Comments on: Ten Dollar Dinners with Melissa d’Arabian http://thedomesticbuzz.com/ten-dollar-dinners-with-melissa-d%e2%80%99arabian/ Product Reviews, Giveaways, and Personal Anecdotes Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:46:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: marie http://thedomesticbuzz.com/ten-dollar-dinners-with-melissa-d%e2%80%99arabian/comment-page-1/#comment-16073 marie Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:59:19 +0000 http://thedomesticbuzz.com/?p=5236#comment-16073 I must say I agree with several of the others I too like Melissa but not this show. I am a mom who cooks dinner every night and was excited to see the new recipes she brought to the table but most of the ingrediants that she uses I do not have and will not go out and buy for one meal. Sandra Lee has the newer show where she makes meals on a budget and I like this one much more. I do not like cooking shows that involve too much personalized "talk" give the recipe and move on dont bring your family members on and thier pets or give me your lifes bio...Melissa you seem nice but I wish they would have chosen Jeffery. I must say I agree with several of the others I too like Melissa but not this show. I am a mom who cooks dinner every night and was excited to see the new recipes she brought to the table but most of the ingrediants that she uses I do not have and will not go out and buy for one meal. Sandra Lee has the newer show where she makes meals on a budget and I like this one much more. I do not like cooking shows that involve too much personalized “talk” give the recipe and move on dont bring your family members on and thier pets or give me your lifes bio…Melissa you seem nice but I wish they would have chosen Jeffery.

]]> By: Tiffany http://thedomesticbuzz.com/ten-dollar-dinners-with-melissa-d%e2%80%99arabian/comment-page-1/#comment-15724 Tiffany Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:00:43 +0000 http://thedomesticbuzz.com/?p=5236#comment-15724 i love melissa she is so good at catering for ordinary people not elitist types like jeffrey would have cooked for if he had won (thank god he did not as he was very arrogant) I only wish Melissa show would air in Canada where i will be studying for 2 years - food network canada sucks they showed the network star shows but seem to be refusing to show the winner Melissa's new show i love melissa she is so good at catering for ordinary people not elitist types like jeffrey would have cooked for if he had won (thank god he did not as he was very arrogant)
I only wish Melissa show would air in Canada where i will be studying for 2 years – food network canada sucks they showed the network star shows but seem to be refusing to show the winner Melissa’s new show

]]> By: Sue http://thedomesticbuzz.com/ten-dollar-dinners-with-melissa-d%e2%80%99arabian/comment-page-1/#comment-15548 Sue Sun, 06 Sep 2009 23:11:17 +0000 http://thedomesticbuzz.com/?p=5236#comment-15548 Al, Go to the website Act One. Go to About Us and check out who is a member of the executive program advisory board. Bingo! Our little Melissa D'Arabian who so coyly said she was just a home cook. BS! Act One trains people how to succeed in television and Hollywood. She is a fake. Food Network may or may not have known about this, but it sure isn't listed in her bio. Lies are either by commission or omission. Her lie here was in not disclosing that she is merely a product of an organization who does nothing but groom people to do what she has done. Al,
Go to the website Act One. Go to About Us and check out who is a member of the executive program advisory board. Bingo! Our little Melissa D’Arabian who so coyly said she was just a home cook. BS! Act One trains people how to succeed in television and Hollywood. She is a fake. Food Network may or may not have known about this, but it sure isn’t listed in her bio. Lies are either by commission or omission. Her lie here was in not disclosing that she is merely a product of an organization who does nothing but groom people to do what she has done.

]]> By: Joel http://thedomesticbuzz.com/ten-dollar-dinners-with-melissa-d%e2%80%99arabian/comment-page-1/#comment-15286 Joel Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:07:51 +0000 http://thedomesticbuzz.com/?p=5236#comment-15286 What she said. :-) Excellent post! What she said. :-) Excellent post!

