Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Call The Cardiologist, The Neelys Are Cooking

Down Home with the Neelys with Pat and Gina Neely

Expandable Pants (Pat's Three Brothers Drop By For Dinner)

Grilled New York Strip Steak with Beer and Molasses Steak Sauce
Mama's Lasagna
Frozen Lemonade Pie
Green Beans with Ham Hock and New Potatoes


How about, instead of being worried about the over-exuberant loveydoviness exhibited by the Neelys, we worry about what's going on in their arteries? It is true that the more we pretend to want to cook and eat low calorie healthier food, the larger we are getting as a nation. So why not just throw caution to the wind and eat with absolutely NO CONCERN whatsoever to nutrition, like the Neely’s?

And why am I pointing this out with them and not my precious Ina, for example? I suppose because, with Ina's recipes, I automatically leave out or cut down the salt. I halve the cream. I substitute olive oil for a lot of the butter and, most importantly, I cut the portion size.


With the Neelys, there really is no recipe left after you've removed the sugar and the fat AND the artificial ingredients, so it would be a challenge to adapt them. A robust, full flavored i.e. fat-laden, absolutely yummy, dish every once in awhile is fine. But it has to be worth it! See if you think these are.

They start with Mama’s Lasagna. Pat chops an onion and garlic and sautés them in a stock pot with olive oil. Gina gets the filling ready. She mixes 2 cups of cottage cheese (or use ricotta, she says) with 2 eggs and a teaspoon of seasoning salt, which is their special mix of paprika, garlic powder and onion powder (both of which I use ONLY in Cajun blackened recipes). Oh, there’s regular salt and pepper too. Gina grates ½ cup of Parmesan cheese on a nifty grater that catches the cheese as it’s grated.

Pat browns 1 pound of ground beef in a stock pot. Curious choice of pot, by the way. That’s why I love a huge sauté pan for stews, chili, sauces and even soup. It guarantees you can BROWN meat properly, without it steaming. The high sides of a stock pot almost ensure that steam will gather up the sides of the pot and wash down on the meat. Brown in a sauté pan or skillet and then, if you have to, transfer the ingredients to a larger pot.

Gina, AKA the spice fairy, adds pepper and spices to the beef. They sure do have fun together. If these are the antics in the kitchen, I don’t even want to think about what’s going on upstairs. Pat chops the parsley. HE’S the parsley fairy. He adds tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste to the meat.

Gina starts the crust for the lemonade pie. She mixes 7 tablespoon of melted butter with ¼ cup sugar and 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from a box… because she’s a working mother.) That goes into a pie plate. She takes the back of a measuring cup and presses the crumbs in the pie dish (just like Ina). She bakes it at 350°F for 7 minutes.

Gina tells us that Mother Neely bakes all the sweets for the restaurant, but Gina says SHE (Gina) is the sweetest. Uh-oh, are you supposed to say that about your M-I-L? Gina takes out the crust and lets it cool. I hope Mother Neely cools down as easily.

Pat sprays the lasagna pan. Gina puts the sauce in the bottom and Pat lays over unbaked noodles. (My spell check changed that sentence to Pat LIES over unbaked noodles…I’m sure Gina would like that!) They add half the fillings plus half an 8 ounce bag of cheddar cheese and half an 8 ounce bag of mozzarella. Pat adds more sauce and adds another layer of noodles and the rest of the filling goes over with the remainder of cheese. He puts it in a 375°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes WITHOUT covering it, a method I always employ.

The next recipe of green beans and ham hocks makes Gina remember her own small apartment with her grandma. (Great great grandma? I’m a little confused.) She and Pat deal with the ends of the green beans. He breaks them off, she cuts them. They go into a pot with the ham hocks that have been cooking for awhile and HALF A CUP OF SUGAR! They simmer for 20 minutes. I’m guessing the green beans will be done by then…no longer green, but done. “Look how they tender they look.” That’s one way of describing them.


They add potatoes and salt and pepper. (Pat’s the spice fairy now.) They cook for 20 more minutes covered. FYI – that would be a total of FORTY minutes for the green beans. Note that the potatoes are cooking for half the time of the beans.

