The Frugal Gourmet

[Dan]

He taught me how to cook. Firstly, hot pan cold oil, foods don't stick.

My wife and I used to watch his show every week.

I learned a lot from the guy.

He was one of the few food legendary do it your selfers.

I know about his downfalling, that is not what this is about

Tell your stories about how the Frugal Gourmet helped your love of cooking.

 

[Homercidal]

Never seen him. Not even sure I know what he's about.

 

[Hello]

Never seen him but I was hoping this thread was about how people make great food on a dime.

Hot pan cold oil is what I learned at Williams Sonoma when I laid down a bit too much on All-Clad cookware. It was probably the best advice they could have given me since I didn't buy their non-stick line.

 

[Skipper74]

I used to watch the Frugal Gourmet on Saturday afternoon when I was in high school. (Right before Yan Can Cook.) The first cookbook I ever owned was an autographed copy of "The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American."

 

[Dan]

Ha ha... I guess I dated myself a bit. I don't remember the exact time period the Frugal Gourmet ran for but I watched it probably from around 89 into the mid nineties maybe. And Yan Can Cook too - loved that guy!

Jeff Smith was the Frugal Gourmet. He was a pastor, methodist I believe. He was one of the cooking show pioneers, not sure if he was after Julia Child or during, but before Emerald and Alton Brown. He wrote four or five cookbooks. They didn't just give recipes they were also filled techniques, stories, history of food and culture.

It's really too bad he is no longer a household name. The end of his career came to an ugly halt and I think he lived out the rest of his days isolated and miserable and died from heart failure.

No matter what is said of the man he truly enjoyed food, the history of food and he taught many Americans to cook.

Just looked him up on Wicki.. Here's a link if anybody's interested.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Smith_(chef)

 

[Hammy71]

Yeah, I remember him. Sadly, his 'downfall' was more than enough for me to try and forget him.....

 

[bob1852]

Wasn't it Yan can cook who said "hot wok, cold oil, food no stick"?

 

[JonM]

Back when I was a broke grad student with access to three clear TV channels, I fell completely in love with the cooking shows on PBS. "Cooking at Home With Julia and Jaques" was my absolute favorite, but Yan Can Cook and the one with Rick Bayless were really good too. I'm sure I saw reruns of The Frugal Gourmet in there somewhere too.

Have you guys seen Moveable Feast on PBS? It's a newer cooking show. Before cooking the fish, they go catch the fish. Before they cook the fennel, peppers, etc. they talk to the farmer and pick the veggies. Before cooking the pork, they meet the Berkshire hog farmer and talk about the hogs' diet, etc. They go to the winery and talk to the winemakers, etc. Then they put the meal together with the help of guests like Jacques Pepin. Really cool.

 

[HefeHood]

I remember Julia Child. That was before cable TV and remotes.

 

[ChefRex]

Jeff Smith, very entertaining, I used to watch him when he was on. I have several of his books.
I used to make shrimp with gin on a regular basis, might need to make it again soon, so good, at least as I remember.

 

[Dan]

Yeah, I remember him. Sadly, his 'downfall' was more than enough for me to try and forget him.....

Jeff Smith, very entertaining, I used to watch him when he was on. I have several of his books.
I used to make shrimp with gin on a regular basis, might need to make it again soon, so good, at least as I remember.

Lordy, Lordy Chef you are over forty

Jeff Smith was, and probably did do some bad stuff in his life. I wish he wouldnt have.

In every cloud there is a silver lining. The Frug, Jeff Smith's life was the cloud. The silver lining was his contribution.

I'll never condone his sexual actions to boys. But I will proclaim his ultimate goal to help people learn to make great food was honorable.

 

[ChefRex]

Lordy, Lordy Chef you are over forty

Jeff Smith was, and probably did do some bad stuff in his life. I wish he wouldnt have.

In every cloud there is a silver lining. The Frug, Jeff Smith's life was the cloud. The silver lining was his contribution.

I'll never condone his sexual actions to boys. But I will proclaim his ultimate goal to help people learn to make great food was honorable.

A tad, I never followed the accusations and what happened afterward, I can't really recall that he had died, although it does ring a bell now that it is mentioned.
Night all as the morning comes too soon.

 

[Dan]

G' night ChefRex. Cheers to you.

 

[HornetSparky]

I grew up watching the frugal gourmet with my father. Loved it. Supremely sad that he had such a horrible side.


