New Shows, Old Faces: Fall 2013 TV Season

It's here! It's here! The start of the fall 2013 TV season has arrived, and with it a host of new shows to brawl it out on prime time.  It will be a blood bath and it will be glorious.

There's been a lot of talk recently about the changing face of television.  Even Kevin Spacey got in on the action.  As anyone with a computer knows, "content" is now no longer viewed only on actual television sets at certain times of day, but on a variety of platforms at whatever-time-I-feel-like-it.  TV bigwigs are just now realizing there is a market for this and the masses will still pay them to give the people what they want.  But some parts of the US television system are just too deeply ingrained to change, the biggest part being the fall premiere launch.  After wading through scripts, screening pilots, and strategically scheduling their lineup, the networks debut their hand-crafted new shows, the majority of which will be canceled before they've even become accustomed to the chill air of reality.

Because so many new shows get the axe, it can be a risk to start watching something new for fear you'll get invested just as it is yanked off the air.  But that's what I'm here for.  If you haven't already gone through the list of the new fall premieres to decide which you are going to invest precious DVR real estate in, let me help you.  I've given my top picks of shows I'm really pumped for and others I'll be watching out of the corner of my eye.  Remember, though, the risk of cancellation shouldn't stop you from sampling something that intrigues you.  What stays and what goes is still a surprise to the oldest of TV veterans.  May the odds be ever in the favor of your new favorites.

Deconstructed Shish Kebabs

Hot town, summer in the city. Or more accurately, summer in the outskirts of a small industrialized town.

One of the best things about summer cooking is the opportunity to grill everything.  I, unfortunately, don't have a grill.  At some point in my life, I'd like to become a real grill master. For now, though, I try to find creative ways around making things sans grill.  This usually isn't too difficult if you are comfortable with your broiler.

This whole "deconstructed shish kebab" fiasco started when I picked up some sirloin tips for a great price at Wegmans.  It being summer, though, I didn't want to make a stew, so I thought-- aha! Shish kebabs! My plan was all set and I was ready to start cooking when I realized I forgot to get one very important thing at the store...skewers. I had reached the point of no return with my preparations, so I did what any good cook (but not great because a great cook would have remembered skewers and probably been doing this on a grill to start) would do and threw everything on a sheet tray under the broiler.

Was the method fancy? No. Did it require any cooking skills whatsoever? Not really. But was the end result delicious? You can bet your sweet patootie it was.

Veggie Fried Rice

I have a deep dark culinary secret. It's something I'm really ashamed of, so don't laugh when I tell you...I'm terrible at making rice.

I know, I know, it's ironic in an Alanis Morissette way that I have a cooking blog and yet I'm bad at making rice, one of the most basic things you can do in the kitchen right along with boiling an egg.  But the fact remains, I'm just not successful in the rice department. Either I undercook the rice and it turns out soggy and hard, or I overcook it and end up with a layer of charcoal in the bottom of my pan. Sometimes I manage to do both at the same time.

You might be wondering why, then, I decided to make fried rice, which involves both making regular rice and then the more difficult task of stir-frying it. Well, the answer it pretty basic: I was hungry, and the ingredients I had on hand lent themselves to fried rice.

Thai Tuna Burgers

When I was little, my mom would make tuna burgers sometimes for dinner.  She would mix up tuna, celery, and seasonings, bind it together with egg and breadcrumbs, and then fry the patties on the stove top (which is of course what made them so delicious).  At the time, it felt like kind of a special treat, as it was something my mom would give my brother and me if we weren't having a family dinner.  In hindsight, I realize it was the opposite: she was just throwing together things that were always on hand to make an easy meal for hungry children.

Whether or not it was a "special" dinner, it was definitely tasty.   A dinner of Mom's tuna burgers is still a warm and fuzzy memory from my childhood.  It was also something I thought was rather unique-- none of my friends had tuna burgers.  Burgers was probably a misleading name, as there was no bun or toppings involved. But still, when was the last time you saw a tuna burger alternative on a menu?

Well imagine my surprise when I came across just that.  A Thai Tuna Burger recipe that's a proper burger on a bun, but is made of a mixed patty like what my mom used to make.