooking Light and well the internet in general are great resources for fast, cheap, healthy meals if you want to start somewhere.
@ rubenesque: sorry, i didn’t realize you actually agreed with me. your posts seemed otherwise. my friend makes her own baby food too, and said it is much cheaper than gerbers.
in any case i wish more people would think a bit before running out for fast food every other day. i honestly don’t know how anyone can eat at mcdonald’s, the food is SO salty. i’ve had their french fries on road trips when there was nothing else around and they are revolting.
@Abby
Do you know that most people do not know how to make a pot roast? They don’t know that you use a less than tender cut, sear it quickly, throw in some veggies and cover it and leave it, and – voila – a healthy hearty dinner, potatoes, carrots, onions and all! I prefer 300 degrees for as long as it takes.
Everyone adores her, you say? Um, no. Can’t stand her.
If Tony wants to dish it out, he has to be willing to get Buttered back!
Paula said in a round about way to “Kiss MY GRITS, jerk!”
I watch Paula here in New Zealand. I love her to death. And if you are worried about the ‘health’ side of her meals they are easy to adapt for healthier fat alternatives…I love Bourdain’s shows but he needs to shut it…bigtime.
Her eyes, dear God, her eyes! Whenever she stares out at me from the cover of a magazine, I feel compelled to look away, like she’s a True Blood vampire trying to glamor me.
Where’s his comments about Mario Batali, Emeril and all of the other obese chefs?
Oprah’s show with New York restauranteurs said the secret to all chef made food is far too much butter so they’re no better.
Torn on this. Do wish Paula would switch to healthier food. My family is full of Type II diabetes like she gave herself with this diet, and many Americans do need to change eating quickly.
How ’bout Tony’s smokin-n-drinkin?
Like that’s better than buttah???
I loved Tony’s India episode when he drank the ‘special drink’ in Punjab.
He was so stoned and he had diarreha.
I loved Tony’s India episode when he drank the ‘special drink’ in Punjab.
He was so stoned and he had diarreha.
Paula did eat street food, several times, and food from market vendors on her Caribbean travel special. She’s a good old girl, and good old girls eat street food no matter where they are.
Isn”t it pretty funny that we of celebitchy are critizing people for being critical and bitchy about others? Thats kinda what we do here. LOVe Tony. Paula is ok in my book too
Her smile is scary.. like she’s about to eat you for breakfast.
As a Southerner, I love Paula. She reminds me of the best of home. RR & SL are completely ridiculous & have no business being “foodies”.
However, Tony is the JAM. As Trill said, Tony is the punk rock of the culinary world & the rest of them are the establishment. Tony knows what his shit & doesn’t apologize for it, nor should he. His show exposes people to new & wonderful places & cultures that they would otherwise never have access to& he uses food as the medium. He & Zimmer do the same thing, but from different directions.
As for the comment about their joint show & Tony “barely hiding is contempt”, I didn’t get that at all. They were clearly contemporaries who were enjoying each others company & riffing on each other.
I have many, many friends who work in F&B & “smartass” is the reigning personality trait in that industry. If you can’t handle it you will be chewed up, spit out & be left crying on the sidewalk. Tony is the real deal, the others are just for show
Bourdain is just being honest! It’s his opinion, not fact! Who caaaares? He certainly wouldn’t if the tables were turned.
I’m a Bourdain girl. I think Paula is more of a** talking about how amazing she because she fed 10 million starving people. Charity is to done from the heart, not for bragging rights. No she doesn’t know what Bourdain has done. He may be an ass but I bet he wouldn’t brag about his charity work. He’s not the type that would gloat about it. If you watch his show he’s very self deprecating. Just because someone does charity works it doesn’t make them a better person or a good person.
@Kristen
That is Paula’s real accent. That is not a weird or exaggerated accent for the part of the country she’s from, even for educated folks.
FYI for some posters up thread: Giada is a trained chef. She, Tyler, Robert Irvine all wear chef’s whites on “Iron Chef” for a reason. Paula and Rachel didn’t for a reason.
My personal opinion is that people who DO give of their time to charity are “better poeple,” in that they are compassionate and loving towards those who have less, whether human or animal. Some people don’t have the time (or money)to do so, but celebrities can really help by lending even their name to a charitable organization.
