Gourmet Next Door … Literally

Published on Monday, August 20, 2007, by Kara Zuaro / Edit Post

As we previously reported, Amy Finley, the winner of The Next Food Network Star, is making a new series called Gourmet Next Door. Interestingly enough, she’s filming an episode right on my block—not exactly next door, but just a couple of doors down from my apartment in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.

It’s drizzling, so a large film crew is watching from under a tent while the very petite Amy, dressed in a plum-colored top (which must be her signature color), gets her hair fixed and reads from cue cards. They are shooting her in the back of a truck on the street right now, but it looks like she might be making her way into a beautiful brownstone. She’s surrounded by dudes in green sweatshirts (can’t tell if they’re bodyguards or gourmet kitchen assistants), so it doesn’t feel like a good time for an impromptu interview—but if I keep casually wandering out front to move my garbage pails around, perhaps they’ll cast me as the nosy neighbor.

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  • I just happened upon this show today and it is a typical FN Major League Train Wreck!
    Today she was cooking 'Mexican'. OK, she claims to hail from avocado territory in SoCal. Maybe she's learned something from an immigrant neighbor.
    The first dish was 'guacamole' with NO chile, nor onion or cilantro. Just avocado and lime juice. What the ...?
    She then started making 'chilly killys'. I'm...+READ

    I just happened upon this show today and it is a typical FN Major League Train Wreck!
    Today she was cooking 'Mexican'. OK, she claims to hail from avocado territory in SoCal. Maybe she's learned something from an immigrant neighbor.
    The first dish was 'guacamole' with NO chile, nor onion or cilantro. Just avocado and lime juice. What the ...?
    She then started making 'chilly killys'. I'm wondering what's that when I realized that she's the only SoCal native who can't pronounce CHILAQUILES. it's even misspelled in the episode notes: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_af/episode/0,3175,FOOD_30358_53717,00.html
    After I read the recipe I now think that it must be named to avoid confusion with something remotely Authentic.
    Her 'recipes' use red and yellow onion, not white. She recommends 'Reynaldos' chorizo, a notorious California brand made with non-traditional salivary glands, lymph nodes and other 'parts'.
    My soundtrack for this show is .-COLLAPSE