Sparky
Making beer and hard cider in Southern Virginia since 2011.

 

[Hammy71]

Yeah, a little above 40. And I did enjoy his show. But I gotta ask.....What....no love for Justin Wilson? LOL

 

[Dan]

Yeah, a little above 40. And I did enjoy his show. But I gotta ask.....What....no love for Justin Wilson? LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK4umRMJlrs

I remember that guy. I wouldn't have remembered watching his shows if you didn't post the video, but now that you did, kicks up a few memories.

In the video you posted, he looks like a cross between John Wayne, and Burt Lancaster or Charlton Heston. I always mix up those last to fellows.

I went to YouTube after your post and looked him up. 87 years old when he died, if my math is correct.

Squirrel Hunting

 

[signpost]

I remember watching the Frugal Gourmet with my parents as I was growing up. But I definitely was a bigger fan of Justin Wilson (I guar-ooohhhnnn-tee), although I don't remember ever knowing his name. We just called him the Cajun Chef. I enjoyed him much more than the Frugal Gourmet, although my parents preference might have been the reverse of my own.

 

[Rhumbline]

Friends and I used to watch Justin all the time. We all still pronounce Worcester sauce "Hoot de chire"

"Now for some o dat hoot de chire sauce"

 

[JonM]

And he'd start directions with "Get 'cha a XY or Z" and a handful of salt was a punch. "Not a pinch, but get 'cha a punch of salt."

 

[IslandLizard]

Glad you brought this topic up.

The Frugal Gourmet got me into cooking big time. I loved his shows and books, and gave me a better understanding where the foods came from and how to prepare them. Julia Child may have started it, but Jeff Smith made it accessible, in a straight forward, no-fussy kind of way.

Besides Jeff and Julia, there were quite a few other cook shows I liked:

• James Barber (The Urban Peasant) - "Make the best of what you have"
• Martin Yan (Yan Can Cook)
• Clarissa Dickson-Wright and Jennifer Paterson (Two Fat Ladies)
• Alton Brown (early shows)
• The Iron Chef (original series)
• Justin Wilson - only saw his shows a few times
• Chopped - That show really grew on me
• Iron Chef America (ICA) - only a few chefs I deem worthwhile, won't mention names, you know who I'm talking about

 

[unionrdr]

I watched the Cookin' Cajun as well as the frugel ghormet all the time. I have three of Jeff's books. His 1st one,Cooks American,& Cooks Italian. The Italian one's great,as he explains the differences between Northern & Southern. Tons of regional dishes. I think the thing I like most is his humanistic stories in the recipes. He believed that sharing food is sharing the person's culture. He always referred to it as a celebration. I don't care what they say about him. I really liked the guy.
One time,when we were at Home Depot in Avon,he walked in. But we were on the other side of the store,couldn't catch up to him. But he was a big guy. Must've been 6' 2" at least. He looked like he was heading for the kitchen stuff,a big smile on his face. I really do believe he loved all things cooking.
The Cookin' Cajun was funny in a country sort of way. The kind of stuff I grew up with,so I get the humor. I remember the Galloping Ghourmet as well.

 

[Rhumbline]

I know the guy is a lightning rod, and I've got no use for his reality tv shows, but Gordon Ramsay really helped me a lot with techniques and recipes that I never would have attempted.

His stuffed chicken thigh, wrapped in bacon is great as was the beef wellington.

His ultimate cookery course videos on youtube have been a big help for someone who never got any real professional training.

 

[SmokeyMcBong]

I never seen the frugal gourmet, not sure if they showed it in canada or not. I do however remember the Yans (wok with yan & yan can cook), James Barber (the urban pesant) and Pasquale (singing drunk with the vino in the cafe!), Oh and I cant forget my sweet Julia. As a matter of fact, it was these same people who molded and steered me towards professional cooking

One of my favorite clips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR64GGyEv_o

 

[Dan]

I never seen the frugal gourmet, not sure if they showed it in canada or not. I do however remember the Yans (wok with yan & yan can cook), James Barber (the urban pesant) and Pasquale (singing drunk with the vino in the cafe!), Oh and I cant forget my sweet Julia. As a matter of fact, it was these same people who molded and steered me towards professional cooking

One of my favorite clips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR64GGyEv_o

As far as the JC , clip. I know she was a wonderful chef. Her mistake with the potatoes mskes her real.