Rachael Ray, for example, drives me insane, but I think she is a very nice person, and I also really respect all the hands on time she gives to animal rescue.
I also don’t feel Paula was “gloating” about helping to feed hungry children in this country (which is a disgrace — no child should go hunger in a country with such wealth), I feel she was highlighting that her persona on TV (and Rachael’s, Guy’s, even that fruitloop Sandra Lee’s) is a persona, and that she — and everyone else — is so much more, but DOESN’T gloat about that. And, how Tony and Michael Ruhlman never mention the good about these people who are entertainers, just the bad. Paula, etal, don’t run around calling Bourdain a sexist, alcoholic junkie. I enjoy his shows, but he is indeed all of those things.
I’m sick of people masquerading their snobbery as “concern” for the obesity crisis. It’s condescending.
Let me just add this to the conversation, I AM FAT. There are no if’s, and’s, or but’s about it. However, fattening food pre-existed this obesity drama in my country.
People should stop being so overdramatic about food being “dangerous”. It’s dangerous in excess, but it’s not Paula Deen’s responsibility to supervise people’s diets and assume the role of food police. You know who should control people’s diets? Themselves.
How many of you support obese people trying to sue McDonald’s, accusing McDonald’s for their weight gain?
I remember people’s reactions to that woman trying to take it to court, and they didn’t take kindly to it but now it’s suddenly the “fit” people who believe that unhealthy food is the fall of civilization and they get applauded for having the same kind of objective for which the fat woman was criticized.
I hate that the obesity crisis in America has basically become a thin person’s agenda. From my point of view, it’s extremely patronizing, and I question the sincerity behind the “concerns”. I feel that if the tables were turned and more than half of America were starving themselves/anorexic/bulimic, even though it poses an equal risk to health, people would turn a blind eye to it because eating disorders are glamorized and being fat isn’t glamorous or socially acceptable.
I’m so sick of the food police acting like they know what’s best for everybody. Believe me, I didn’t obtain my physique from eating unhealthy once in a while; I obtained it from gross negligence, but truth be told, society conveying the message that I should hate myself for it doesn’t make it any easier for me to lose weight because my emotions have played a significant role in my weight gain over these past few years.
People like to act like they have the answers to everything, so that they can judge overweight people from a position they’ve never been in.
I forgot to add this: Sandra Lee’s shows are a hot mess, but the woman did have a horrific childhood and “teenhood.” Her autobiography is actually very interesting, and worth a read.
Just promsie me you will never, ever do a tablescape. Okay? PLEASE???
@Sassy: Oh thank God, somebody besides me can’t stand Giada. Every time she flashes those capped teeth I want to hurl. I can’t even concentrate on whatever she’s saying; all I can see is teeth.
@Seal Team: Whoever invented that godawful term “tablescape” should be filleted and fricasseed.
Paula Deen should be the poster child for bad health. She herself has diabetes, yet she continues to promote the most unhealthy foods. Yes I’m sure it’s delicious but it will kill you.
@Venefica Delirium: Great post.
Deen is a joke. She has no creative ability whatsoever, and her so called “contributions” to starving people and low-income families? Cheesburger-donut monstrocities and deep fried butter. If she wants to teach people how to cook, she should do it on Comedy Central; FN is for food, Paula Deen’s cooking is for stoners. Anthony Bourdain has more appreciation for food and culture than just about any other food fanatic on TV (Andrew Zimmern being another favorite..I wonder if he would consider eating Paula Deen’s “food”…). Deen is not even in the same league as Bourdain, and should consider it an honor to even be considered a “chef” by him.
Venefica: Tell me, because I am curious, how would a person go about addressing the fact that obesity/overweight is at epidemic levels in our country without seeming “condescending” and “patronizing” to someone who is self conscious about being heavy? Foods ARE more fattening now than they used to be. Correspondingly, people are much fatter now too, esp children. Diabetes, heart disease, stroke- skyrocketing! These are just the facts- there’s loads of supportive data all over the web. On a personal note: My mother died at 55 because she was obese and I work my ass off not to get fat which is a relentless vigil. I actually appreciate the public education and even the societal pressure to not be obese because obesity has no pluses and tons of very serious minuses. This is not the same as pressure to be size zero: These two things should not be confused. I simply choose to ignore the Hollywood size zero craze but definitely take to heart the warnings of overweight/obesity. Americans need to hear it, as much as we’d like to keep our fingers in our ears and blame it on snobbery and elitism.
