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The Frugal Gourmet and Yan Can Cook

post #1 of 38
4/11/08 at 8:01pm
Thread Starter 
Does anyone remember the Frugal Gourmet (Jeff Smith) and Yan Can Cook on PBS? They introduced me to fine cooking while I did my homework after school and being a key latch kid I often used some of their recipes on the nights I was left to prepare my own dinners. In my opinion they were a lot more interesting to watch than Paula Dean and Alton Brown who are very popular chefs on the Food Network.
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post #2 of 38
4/11/08 at 8:17pm
Not really sure what the point of this thread is aside from pointing out that you were home alone alot, but I enjoy watching Alton Brown's "Good Eats" for some reason, and would argue that it's probably better than anything you were watching on PBS 20 years ago
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post #3 of 38
4/11/08 at 9:43pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Musselma View Post
Not really sure what the point of this thread is aside from pointing out that you were home alone alot, but I enjoy watching Alton Brown's "Good Eats" for some reason, and would argue that it's probably better than anything you were watching on PBS 20 years ago

If you haven't seen The Frugal Gourmet or Yan Can Cook how can you compare them to Alton Brown? I also feel that Jeff Smith and Mr. Yan dressed much more professionally than Alton Brown.
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post #4 of 38
4/11/08 at 10:06pm
Didn't the Frug disappear after some rather questionable habits with young boys were alleged?
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post #5 of 38
4/11/08 at 10:28pm
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Originally Posted by Piobaire View Post
Didn't the Frug disappear after some rather questionable habits with young boys were alleged?

Yes, though he, of course, denied the allegations. He was an ordained Methodist minister, IIRC. From what I've read, his last few years were rather sad.

I remember watching his show at my grandmother's house when I was little. I liked it, and have since picked up a couple of his cookbooks for a quarter or 50 cents in various book sales.

I like Alton Brown too, but it's an entirely different type of program.
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post #6 of 38
4/11/08 at 10:48pm
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Originally Posted by DocHolliday View Post
Yes, though he, of course, denied the allegations. He was an ordained Methodist minister, IIRC. From what I've read, his last few years were rather sad. I remember watching his show at my grandmother's house when I was little. I liked it, and have since picked up a couple of his cookbooks for a quarter or 50 cents in various book sales. I like Alton Brown too, but it's an entirely different type of program.
I am not defending his personal habits but I believe that it was his assistant from the TV program that accused him of harassment but he was never charged with a crime. The most I enjoyed watching Mr. Yan's cutting abilities although I did lose 1/8 of my middle finger on my left hand when I was 13 trying to slice celery in the same way that he would on his program.
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post #7 of 38
4/11/08 at 11:01pm
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Originally Posted by Joseph K. Bank View Post
I am not defending his personal habits but I believe that it was his assistant from the TV program that accused him of harassment but he was never charged with a crime.

After that, I believe some former assistants came forward with similar allegations. I think he settled out of court.
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post #8 of 38
4/11/08 at 11:10pm
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Originally Posted by DocHolliday View Post
After that, I believe some former assistants came forward with similar allegations. I think he settled out of court.

It's a shame that a person who introduced so many to such delicacies as Philadelphia style rice pudding would turn out to be like that.
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post #9 of 38
4/12/08 at 12:20am
Alton Brown was cool until everyone and their grandmother jumped on the Good Eats bandwagon about a year and a half ago what with Iron Chef America. Paula Dean is....well I'll leave it at that. I remember one eppy (the only one I've watched) where she eats a dessert and she seems like she's just hit the big O. I nearly hurled. That one show with Marc Summers and Guy whatshisname is just one big clusterfuck. Guy pronounced chicken katsu as "catsu" Yan Can Cook was always a riot to watch. I also miss David Rosengarten and the Two Fat Ladies. I wish they'd show reruns.
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post #10 of 38
4/12/08 at 12:29am
that you jmatsu?
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post #11 of 38
4/12/08 at 12:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by juicemakesugar View Post
Paula Dean is....well I'll leave it at that. I remember one eppy (the only one I've watched) where she eats a dessert and she seems like she's just hit the big O. I nearly hurled.

Every recipe involves an entire stick of butter.
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post #12 of 38
4/12/08 at 1:33am
Here's my thing with the food network: nobody fucking actually cooks anymore. Look at their programs, the only show where they actually do some real cooking is Iron Chef. Perfect example is Emeril's show. Every little thing was precisely and perfectly prepped. All he had to do was throw a bunch of ingredients together in a pot, and voila, everything is cooked, perfectly. While I don't doubt his cooking ability, it's a complete sham to call it a cooking show. Yeah, old cooking shows rock! Yan was one of the first guys that I watched. I wish he has his own show on some network.
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post #13 of 38
4/12/08 at 9:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Musselma View Post
Not really sure what the point of this thread is aside from pointing out that you were home alone alot, but I enjoy watching Alton Brown's "Good Eats" for some reason, and would argue that it's probably better than anything you were watching on PBS 20 years ago
No, cf. Julia Child. Thread pwned.
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post #14 of 38
4/12/08 at 10:30am
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Originally Posted by Huntsman View Post
No, cf. Julia Child. Thread pwned.

She was a very nice lady but sometimes I found it hard to understand her accent.
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post #15 of 38
4/12/08 at 10:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DarkNWorn View Post
Here's my thing with the food network: nobody fucking actually cooks anymore. Look at their programs, the only show where they actually do some real cooking is Iron Chef. Perfect example is Emeril's show. Every little thing was precisely and perfectly prepped. All he had to do was throw a bunch of ingredients together in a pot, and voila, everything is cooked, perfectly. While I don't doubt his cooking ability, it's a complete sham to call it a cooking show.

Yeah, old cooking shows rock! Yan was one of the first guys that I watched. I wish he has his own show on some network.

It's food porn. They're not trying to teach anything.
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