]]> By: Pati http://thedomesticbuzz.com/ten-dollar-dinners-with-melissa-d%e2%80%99arabian/comment-page-1/#comment-15285 Pati Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:16:32 +0000 http://thedomesticbuzz.com/?p=5236#comment-15285 I wish to put in my 2 cents. Melissa's show is not aired yet in Canada (foodtv.ca) I cannot post my comments but I did try a few of her recipes. For me, ingredients fell under $5.00. It depends what you have already in your fridge or pantry. I have balsamic vinegar, olive oil, thyme, lemons... What will cost me expensive I substitute if I can. You do not have to buy an expensive cheese, or the best cream, or use all the ingredients in her recipes. You do not like olives , do not use them. Shop around and look at the prices ! Use what you got. Kalamata olives I love those. They cost me at my grocery store at the butcher stand ( already packed in it's plastic container )$1.70 (canadian), I still have alot left after I finished the meatballs ! The leftovers are not wasted. The olives I can use in other recipes and or eat them alone or with my sandwiches. The canned tomatos less than a dollar (canadian). The tomato paste .69 cents. The lemons, I ran out , so I needed to buy some anyway. Brown sugar, I ran out as well, and I love to bake. Ingredients I use already ! The spices, well I have a large pantry of spices. Dates, I bought the dried dates, a whole bag for $1.89. I still have the whole bag left and I can make a pastry with that as well. You see nothing is wasted. People stop complaining ! If you love cooking and your passionate about food, your pantry will stock up and always have those ingredients available when you need it. Melissa cooks as I do. I am not afraid and she uses all the ingredients I use already in my cooking. If you complain about ingredients costing you too much money, and if you love cooking and expanding your horizons, you can substitute with what you got or what you can afford. Tiramisu ( italian dessert ), for example is expensive for the mascarpone. My gosh, I substiute for cream cheese and it still tastes great. Espresso is better, but you can use any strong coffee. Use what you got that is all. Chicken breasts can be expensive when not on sale. Well I once bought chicken legs and deboned them all and was surprised I had a beautiful substitute for chicken breasts. Now as for Jeffrey, I like him alot as much as Melissa. Jeffrey's ingredients are more expensive than Melissa. A Harissa steak is a nice change, but hey, I never eat steak sandwhiches but will try out one day. Looks great ! Scallops, Tillapia , anchovy paste, Harissa etc... Sounds all wonderful but I cannot afford these ingredients. I have not made one recipe as of now. He is a whole different ballgame and unique just like Melissa. So give her a break and lets wish her well. I wish to put in my 2 cents. Melissa’s show is not aired yet in Canada (foodtv.ca) I cannot post my comments but I did try a few of her recipes. For me, ingredients fell under $5.00. It depends what you have already in your fridge or pantry. I have balsamic vinegar, olive oil, thyme, lemons… What will cost me expensive I substitute if I can. You do not have to buy an expensive cheese, or the best cream, or use all the ingredients in her recipes. You do not like olives , do not use them. Shop around and look at the prices ! Use what you got. Kalamata olives I love those. They cost me at my grocery store at the butcher stand ( already packed in it’s plastic container )$1.70 (canadian), I still have alot left after I finished the meatballs ! The leftovers are not wasted. The olives I can use in other recipes and or eat them alone or with my sandwiches. The canned tomatos less than a dollar (canadian). The tomato paste .69 cents. The lemons, I ran out , so I needed to buy some anyway. Brown sugar, I ran out as well, and I love to bake. Ingredients I use already !
The spices, well I have a large pantry of spices. Dates, I bought the dried dates, a whole bag for $1.89. I still have the whole bag left and I can make a pastry with that as well. You see nothing is wasted. People stop complaining ! If you love cooking and your passionate about food, your pantry will stock up and always have those ingredients available when you need it. Melissa cooks as I do. I am not afraid and she uses all the ingredients I use already in my cooking. If you complain about ingredients costing you too much money, and if you love cooking and expanding your horizons, you can substitute with what you got or what you can afford. Tiramisu ( italian dessert ), for example is expensive for the mascarpone. My gosh, I substiute for cream cheese and it still tastes great. Espresso is better, but you can use any strong coffee. Use what you got that is all. Chicken breasts can be expensive when not on sale. Well I once bought chicken legs and deboned them all and was surprised I had a beautiful substitute for chicken breasts. Now as for Jeffrey, I like him alot as much as Melissa. Jeffrey’s ingredients are more expensive than Melissa. A Harissa steak is a nice change, but hey, I never eat steak sandwhiches but will try out one day. Looks great ! Scallops, Tillapia , anchovy paste, Harissa etc… Sounds all wonderful but I cannot afford these ingredients. I have not made one recipe as of now. He is a whole different ballgame and unique just like Melissa. So give her a break and lets wish her well.

]]> By: RockiDreams http://thedomesticbuzz.com/ten-dollar-dinners-with-melissa-d%e2%80%99arabian/comment-page-1/#comment-15155 RockiDreams Sun, 23 Aug 2009 16:53:15 +0000 http://thedomesticbuzz.com/?p=5236#comment-15155 Sorry, but Melissa's show is boring and unrealistic. I find her far from being talented and hopefully she will go away or they will put her on at 2 a.m. during the week. Too bad they did not go with Jeffrey's idea - different ways to use spices is a great idea and something different. Sorry, but Melissa’s show is boring and unrealistic. I find her far from being talented and hopefully she will go away or they will put her on at 2 a.m. during the week. Too bad they did not go with Jeffrey’s idea – different ways to use spices is a great idea and something different.