Bourdain is a supercilious, entitled, narcissistic ass. Also, as a chef, was he all that? I have heard nothing about his abilities as a chef.
I have seen Paula Deen’s show a couple of times. I love it. To me it’s food porn, all the stuff I wish I could eat every day but cannot. My eyes are my stomach.
@Venefica Delirium: I come from a fat family. I’m the only one who has always been slender. Food has always been central to our lives for nourishment and comfort and exploration, a family that has known all sorts of deprivation. I also have contempt for the food police. Eating is not a simple, pared down achievement. It is complex and emotional. So fuck all the food police!
I find Paula quite exotic given I know little about the south, while Bourdain, to me, is a dime a dozen.
@Venefica Delirium – high five, cosign, WORD etc.
I love Anthony Bourdain and all his honest snarkiness. It’s a nice contrast to all the fake happy people on TV. Same reason why I love this website and Kaiser’s sharp tongue, as well as the website Food Network Humor.
Anyway, the Food Network is a joke now. I used to love watching all their shows, but now I find it terribly boring. As for Paula, her food is evil. Sometimes delectably evil, but most of the time just plain old evil. I mean, who the f*ck makes hamburgers with donuts as buns. I really hope she was just joking when she did that stunt, and that her loyal followers didn’t rush to the donut shop so they can copy her recipe.
I don’t know how sounding off on his personality makes her food any less repulsive, probably because it doesn’t. I also grew up poor and in a single parent home, so I don’t know how that in and of itself makes her or her gastro-terror sons who don’t even cook sacrosanct patron saints of cuisine. Paula-coddle would deep fry subway scrapings if they could be splattered on doughtnut halves afterwards. I just can’t take the image of all of those acrylics, diamonds and fingers flitting about in dinner.
I love them all except Bourdain. I LOVE Paula –she’s my favorite, and I LOVE her food. It’s how we are meant to eat — by the way I am 5’7″ and 125 pounds and 55 yrs old. Food should be a joy and Paula makes it a joy. Bourdain I watch sometimes, but he is really into HIMSELF — and needs DENTAL WORK…
@hmmm ~ Tony was & still is the executive chef at Les Halles in NYC. That is a big damn deal & speaks volumes to his abilities as a chef.
I love that people think that the South is exotic! Its a great change from people thinking that is all a racist backwater
@Bodhi,
“Tony was & still is the executive chef at Les Halles in NYC. That is a big damn deal & speaks volumes to his abilities as a chef.”
Yeah, but what about his cooking?
ETA: You and others may think that locations in the States are not exotic. Of course, it seems the Bourdain is nonpareil in the area of the exotic; he’s so narrow minded. I am Canadian and do find areas of the States eminently exotic. Go USA!
Sorry, Team Bourdain all the way.
Well, one can’t become an executive chef without being an excellent cook, so the assumption is that he can cook.
Tony is not narrow minded, if he were he wouldn’t have a food & culture show on the Travel Channel.
Also… I didn’t say that I don’t find places in the States exotic. As I said, I’m a Southerner & I find it refreshing that people have postive view of my home instead of the usual negative one. I don’t know why you would assume that I wouldn’t find places in my own country exotic
One doesn’t become an executive chef without being an excellent cook, that’s how the business works
@Bodhi,
We don’t know how executive chefs get there. He can cook. But the question still remains- is he an awesome cook? Let’s see the reviews.
Sorry about the southern misunderstanding. I wasn’t sure about the intent of your comment. I would love to visit the south.
Perhaps Bourdain needs to hang with Paula?
This is such an interesting thread of comments and it brought out the worst of my research geek/food geek tendencies!
