From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Food network gives new meaning to 'TV dinner'

By Sarah Amos
St. Thomas Aquinas

December 13 2007

Roasted chicken sits atop a bed of rice pilaf and a crown of melted cheese

You can savor this experience not just in a fancy bistro, but also in the comfort of your living room. The Food Network offers teens a chance to get a taste of the culinary world with a click of the remote.

The shows are "not only interesting, but educational, too," Pembroke Pines Charter junior Sonia Spaleny said.

The network's series include Cooking 101 and other exciting shows about food entertainment, travel and competition.

In the past five years, the Food Network has gained popularity, especially among teens. With show hosts popping up everywhere from talk shows to tabloids, the channel has revamped its style, aiming at a younger crowd than just casserole queens.

Hosts such as Paula Deen and Rachel Ray entertain teens with their fun personalities.

"Rachel Ray is very perky. She has a good personality," Stoneman Douglas senior Kristen Baldassarre said.

Ray's interest in fun and easy cooking translates into a show that is as spicy as her "4-minute spicy shrimp." Boca Raton High senior Sophie Warden likes Paula Deen's laid-back approach to soul food. "She's really fun and carefree and doesn't stress. I like her laugh; it's really funny," she said.

Chefs like Ray and Deen, neither of whom had formal culinary training, make cooking approachable and easily tackle even the most daunting recipe. The instructional shows, which can be found online, too, teach simple recipes step-by-step.

For the teenage gourmand, the network and its Web site also offer intermediate and difficult recipes.

Michael Venezia, a Nova High sophomore, takes advantage of the TV and Internet combination by watching his "idol" on Emeril Live, while cooking dishes like homemade spaghetti and meatballs with online recipes.

The Food Network isn't just a guilty pleasure to watch -- it's also an educational tool that will come in handy once teens leave home and move beyond the days of mom-made lunches.

One caveat: Watching will make you hungry.