]]> By: Al http://thedomesticbuzz.com/ten-dollar-dinners-with-melissa-d%e2%80%99arabian/comment-page-1/#comment-14984 Al Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:56:03 +0000 http://thedomesticbuzz.com/?p=5236#comment-14984 I just happened on this forum and while I do not normally get involved in online discussions, I thought I might add some perspective from the viewpoint of a professional broadcaster. During the course of my career, I have worked behind the scenes and as on-air talent (you are called talent whether you have any or not, but that is another story :-) ). I am also a professionally trained cook, food tester, restaurant critic and author. I can tell you from personal experience that Melissa has talent and lot of it. Her on camera performance is nothing short of phenomenal, especially considering her relative inexperience. Does she make some mistakes, sure she does, but so does every new (and old) performer. In fact, I will bet that she is even more critical of her performance than any of you are. That is good by the way, because she will learn from her mistakes and continue to improve. After many years, I still do not like watch / listen to myself on the air. I hear every dumb thing I said and see every hair out of place. I also see mistakes you probably do not see and keep kicking myself for making them (while imaging my crew is calling me an idiot behind my back). The bottom line; it is easy to pick out mistakes when you have the luxury of analyzing every word and movement from the comfort of your easy chair. It is quite another thing when you are the one in front of the camera. Not only does Melissa have to prepare the food, but she also has to simultaneously describe what she’s doing, weave in a compelling story, keep her eye on the live camera, watch her time cues and stay on her mark; all while smiling and not cutting her fingers off! Pick ups (retakes) and post edit can help fix some blunders, but make no mistake about it, time is money and there is a great deal of pressure to get it right the first time. I know it looks easy, but trust me it is not! Enough of my rant. All I am saying is, give her a chance, make the food (it is good) and learn what she has to teach you. Do not get so hung up on the show title and menu pairings (which she probably had nothing to do with anyway) that you lose site of the food – the Food Network is after all, about food! I predict, that given a chance she will continue to grow in her craft, learn from her mistakes, and truly become one of the Food Network’s next stars. Now go eat something! I just happened on this forum and while I do not normally get involved in online discussions, I thought I might add some perspective from the viewpoint of a professional broadcaster.

During the course of my career, I have worked behind the scenes and as on-air talent (you are called talent whether you have any or not, but that is another story :-) ). I am also a professionally trained cook, food tester, restaurant critic and author.

I can tell you from personal experience that Melissa has talent and lot of it. Her on camera performance is nothing short of phenomenal, especially considering her relative inexperience. Does she make some mistakes, sure she does, but so does every new (and old) performer. In fact, I will bet that she is even more critical of her performance than any of you are. That is good by the way, because she will learn from her mistakes and continue to improve.

After many years, I still do not like watch / listen to myself on the air. I hear every dumb thing I said and see every hair out of place. I also see mistakes you probably do not see and keep kicking myself for making them (while imaging my crew is calling me an idiot behind my back). The bottom line; it is easy to pick out mistakes when you have the luxury of analyzing every word and movement from the comfort of your easy chair. It is quite another thing when you are the one in front of the camera. Not only does Melissa have to prepare the food, but she also has to simultaneously describe what she’s doing, weave in a compelling story, keep her eye on the live camera, watch her time cues and stay on her mark; all while smiling and not cutting her fingers off! Pick ups (retakes) and post edit can help fix some blunders, but make no mistake about it, time is money and there is a great deal of pressure to get it right the first time. I know it looks easy, but trust me it is not!

Enough of my rant. All I am saying is, give her a chance, make the food (it is good) and learn what she has to teach you. Do not get so hung up on the show title and menu pairings (which she probably had nothing to do with anyway) that you lose site of the food – the Food Network is after all, about food! I predict, that given a chance she will continue to grow in her craft, learn from her mistakes, and truly become one of the Food Network’s next stars.

Now go eat something!

]]> By: Jane http://thedomesticbuzz.com/ten-dollar-dinners-with-melissa-d%e2%80%99arabian/comment-page-1/#comment-14949 Jane Wed, 19 Aug 2009 06:27:01 +0000 http://thedomesticbuzz.com/?p=5236#comment-14949 Reading the comments above, it looks like many readers/viewers agree that it's pretty unrealistic to prepare these meals for less than $10 and I'd agree as well. Many average kitchens don't have these ingredients ready to grab out the fridge (jeez, I wish I did !!) like the cheese or even thyme for that matter! So with that said, I think the title of the program already gives viewers skepticsm or leaves them feeling cheated at the end of the show. Also, I was rooting for Jeffrey to win because I thought he was more easy going and wasn't so "typical." Not that I dislike Melissa, but I didn't enjoy her new show because I feel the way she talks / narrates seems so forced, but it can very well be due nervousness. I'll still tune into her show, though, just to see if she develops progress and to see any better recipes that actually seem to fit within the $10 budget give or take .-= Jane´s last blog ..<a href="http://household-goddess.blogspot.com/2009/08/peanut-butter-yall.html" rel="nofollow">Peanut Butter Y'all!</a> =-. Reading the comments above, it looks like many readers/viewers agree that it’s pretty unrealistic to prepare these meals for less than $10 and I’d agree as well. Many average kitchens don’t have these ingredients ready to grab out the fridge (jeez, I wish I did !!) like the cheese or even thyme for that matter! So with that said, I think the title of the program already gives viewers skepticsm or leaves them feeling cheated at the end of the show.