I am revisiting my opinions about Food network and its personalities now, and definitely coming out in favour of Bourdain, perhaps not as a model of a gentleman, but definitely as a model of wit with a quixotic fixation at the windmill of selling out. I think that his problem with Food network is that they no longer have much focus on real chefs and real cooking, in favour of telegenic reality stars.
I think that that his biggest problem with the Food network “stars” is that they affix their name to products and to restaurant chains that are of dubious quality. For instance, Paula endorses Smithfield foods, which is the epitome of factory farming at its worst – it mistreats its employees, poisons the environment and treats its pigs just as cruelly as any ortelan is raised. I don’t care if you were/are a single mother, or how much you give to charity, you just can’t need money badly enough to put your name on that, and then plead ignorance when you’re called on it. This is worse than breading chicken with crushed potato chips, or wrapping marshmallows in graham cracker crumbs (those are 2 of Paula’s recipes). As others have pointed out, there are tons of sources for quick, economical and healthy food. There are also many other sources for good southern food that are not as reliant on prepared foods and deep frying. I wouldn’t eat Paul Prudhomme’s food every day, but oh is it good! (And before you say anything, he’s lost a ton of weight and is practically skinny!)
And although there doesn’t seem to be a debate concerning Sandra Lee’s lack of culinary, creative or nutritious virtues, I just thought that Bourdain’s opinion of her as “the hellspawn of Betty Crocker and Charles Manson” was too delicious to omit.
@Bodhi —
Gordon Ramsay always mocks people who are Executive Chefs, because he says they are managers, not cooks.
I’ve always loved Bourdain, even if I don’t always agree with everything he says (he’s very anti-vegetarian last I checked).
If you read any of his books, none of this is of much surprise to you, he’s already commented on it. Talks about it in Medium Raw etc. Had a love/hate relationship with the FN, and commmented on hosts in there (something about Sandra Lee near groping him at some event).
I can’t take Fieri since I saw one of his diner tour shows and he was in essence making fun of the cook’s accent or something along those lines just about, when talking about whatever it was he was making. I get a strong douche vibe from the guy.
And Bourdain is no food snob in the sense that some are talking about here. It is not all about fine dining. He has gone on record lots of times saying he would most of all prefer a home-cooked meal in someone’s kitchen.
@Nymeria – “Paula Deen’s accent is real. In fact, she’s a lot more intelligible than most of the Georgians I lived amongst. The Southern accent in general drives me nuts, but the Deep South has a range of accents that are perfectly fine-tuned to irritate the piss out of me.”
Heh, i’m with you on the ‘irritating the piss out of you’ part. My entire family lives in: Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina… I’ve been on the wrong end of a ‘scolding’ by those accents more times than I can count. xD Damn good cooking though.
—
@Moops – “Her eyes, dear God, her eyes! Whenever she stares out at me from the cover of a magazine, I feel compelled to look away, like she’s a True Blood vampire trying to glamor me.”
THANK YOU! I was starting to think I was the only one, when no one responded to my comment. I couldn’t *believe* no one noticed how creepy that picture is. The lights are on, but no one’s home…
Re: Ortolan – I *love* No Reservations, I admired how he could be both a snarky bastard *&* be incredibly respectful toward the native people, their traditions, & their food. I *do* think he’s oddly attractive. I just… Think it was wrong to eat something that he knew was (at the very least) ‘threatened’, if not full on ‘endangered’. Do other people get away with hunting/eating them? Yes. Does that make it right? No. At least *I* don’t think it does.
@ Seal Team 6 – are we talking about the same Gordon Ramsay who relied on Exec. Chefs to cover his sorry ass in the eventy-billion restaurants his father-in-law “made” him open?
If we’re to rely on celeb chef one-upmanship then Anthony Worral Thompson reckons Ramsay is a p****k who can’t cook and just basically picked up a few tips from the legend that is Marco Pierre White. And let’s not get started on MPW’s opinions on Ramsay!
I like Bourdain. He’s a magnificent asshole.
And I really like his writing on Treme too. Clearly the guy is aware of what a character he is, and he still keeps behaving that way. You go, asshole chef!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Anthony Bourdain. I want to be him. He’s such a gifted writer and he totally tells it like he is. He’s a quintessential New Yorker who worked in those hellish kitchens and lived to tell about it.
