After spending five years behind bars Martha Stewart returned to her celebrity status and didn’t waste any time letting her feelings be known. First off, calling out celebrity chef Rachel Ray as a “hack.” In Martha’s mind, she just wanted to make clear that Ray was neither a real baker of a real chef. She called out Ray’s most recent cookbook as a mere carbon copy of Ray’s last cookbook with a few edited recipes.
Rachel Ray did not appreciate the newly released Stewart’s fighting words. When she was asked what she thought of the newly vocal Stewart Ray had a few questions. “Why would it make me mad? Her skill set is far beyond mine. That’s simply the reality of it.”
A Bad Mouth
Host of both "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef," and, " Worst Cooks in America," Anne Burrell was a regular sight on culinary TV. However, employees who once worked under Burrell, not on TV, but under her at Centro Vinoteca in New York City, where Burrell worked as executive chef. Employees came forward in 2009 with stories of verbal abuse and discrimination against female employees.
Burrell was accused of using derogatory language and criticizing the appearance of female employees over their work performance. Burrell left Centro Vinoteca in 2008, a year before the allegations surfaced.
Martha Stewart Says Stay in Your Lane
It's impossible to ignore the one and only chef and homemaker extraordinaire Martha Stewart. It's also impossible to ignore her opinions, especially when she calls out other well-known superstars. Stewart at the time was not pleased the A-lister Gwyneth Paltrow was making the transition into home décor. " If she were confident in her acting, she wouldn’t be trying to be Martha Stewart," Stewart said of the actress.
Taking aim at Paltrow where she hoped it would hurt, in the kitchen, Stewart engineers the "conscious coupling," dessert, as a call out. Paltrow raised the bar with her response when she presented her recipe for the "jailbird cake," an obvious reference to Stewart's insider trading and stay behind bars. Those five years are something Martha Stewart will always have that Paltrow will never even attempt to take away.
Flay Finishes Early
"Iron Chef" suffered another awkward episode in 2017 when Bobby Flay threw off his chef's jacket in the middle of a show. Beneath his jacket, the famed chef wore a t-shirt that read, “THIS IS MY LAST IRON CHEF BATTLE EVER.” While Flay considered the stunt some good publicity, The Food Network did not agree with the star. He had not checked with any executives about his antics beforehand.
There was no way to blur the words and the network was forced to air the episode. It's not clear how the incident really ended. Flay later claimed he never intended to quit The Food Network. He even agreed to return to "Iron Chef" if he was asked. Why did he want to leave in the first place? Claims have surfaced that say the show's schedule was just too physically demanding.
People Hear What You Say
Deen did admit, during a deposition, to using the "n-word" sometime in her past. She claimed, however, "That's just not a word that we use as time has gone on. Things have changed since the '60s in the south." The attorney representing Deen in the case claimed, "Ms. Deen does not condone or find the use of prejudis epithets acceptable."
Eventually, the entire case was dismissed, but it was too late for the Paula Deen empire. The Food Network fired Deen and her products were later dropped by sellers including Target, Sears, and Walmart. The only product in the Paula Deen line that remained were her cookbooks.