Also, I was rooting for Jeffrey to win because I thought he was more easy going and wasn’t so “typical.” Not that I dislike Melissa, but I didn’t enjoy her new show because I feel the way she talks / narrates seems so forced, but it can very well be due nervousness. I’ll still tune into her show, though, just to see if she develops progress and to see any better recipes that actually seem to fit within the $10 budget give or take
.-= Jane´s last blog ..Peanut Butter Y’all! =-.

]]> By: Jane http://thedomesticbuzz.com/ten-dollar-dinners-with-melissa-d%e2%80%99arabian/comment-page-1/#comment-14948 Jane Wed, 19 Aug 2009 06:26:26 +0000 http://thedomesticbuzz.com/?p=5236#comment-14948 Reading the comments above, it looks like many readers/viewers agree that it's pretty unrealistic to prepare these meals for less than $10 and I'd agree as well. Many average kitchens don't have these ingredients ready to grab out the fridge (jeez, I wish I did !!) like the cheese or even thyme for that matter! So with that said, I think the title of the program already gives viewers skepticsm or leaves them feeling cheated at the end of the show. Also, I was rooting for Jeffrey to win because I thought he was more easy going and wasn't so "typical." Not that I dislike Melissa, but I didn't enjoy her new show because I feel the way she talks / narrates seems so forced, but it can very well be due nervousness. I'll still tune into her show, though, just to see if she develops progress and to see any better recipes that actually seem to fit within the $10 budget give or take Reading the comments above, it looks like many readers/viewers agree that it’s pretty unrealistic to prepare these meals for less than $10 and I’d agree as well. Many average kitchens don’t have these ingredients ready to grab out the fridge (jeez, I wish I did !!) like the cheese or even thyme for that matter! So with that said, I think the title of the program already gives viewers skepticsm or leaves them feeling cheated at the end of the show.

Also, I was rooting for Jeffrey to win because I thought he was more easy going and wasn’t so “typical.” Not that I dislike Melissa, but I didn’t enjoy her new show because I feel the way she talks / narrates seems so forced, but it can very well be due nervousness. I’ll still tune into her show, though, just to see if she develops progress and to see any better recipes that actually seem to fit within the $10 budget give or take

]]> By: Jane http://thedomesticbuzz.com/ten-dollar-dinners-with-melissa-d%e2%80%99arabian/comment-page-1/#comment-14947 Jane Wed, 19 Aug 2009 06:26:03 +0000 http://thedomesticbuzz.com/?p=5236#comment-14947 Reading the comments above, it looks like many readers/viewers agree that it's pretty unrealistic to prepare these meals for less than $10 and I'd agree as well. Many average kitchens don't have these ingredients ready to grab out the fridge (jeez, I wish I did !!) like the cheese or even thyme for that matter! So with that said, I think the title of the program already gives viewers skepticsm or leaves them feeling cheated at the end of the show. Also, I was rooting for Jeffrey to win because I thought he was more easy going and wasn't so "typical." Not that I dislike Melissa, but I didn't enjoy her new show because I feel the way she talks / narrates seems so forced, but it can very well be due nervousness. I'll still tune into her show, though, just to see if she develops progress and to see any better recipes that actually seem to fit within the $10 budget give or take. Reading the comments above, it looks like many readers/viewers agree that it’s pretty unrealistic to prepare these meals for less than $10 and I’d agree as well. Many average kitchens don’t have these ingredients ready to grab out the fridge (jeez, I wish I did !!) like the cheese or even thyme for that matter! So with that said, I think the title of the program already gives viewers skepticsm or leaves them feeling cheated at the end of the show.

Also, I was rooting for Jeffrey to win because I thought he was more easy going and wasn’t so “typical.” Not that I dislike Melissa, but I didn’t enjoy her new show because I feel the way she talks / narrates seems so forced, but it can very well be due nervousness. I’ll still tune into her show, though, just to see if she develops progress and to see any better recipes that actually seem to fit within the $10 budget give or take.

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