My opinion?  It’s better.  A lot better.  But still not good.  Aaron’s on screen persona is much better – he actually maintains eye-contact with the camera and he has toned down the uncomfortably forced enthusiasm that made the first six episodes so hard to watch.  The two biggest problems still persist – his communication and the recipes.

Aaron still mumbles.  He still lacks confidence at times although less often than last year.  Unfortunately he stills yells out of context with what is going on on screen.  And the recipes aren’t bad it’s just that they’ve all been done before.  It’s like they are doing a greatest hits of Food Network ’93 – ’98.

On the episode I viewed McCargo was doing variations of a burger and fries and he was joined on set by fellow NFNS alum Shane “Lil Biscuit” Lyons.  All of the burgers were inventive, so inventive in fact that they conjured images of Hot Off the Grill, East Meets West or Cooking Live.  Of the three flavors of fries McCargo prepared one was new, steak fries with dry porcini and sherry vinegar.

Lyons was one of three contestants who were consistantly better than McCargo during the competition yet were mysteriously ousted.  Shane brought a natural energy to the set and McCargo instantly relaxed making the show easier to watch.  Lyons, a former child star, is a natural in front of the camera and a gifted chef.  The seven minutes the two friends shared on screen confirmed what most thought eleven months ago, “How on earth did Shane lose?”

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love to cook.  And eat – (especially my own cooking).  Part two of that equation can be a problem, but honestly I am working on portion control!  That’s exactly what I need, portion control!!    Believe it or not, I used to spend hours in the kitchen watching my mom cook and bake.  I could lean over the stove from behind and watch everything  just like a camera on the TV cooking shows.  It was there that I learned how to make gravy (among a zillion other things).  Mom was a great cook and I guess that’s where I got my knack - so to speak.   I’ve actually had a couple of my recipes published in Taste of Home magazine (years ago, before that magazine changed considerably).   I still enjoy subscribing to one “foodie” magazine, “Everyday Food” put out by the folks at Martha Stewart Living.  In addition to magazines, I also love to watch the Food Network.  I’m crazy for the Barefoot Contessa, although I don’t make too many of her recipes.  Another show I enjoy watching is “Big Daddy’s House”.  You just gotta love this guy!   He makes real food for real people.  

Just for fun, here are a couple of my recent successes.    Number one -  Roasted Vegetables (or how to use up bits of veggie in your fridge!). 

Pretty much ANY veggie will do for this recipe

Step one:Gather up any veggies you may have on hand.  I had quite a group of stuff I wanted to use up before we left on vacation about a month ago.  Carrots, celery, a zucchini, one sweet potato, an onion, some green beans, a few broccoli florets, mushrooms, and some bell peppers.   Step two: peel and cut into moderate sized chunks. 

 Since I did all the chopping in advance of dinner, I put everything into a plastic bag.   Here it is, all ready for the next step.  Step Three:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking pan with non-stick coating such as “Pam” (you don’t absolutely have to do that, but it does reduce sticking).  Put all your veggies on the pan and drizzle with olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper. 

On the pan and ready for the oven

Here they are, all ready for the oven.  Bake for approx 40 minutes.  It’s impossible to not like the finished product – unless you hate veggies in the first place!   

Dinner is served!

 I apologize that this picture is not as bright as I wanted it.  However, hopefully you can see the roasted veggies, right next to the rice pilaf and grilled flank steak.  Delightful. 

My next recent success involved fish.  Salmon to be exact.  My dear husband loves to catch them, but is simply not enthralled with eating pretty much any fish, but especially salmon.  Of course we all know that salmon is “good for you” so my mission was to find a recipe he would actually enjoy.  I have tried many different ways to prepare salmon, but honestly, this one wowed both of us!  I got this recipe after watching a recent episode of Big Daddy’s House.  Click here to get the recipe too!   In a rare move, I made “Big Daddy’s” entire menu that evening.  Blackened Salmon with Blue Cheese Sauce,  Lemon Pepper Orzo, and Spicy Swiss Chard.  We loved it all.  Every last bite!  Here is a picture of the “salmon success” I must admit that while we are definite blue cheese lovers, I happened to have some Gorgonzola on hand and used that in the sauce.  It was divine!  It is going to be hard to “top” this meal, and I probably won’t for a while.  But in the meantime, it’s time to simply figure out what’s for dinner tonight!

