Procrastination By Food TV

(Rachael Ray showing viewers how to put frozen, store-bought
waffle fries in the oven)

Trying to delay the start of my Saturday as much as possible, I plopped in front of Food Network.

I caught the end of Paula Deen creating, obviously, a fatty and delicious caramel cake.

Next up – Rachael Ray. Her 30-minute meal repeats, along with Alton Brown‘s Good Eats, comprise my after-work routine. Meaning, I’ve usually had enough of Ms. EVOO during the week, and frankly, I just haven’t been around my TV the past couple weekends to check out Saturday’s line-up.

But to my surprise, Rachael Ray has completely redone her opening scene and the style of the show. Now I know this doesn’t count as real **breaking news** but I was floored! She prances around with her dog in the opening credits (puke) and her kitchen boasts new colors and even the look of the show and the camera angles are different.

I guess RR is nervous about her new, Latina competition…

Food Network has finally embraced quotas and added some diversity to their mostly all-white chefs…Ingrid Hoffmann, a gorgeous Latina, originally from Columbia, but now living in Miami, is the star of Simply Delicioso.

The premiere episode showcases her cooking for a small get-together on a boat. She has a great presence on TV – she’s funny, knows what she’s talking about, and most importantly, her food looks a-mazing.

Check out her recipes, but I think the most interesting creation was her take on beer, Michelada. Basically, it’s a kicked up beer – adding hot sauce and Worcestershire and then rimming the glass with salt and chili powder.

I will definitely be looking forward to learning Latin spins on my food with Ingrid.