Food Network Posts 13 Cookie Recipes by Celebrity Chefs

The Food Network has been graciously sharing what they’re calling 12 Days of Cookies,

recipes provided by some of their most illustrious celebrity chefs. Currently, we’re on day 6 with Holiday Biscotti by Giada De Laurentiis. Mmm, delicious! (and yes I’m talking about the biscotti) Joy to the foodies during the holidays!

So far The Food Network has posted recipes for Shortbread Cookies by Ina Garten, Ginger Snaps by Alton Brown, Loaded Oatmeal Cookies by Paula Deen, Delicate Mint Sandwich Holiday Cookies by Melissa d'Arabian and Spiced Gingerbread Piggies by Patrick and Gina Neely.

For the next six days The Food Network will feature cookie recipes by Jeff Mauro, Anne Burrell, Bobby Flay, Sandra Lee, Alex Guarnaschelli and Guy Fieri. To see their recipes, click on the following links:

• Jeff Mauro's Cherry White Chocolate Almond Sandwich Cookies
• Anne Burrell's Meringue Cookies
• Bobby Flay's Throwdown Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Sandra Lee's Macadamia Coconut Cookies
• Alex Guarnaschelli's Dark Chocolate Whoopie Pies
• Guy Fieri's Blondie with Dark Roots

For the thirteenth day, The Food Network asked its Facebook fans for what recipe they most wanted to see. Apparently, they chose Snickerdoodles. The Food Network decided to create Apple Cider Snickerdoodles.

The Barefoot Contessa’s Offer to Make-A-Wish Denied

Ina Garten's offer to Enzo is denied

As reported last week, Ina Garten made one of the biggest PR blunders any TV cook can make: The Barefoot Contessa officially rejected a wish, made by a cancer-stricken six-year-old through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, to cook a meal with her. And then on Monday, in hopes of making retribution, Ina Garten reached out to invite Enzo Pareda to the set of “The Barefoot Contessa” to cook with her on National television.  The Pareda family has justly rejected the offer, saying that they just want to move on. In a statement made to ABC News this morning, Enzo father, Adrian Pareda says:

"We're not going to do it," Adrian Pereda said. "I don't want my son to go through any other stress. We just want to go on with our life."

There are those who have come to Garten’s defense, citing that she is a busy celebrity and we should give her a chance to respond. But regardless of what she would have to say now, I personally feel it’s too little too late. She may get “100’s of requests a month to support charitable causes”, but it’s clear that she’ll only take on causes that deliver the type of publicity that looks good on paper.

ABC News said it best: “The ‘Barefoot Contessa’ has time to star in her Food Network show, pen cookbooks, and cook at charity luncheons for her well-to-do fans.” God forbid she actually does anything that doesn’t directly benefit her career. She had over a year to consider Enzo Pareda’s Make-A-Wish request and chose to firmly decline it. Only after it was leaked to the public and she felt the full brunt of her choice, did she step up – in a half-effort that, once again, would benefit her career more than it would benefit the six-year-old leukemia patient. Now that Enzo is a public figure, of course it would boost her ratings to have him appear on her show.

But Enzo’s wish wasn’t to appear on TV. His wish was to cook a meal with the Barefoot Contessa.

I would be more forgiving if Jennifer Aniston or Derek Jeter had rejected a request like this because, not only are they super star celebrities, their target audience isn’t the [child-loving] domesticated woman. And that said I doubt either would reject such a request. If a celebrity wants to keep their fans, they need to cater to them on a certain level. For some, this means performing in a romantic comedy over an action film or signing autographs just after you’ve lost a big game.

Six-year-old Enzo is excited to swim with dolphins

The wish Enzo made wasn’t a typical wish made by the average six-year-old. It was unique and special and should have been treated that way. It’s just disappointing that such a special wish was wasted on a celebrity foodie with an absent sense of humanity.

Enzo no longer watches the Barefoot Contessa, but he does wear his swim suit to sleep each night so that he can be ready to swim with dolphins as he dreams. He is so excited about his new wish.

More on Enzo Pareda and the Barefoot Contessa:

Angels For Enzo

The Barefoot Contessa Rejects Dying Child's Last Wish

The Child the Barefoot Contessa Denies 

The Child the Barefoot Contessa Denies: Michael Symon comes to Rise

 Food Network star Beau MacMillan and Iron Chef Michael Symon

Ina Garten’s rejection of a cancer-stricken child’s last wish is her loss. Enzo is now a hero and celebrity chefs Michael Symon and Beau MacMillan both want to cook with him! According to TMZ, both the Iron Chef and the Food Network star (far more important than the Contessa) stepped forward to fill the nasty void Ina Garten left after she stone-heartedly decided she couldn’t make space in her busy kitchen-life for a little one-on-one cook-off with Enzo.

