Allez Cuisine!

Over the past three months, I've spent a fair number of hours watching television..... something I honestly don't normally do. Like most people, I have a few shows that I follow -- but beyond that I don't watch much television. 'Lil Dubya's arrival changed all that.... when you are up at all hours feeding a small baby, the television becomes a welcome companion. I always dreamed of being up late at night with my baby -- all bright-eyed and energetic -- wearing coordinated pajamas -- looking into my beautiful baby's eyes. The reality is exhaustion, wearing old college bar tee-shirts that are stained by spit-up and using old episodes of the Iron Chef to drown out the sound of the Big Dubya's snoring and to keep myself awake.

The Iron Chef and the new Iron Chef America are hugely entertaining.... anchovy ice-cream, noodles made from pizza dough and all the things they manage to do with foie gras, who'da thunk it? I'm not sure why this show fascinates me so.... I couldn't replicate the recipes (in many cases I wouldn't want to), but I keep tuning in...... and am on the edge of my seat to see what they are going to make with the mystery ingredient and can they possibly get all 5 dishes plated in the allotted 60 minutes.

The alternative, I suppose, would be another late-night favorite.... the infomercial. Sadly, they don't seem to as good as the used to be, they don't have the characters...... anyone remember Susan Powter and her Stop The Insanity!?


I remember watching her infomercial in college.... she was raw and angry and we didn't dare turn her off -- no matter how many times we'd seen her. Today's infomercials don't have what it takes to be addicting..... remember the first time you saw Suzanne Somers' thigh-master? You knew that thing wouldn't work, but..... you watched anyway... some people even bought them!

Today's gizzmos and contraptions are just as goofy, but.... they just don't draw us in. I mean, does anyone get mesmerized by Chuck Norris & Christie Brinkley swearing that they use only the TotalGym? or by Lindsey Wagner's sleep number bed?

I think I'll stick with the Iron Chef!