The New Adventures of Old Christine: Too Close for Christine

Gary Unmarried: Gary Uses His Veto

Kyle XY: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

Life on Mars: Coffee, Tea or Annie

Throwdown with Bobby Flay: Chicken Pot Pie

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations: Chicago, Beirut

Late Night with Conan O’Brien: 02/17/09

Big Daddy’s House: Belly Busters

Brothers & Sisters: Troubled Waters

Iron Chef America: Cora vs. Lahlou

Secret Ingredient: Redfish
Judges: Ed Levine, Antoinette Bruno, Trevor Corson
Winner: Chef Lahlou

Ugly Betty: Things Fall Apart

Big Daddy’s House: Valentine’s Day

30 Rock: Jalisa

Burn Notice: Sins of Omission

The Closer: Double Blind (Season Finale)

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations: Malaysia

Big Daddy’s House: Awesome Asian

Stargate Atlantis: Remnants, Brainstorm

Super Bowl XLIII

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Earthlings Welcome Here

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives: Neighborhood Favorites

Big Daddy’s House: Big Game Day Eats

Damages: I Knew Your Pig

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations: Hawaii

The Simpsons: Lisa the Drama Queen

Big Daddy’s House: Working Lunch

Desperate Housewives: Connect! Connect!

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Alpine Fields

Big Daddy’s House: Feel Good Day

Iron Chef America: Flay vs. Tinsley

Secret Ingredient: Fresh Beans
Judges: Joe Bastianich, Jenna Wolfe, Jeffrey Steingarten
Winner: Iron Chef Flay

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Samson and Delilah (Season Premiere)

The Closer: Tijuana Brass

Iron Chef America: Flay vs. Cardoz

Secret Ingredient: Snails
Judges: Jeffrey Steingarten, Alexandra Guarnaschelli, Batista
Winner: Iron Chef Flay

Big Daddy’s House: Mentor Madness

Samantha Brown: Passport to Great Weekends: Miami, London

Psych: Talk Derby to Me

Wipeout: S01E07

Eureka: Show Me the Mummy

90210: We’re Not In Kansas Anymore, The Jet Set (Series Premiere)

Stargate Atlantis: The Ghost in the Machine

The Closer: Split Ends

The Cho Show: Off the Grid

Big Daddy’s House: Keeps Me In Bed

Smallville: Apocalypse

Smash Lab: Unsinkable Car and Woman Overboard

Numb3rs: Pay To Play, When Worlds Collide (Season Finale)

Swingtown: Heat Wave, Puzzlerama, Swingus Interruptus

Big Daddy’s House: Feeding Frenzy

The Venture Brothers: The Family That Slays Together, Slays Together (Season Finale)

Brooke Knows Best: The Guest From Hell

Big Daddy’s House: Life’s a Beach

Hot Rod

The Venture Brothers: The Family That Slays Together, Stays Together Pt. 1

Big Daddy’s House: Dream Dinner

Eureka: Best in Faux

Weeds: Little Boats

Food Detectives: Brain Freeze

Good Eats: Frozen Cache

Was it me or did that show look like something you’d see on public television (no offense – I love/loved the Frugal Gourmet, Ming Tsai, and Mark Bittman) or even worse, public access tv? How many times did Aaron say “Let’s get these bad boys in there?” or “Boy, I’m excited now!” I was not excited at all. My heart was pounding a bit after every stick of butter that he put into his recipes. I think he went through a whole box just for one meal (correction, one dish! – see comments below). Pretty soon those using Big Daddy’s recipes will need a trip to The Biggest Loser.

And unless I missed something, isn’t “Ask Aida” a lot like Adam’s proposed concept show? Either he’s an imposter (I heard something about how his beer can chicken recipe might not have been an original) or he’s getting royally screwed. I would have definitely tuned in to Adam’s show for at least a few episodes on his sheer personality alone. I tuned in to “Big Daddy’s House” to see if Food Network made yet another mistake (Amy over Rory?), and suffice it to say, I will not be stopping by the House again anytime soon.

ADD: Ok, turns out I should have done my research first. Adam will have a show after all. A 13-episode show that combines food reality with dirty jobs. “Will Work For Food” premieres in Sept. 30. Just in time for the 6-episode “season” of “Big Daddy’s House” to be coming to an assuredly disappointing end. Set your TiVo now!

ADD (8.12.08): Before anyone suggests that I don’t have any culinary insight, I will admit that Aaron was a better chef than Adam. However, the show was about finding the Next Food Network Star, so I will stand behind my prediction that Aaron will not be it. Not that Adam will automatically succeed either. I’d still like to see him in the kitchen rather than the dirty jobs gig. Nevertheless, this show will play to his strengths over his weaknesses. Best of luck to them both.

So a few weeks back Aaron McCargo Jr. took home the crown on Next Food Network Star. I wasn’t crazy about any of the finalists but out of the top three he was definitely the right pick.

Plus, Food Network could really use some more on-air talent of color. (Sidenote: With that in mind, did they have to call his show Big Daddy’s House? Honestly?)

So McCargo’s show premiered on Sunday and it was a solid first performance. He got his children involved, he looked pretty comfortable and the food looked delicious. Seriously, I haven’t wanted to make a pork sandwich that badly since I saw Babe: Pig In The City.

