Who's The Best?

Now it's official...Fall is here. Cloudy, damp days, wet chill, and soggy leaves, shift the appetite from short ribs to soup; not the can kind, but homemade. Who better to give recipes for the best? Foodnetwork.

Browsing the site, I find myself pulled to recipes from Paula Dean and Ina Garten. (I like Bobby Flay, but his ingredients are sometimes a mystery.) What makes these two woman so appealing, or I should ask, what makes their recipes so appetizing? Simplicity! Readily available ingredients, minimal effort, great taste...The three things I look for in a good recipe. But, does that make them the best? Who is the best on Foodnetwork?

Emeril is the flagship for the food channel, though others like Rachel Ray and Bobby Flay have turned their talents and their names into brands. Does marketability define the best? Repeated messaging certainly sways us in their favor, but "packaging" isn't a suitable criteria for evaluation. It takes more than a pretty dress to make a girl attractive. It takes soul.

Emeril calls it "food of love." What transforms good food into great food is heart; never listed as an ingredient, but integrally important. Paula Dean is the handsdown favorite for immersing her food with heart and soul. Everything about her: her history, her restaurant, her sons...Show us how she pours everything she has into what she does. Less effervescent, but just as devoted is Ina Garten. She brings us into her home, shares the love she has for her husband, her appreciation of friendship, and stirs up perfect fair of food and fondness. She makes us want to cook for others. Both women-- Paula and Ina--convince us we can do the same. Their devotion makes us believe in ourselves; helps us believe we can do it, too.

It doesn't matter what we make--soup or short ribs--what we add of ourselves is what matters. If we put our heart and soul into what we do, we'll be the best. And all those in our lives, like Paula's sons and Ina's friends, will benefit. We may not get the acclaim offered by a television network, but those in our homes will appreciate it, especially on cloudy, damp days.

Conclusion: I made cream of cauliflower soup and my granddaughter said it was, "Yummy, yum in my tummy, tum!" (hand motions included.)