They’re making a New York strip steak for the brothers. For a good steak, they tell us you should always make your own steak sauce. (I’m not sure they should bother, since Pat likes his steak well done and Gina likes her medium.)

Pat chops and Gina sautés 1 chopped onion with garlic. They mix together 2 cups of ketchup, beer, sugar (of course), lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, cayenne, paprika and apple cider. I wonder if they meant apple cider vinegar…I guess not. Gina sprays a measuring cup with Pam before measuring molasses. Smart. She adds that too. The sauce gets stirred into the onion. Pat fairies it up…you know, adds the seasonings. They cook it for 30 minutes over medium low heat and reduce it to 2 cups.

Pat rubs the steaks down with vegetable oil, then salts them. Gina dances over to spice up the steaks. He puts them on a medium grill. Luckily, the recipe tells us to cook NY Strip steak for 3 minutes per side for medium rare and not the well done that Pat prefers.

Gina starts on Mama Neelys Lemonade Pie. I like the sound of that. It sounds really refreshing. I hope the boxed graham cracker crumbs don’t portend something fake and artificial. She stirs in 6 oz defrosted lemonade (that’s ok, I make a wicked Brandy Sour with frozen lemonade) and 14 oz sweetened condensed milk. I’m still with her. A lot of Southern desserts depend on that.

Uh-oh, she takes a 12 ounce container of Cool Whip and stirs that in. I was kinda afraid the dessert would degenerate into that. Oh wait, but it’s ok (NOT!) because “to make it taste more homemade”, Gina’s adding freshly grated lemon zest. She says “we’re going to put this in my FRESH graham cracker pie shell…Nothing store bought here.”
Uh, Gina you just made a pie that featured Cool Whip. She piles the whole thing into the prepared crust. It goes into the freezer for 2 hours.

If you’re reading this blog, I probably don’t have to tell you what’s wrong with Cool Whip…not that I ever let that stop me before.


I’m not saying that there’s not a deep, dark side to all of us that could eat a tub of Cool Whip in one sitting and be perfectly satisfied.

BUT, NUMBER ONE, I would never admit to it and NUMBER TWO when you have a cooking show on THE FOOD NETWORK, you shouldn’t be using Cool Whip. Gina, I promise you, your great grandmother didn’t use Cool Whip. I’d like to know what she used back in the day.

The beans are done…well, actually the beans were done many, MANY minutes ago. They look like limp grey versions of their former selves.

The brothers arrive. There are lots of them. 4 in total, counting Pat. Apparently, dinner isn’t being served in the dining room. The food is all on the counter and they dig in. While they’re still actively engaged in their steak dinners, Gina brings out the pie. She puts candied lemon peel (that looks about 3 years old) on top. After a lot of joking from his brothers, Gina says Pat’s not a Mama’s boy. One of the brothers says “Oh, yes he is. He’s just got 2 mamas!”.

What are we going to do with the Neelys? I like them, but I wouldn’t use their recipes. I don’t want to be harsh, because I like the fact that they cook together (which is SO foreign to me). I like their kitchen, I like their family values, but adding ½ cup of sugar to green beans and then cooking them for three quarters of an hour? There’s no way I would do that. You?

35 comments:

Emily said...

First of all, I don't want to picture what they do in the bedroom.

Pat likes his steak WELL DONE?!!
I can't believe he admitted that on the Food Network.

Those green beans sound gross, and overcooked. Too sweet. 1/2 cup of sugar?!

Cool Whip is gross, too. I'm angry at her for making a pie like this. Ew-old candied lemon peel.

Maybe give them one more chance before you ban their show?

The Short (dis)Order Cook said...

Ack no! Cool Whip is the devil.

It's so easy to make whipped cream. It's only a few minutes of extra time. I never understand the need for Cool Whip. (Do you hear me Sandra Lee?) Then again, some people just really like Cool Whip. I have a coworker who always tells me how much she loves Cool Whip and really doesn't see the need to make her own whipped cream.

