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September 26 - October 2, 2021 • Terre Haute Tribune-Star • 19 tastytv BY GEORGE DICKIE When food becomes a character in sitcoms and dramas It is often said that food is the great common denominator, the common thread that unites us all no matter our beliefs, backgrounds or cultures. On television, it performs a different function, sometimes as a catalyst for a storyline or as a backdrop against which characters can engage with one another. And nowhere is that more true than on "Blue Bloods." Premiering its 12th season Friday, Oct. 1, on CBS, the venerable cop drama is known for its lively Sunday family dinner scenes in which patriarch Frank (Tom Selleck) and the Reagan family will discuss morally complex issues over meat loaf, roasted chicken or pot roast or whatever craft services whips up. And the food is real, though no one in the cast except Donnie Wahlberg (who plays Danny Reagan) actually eats. When it takes all day to shoot the family dinner, it's best to pace oneself. Conversely, food played an unconventional role in "Seinfeld." Of course, everyone remembers the "Soup Nazi" episode, about an eccentric soupmaker who put his customers through the wringer if they're to get a pint of his extraordinary creations. But there were also junior mints, nonfat yogurt, Mackinaw peaches, a big salad, a loaf of rye, an early bird dinner and a discarded eclair that drove Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), George (Jason Alexander), Kramer (Michael Richards) and Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) to distraction – or worse. On "The Big Bang Theory," Chinese takeout is what's for dinner on Fridays with General Tso's chicken, beef with broccoli, shrimp with lobster sauce and vegetable lo mein being the typical order for Sheldon (Jim Parsons), Leonard (Johnny Galecki), Penny (Kaley Cuoco) and the gang. Much like "Blue Bloods," the comestibles were real here and the cast really dug the steamed dumpling appetizer. Watch closely. Food was mostly the butt of the joke on "M*A*S*H" with what was served in the mess tent being mostly unrecognizable. But there was the Spam lamb that a kind-hearted Radar (Gary Burghoff ) used to give a real lamb a stay of execution for a camp cookout and the ribs that Hawkeye (Alan Alda) and Trapper (Wayne Rogers) ordered from Chicago. While the gang at "Cheers" mostly consumed their meals in liquid form, there was a memorable scene in one Season 5 episode where Thanksgiving dinner at Carla's (Rhea Perlman) house devolved into a food fight with Sam (Ted Danson), Diane (Shelley Long), Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and the others letting fly with mashed potatoes, stuffing, peas, gravy and cranberry sauce. Fans will also remember this as the only appearance of Norm's (George Wendt) wife Vera, albeit with pumpkin pie obscuring her face. "Blue Bloods" Sunday 5:00 p.m. FOOD Guy's Gro- cery Games Four fast food-loving chefs recreate fast favorites like burgers, tacos and Chinese takeout. 6:00 p.m. FOOD Guy's Gro- cery Games Four carnival food-loving chefs play carnival classics, Grocery Games-style. 7:00 p.m. FOOD Guy's Gro- cery Games Guy Fieri brings four chefs together to fight fryer with fryer in a fried food feud. 8:00 p.m. FOOD Halloween Wars Teams create spooky cakes to impress judges Eddie Jackson, Shinmin Li and Aarti Sequeira. 9:00 p.m. FOOD Halloween Wars Four teams compete to impress judges with their creepy cakes inspired by a new animated film. (N) 10:00 p.m. FOOD Worst Cooks in America Monday 5:00 p.m. FOOD Guy's Gro- cery Games Guy Fieri brings four food scientists to Flavortown to showcase their molecular gastrono- my skills. 6:00 p.m. FOOD Guy's Gro- cery Games Chefs use jack-o'-lanterns to grab ingredients; chefs wear blindfolds; chefs use bare hands to shop. 7:00 p.m. FOOD Guy's Gro- cery Games Including Guy Fieri's red fright special in their creepy comfort food dish; making a midnight snack. 8:00 p.m. FOOD Guy's Gro- cery Games Guy produces a vat of goo containing mysterious canned foods that chefs must use in a fried dish. 9:00 p.m. FOOD Halloween Baking Championship The competition gets tougher as the bakers must make cupcakes and a British classic. (N) 10:00 p.m. FOOD Chocolate Meltdown: Hershey's Af- ter Dark Pastry chefs are locked in an abandoned Hersheypark overnight to take on a creepy-crawly carnival. Tuesday 5:00 p.m. FOOD Chopped The chefs are excited to find a small plates theme in effect for their competi- tion. 6:00 p.m. FOOD Chopped Black garlic and coco- nut vinegar in appetizer round; alligator entrees; a Peruvian fruit. 7:00 p.m. FOOD Chopped Chefs take on a pork- themed challenge; the first basket contains a cut of heritage-breed pork. 8:00 p.m. FOOD Beat Bobby Flay Chefs Jeffrey Hansell and Meghann Ward look to scare Bobby out of his own kitchen. 8:30 p.m. FOOD Beat Bobby Flay Katie Lee and Zac Young want to scare up a victory, but Bobby Flay isn't giving up without a fright. 