T Tara On Demand - Big DaddyFebruary 10, 2010

Tara Turk

Big Daddy – Love

Food Network On Demand

Aaron McCargo, a Food Network Star winner (these things I know!) is making something for his lady love (um, okay Lou Rawls) so that sounds like a perfect place to poach a recipe. Parsnips? Hmm...mashed parsnips with marscapone cheese. Why wouldn't you just mash potatoes? Parsnips are ugly and they don't sound like they'd go over well with the very particular BF who goes way back with potatoes. Way back. Let's move on to the veal chops.

He's chopping some peppers telling us a special story about his great mom (aww) and then I realize he's cooking this for his mom who is his lady love? I'm confused but then I have an AHA! moment and when I recover I realize he's mixing prosciutto and cheese together for the veal. I've already gotta modify or cancel as I don't eat pork but I feel like I've gone too far to stop watching now. I like that he's not as chatty as that Sunny and he's not repeating himself either. You know why? Because the judges have already put him through the ringer from the Next Food Network Star contest. I watched. I'm proud.

This meal is not rocking my world though. I've already written off the veal chops for the most part and the mashed parsnips. Let's try the lemon garlic broccoli rabe. He just put a chunk of minced garlic in an olive oiled pan is trying to tell me he did this prior when it looks oddly like the jarred garlic from the grocery store. I'll never tell, Aaron.

Here we come with dessert. Chocolate covered strawberries? I'm resurrected, Big Daddy (I'm not going to call you that again). Hold please. Chocolate covered pretzel strawberries? That sounds like a romantic Superbowl dessert.

Aw! An appearance of his son who grabs a strawberry! Share, kid! He leaves without sharing but Aaron comes back strong with Strawberry bellinis! Yes! Strawberries, simple syrup, blender, champagne! Yes! The drink stays. The rest of the meal? Not right for us. Perfect for him and his cute mom though.

Big Daddy – Love

Available on Food Network On Demand until 3/1/2010

T.Tara Turk is contributing writer to On Demand Weekly. She is a writer living in LA, navigating the world of "writing for a living" minimally. She maintains a blog at www.ttaraturk.com while working on screenplays, fiction and plays.

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