I haven't been able to watch the Neeleys yet, but I would suspect a big problem with their show is that the average home cook can't replicate that kind of barbecue. I have complained on more than one occasion that FN grilling shows are useless to me because I can't grill. How many people have a big smoker in their backyards? The show can't duplicate what they make in their restaurant for home cooks, so they just give us their weeknight at home crap recipes. That's what it seems like to me anyway.

So let's have that brandy sour recipe please.

Tracy said...

The green beans sound horrible ... but oh gosh I'm just to post a recipe with Cool Whip. I do use it with time to time. Does it help that Barbra Streisand likes it?

Sue said...

Em,
Agree, agree, agree, agree, agree...Ban them? I dunno. I'm looking forward to when they actually barbecue in the bedroom.

Hi Rachel,
I guess it takes all kinds...

Do you get really fed up with Bobby Flay then, who grills everything including the salad course and drinks? I actually often use grilling recipes and just broil whatever it instead.

I TOTALLY misspoke, it's not a BRANDY sour recipe, it's a WHISKEY sour recipe, called Orange Sours. Into a blender, place one 6 oz. can frozen lemonade, thawed; half a 6 oz. can orange juice, thawed; 2 cans of ice; and about 1/2 can bourbon whiskey - start with a 1/4 can and keep tasting. You may like more than 1/2 a can. (I actually use whatever whiskey I have on hand, including Chivas, on occasion.) THIS is STRONG, beware!

Sue said...

Hi Tracy,
NO, it doesn't help that Barbra likes it!

Don't you dare tell anyone, but I eat Cool Whip once a year at my aunt's house in a dessert that she calls Robert Redford. The name has something to do with the dessert being better than s-e-x with Robert Redford. I don't know about that, but it is good and it does have that evil ingredient in it.

Anonymous said...

I must say it was a VERY odd menu too! I mean who has steak WITH lasagna WITH that disgusting bean dish?

I must also say....it's Friday for me and that Whiskey Sour recipe is going to be well tested tonight :0

Love your blog!

Sue said...

Hi Nat!
Thank you.

I sure hope Gina doesn't hear you dissing her menu...

BE CAREFUL with that recipe. It's sooooooooooo good, you can drink lots....

Anonymous said...

I, personlly, love to bake my green beans. I don't like to boil them. I do like them to cook .. I like them a little "mushy" (technical term, lol) as opposed to my asparagus which I like firm. I don't mean make them limp..just a little tender :) A little olive oil or butter, some good seasoning..ahh, the best. Throw in a little bacon ... yeah. :)

About the Neely's. I love the fun of them in the kitchen but that act will only carry them so far. Honestly, after a few months we will all say "ok, we get it..you have a fun marriage". The cooking is AWFUL, IMHO. When they do BBQ -- not too bad but I haven't liked anything else they have done, not a lick of it. I'm glad they have fun together but I've grown past that now my wife and I cook together and love it but we don't bake together..she makes me sit down, lol. I can't stand to measure..haha).

NOW! About cool whip. YOu people are all nuts!! :) :) Ok, so it isn't "pure" but I'm sorry..I love the stuff. Would I use it if I running a restaurant or cooking a formal meal, no, of course not. But I love all whipped cream and I say, throw in Cool Whip, too. It is a guilty pleasure and If I come home and open up a thing of ice cream at 10pm after the kids are too bed..I'm not waking them up while I make whipped cream. I'm opening up the cool whip and enjoying it. I'm no whipped cream snob. I say if you can cream it in any whipped fashion, bring it on! I'll eat it!! :)

Sue said...

CM Guy,
Yeah, I guess the Neely's may wear a bit thin after awhile. I do like THEM, but in MY never humble opinion, their cooking really draws from the worst of convenience foods, high sugar (for no reason) ingredients and way too many fatty foods.

Now ChicagoMan, you do enough cooking to know that there is no excuse for Cool Whip, unless you're visiting an elderly relative. If you're desperate for something on your ice cream, use Reddi-wip, not that I like that either, but Cool Whip? NEVER!

Anonymous said...

None of you OBVIOUSLY know what soul food is or how to make it. Wow.

Sue said...