It’s clear that the world is disgusted by The Barefoot Contessa’s rejection of a wish made by the terminally ill six-year-old boy, Enzo, through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. And rightfully so! After writing my last post (and my mother reading it, phoning me and telling me I was a bit harsh), I took some time to really think about the story and analyze my perspective. Was I too harsh? Am I spreading Barefoot Contessa hate?

Not at all! And here’s my personal perspective: I began cooking at the age of five – helping my mother make brownies, making cinnamon toast, etc… And then whipping up Asian stir-fry’s and making my own pies and cookies from scratch by the time I was nine.  As a young child, I loved everything about cooking. I loved to watch “Yan Can Cook” and “Jacques Pépin” on PBS every Saturday morning – more than ABC’s stellar Saturday morning cartoons (Conjunction Junction).

However, if I had been diagnosed with a terminal illness as a young child, my last wish would not have been to cook with any of the celebrity chefs I watched on TV. My wish would have been to spend a day with my best friend at an amusement park (riding rollercoasters) or swimming with dolphins (as Enzo chose to do after Ina Garten rejected him) or maybe even to meet Wonder Woman in person (skipping the picture post for this).

I was born and raised a “Foodie” and I still would have picked other options as my “last wish” than to pick cooking with my favorite chef. My point is this:

Six-year-old Foodie, Enzo, dreamed of Barefoot cooking

Ina Garten may be the busiest celebrity chef in the world, but there is NO WAY that she’s receiving last wish requests from dying babies on a daily – or even yearly – basis who want to cook with her. That’s asinine. She may be participating in charity events and donating money, but that type of charity is for promotional purposes only.

I’m touched by Enzo’s wish. I love that there is proof that children can love the culinary world as much as I did as a child (and still do – obviously). But moreover, I love that celebrity chefs such as Michael Symon and Beau MacMillan (who are FAR more famous than the Barefoot Contessa) will step forward so quickly and make room in their VERY busy schedules to cook with the culinary child-wonder.

Symon and MacMillan have scored major points in my book.

Just as a side-note, I get that the Make-A-Wish Foundation probably receives donations from Ina Garten and doesn’t want the boat rocked. The Make-A-Wish Foundation is not to blame for this story leaking. This publicity monstrosity would have come out with or without the much-loved organization's participation. The Barefoot Contessa’s only hope should be that the Make-A-Wish Foundation stands by her through the fallout of her heartless rejection.

Am I being too harsh now?

The Barefoot Contessa Rejects Dying Child's Last Wish

Ina Garten and Enzo (Photo courtesy of TMZ)

Ina Garten, more commonly known as The Barefoot Contessa, has refused to fulfill the wish of a six-year-old cancer patient made through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Enzo was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia three years ago and when Make-A-Wish asked what he would wish for a year ago, the child responded that he wanted to cook with The Barefoot Contessa because it was the show he frequently watched with his mother.

Make-A-Wish contacted Ina Garten with the request last year, but she was unable to make the time due to a book tour. According to TMZ, the organization urged Enzo to pick a different wish, but he told them he would rather wait until she became available.

When the Make-A-Wish Foundation contacted Garten this year, The Barefoot Contessa’s reps gave a “definite no”, leaving Enzo rejected and heartbroken. The Food Network star’s reps told TMZ:

"Despite her demanding schedule, [Ina] participates and helps as many organizations as she can throughout the year, helping children and adults like Enzo with life threatening and compromising illnesses. Unfortunately, as much as she would like to, it's absolutely impossible for her to grant every request she receives."

I get that Garten is a busy woman, but I’d really love to know how many 6-year-old dying children approach celebrity chefs for a little one-on-one cooking time. How frequently does this happen?

I could see rejecting a child’s last wish if you’re amazingly famous and receiving these requests on a daily basis. But keep in mind that this boy chose “cooking with the The Barefoot Contessa” over meeting a sports star like Derek Jeter, a day at Disneyland that included a lunch date with Shrek, or playing a small part in the new Harry Potter film. Six-year-old Enzo picked Ina Garten over Bobby Flay and Paula Deen!

Though Enzo was crushed, he has made a new wish since: Swimming with dolphins! He’s currently taking lessons in preparation of the big day.