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Try out bizarre but palatable 'Food Party'

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By The Associated Press

Published: June 9, 2009

Imagine what it would be like if "Pee-wee's Playhouse" had been a cooking show starring a cute young Vietnamese woman.

No, no. Try this: Imagine one of those crazy Cartoon Network Adult Swim shows with crude handmade puppets that resemble food items.

Wait. That's not it, either. You just have to see "Food Party," because there's no way to properly explain this surreal comedy experience.

Brooklyn artist Thu Tran, a cheerful 27-year-old food enthusiast, hosts this faux cooking show set in her colorful handmade cardboard kitchen. It debuts at 11:15 tonight on the Independent Film Channel.

Episodes are 10 minutes long. Tran, the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, whips up bizarre-but-edible things such as chicken wing cake (cornbread stuffed with buffalo chicken) or ostrich egg omelets while interacting with a weird collection of characters in absurd adventures.

Any resemblance between this and a real cooking show probably is not possible.

Among her puppet characters is a suave French baguette that smokes cigarettes and wears sunglasses. There's also lovelorn ice cream cone sock puppet that lives in her refrigerator. And check out the strip-tease banana.

"Food Party" is not for everyone, but then there's not much on TV anymore that is.

And the offbeat show, which originated on the Web, should appeal to the artsy, independent-minded viewers who might be watching the IFC movies.

BROOKE BREAKS UP: Brooke Bollea and her famous father Hulk Hogan shared some tears on the second season premiere of "Brooke Knows Best" Sunday night on VH1.

On the episode, the 21-year-old singer and reality show star who lives in Miami came to Tampa to meet her father's new girlfriend, Jennifer McDaniel, 34.

She said she was disappointed that her mother, Linda Bollea, 49, is divorcing her father and dating a 19-year-old. She calls her mother's behavior "sickening."

On a boat ride past the 17,000-square-foot French-style Belleair Beach mansion where Linda now lives, Brooke started crying when she saw the family dog, Cookie, on the dock.

Hulk also let some bitterness slip out: "I can't believe I busted my body every night for 30 years to build that home, and now a 19-year-old is living in it."

THEY GOT GAME: In case you missed the first Game Show Awards on the Game Show Network on Saturday night, Howie Mandel was named the best game show host in a poll of GSN viewers.

Mandel, of "Deal or No Deal," also was host of the awards show (how convenient). And the briefcase toting models from "Deal" were named "best game show models."

"Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" was picked as the best game show.

Retired "Price is Right" host Bob Barker got the Legend Award. And Monty Hall of "Let's Make a Deal" was given the Icon Award by his former co-star, spokesmodel Carol Merrill.

Future game show question: Is it better to be a legend or an icon?

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