Hi Anon,
I'm sure you're right about that, but I'm also sure that The Neely's (and certainly the Food Network) are hoping for a wider audience. And soulfood or no soulfood, cooking green beans for THAT long with THAT much sugar makes them more like a dessert (not a good one, mind you) than a vegetable.

Anonymous said...

There should not be an apostrophe in the name. It should read thusly: The Neelys.

Sue said...

Hi Anon,

Noted.

Anonymous said...

I think most of you are just plain jelious of the fact that they are an African American couple, matter of fact, the only African American couple on FN. Yes, I do have to agree with the use of so much sugar in their recipes. I personally enjoy the positive interaction between them. I love Paula Deen's recipes but, sometimes she get a little carried away with the butter in her recipes.
GKay

Sue said...

You, Sir...Madame???, could not be more wrong. What I and my cohorts are railing against is the use of processed, packaged garbage in the Neely's recipes. (Is my criticism of Sandra Lee because she's "blonde"?)

If you read my last Neely post, you would see that I quite liked those recipes, because they were REAL.

Of course, I WANT more diversity on the Food Network. (I'm sick that their Latin host can probably salsa, but definitely not cook.)

Read this post of mine: http://foodnetworkmusings.blogspot.com/2007/04/jimmy-kimmel-to-food-network-get-more.html

74DIVER said...

First of all, I am APPALLED AT THE NEGATIVE COMMENTS ABOUT THIS LOVELY COUPLE.. I have watched the food network for years and always wondered about their lack of diversity.. and the first time a black couple gets on their OWN show just a stream of CRITISM FOR WHAT...DON'T WATCH IT..THERE'S STILL MORE WHITE SHOWS ON THE FOOD NETWORK..SO DON'T WATCH THE 1 of 2 BLACK SHOWS... AND EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD DON'T LIKE THEIR STEAK STILL MOOING...DESPITE OF THE MAJORITY'S VIEW ON BLACK COUPLES...THERE ARE SOME LIKE THE NEELY'S THAT ENJOY BEING AROUND EACH OTHER..DAMN IT'S NOT LIKE THEY GAVE FLAVOR FLAV A COOKING SHOW, WHICH IS PROBABLY THE PROBLEM..

Rachel said...

The Neelys is a horrific show. The food they cook is incredibly unhealthy, and they are the most sterotypical black couple I have ever seen. Gina is loud, obnxious, overweight and lacks class, while Pat acts degradingly towards her. The Food Netowrk (which I love) made a huge error in this obvious attempt to diversify its programming by choosing to encourage these stereotypes. See http://pecanandmatzoh.blogspot.com/for my full rant, boycott The Neelys, and write Food Network a letter expressing your disgust.

Anonymous said...

I think that this is funny...You are all speaking about how unhealthy the Neelys cooking is...How gross it is...Have you watched Paula Deen? I love her to death, but her menu choices are just as unhealty...She uses butter in just about EVERY meal...She's made fried butter!!! It really makes you wonder what the REAL reason is behind some peoples criticism. And the person who talked about Gina being overweight, obnoxious, and lacking of class......Paula Deen is MORE overweight and very obnoxious as well...Do you want to ban and boycott her show? Do you have a blog dedicated to her removal from the Food Network? Probably not.

Anonymous said...

First , I am BLack and I agree with 'rach'..