Paula Deen rubs me off the wrong way. Like she will knife a bitch meanwhile looking at you with that fake buttery smile.
Team Bourdain all the way. and p.s. claiming how charitable you are and how much you give is a complete misuse of that word. To be charitable means to give without proclaiming your givingness. To give in order to get recognition is not charity but fame whoring.
I think part of the problem with overweightness is that we eat tons of processed food with huge propertion to what the rest of the world eats- the thing I noticed from my travels elsewhere.
Also we have a sedentary lifestyle. And I believe all the hormone infused, GMO laden antibiotic overloaded food are a cause as well.
I’m Team Bourdain all the way too. Love him.
That Paula woman creeps me out.
I don’t know that relying on Gordon Ramsay as an authority is the way to go.
Executive chefs in regular, non-celebrity restaurants work their way up & are made executive chefs because they are excellent cooks. That is who they get there, there is no “we don’t know how they get there”, that is how the industry works. Or, more correctly, that is how it works in restaurants where people are awarded by merit
Co-sign Layzo. I can’t even think of any chef who has a more documented history than Bourdain. If you are curious about his history, just buy some of his several (excellently written) books, or watch some of his many (excellently written and produced) mini-docs. Why is there any question about how he got anywhere? It’s been meticulously documented all along the way! Also, Deen’s rush to advertise her charities is just so tacky and obviously set up to divert attention. Why presume Bourdain doesn’t do charity work? He’s the opposite of a snob, btw. He regularly shows great humility and humanity on No Reservations and gets schooled by the poorest and most obscure people we share our planet with. I don’t hate on Deen, but her response makes her look bad. She could’ve used this as an opportunity to come out looking good but she blew it big time.
Thank you Trill, you said it much better than I could 🙂
For those who dislike AB, I suggest Andrew Zimmern. They have almost identical backgrounds as chefs (I think they even went to the same schools) and are willing to eat anything, once… but AZ is a really, while dorky, nice guy.
Obesity is not good and nobody needs to be touting butter or fried greasy stuff as good food choices, especially fried butter. Hang out in any Chili’s, Logan’s or other chain restaurant and count the ratio of people that are under 200 lbs (only the kids age 15 or less) and it’s plain to see we are all getting way too fat for our own good. Time to dial it back, people!
Oh, and Bourdain is HOT. That is all.
anthony b rocks. love him. paula – eh. oh, and i ate at one of her buffet joints this weekend. SUCKED ASS. i’m happy she’s feeding hungry people in our country. but she should be ashamed of the bleck-to-mediocre food that’s being served up in her name.
Where’s my damn sandwich?
Anthony had every right to say what he did. Paula Deen disgusts me. Her food is nasty and is the reason people are so fat and are ok with it. You all sicken me, including the writer. I hope you all choke on a stick of deep fried butter and die. This world would be a better place without you proud fat asses.
BOURDAIN FTW!! Yeah, he may be sort of an ass, but when you’ve gone through what he has to get where he is, well it’s a well-earned right. And to those who think he’s misogynistic, he’s married to a Sardinian, try pulling some sh*t on her, he’d end up with no balls… just sayin
If we’re taking about health, Burdain is the worse celebrity because he glamorizes smoking while Paula only glamorizes butter. I’m guessing smoking and obesity kill about the same number of people every year, but the difference is smoking also kills innocent bystanders (through second hand smoke), and obesity does not.
As for cooking talent, let’s face it — ALL the cooks on tv, whether they are great chefs in real life or not, make the majority of their fortune selling their personalities, not their food. That includes Anthony and Paula.
I really don’t see much difference between the two, except smoking kills innocent people and butter does not, and Paula seems like a nicer person.
@Mrs. Krabapple ~ Tony quit smoking when his daughter was born several years ago.
Seeing Paula Deen’s crazy eyes and plastered-on smile makes me wish someone would slap her! She truly glorifies some of America’s worst traits. She makes unhealthy eating “cute, ya’ll” (even for children), and is a spokeswoman for the Smithfield co. which provides filthy meat from abused animals. The charitable donations are probably for good PR + tax write offs. HATE HER!
