Okay, perhaps I'm being a bit harsh on Amy Finley's first stab at a regular cooking show on Food Network, but I had to the use the "bore" pun before somebody else did! (And if someone else
did already use it, brava.)
It's not to say that Amy, winner of The Next Food Network Star season 3, was boring... more like the show just lacked any energy... or pizazz overall. It's sad to say this, but the thing that kept me watching the most were these super-elastic facial expressions Amy kept using.
I don't know how she does it, but pretty much any time she speaks her upper lip is pulled to one corner, while the lower is stretched to the other. I'm not making this up!
For those of you who actually watched, I think you can attest to this. This wasn't me trying to be clever and grabbing a shot where Amy was making a funny face. It's pretty much the standard throughout the entire show.
Her bistro theme was fine. She did the standard flank steak with red wine sauce (that I think she did on TNFNS), some cracked potatoes, and a
pate a choux dough that she used for
gougeres and profiteroles.
Amy kind of suffers from the same thing that plagued Giada early on, which is the inability to smile and speak at the same time. Now, as we all know, Giada is the QUEEN of this... but it must have taken some work. Those early videos of GDL were pretty dismal.
Amy's reactions, however, are spot on:
I'm not sure if this reaction came about because the sauce was, in fact, delicious or if she surprised herself by tasting the burning hot liquid before letting it cool. Anyhow, an "A" for Amy on that one.
The oven did trip her up, though. Poor thing.
That top bar isn't the handle, dear. We know you're new here, but come on:-)
Overall, a fine start. The food, so far, is definitely a change of pace for the network. I still think Ina is a lot better at making the viewer feel at ease with difficult French dishes than Amy is. Perhaps she'll get better with time...
...or they'll put her
show on at a new time: 7:00 a.m.
right before the Hearty Boys.
More... 
I dont think she will last long. I think next year they should get judges other than the FN chefs. To me they have lost that sensitivity on being a critic and judging. They seem to forget they were once struggling beginners and they now have become mean and cruel.
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