Anyway, it looks like McCargo is off to Food Network stardom, but he won’t be alone.

Food Network star finalist and funnyman, Adam Gertler will star in Will Work For Food. He’ll work alongside people in the food industry (think everything from milking cows and berry picking to feeding thousands at a hospital).

Adam was a sucky cook so a show out of the kitchen will be great for him.

It’s a shame they can’t find anything for Lisa Garza though. Maybe she can find something to do back on the mothership.

Photo: http://blogs.phillyburbs.com/

The menu was nothing special.  He coated chicken tenders with crushed tortilla chips.  That’s the first time I’ve ever seen anyone do that . . . again.  Seriously, any idea that has ever graced the pages of one of the those $1.00 cooking mags at the check out of your local grocer has no place on the Food Network.  Plus, TFN already has one show that derives its menu from those, Semi-Homemade.

At one point, he spent about 15 seconds with his back turned to the camera while he fished through a utensil drawer talking to the back-splash.  Not all of it was Aaron’s fault.  The editing seemed choppy.  Maybe they did the best they could with the takes they were able to get, I don’t know. It felt like a rookie show, with a rookie host, and a rookie production team.  Aaron took a pot of steaming broccoli off the stove and when he removed the lid he let out a whoop like he had just popped the top on a boiling vat of Cajun crawfish.  Steamed broccoli is tasty, but there is little about the steam to get one excited.  This was a classic case of Aaron trying to force personality and it just came across as strange.

I will venture to say that Aaron actually gets more than six episodes.  FN will try to spin the show as “well received” and allege that it “earned” a second season.  This is only window dressing because there has been so much made of the shady nature of this year’s contest and the fact that they have only found one true star in four tries.  And who knows, it may get better.  Giada was a little hard to watch at first, too, but now she is a star.

The bottom line: I’ll watch it if nothing else is on, but it will not earn a slot in the old DVR.

UPDATE: Despite poor reviews and worse ratings Big Daddy’s Kitchen has been renewed for 13 more episodes.  Read HERE.

Gertler’s show, titled Will Work for Food will have the actor, restauranteur and improvisor doing a kind of “Dirty Jobs” type of show with food industry jobs.

“On ‘The Next Food Network Star,’ Adam exhibited a unique combination of quick wit, passion for food and an engaging personality,” said Bob Tuschman, senior VP for programming and production for Food Network. “He earned millions of fans across the country, who have let us know that we have a second star in our midst. We feel this series is a perfect fit for his talents, letting him showcase his brand of humor while he works for food.”

Some of the jobs Gertler will be working at will be a potato chip tester and a dog food taster. Considering Adam’s personality and sense of humor, his show should be a hit.

Brooke Knows Best: Spring Break Smackdown

Big Daddy’s House: Boy’s Night In

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives: Burgers and Dogs

Top Gear: S11E06

A couple of things before I give you the recipe… we thought the recipe was a tad salty and we didn’t try the white sauce because we didn’t have the ingredients and didn’t feel like running to the store, so we just did the first part. With that said, here’s the recipe:

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CHICKEN PARMESAN by Aaron McCargo, Jr.

2 quarts oil, for deep-frying
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
4 (6-ounce) pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast (pounded thin)
3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 quart favorite store-bought marinara sauce
White sauce, recipe follows
8 slices mozzarella cheese

Heat oil to 350 degrees F.

Mix all seasonings together then divide into 2 parts. Season chicken breast with half of the seasoning on both sides. Add half of remaining seasoning and 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley to bread crumbs and mix. Dip chicken in flour, then in eggs, then in bread crumbs. Fry chicken until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes). Simmer the marinara sauce in saucepan over medium heat. Place 2 slices of mozzarella cheese on each breast. Pour the warmed marinara sauce over the cheese, drizzle with White Sauce and serve.

White sauce:
1 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the garlic and heavy cream in a medium saucepan, until simmering. Turn off heat, add butter, and whisk vigorously until fully incorporated. Add 1 tablespoon fresh parsley and season with salt and pepper.

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Here’s another really cool show we caught today on the Food Network today was Ask Aida. It was a really great show and the recipes she did today sounded so yummy we can’t wait to try those too. Everything from this meal screams make me, eat me, PLEASE!!

She made:

• Grilled Flank Steak with Ginger Marinade
• Grilled Onions and Mushrooms with Limed Sour Cream
• Cherry, Almond and Herb Salad

The show has a really cool concept. She basically fields questions by e-mail, texting and videos that people send to her while she is cooking the meal. I really enjoyed it and hope to catch it again soon.

From the premature posting of his new show on the website’s drop-down menu, his show will be called, “Big Daddy’s House.”