The Sandwich King, 8/21/11

Bravo, excellent, awesome, two thumbs up. Great show. Thank you for getting it right, Food Network Star judges. And in your FACE, everybody who said that a sandwich show would be boring!


The format of The Sandwich King is entertaining and engaging. Jeff doesn’t just cook. This episode, we went with him to Johnnie’s Beef, where he originally discovered the sandwich that inspired today’s creation. We met owner Frank, who “lets us see where the magical beef happens.” Lol. And later in the show, we were treated to a second sandwich. Two for one! The juxtaposition was clever: one sandwich takes four hours, and the other takes ten minutes, appealing not only to those with plenty of time to cook but also those who want to be in and out of the kitchen fast.


This episode’s subjects: a Chicago beef sandwich and a mortadella fig focaccianini. Nice. I’m a vegetarian, but none of my family or friends are, so I will forever be in need of carnivore-friendly recipes. (Plus, with some tweaking, I bet I could make a vegetarian version of the Chicago beef using my fave meat substitute: seitan.)


The Chicago features a roast braised in red wine and beef stock with Italian seasoning and thyme, green bell peppers roasted with oil and granulated garlic, onions, fresh garlic cloves, and a homemade hot giardineria topping made with carrots, red bell pepper, cauliflower, celery, cerano peppers, all on a French roll. The giardineria intrigued me. I’d never heard of it, so I made a note to google it later — but then Jeff walked viewers through how to make it from scratch. Excellent. “I think my peppers are perfectly done.” Jeff said, taking the green bell peppers out of the oven. “Oh, perf!” he enthused, and I chuckled. “Perf”? I have a new word. Mmmmm: my mouth watered a bit when he dunked the sandwich in the au jus and took a bite.

Random: the split-screen effect is cool.


The mortadella fig focaccianini is “a beautiful hybrid between a focaccia sandwich and a panini sandwich.” (Lol—someone was taking notes during the Rachel Ray episode of Food Network Star, when Vic Vegas made The LaChanga: a hybrid between a lasagna and a chimichanga.) The focaccianini features fontanella cheese and mortadella meat between slices of focaiccia bread slathered with a fig spread made with dried figs reconstituted in water, sugar, and balsamic vinegar. I’m personally not at all a fan of sweet + salty, but I’m totally picturing focaccianinis cut into fourths on sandwich platters for guests at my next party. And I loved the tip on what to do if you don’t have a panini press. Because I don’t have a panini press.


Advice: it’s best if you record The Sandwich King so that you can rewind it, because, as with most cooking shows, sometimes the ingredient list comes fast and furious, and you’re liable to miss something. And now, if I may, some guest star ideas: Guy Fieri, of course. I have a sneaking suspicion that a Guy-Jeff pairing would result in nonstop LOLs. And some fave contestants from the last season of FNS! I want to see Susie and Jeff make something deliciously Mexican, Vic and Jeff make a yummy hybrid with a funny name, and Justin B. make the scrumptiously complex sandwich while Jeff makes the delectably easy sandwich.

I heart Jeff, and I heart The Sandwich King. This show is … perf.

Food Network Star, 8/14/11

Italian Mama’s Boy. Mexican. Sandwich King. I defy you to conclude that Sandwich King isn’t the best of those three concepts. Honestly, who wants to watch ANOTHER Mexican or Italian cooking show? They’ve been done to death. To. Death!!!!! Sandwiches, on the other hand
-- will never get old because there are sooooooooooo many different ways to make them.
-- have never had their own show. (Sad.)
-- totally appeal to even the most novice of cooks. Who can’t slap bread, meat, and cheese together?
People, I am so Team Jeff that it hurts.


Guy Fieri! Love him. Just as excited to see him now as I was earlier in the season. And it’s little wonder that he keeps popping up. I mean, other than Guy, can you name two past FNS winners? Hell, one? *deafening silence* He’s clearly the biggest FNS success story. I guess the judges want to remind us of the ONE time they got it right. Speaking of getting it wrong, there’s a focus group this year! LOL. Good. I guess Food Network was tired of the winner’s show not lasting more than one season, so real people have been called upon to weigh in. And by “weigh in,” I mean, “keep the judges from picking yet another FAIL show.”

YAY! Jeff nailed his on-camera challenge. Blah. Susie to me just felt like she was rambling, though the judges loved her. Vic over-focused on the story and left out the technique. And the person going home is … *on the edge of my seat* … Vic. WHEW. And if you ask me, it was for the above-mentioned reason. Plus, as Judge Suzy said: “I love marketing [Jeff’s] idea.” Damn right. Sandwiches practically sell themselves. But Vic gets plenty of points for being such a gracious loser.

And then there were two.
Jeff:
Take one: Oh no. Take two: Oh no, again. “Boom”? What the crap was that? Am I watching Jeff or Emeril? Take three. (OH GOD PLEASE, JEFF.) Nailed it!
Susie:
Take one: Oh no. Take two: only a little bit better — but hey, at least she’s not “boom”ing. Take three: Nailed it!
Ok, they both (eventually) knocked it outta the park, so it’s going to come down to who has the better concept. Let’s bring on that focus group!


Oh, wtf. Never mind what I said about the Food Network wanting input from real people. Instead of an actual focus group consisting of true Food Network fans John Everybody and Jane Anybody, we get the past contestants. *eye roll* While I’m incredibly glad for another glimpse of the incredibly sexy Justin B., this was a SUCH wasted opportunity. A few people had good things to say, but this was just a last attempt to wring out a final bit of Penny drama. And she was only too happy to oblige. That “Susie wasn’t engaging” line was complete BS. Susie was the epitome of engaging. As Team Jeff as I am, I would have been all over her if she weren’t. Go crawl back into your hole, you petty harpy. (But thank you for fawning all over Jeff. Susie’s pilot was good, but Jeff’s was better.) Also, why bring the past contestants back to give, what, 30 seconds of input from, what, four people? Sexy Justin didn't have anything to say? Where was Juba? SUCH a waste. A real focus group should have been brought in. Maybe next summer. (Yeah right.)


Oooooh, Giada pointed out something I hadn’t noticed: Jeff has had that same concept from week one. Susie, on the other hand, had to be told to cook Mexican food — and even Vic had to be told to choose between his Vegas personality and his Mama’s boy concept. Reason #27 that he should win. — gasp — HE WON! HE WON! Woo-hooooooo! Omg, I cannot WAIT to watch his show! All hail the Sandwich King! Congrats, Jeff!