The hell? I've been really enjoying Next Food Network Star so far this season, and was all set to watch it last night. And then I just completely forgot that it was on. I can't even remember what I was watching last night at that time. I think it was another Andy Griffith Show marathon. It was the episode where Barney misunderstood something and screwed everything up.

So how was this "Dinner at Ina's" episode? This is going to be one of those times where I don't even read your comments until I watch the episode, which I'm going to do right now.

I'm really enjoying this season so far. It has a good mix of drama, guest stars, good challenges, and actual food being made. What did you think of this episode? Were Brett and Teddy right in what they said about Melissa, or did they only help a little and she probably could have done it on her own? I think she accepted their help not out of panic but just because they offered and anyone would in that situation, though it would have been nice if she had mentioned that to the judges.

So last night we had the premiere of Top Chef Masters, which is supposed to keep us satisfied until the regular Top Chef returns. But it's a different show. The judges are different, and the contestants are actually well-known, successful chefs already, so the food is going to be better and the arguing is going to be less. It's not bad. I was hoping for all of the contestants to compete at the same time and not be split up into groups like this, but it's actually refreshing to see the pros do it. What did you think?

I'm not a big reality show fan, but if it involves food I might just watch it. Tonight Bravo debuts Top Chef Masters, which is Top Chef only with some of the best chefs in the country, including Wylie Dufresne, Rick Bayless, Cindy Pawlcyn, Anita Lo, and Art Smith. Here's a clip from the show. I wonder if this is going to be more foodie-oriented than trash talk/arguing-oriented?

Food Network is launching a bunch of new shows on their web site Food2.com, but this one looks to be the most promising. It's based on the really fun web site/book The Amateur Gourmet, and features Adam Roberts, well, cooking food. But it's done in a more realistic way than most food shows, the way that a lot of people cook in real life. Below he teaches us how to make an omelet.

Food Network has a bunch of new shows coming up (along with renewals of shows now on the air). One of them has a former sports figure as the host/star. Can you guess what it is?

a.) What Would Brian Boitano Make?

b.) Healthy Life with Chris Evert

c.) In the Fridge with William "The Refrigerator" Perry

d.) Dinner and Dollars with Mary Lou Retton

e.) Let's Make Sandwiches! (with Steffi Graf)

It's this one.

When it comes to cooking competition shows, the two that consistently make the grade are Bravo's Top Chef and Fox's Hell's Kitchen. But while the two shows are ostensibly both about aspiring chefs competing for a prime position -- to beat the competition and emerge as number one -- there are really more things about the shows that separate them.

In terms of quality competition, food expertise and cooking skills, Top Chef is superior to Hell's Kitchen. They're both fun to watch, and I have followed every season of each of them. But the main thing they have in common is the kitchen. Read my five reasons and see if you don't agree with me that Top Chef has it all over Hell's Kitchen.

(S05E01) "Who cooked the diapers?" - Chef Ramsay

So, another year, another group of supposed chefs, battling to see who gets $250,000 and a position at a top restaurant. This season it's the head chef position at the Borgata in Atlantic City. First off, can we talk about the names of some of the contestants this season? The players this season include J, LA, Ji, and Coi.

J? LA? Ji? Coi? Those aren't even names, they're Scrabble words. Luckily, we have a Charlie, a Ben, and a Danny to balance things out.

This season, we don't get to know the contestants before they arrive at Hell's Kitchen (except for a scene of the contestants being picked from the group of finalists). There's no video of them making the trip to L.A. and no disguises by Chef Ramsay to infiltrate the group. After a roundup of the previous seasons (and a big preview of this season), we get a promise that this is going to be the best season of the show ever (I think they say that every year) and go right into this season's action with the cooking of the signature dishes.

