Post Punk Kitchen Forum

The ending left it open to be a series....

I feel like I saw her use honey once, but I might be misremembering. I appreciate the fact that there is an all (or mostly) vegan cooking show on PBS, but unfortunately a lot of her recipes don't seem overly appetizing. :/

I made the portobello mushrooms with a corn flake/mayo coating and they were really good. The recipe is on the website. But it wasnt anything that hasnt already been done, Im sure.

It was ok...I mean, I am all for a vegan (hell even an all vegetarian!) cooking show.

Since someone here knows him, let me try to give some helpful feedback. This is just MY opinion, not trying to be insulting, or start fights, just trying to be of some help

Cons:
-Didn't love the style. Was like trying to be super hip and cool and ZOOOOM lookit my eyes! Some of that is good, but it was a bit over done
-Sure did talk a lot about sex. I mean, i am the opposite of a prude, but wowza. It bordered on creepy with the yoga chick
-the set up with the yogi guy at the beginning was cheesy. Could have used that air time for another recipe!
-I am not sure how healthy all that food was. DEEP FRIED fritters? Pesto with 3/4 CUP olive oil? Yes it is better than fried chicken and doughnuts, but come on.
-why the heck didn't they mention the nutritional yeast on the popcorn? TOO VEGAN? heh.
-Why weren't the ingredients and the methods of cooking told in more detail? Even a "details on recipe can be found on http://www..... would be helpful
-I am doubtful to some of the claims he made about the foods curing/preventing cancer and diseases. Have to be careful not to turn into Dr. Oz
-he was a bit over the top annoying***

Pros:
-I liked that he wasn't all VEGAN VEGAN VEGAN. that is sure to scare people away. I actually liked the part where he had a dubious omni steak eating friend come in. We all have those
-I liked that he had different guests. That could be fun in the future. Especially other chefs!
-THOSE KALE CHIPS! daaaymn. want them now.
-He was a bit over the top funny****. That bit with the squishing the kale was hilarious. I do that when I make a Kale salad

Honestly, I spent half the time yelling at the TV about how not-healthy the FRIED fritters and oil-laden pesto was (seriously, you can bake those, and make a pesto with WAAAAAY less oil that is still awesome) and the other half and drooling over those kale chips.

Overall, I would watch it again. Maybe play with the style a little, and focus a little more on the food. Also, I would like to know more about him. Chef to the stars? Can we find out who? what are some of their favorite dishes? stuff like that.

I understand it was a pilot/special show. I would like to see more.

I feel like he has such a big opportunity with this, but his style is just going to drive people away. It won't attract vegans or omnis.

So this is his website:
http://www.jasonwrobel.com

I have known this guy for about 4 years. And he is legit. He used to be a junk food vegan, he will admit. But many years ago, started to really delve into to health benefits of a whole foods vegan lifestyle. If anyone else has made this transition, they know its a big deal. People who don't believe eating a whole foods vegan diet can literally reverse and shrink cancer cells, haven't done the research, that ain't hyperbole. There is some deep scientific research backing that up. Look into: Dr. Max Gerson, The Gerson Method, The China Study, Dr. T. Colin Campbell.

Stars he has "chefed" (sp?) for: Woody Harrelson, Jeremy Piven, Robin Wright, Sigourney Weaver, John C. Reilly, Steve Buscemi, Isabelle Adjani, Oren Moverman and Russell Simmons,

I think people are completely entitled to their criticisms, and can even be helpful. But also note that not many chances are given to vegan shows on major networks, there is a reason they picked this guy. And if this show is met with out and out lambasting and criticism from the vegan community, what are the chances a network or any other like this is going to give to another vegan cooking show? So maybe we can cool it with the, "This guy is awful!" and give him a few seconds before you totally write him off. Even some of the greatest TV shows, have needed a few episodes before they get their groove right. Did you see the Oprah Winfrey show in the 80's? Okay. If you have critiques, you should write him. I am very certain he would listen.

Did he write the show and title it himself? Or was that done by the cooking channel?

I am not absolutely certain, but I think it was collaborative.

Meh. Personally, I'm inclined to view claims that a vegan diet can "shrink cancer cells" as quixotic at best, and dangerously irresponsible at worst. One thing we know for certain a vegan diet (whole foods based or otherwise) does shrink is the amount of animal suffering and exploitation in the world. More about that, along with detailed recipes for yummy food and less squirm-inducing hyperbole about kale's effect on the host's libido might conceivably make this show more, well, palatable.

I doubt the Cooking Channel is going to come here and read our thread to decide the fate of a show. I haven't seen the show so I can't really back up anyone else's opinions, but they are entitled to them and we don't have a 'if you can't say something nice' policy when it comes to discussing tv, books, movies. It sounds like a lot of tricks were used to make the show seem more interesting, which it didn't need because the recipes i've seen look good. Hopefully the creators will take the feedback about the camera zooms and the non-family friendly content and what not and tweak the show, if it does indeed come back. I mean, The Barefoot Contessa is like the Bob Ross of cooking shows (i'm getting tired just thinking about them) and people still watch her show in droves.

I agree, start talking about shrinking cancer cells and I'm out. I consider myself more of a whole foods vegan but the claims are really unfounded.

The claims aren't unfounded, you just haven't read them.

fork it.

Quite. I'm off to mix a gin & tonic and court disaster. That way when my kale-induced lust kicks in, I'll already have my toxin glasses on!

Okay, that's enough discussion about veganism curing cancer. Stick to the show or i'm going to tell my morbid dead co-worker joke which will basically kill this whole message board.

Deal. (But can we hear the joke anyway? Please?)

Yeah, this. Please.

I'd like to hear the joke and all I can say is...

Science, it works bisques.

I'm not affiliated with the Cooking Show or that show in any way just a regular person, wanting to know what people thought of her friends project. Wanted to clear that up. Sorry you guys didn't like the show, its too bad.

I think we're being critical because we want this thing to be successful, not to be bisques.

I'd also like more food and less sex and hoodoo.

You're not just a regular person, you have a personal interest in this show because it's your friends show and to be honest, it seems like you're taking a lot of this personally. People have the right to be critical and nobody here wants a vegan show to fail but we're also not going to just blindly accept a show because it's vegan.

Actually, I would like to see more use of the term "hoodoo."

Does anyone know where I could watch this online? There are some clips on the cooking channel's website but not the entire show. I'd like to check it out for myself!

ETA: The recipes look yum and I like the energy of the show. The criticism I have of the clips I watched is some of the health claims -- so in one segment about a broccoli tempeh curry he says if you eat this you'll be skinny in no time.... Er...I'm sure it's healthy but it's got coconut oil and coconut milk and rice. So unless I eat a tiny amount of it, I'm not going to "get skinny". Reminds me of co-workers who think my cupcakes are healthier than omni ones. Maybe they don't have cholesterol, but calories are calories, you know?

I guess the show title bugs me a bit, even though I understand (I think?) that's they're being hyperbolic. My family is plagued by heart disease, dementia, and Alzheimer's. I eat whole foods but I don't think they're going to help me combat stuff like that, at least not to the point where I can beat my genetics. Maybe I won't die at 50 (or maybe I will, who knows), but I'm not making it to 100. I just think it's too simplistic of a way to view longevity.

So if you don't live to be 100 are you doing vegan wrong?

On a more serious note, there are these people called vegan RD's running about in the world. They could provide scientifically valid nutritional information. I would love to see a vegan show that combined great recipes with hints from an RD about how to keep your diet balanced without hyperbolic health claims.