Over the years, I have written plenty of letters to the Scripps Network to add diversity to the Food channel which I enjoy. But I can't believe they waited this long to 'do the right thing", if you will, by choosing to add "Down Home with the Neelys" with BBQ moguls, Pat and Gina Neely... This is not what I was waiting to see. I "get it" that they have a huge 'TV- style' personality, a successful ,popular BBQ restaurant chain, and that they are a slap-happy couple. But in my opinion, Gina is too loud, brash and way over the top...[ probably egged on by a white director that thinks that makes them funny ] but i think it makes them bamboozled.
Pat can't put the salt on the salted pork without commenting on how 'fine' Gina is .. Adding booty-tlicious commentary to her throughout the half hour .At first it was cute, but after watching the DHWTN marathon ... it became annoying ... ..Get out of the kitchen and 'get a room!!
I have noticed Black people are eating healthier than ever from my experience , at least in my community- Even ones from the southern regions .. We are eating more fresh veggies and seafoods, asian fare and we are now steaming our 'greens' with olive oils and garlic.
I don't even know many blacks that are eating pork at all, even low income black-folks have put down eating a lot of 'pig'. Just when I thought Paula Deen , who I love , was gonna kill us with her butter and that ' snobby Hamptons' chef, Ina Garten cooks with way too many eggs..it's the Neely's that 'bring it home' with the heavy meats, pork, salt, sugars and the oils. Why would anyone want to soak cornish hens with that much oil. Most Black people do not eat this way!! ..My mom was from Ninety Six, South Carolina, the daughter of a share cropper, but I have never seen black folk eating this bad. The ingredients in their meat 'rubs' and sauces alone scare me.
I say have the difibulators charged up and ready to go if you really want to eat this way. The Neelys are not serving a positive purpose on this show. especially when they choose to add 'crumbled bacon and potato chips' to Mac & Cheese!! Are they insane !! Who cares if it taste good .. that recipe has 'coronary' written all over it !! Come on Food Network !! ..When the network added a Latino cooking show Simply Delisioso', that chef cooked with exciting spanish /mexican flare. The foods were mostly fresh, light and healthy but still in the Latin tradition; she wasn't cooking recipes loaded with - tripe, menudo, and pig feet.Todays latinos eat better than that .I say pull the Neely's, replace them with chefs that cook like todays real Black people . Because any day now I can see the Neely's will be cooking 'Deep Fried BBQ Chittlin's/Stuffed with Sugar Cubes and Cool Whip and and for dessert; " Kool-Aid Apple Pie garnished with BBQ Pork Rinds!! So if you do print out a Neely recipes to try, make sure you include your cardiologist phone number at the end.
PS. Blacks and Browns, write into the Food network to pull this program!!..This way of cooking will set us back. I am not hating on the Neeleys. I do respect them and admire their success and family values , but it is too dangerous to eat this way. Kids are watching this --I read somewhere that the Food Network has practically replace watching music videos. Kids love these cooking programs ! Lets teach them to eat healthy.

Charmed Stones said...

FIRST OF ALL WHAT ABOUT PAULA DEEN....I'M SURPRISED SHE IS STILL ALIVE WIF ALL THE HEART CLOGGING INGREDIENTS SHE USES...AND SHE EVEN HAS A ANIMALS IN HER KITCHEN WHAT A NASTY THING!!!!!!!!

ITS CALLED SOUTHERN FOOD NOT DIET ALL THE TIME AND LOOK SKINNY LIKE THE REST OF AMERICA....UR ANCESTORS WERE RAISED ON IT RIIIIIIIIIGHT.....SO SHUT UP AND SUBSTITUTE WHERE YOU DEEM NECESSARY...WE'VE HAD ENOUGH OF UR PAULA DEEN AND RACHAEL RAY RECIPES...TIME FOR A SOULFUL SHOW...AS ALWAYS MODERATION IS THE KEY SILLY WILLY!!!!!!!!

Sue said...

Kiki,
I guess you didn’t read my last post about the Neelys: http://foodnetworkmusings.blogspot.com/2008/03/lot-of-butter-lot-of-breakfast-lot-of.html

I didn’t half hate that particular show. What I HAVE hated is their reliance on garbage-y fast food. This is the Food Network, not the back of a Jello box.

AND I like their family values vibe. I just want it to be combined with home cooking, which involves FRESH ingredients.

The idea of Flava Flav with a cooking show isn’t half bad. I bet it would be hilarious.

Rach and Lee,
I think most of us know when we see over-the-top recipes, that we shouldn’t be eating like everyday.

That’s why I can still watch the Barefoot Contessa and even Paula without going into cardiac arrest. I have never actually done a review of Paula’s shows. I have just posted about her various irrepressible appearances on other shows, probably because I don’t make fried butter on a normal basis. (Lee, is that REALLY one of her recipes? That’s hilarious.)

I’ll repeat, I don’t dislike the Neelys personally. Sure Gina is a strong woman, but I like that about her. I like that Pat is a dedicated husband. I don’t like fast food tricks in recipes and I will never support, under ANY circumstances, the addition of Cool Whip, even though I have admitted to eating it once a year at my aunt’s house in that sexy RR (Robert Redford, not the other) recipe.

Anon,
I guess you feel the same way about the Neelys that I feel about Ingrid. I welcomed a Latin cooking show to the Food Network. It just would have been nice to have one by someone that could cook.

I like the Neelys a lot more than Ingrid and, obviously, they know their barbecue. My only wish is that, as they share their old family recipes, they share the ones that are made from natural ingredients. And I’m not talking about health food recipes. Fine, if they have butter and sugar and cream, just not Jello.

All that lovey-dovey stuff is just the schtick that the Food Network thinks its hosts have to have, not that it isn't true for them. Ina's thing is adding an entire stick of butter to one potato. Paula's is licking everything in sight, including audience members' faces. Giada's is her revealing...camera angles. Whatever...that doesn't really bother me. For me, it's about the food. When that suffers all the rest doesn't matter anyway.

Queeny,
I love Paula the person, but I don’t use her recipes.

I guess you haven’t read my blog enough to know that I prefer almost anyone’s cooking to Rachael Ray’s.

My biggest problem with the Neelys so far has been that I don’t think their recipes have reflected their best cooking. I was particularly excited to learn how to make a Lemonade Pie, before I found out it was just a quick mix of storebought junk. I want to learn real “soulful” food, not how to substitute junky stuff for real cooking.

Anonymous said...

The Neelys are about the most irritating thing on food network. I honestly don't think they are that skilled as cooks, certainly their skill in the kitchen is somewhat limited. Their recipes are not only artery clogging but predictable and to be honest not particularly appealing.

Anonymous said...

The Neeley's cook true barbeque. Since moving to PA I can't GET true barbeque without cooking it myself. I LOVE their rubs and sauce recipes, they are delicious. And yes, I have a smoker in my backyard.

I also deep fry turkeys. I also cook a lot of Paula Deen recipes.

That Lemondade Pie is the same recipe that I have fixed for years.

Keep them coming Food Network, it's so nice to have shows that fix food my family and I would actually EAT.

As for the green beans, they sounded delicious. My biggest peeve eating out right now is the veggies are microwaved and crisp. I like em mushy and flavorful. But then I put bacon grease in almost all my veggie dishes.

As for healthful? It's funny, since I married hubby and started cooking for him, his BP and cholesterol are down...way down.

My grandfather ate like this, and he lived to be 94.

Anonymous said...

I personally don't watch the neelys nor have tried any of their recipes but it does seem that most of the comments are made by people who may not like them due to their color. why is there a put down blog for them and not some of the others. as for soul cooking everyone in my family grew up on items like pig feet and chiterlings and until mcdonalds and the likes came along they live to be nearly 100 i.e. one grandparent was 91, another 97, another 93, and yet another which is still living already into her 80's. I personally feel that we should be more concerned with our overconsumption of many types of food and we should rarely eat anything termed fast foods.

Mara said...

After watching the Neelys in bed with hubby on a weekend morning, we can't help but start mimicking them.

"OK, Big Daddy," I say, "let's go downstairs and cook us some eggs in the kitchen."

"OK, Sugar Mama," squeals hubby, "let's do it."

The one good thing about the Neelys is it gives men the idea that helping the "little lady" in the kitchen can be sexy and fun -- and the meal gets done sooner too.

I, too, am shocked that some of these recipes are okay with the Food Network. Aside from the Cool Whip, cheddar and/or cottage cheese in the lasagna??

But then again, there is Sandra Lee. And you know, I like Sandra Lee. I won't use her recipes but I admire her after seeing her Chefography and the adversity she had to overcome. The shortcuts she uses, you know moms in middle America are using... otherwise the stores wouldn't be selling that stuff!!