So last night was the premiere of Chopped, The Food Network's latest entry in the cook-for-money food competition genre. Is it bad? No, but there's nothing special about it either (rather dull actually, and over-edited). You have your three judges, you have your host (Ted Allen), you have your contestants making meals quickly. It's a lot like Challenge meets Iron Chef America, only a player is eliminated after each round, with the winner winning $10,000 for making the best meals out of secret ingredients that are revealed. A lot of the ingredients are pretty basic, and it's fairly obvious what the contestants can make out of them. I'd like to see a show where the host unveils ingredients like smoked salmon, chocolate, 4 limes, and a tin box of Sucrets. There, make something out of that.

While watching the show I asked myself, what shows on the Food Network are my favorite food and cooking shows? And I decided: none of them, really. While I enjoy several shows on FN, my favorite cooking shows are on PBS.

As I mentioned earlier today, I'm a fan of Food Network. When there doesn't seem to be anything on the major networks or I don't want to bother to pull out a DVD, the first cable network I'll channel-surf to is Food Network (then TCM). The shows manage to be entertaining even if you don't use the information in them, but I'm getting a lot of my recipes these days from the network and their web site.

Now they've launched a magazine to go along with the channel.

Every time I've heard Rachael Ray speak lately (not on her Food Network shows but on her daily syndicated show, which is more current), I've noticed that her voice has been even more raspy than usual. She has always had a deep voice (except when she gets all excited and high-pitched), but it has usually been smooth. Now it seems incredibly scratchy, like she has a permanent sore throat. Turns out there's a reason why.

Ray has a benign polyp on her vocal chord. She'll have day surgery in December to remove it. Now some of the tabloids have reported that Ray was worried about throat cancer, and I bet a lot of people believed that because of they way she has sounded lately, but the polyp is benign. A spokesperson says that "Rachael is the picture of health" and that's a common, quick procedure which won't affect the taping of her show.

First she lost all that weight on Jenny Craig, and now she might gain it all back.

Actress Valerie Bertinelli is joining Rachael Ray. She'll be a celebrity content buddy, doing stories about food and family and being a working mom. Her first show will be tomorrow, October 23. Bertinelli will report from New Orleans, where she'll give women a guide to Monday Night Football and cook gumbo.

I've always liked Bertinelli. It's about time she's back on television in some way. I hope she gets her own series. Something tells me that she'll be more likable than Ray on her appearances on the show, though "celebrity content buddy" has to be one of the most annoying titles I've ever heard.

I don't think this is on the level of something like, say, Jay Leno appearing on The Late Show With David Letterman, but it's still something I didn't think I'd see: Martha Stewart interviewed by Howard Stern. She'll be on his Sirius Satellite radio show tomorrow.

Sure, they're both part of Sirius and it's good synergy, but it's still rather interesting. They seem to be very, um, let's just say "different' types of people. The questions that Stern asks, especially on Sirius...will he be that bold and blunt with Martha? Will he ask about her sex life? Will she swear? Will she go after Donald Trump? I can't really imagine he's going to ask her questions about making the perfect Christmas decorations or how to bake the perfect apple pie.

Stern was on The Late Show last night, dressed as Santa (or, more accurately, Father Christmas), and gave free Sirius radios to Dave, Paul, and everyone in the audience.

Remember that sketch from The State when they caught and ate Muppets for dinner? Apparently there are no recipes for actually Muppet dishes in the upcoming book C is for Cooking: Recipes from the Street, but it will have different meals, treats and desserts you and your kids can make together. The recipes will consist of food that children enjoy, and also offer nutritional tips. Characters like Elmo, Cookie Monster and Grover will pop up throughout the book, and, coolest of all I think, the book has special steps labeled that kids can do themselves. If you have kids, or if you like to prepare meals and pretend you have children, I say get your hands on this book. Then carry it to the checkout and give the book store money for it. Then leave. Then get in your car and drive home. The book comes out next April.

[via Muppet News Flash]

I was going to do a post on how odd it was that Barry Manilow appeared on both Martha Stewart and Rachael Ray the other day, at the same time (live on Martha's and taped on Rachael's show), but one thing happened that I didn't realize when I was switching back and forth between each show.

Martha actually called Rachael out on it, live on the air!

According to the NY Post, Martha said this: