Dear Food Network:

Dear Food Network:

I see where you're coming from. Creating a home-cooked meal used to look difficult, inaccessible. And you were an important ingredient in making cooking easy to approach. But you've gone beyond the tasteful. Now, you're beginning to cheapen the culinary arts. Instead of watching re-runs of Julia's Kitchen, The Galloping Gourmet, or Jacque Pepin, I watch Giada deLaurentis's boobs assemble cod and lima beans cooked in a piece of tinfoil. I mean, I like a low-cut dress as much as the next girl (well, lesbian anyway), but come the fuck on. And what's with Sandra Lee? "Semi-homemade?" Really? Here's a recipe of hers from a recent show:



6 ears corn
1 stick butter, softened
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 packet creamy cheese sauce mix (or powdered cheese packet from boxed macaroni and cheese)

Preheat outdoor grill or preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Shuck corn. If desired, leave husks attached to cob to use as holders.
In a small bowl, combine softened butter, chili powder, and cheese sauce mix or powdered cheese packet.
Spread butter on corn and wrap each ear individually in foil.
Place on grill and close lid or place in the oven. Cook 25 to 30 minutes, turning every 5 minutes, or until corn is tender. Remove foil and serve.



Gross, Food Network. Gross.

Or at least keep the good that you have. More Barefoot Contessa. More Michael Chiarello. Less Texas BBQ cookoffs, with "Food Network Star" blue ribbons and large checks. Cooking isn't about winning. Cooking is about culture and expression and creativity and love. These things are built on history and technique done over and over and over again until perfected.

I don't want to stop watching, but it's getting disappointing. I'm not even going to talk about Wolfgang Puck or Emeril. But just know that you are on the verge of losing a long-time viewer because you are beginning to love money more than you love food.

Most Sincerely,
Robin