Co sign Layzo and Trillion.
TEAM BOURDAIN.
Paula Deen can go pig out on her butter and grease. Chefs, Cooks or however way they want to be called should not be making their fortune from promoting unhealthy eating . No excuse! And this is not a question of who gives to charity more. I’m happy Paula and RAchael are generous, but they should be, considering the ton of money they earn from selling all those ridiculous colored kitchen wares and gadgets and promoting unhealthy eating.
Up until now, I’ve been the only commenter here named Violet. I have no idea who the above poster is but she’s either new or she’s pretending to be me.
Personally, I think Bourdain is an arrogant ass.
Who in the hell is Anthony Bourdain? I never heard of him and I watch cooking shows all the time.
@smith not sure if anyone else has already pointed this out but that part of the Tuscany episode was entirely staged. One of the “native” diners laughing at his food is his wife.
Just as a general rule, Team Tony all the way. He’s a jackass, but he’s my jackass.
I have really missed the magazine. I hope you do bring it back.
I think Bourdain is a fantastic writer and an extremely knowledgable chef. The only reason he said what he said was because he was asked. If people insist on prying these answers out of him then don’t be surprised when he doesn’t sugarcoat his responses. I would expect nothing less from Anthony. And I respect his opinion absolutely. He may not have a fairytale past and an innocent souther twang but his experiences with drugs and unsightly and unatractive things make him a seasoned personality. I would rather watch him than any of them although I think Rachel Ray is gorgeous for some reason.
First things first. PAULA DEEN ROCKS!!!!! And Anthony Bourdain is a total fucking ass and can go to hell.
Now to expand on that.
Paula Deen has said god knows how many times that she doesn’t cook or eat like that every day. She films Paula’s Home Cooking 30 days out of the year, that’s all!
Besides, Paula is a COOK, not a CHEF. She has never claimed to be a chef. She makes good food that we average people can make every day.
Not only that, but she has made more of an effort in recent years to make healthier meals on her show. She makes a lot of fish and seafood (HELLO! She lives on the river and probably buys the seafood right off the boats that caught ’em!) and she loves it just as much as her fattier meals.
Anthony…I don’t think he’s creative enough to come up with recipes on his own. That’s why all his recipes are exactly what you’d find in any run-of-the-mill French cookbook.
Not to mention, Paula may cook foods high in butter and sugar, but do you ever see her eat more than a bite or two on the show? NO! Because she actually works and cooks that food! All Bourdain does is sit on his skinny ass and gorge himself on meat, alcohol, and cigarettes for a week at a time.
Paula is incredibly sweet and personable. She always has a big smile and wave for the cameras and her fans.
Bourdain, on the other hand, always seems to have a half-ass smile and looks like he’d rather be anywhere other than where he is at the time. The only episode of No Reservations that he actually seemed glad to be there was the one featuring his wife and daughter. I don’t see how he got such a beautiful wife anyway. Methinks money exchanged hands.
Paula also features her family on nearly every show. She clearly loves them all to pieces and would NEVER intentionally put any of them in danger with her food.
Anthony comes off as a loner and is more self-centered than any vain teenager.
Basically, there is a big, long list of why Paula is awesome and Anthony is, well, not. The sad thing is that I used to admire him, because of his obvious knowledge. But, he is the kind of person who has to parade around spewing said knowledge and telling everyone how superior he is. It has become painfully obvious that he is actually quite dumb and quite unworthy of any praise. If I were to ever see him in person, I would not address him as “chef”, because that is a term used to respect one’s superior. I have no respect for him, and he is clearly not superior to anyone.
I think Paula and all other cooks that he has bashed need to bake him up a great big Humble Pie!!!!!
Bourdain never passes up an opportunity to go abroad and bash the country that gave him his success. He is a jackass, USA-hating, liberal, drug-loving poser who clearly never got laid when he was young.
Bourdain is the last person in the world who should criticize someone for being “unhealthy.” He is a binge drinking, chain smoking, ex heroin addict. And a smug asshole on top of that.
Bourdain is the last person in the world who should criticize someone for being “unhealthy.” He is a binge drinking, chain smoking, ex heroin addict. And a smug asshole on top of that.