9:00 p.m. FOOD Beat Bobby Flay Things heat up in this summertime battle as chefs Phelix Gardner and Enrika Williams try to make a splash with a win in Bobby Flay's kitchen. Bobby uses his chef knives to try and slash Eddie Jackson and Ted Allen's summer fun. (N) 9:30 p.m. FOOD Beat Bobby Flay Seasoned chefs Chris Coleman and Siddharth Krishna hope to claim a head-turning win. 10:00 p.m. FOOD Beat Bobby Flay Michael Symon and Amanda Frietag are ready to make sure Bobby Flay goes home empty-hand- ed. Wednesday 5:00 p.m. FOOD Guy's Gro- cery Games Guy chal- lenges chefs to cook a day's worth of meals with a budget of just $12 for each round. 6:00 p.m. FOOD Guy's Gro- cery Games Guy takes four chefs to Flavortown for a culinary competition about eggs. 7:00 p.m. FOOD Guy's Gro- cery Games The food wheel decides where the remaining chefs get to shop for their regional comfort food dishes. 8:00 p.m. FOOD Guy's Gro- cery Games A pumpkin bowling contest; a red light special ingredient in the final round. 9:00 p.m. FOOD Guy's Gro- cery Games Three cheese experts battle it out from their home kitchens to prove which chef does cheese best. 10:00 p.m. FOOD Guy's Grocery Games Winning teams from previous what'scooking competitions return for another battle of team supremacy. Thursday 5:00 p.m. FOOD Halloween Baking Championship The competitors are chal- lenged to create Hallow- een candy croquembouche and incorporate an illu- sion. 6:00 p.m. FOOD Halloween Baking Championship For a vampire party, Carla Hall asks the eight remaining bakers to create desserts. 7:00 p.m. TNT Fast Food- ies Cracking the ultimate fried chicken code will put the chefs to the test. FOOD Halloween Bak- ing Championship In the creepy nursery, the com- petitors must bake 3-D demon doll cakes with an assigned flavor. 8:00 p.m. FOOD Halloween Baking Championship In the devil's den, Carla Hall challenges the six remain- ing bakers to conjure up a devilish dessert. 9:00 p.m. FOOD Halloween Baking Championship The five remaining bak- ers must create impressive costume cakes for a spot in the finale. 10:00 p.m. FOOD Halloween Baking Championship Friday 5:00 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Lechon and pork adobo fried rice; red curry fish and Mandarin duck confit; ono and ahi cakes. 5:30 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Guy gets a helping of comfort food; a local New Jersey landmark dishes up down- home cooking. 6:00 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Stuffed pork chops and lobster mac 'n cheese; chicken and tri-tip; crab melt and pork belly Reu- ben. 6:30 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Dump- lings and ramen; cheese- burger pie and chicken vodka; Rocky Mountain roast beef; cinnamon rolls. 7:00 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Guy visits a butchery for corn dogs; a diner makes mile- high meatloaf; a 1700s inn turned gastropub. 7:30 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Pizza joint in Flagstaff; a sea- food place in Fairhope; funky spin on Chinese spe- cialties. 8:00 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives A French-inspired Hawaiian hot spot transformed from a counter to a dine-in des- tination. 8:30 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Au- thentic German specialties; a food-and-music jamfest; Cuban favorites; meatball subs. 9:00 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives In Hawaii, Guy Fieri stops by a food truck for fresh hamachi on chilled soba noodles. 9:30 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives In Smyrna, Ga., a doctor- turned-chef fires up amaz- ing Asian from righteous ramen to Korean wings. 10:00 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Cre- ative hot dogs and sam- mies; waffles and beer cheese pretzels; short rib tacos and chicken torta. Saturday 5:00 p.m. FOOD Halloween Wars The team that can best turn a classic fairy tale into a terrifying scary tale is crowned champion. 6:00 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Por- tuguese sausage and a lamb burger; okra gumbo and meatless sandwiches; wings and pork rinds. 6:30 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Pork belly tacos and carne ado- bada; turtle soup; savory crepes and a saucy twist on beignets. 7:00 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Galician-style octopus and soup; sandwiches with sausage and sauces; rabbit and snail dishes. 7:30 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives An Asian spin on poultry in Seattle; a family-run Ha- waiian gem serves Thai specialties. 8:00 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Guy hits up hometown haunts; a Mexican joint in Santa Rosa, Calif.; a pizzeria in Eureka, Calif. 8:30 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives An Italian spot in Juneau, Alaska; a classic deli in Richmond, Va.; a funky joint in Ottawa, Canada. 9:00 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Guy revisits a hoagie shop in Florida; a Jewish deli in Denver; the inventor of the ice cream cone. 9:30 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Guy grabs some barbecue and Southern comfort, visiting Seattle, Wilmington, N.C. and Oakland, Calif. 10:00 p.m. FOOD Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Outra- geous octopus in Oregon; polenta sandwiches. • Meal Service Available • Transportation Available 812-535-1242 3461 St. Mary's Rd. 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