Food Network admits Vegetables weren't from White House
Food Network admits Vegetables weren't from White House
Joined: 12/31/69
#1Food Network admits Vegetables weren't from White House
Posted: 1/14/10 at 2:32pm
For months, the Food Network ran ads about a forthcoming episode of "Iron Chef America," its flagship chefs plus secret ingredient versus time competition. The show would take place at the White House garden, with Michelle Obama making a cameo and plugging her responsible-eating initiative. The network promised it would be its biggest episode ever.
The buildup matched the reality: The Jan. 3 "Iron Chef America" drew 7.6 million viewers, the highest-rated show in network history. In it, superstar chef Mario Batali teamed with Emeril Lagasse, and Bobby Flay with White House chef Cristeta Comerford to cook five dishes using the secret ingredient: produce from the White House garden.
Except for one thing: As first reported on AOL's Politics Daily blog, the fruits and vegetables used on the show weren't from the White House. They were stunt produce. Ringers.
At the beginning of the two-hour special, the chefs were shown picking sweet potatoes, broccoli, fennel and tomatillos from the White House garden. Then the chefs were seen walking into Kitchen Stadium, produce in hand. One problem: The show is filmed in New York City.
"Due to the production delay between the shoot at the White House and the shoot at Food Network, the produce used in Kitchen Stadium during the 'Super Chef Battle' was not actually from the White House garden," said Food Network spokeswoman Lisa Krueger in a statement to The Talk.
Instead, the chefs used replacement produce, though only the same types of fruits and vegetables picked from the White House garden.
Honey was the only ingredient that actually came from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. The White House garden produce, Krueger said, was donated to a local pantry.
Unbelievable. If you watched the show, the judges must have raved about the quality of the vegetables from the White House Garden twenty times. Unimaginably stupid of them to do this.
Veggies were Ringers
#2Food Network admits Vegetables weren't from White House
Posted: 1/14/10 at 2:47pmHere's hoping that heads will roll at the Food Network, namely Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson.
Hey Dottie!
Did your colleagues enjoy the cake even though your cat decided to sit on it? ~GuyfromGermany
#2Food Network admits Vegetables weren't from White House
Posted: 1/14/10 at 2:48pmObviously, this calls for impeachment proceedings. Michelle Malkin's on the case, so never fear!
#3Food Network admits Vegetables weren't from White House
Posted: 1/14/10 at 2:54pmIna Garten wouldn't stand for this. And if Sandra Lee was sober, she'd be pissed as well.
#4Food Network admits Vegetables weren't from White House
Posted: 1/14/10 at 2:55pmThat's funny because I always assumed they weren't the same veggies. There was no way they filmed and then flew the five people straight to NY or filmed with vegetables cut days before.
Pretty pretty please don't you ever ever feel like you're less than f**ckin' perfect!
#5Food Network admits Vegetables weren't from White House
Posted: 1/14/10 at 3:06pmJordan, don't go messin' with my Sandra "Boxed Bitch" Lee. LOL
Hey Dottie!
Did your colleagues enjoy the cake even though your cat decided to sit on it? ~GuyfromGermany
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#6Food Network admits Vegetables weren't from White House
Posted: 1/14/10 at 3:08pm
Jersey I assumed so too, but when I watched the show the judges remarked on the quality of the White House Produce over and over and over again. If you can fly Wagyu beef in from Japan or King crabs from San Francisco, you damn well can fly in fifty pounds of vegetables from DC.
And while it may seem trivial, if you read the comments on the site I linked, people are already making it a political story. It does reflect very poorly on everyone involved.
Updated On: 1/14/10 at 03:08 PM
StockardFan
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/19/08
#7Food Network admits Vegetables weren't from White House
Posted: 1/14/10 at 3:09pm
"And if Sandra Lee was sober, she'd be pissed as well."
HAHAHA!
My hubby and I call her "The Food Slut"
KFTC!!!!!
winston89
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/18/06
#8Food Network admits Vegetables weren't from White House
Posted: 1/14/10 at 3:17pm
All I can say is that I am jealous of those of you who were able to watch the show being aired when it was scheduled to do so. I have Cablevision, therefor I could not watch it. Yes, they did air the battle on WPIX channel 11 in the NYC area, to cater to those customers who don't have food network anymore.
Of course, I ended up missing it both times it was on. Didn't realize it was being aired the first time till after it all said and done. Same thing round 2.
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
Stage Door Sally
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/4/09
#9Food Network admits Vegetables weren't from White House
Posted: 1/14/10 at 3:17pm
Well, one more stupid Food Network thing that should give them pause for concern, but won't. They let Robert Irvine back on the air even though he lied about his background (no he never cooked for the heads of state, and no he is not a knight).
The Food Network is about branding and using food as entertainment, nothing more.
I agree with you Joe, everyone was waxing on and on and ON about those amazing White House vegetables... Such liars with such straight faces....
As long as people tune in they will continue... I'd like to see other cable companies drop them.
winston89
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/18/06
#10Food Network admits Vegetables weren't from White House
Posted: 1/14/10 at 3:27pm
The only thing Irvine lied about was working in the white house kitchen. The Food Network did a bad job of trying to cover their tracks by saying something like, they aer busy and don't have time to fact check all the resumes of the people that they hire for their shows.
That was something that bothered me. Way I see it is that Food Network, due to the the fact that they aer highly regarded, could have picked up the phone and made some calls without any problem. Yet, they didn't.
"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear"
Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll
#11Food Network admits Vegetables weren't from White House
Posted: 1/14/10 at 3:41pm
To me this was silly. I watched the show, btw.
I don't see why they couldn't be up front about the vegetables and where they came from. After all, the skill was in the cooking of vegetables and not where they came from.
Were they so hard up for a sensational show that they had to use the White House? They couldn't think of anything else more interesting in NY that they wouldn't have to lie about?
I personally don't care where those rutabegas were from!
<-----I'M TOTES ROLLING MY EYES
Stage Door Sally
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/4/09
#12Food Network admits Vegetables weren't from White House
Posted: 1/14/10 at 3:46pm#13Food Network admits Vegetables weren't from White House
Posted: 1/14/10 at 5:33pm
" I'd like to see other cable companies drop them."
BITE.
YOUR.
TONGUE.
If Time Warner dropped my Food Network, I'd go to Dish network THAT day. Nothing, I repeat NOTHING will come between me and Miss Paula.
#14Food Network admits Vegetables weren't from White House
Posted: 1/14/10 at 5:41pm^^Butter would^^
Cheyenne Jackson tickled me. AFTER ordering SoMMS a drink but NOT tickling him, and hanging out with Girly in his dressing room (where he DIDN'T tickle her) but BEFORE we got married. To others. And then he tweeted Boobs. He also tweeted he's good friends with some chick on "The Voice" who just happens to be good friends with Tink's ex. And I'm still married. Oh, and this just in: "Pettiness, spite, malice ....Such ugly emotions... So sad." - After Eight, talking about MEEEEEEEE!!! I'm so honored! :-)
ashley0139
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/3/05
#16Food Network admits Vegetables weren't from White House
Posted: 1/14/10 at 7:09pmWhat's funny is that during the episode you could see the broccoli that had the rubber bands around it from the grocery store. They didn't do a very good job hiding it.
"This table, he is over one hundred years old. If I could, I would take an old gramophone needle and run it along the surface of the wood. To hear the music of the voices. All that was said." - Doug Wright, I Am My Own Wife
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#17Food Network admits Vegetables weren't from White House
Posted: 1/14/10 at 7:44pmAnd it looked like the dead of winter when they were vegetable picking.
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