Maybe the Food Network can balance out the Neelys, Sandra Lee, and now Aaron McCargo, with a nutritionally oriented home cook and organic proponent who owns "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon, and isn't afraid to do a little research... and has a great personality, to boot!!

Anonymous said...

The Neeleys' program is refreshing in many ways. Why the criticism of a delightful couple and their family. Perhaps they do seem unbelievable to cranky, crabby boring eaters who think themselves gourmands. The range of foods and their preparers is a varied as the people on earth. If you don't like the food or the persons of interest, turn off via your control. Different is fun, but one chooses what one eats from a wide variety of available, delectable selections. Try it, if you don't like, try continue with you boring mundane food choices - after all, variety is the spice of life. Bon apetit: what is healthy about a French pate; merely it, too, is delicious.

Unknown said...

Its not so much mrs.neely its her ANNOYING husband who has to say eveeeerrryything with a ghetto twang that gets me i want to vomit at everything they make, she is waayyyyy more pleasent than he, foodnetwork should cut him out.

Anonymous said...

The green beans may have had too much sugar, but I tend to use a few tablespoons of sugar in mine and they don't taste candied and with the addition of small diced cooked bacon and a little red wine vinegar, it's just plain yummy! Not sweet and sour, just something that is mildly sweet and tangy. I prefer my green beans with flavor, not just plain old 'crunchy' tasteless and unimaginative. It's soul food and before the advent of McDonalds and their ilk, the African Americans on average had a longer life span and healthier cardio systems.

Anonymous said...

I think that the Neelys show is great. I mean we have choices if you do not want to use their recipes you do not have to. I have been to their restaurant in Memphis and it is mmm mmm good. If you were to try it you would change your mind about their cooking. And besides, I am sure you guys use "unhealthy" ingredients sometimes

Anonymous said...

This is the first time that I am writing a blog.... but I feel compelled since I am working on my dissertation and my laptop is on my lap. I have been home on sick leave for 2 weeks and I have had an opportunity to watch the food network, and I must say it has been interesting.. I have just watched the Neely's and I love the show. It is neat to see diversity, fun and love in the kitchen. There is plenty of room for everyone. If you do not like a show then DON'T watch it... We live in a free country... right? Cook what you want and eat what you want and leave others alone. Neelys go for it..... they hate Obama too.

Sue said...

Why do people who support the Neelys often post their comments anonymously?...Just asking.

To Jan 9th Anonymous.

Thank you for taking the time to comment (I think).

This particular show of the Neelys was horrifying, all the more so because they CAN cook from scratch. Take a look at my other Neely posts and I think you'll see that it's not the couple I hate, it's their cooking with garbage-y ingredients.

http://foodnetworkmusings.
blogspot.com/search/label/
The%20Neelys

Anonymous said...

You know, I don't understand everybody's problem with the Neelys. Honestly, I think they're cute and funny. And their BBQ is wonderful. Now some of the recipes are way out there with some of the ingredients...I have never heard of sugar being put in greenbeans, but I do love Cool Whip. What's wrong with Cool Whip btw?

Is everybody seriously trying to get rid of them just because of the way they cook? I've seen worse. Is it something they've done? What did they do wrong? Or is it that ever encompassing, debilitating, negative reason? I'm sure you know what I mean. I like them and some of their recipes and don't want to see them go. I say leave them and Paula Deane alone. If you dont like something, just don't partake of it. If don't like to see them, don't watch them.

Sue said...

WHY do people who like the Neelys always comment anonymously??! Read all my Neely posts and I think you'll find there are things I like about them.

Unknown said...

If the Neelys say you all one more time I am going to throw up. Do they really think this is cute. It is sad display of needless begging for attention.

Diana said...

I do not like the Neely's show I have no idea as to why their show is even aired.The recipes are not to my liking, really some I have never heard of..I wish African Americans would not say that one is jealous or it is because of her ethnicity , that certainly has nothing to do with people disliking her characteristics I am a woman of mixed heritage, from the south. Gina lacks in class Iand dignity..perhaps she could use a life coach or someone to help her understand that her behavior is undesirable to 99% of the population I do feel sorry for this poor woman .