foodtvandme.com is the unofficial food network fansite with news, reviews, and my attempts at those great recipes you see on tv.

Looking for some fun ideas to commemorate the unoffical end of the summer?  Food Network has some tips and videos that could help get you inspired.  I viewed the Maryland crab boil video and was almost inspired to give it a try.  Almost inspired.  I would have to purchase a boil thing (I’m sure the “thing” has a name but they never said what it was.)  Then I would have to buy a bunch of crabs alive (I don’t really eat seafood so I have no idea where to buy live crabs.  The docks maybe?  Anyone know where the docks are in Southern California?) 

If you do know this crucial information, and have the necessary equipment, a big crab boil looked pretty easy.  Take all those beautiful live crabs you bought from the docks, or your fish monger, or wherever (can you tell I have no idea what I’m talking about when it comes to seafood?) and put them in a huge pot of boiling water with beer and Old Bay.  Old Bay is very important.  They mention it about twenty times in the span of thirty seconds. 

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Why, he’s the Ace of Cakes of course!  This hot new chef is coming out with a brand new Food Network show where he will make extreme cakes and live an extreme life.  According to a news story from The Cincinnati Post, this new show will follow the exciting life of this eccentric cake decorator along with his friends and family.  It’s almost like a new reality show featuring a chef, his business and his hobbies.

I’m interested to see how Food Network is going to handle this guy.  I don’t know if I’m interested enought to go out of my way to watch the premiere, but I might catch a re-run.  I’ve never been a fan of the Food Network Challenges, and this seems kind of like the cake challenge over and over again.  Maybe he’ll prove me wrong, but I do give him credit for using a blowtorch.  That could be cool.

The Food Network loves beautiful food as well as beautiful chefs.  According to About.com, the Food Network has the pleasure of having four of the world’s most beautiful chefs to grace it’s line-up.  Everyday Italian’s, Giada De Laurentiis, Good Deal’s, Dave Lieberman, How to Boil Water’s, Tyler Florence, and the Naked Chef’s, Jaime Oliver look good cooking and cook stuff that looks delicious. To see all of these chefs, along with other pretty food celebrities, check out the gallery on About.com.   

Popcorn lovers beware!  This weekend the Food Network Challenge will be at Disneyland in Anaheim, August 6th, to make a pass at the world record for the tallest popcorn sculpture.  The current record, according to the Guiness World Records website, was made in Stirling,UK, and unveiled October 3, 2003.  The sculpture was in the shape of Godzilla and commemorated the 65th anniversary of the Allan Park Cinema.  It was 16 ft. 0.5 in. (4.89 m) tall.  Feel free to come cheer on the current attempt during the live taping.