Trash T.V. Treats
Written by Rob Abramenko Tuesday, 06 July 2010 06:21
Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you wouldn't have in your home. ~ David Frost. I don't think when David Frost made this comment, he had any idea about reality television. These are shows you don't admit to watching...guilty pleasures if you will. But love them or hate them...you will probably watch one or two of them. And quite honestly sometimes watching garbage t.v. is much better then the alternative that I and many others grew up with...repeats of the Beachcombers. So...here are five shows you might want to check out during your summer holidays.
WIPEOUT - ABC (Already Underway) - Returns for its third season on ABC. Not a tough concept with this one. 24 people compete in a extreme obstacle course over water to win $50,000. Three different levels before they get a shot at the ELIMINATOR. Why is this trash...lets face it...no thinking involved. I call it the comic book of the television world. Just sit and watch people get the living daylights kicked out of them. And lets face it...there is something deep in every single one of us, that loves seeing people physically punished. Great show for the family...probably the only one on my list. Tues & Thurs at 8pm.
JERSEY SHORE - MTV (Starts Thurs. July 29th @10pm) - If you have never heard of 'Snooki' or 'The Situation' then you are officially old. It's a summer of hair gel, suntan lotion and skimpy swimwear for the eight young adults featured in this reality series. They share a house this time around in Miami. This show is probably the biggest train wreck in the bunch. This is my guilty pleasure for sure. There is nothing, and I mean nothing, that is redeeming about this program. So why watch it? All I can say, is maybe because its like a bad accident. You don't want to really see the mess...but something draws you to it. Good program to show you what poor parenting produces.
DATING IN THE DARK- ABC (Starts Mon. August 9th @10pm) - Back for its second season. I only caught a few episodes of this one...but thought it was ok in a pinch. Concept is great...but again...trash t.v. at its best. It asks the age-old question, "Is Love Blind?" Each week three single men and three single women, all looking for love, will move into a house together, and while they'll have no chance of seeing each other in the light, they will have the opportunity to date in a completely dark room. Looks will be taken out of the equation as the men and women get to know each other and form bonds in total darkness. Of course there is the reveal and that usually ends up with good looking people dissing the rest of us!
BACHELOR PAD- ABC (Starts Mon. August 9th @ 8pm) - Brand new show...and is the lead into Dating In The Dark on ABC. I think this one might be for the ladies. And I think this could give Jersey Shore a run for its money for serious cheese and trashy-ness. Twenty of the most unforgettable contestants/suitors from the hit franchise "The Bachelor" will reunite - all under one roof. Each week the reunited contestants will compete in challenges, some of which are inspired by incidents from prior seasons. Each two-hour episode will conclude with evictions from the residence. At the end of the six-episode run, one contestant will emerge victorious and will take home a cash prize. Just a six week run for this one.
BIG BROTHER 12- CBS (Starts Thurs. July 9th @ 8pm) - ITS BACK! The king of all summer programs...BIG BROTHER 12. If you have no clue what the show is...then say hi to the mole people for us...cause you have been underground my friend. I love this show...period. Mindless fun! For those not up on it...BIG BROTHER follows a group of people living together in a house outfitted with dozens of cameras and microphones recording their every move 24 hours a day. Each week, the House-guests vote someone out of the house. At the end, the last remaining House-guests receives the grand prize of $500,000. This boldly trashy show has been the network’s only successful summer reality series this past decade.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK with Eryn Kleyh & Jayme McKillop
PESTO is one of those things that I think everyone likes (who doesn't like pesto???). It is very easy to create a meal that has that gourmet flavour, without a whole lot of ingredients (or effort!). take some pasta, cook it (obviously), toss in some pesto, and add some halved cherry tomatoes and there you go, delicious dish that can be eaten hot or cold. Taking pasta salad to the next level... it's awesome at bbq's or picnics, or if you're just lazy and hankering for something tasty for dinner.
Watch for more of Jayme's delicious recipes on her food blog - passionatefoodiefiend.blogspot.com
ARUGULA!
Arugula, also called rocket, is one of those hidden gems of spring time eating! Peppery in flavour and packed with goodness, makes arugula a favourite with chefs and foodies alike. Make sure to toss some arugula seeds into your lettuce patch!
Arugula Pine Nut Pesto
YOU WILL NEED:
2 handfuls of fresh arugula
a few basil leaves
60g of asiago cheese
3 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon zested then juiced
3 cloves of garlic (less is fine if you don't want it too garlicky)
1 1/2 cups of toasted pine nuts (to toast, put in a dry frying pan over low heat until you can hear them toasting. They burn easily, so toss them intermittently)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
a few stems of fresh chives
1 tbsp diced red onion
a pinch of salt
fresh pepper to taste
HOW YOU DO IT:
Toss your garlic cloves, basil leaves, and arugula leaves into your food processor. Run until smooth. Add toasted pine nuts, red onion, olive oil and asiago cheese. Run the processor again, drizzle in your balsamic vinegar and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper and process one last time until you have a smooth paste. Garnish with fresh chives and lemon zest.
Toss with fresh pasta or roasted veggies, use as a sandwich spread, or add yogurt and use as a veggie dip. Use your foodie imagination!
**TIP** You can use walnuts, sunflower seeds, or even hemp seeds as the base of this pesto. Experiment!
