Food on the Tube: I love Alexandra Guarnaschelli

A couple months ago I was bitching about the new batch of Food Network cooking shows and lamenting the loss of some of my favorites. While I still miss some of the chefs who have disappeared or been pushed out of the prime viewing time (Nigella Lawson, Michael Chiarello, Jamie Oliver, et al), the new batch of chefs is growing on me.

In particular, I’m really enjoying Alexandra Guarnaschelli on The Cooking Loft. The show is unique and Alex is charming and different. She’s shown her great personality and knowledge about food as a competitor and frequent judge on Iron Chef America, and it’s translated really well to The Cooking Loft.

If you haven’t caught the show yet, it is set up like a private cooking class.  Every episode, several people go up to The Cooking Loft for a lesson with Alex. I think it was smart to bring in some other people to the show. It works really well, giving Alex people to talk to and work with. It shows off her personality and makes the show unique. It’s not just a chef cooking and talking into the camera. There are interactions, questions, and little tips that I think wouldn’t be there if it was just Alex on the show.

When watching the show, it quickly becomes clear that Guarnaschelli is an accomplished chef. This should come as no surprise; I don’t think they pick hacks to compete on Iron Chef America, let alone judge it. Wait, I take back that part about judging — if Marc Ecko can be a judge, anyone can.

Regardless, Alex is very knowledgeable about food, and most importantly, her food looks great. There are many simple recipes that she features, as this show is supposed to represent a cooking class, but they all look good. Her fried chicken looks amazing and I plan on trying her ten minute tomato sauce soon.

Have you guys caught The Cooking Loft yet? Do you have any new favorites on the Food Network?

Clacked by Bob Degon
on Dec 07, 2008 @ 12:30 EST5EDT