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[SmokeyMcBong]

As far as the JC , clip. I know she was a wonderful chef. Her mistake with the potatoes mskes her real.

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Thats why I (and most other chefs) love Julia! she ruined things and was very unapologetic about it. when I first started out, throwing things outta the pan when attempting a flip was the norm and Julia made me feel ok about that lol! She let us know that as long as we mashed everything back together and served the good side up, the customer would never know what happened and would assume that the professional chef got it right the first time, everytime!!

I wouldn't even be able to count the number of times, in the beginning, that I've had to transfer an omlette to a clean kitchen towel to roll and form the culinary abortion that I had made back into a cigar shaped proper omlette lol! I've also received great complements on those very same omlettes!!

If you really like the down and dirty kitchen life, I'd suggest that you read "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain. That book pretty accurately depicts my, and many others, professional career in industrial cooking. "Medium Raw" and "The Nasty Bits" are also other good books by Anthony Bourdain along the same lines but "Kitchen Confidential" is the must read!

 

[Yooper]

Glad you brought this topic up.

The Frugal Gourmet got me into cooking big time. I loved his shows and books, and gave me a better understanding where the foods came from and how to prepare them. Julia Child may have started it, but Jeff Smith made it accessible, in a straight forward, no-fussy kind of way.

That's what I loved about The Frugal Gourmet. It was before cable TV, and we had limited choices, but we always had The Frugal gourmet on Saturday. I was a young adult, and didn't really know how to cook so I learned a lot from him, including the "hot pan, cold oil, food won't stick" schtick. I just used that technique yesterday.

I don't watch TV much any more, and haven't for the last 10-15 years or so, so I have no idea who the 'new' cooks are but I still appreciate what Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, and Jeff Smith did for my cooking.

 

[Hammy71]

Thats why I (and most other chefs) love Julia! she ruined things and was very unapologetic about it. when I first started out, throwing things outta the pan when attempting a flip was the norm and Julia made me feel ok about that lol! She let us know that as long as we mashed everything back together and served the good side up, the customer would never know what happened and would assume that the professional chef got it right the first time, everytime!!

I wouldn't even be able to count the number of times, in the beginning, that I've had to transfer an omlette to a clean kitchen towel to roll and form the culinary abortion that I had made back into a cigar shaped proper omlette lol! I've also received great complements on those very same omlettes!!

If you really like the down and dirty kitchen life, I'd suggest that you read "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain. That book pretty accurately depicts my, and many others, professional career in industrial cooking. "Medium Raw" and "The Nasty Bits" are also other good books by Anthony Bourdain along the same lines but "Kitchen Confidential" is the must read!

I love the Anthony Bourdain shows on the Travel Channel as well as CNN. He's not only a chef, but a hell of a reporter and story teller. Coarse, the fact he is drinking and usually half in the bag during the shows only add to the allure!!

 

[blakelyc]

I love the Anthony Bourdain shows on the Travel Channel as well as CNN. He's not only a chef, but a hell of a reporter and story teller. Coarse, the fact he is drinking and usually half in the bag during the shows only add to the allure!!

I am addicted to No Reservations and I am going back through all old episodes in Amazon Instant Video. His exploration of cultures through their food is outstanding.

But to the thread:
The Frugal Gourmet
Just Wilson
Yan can cook

Those three shows started a life-long love of food and cooking. Then there was The Woodwright's shop and New Yankee Workshop. Those are the reason that I have a complete wood shop and built almost everything myself.

PBS had a HUGE impact on my life. I kinda miss those days.

 

[Yooper]

PBS had a HUGE impact on my life. I kinda miss those days.

Me too! I don't want to take this thread OT, but I watched "Victory Garden" and loved it.

My all-time favorite TV show, ever, was on PBS. "The Red Green Show" was/is the epitome of comedy in my mind and I still laugh at some of the old things I think about from time to time.

I learned to cook, learned some home repair via Bob Villa, learned to appreciate gardening and learned to laugh at myself, all thanks to PBS.

 

[SmokeyMcBong]

My all-time favorite TV show, ever, was on PBS. "The Red Green Show" was/is the epitome of comedy in my mind and I still laugh at some of the old things I think about from time to time. .

Lol, I still use way way too much duct tape because of him!

 

[JonM]

The Julia-ism that we use often is (In full Dan Aykroyd Julia impression voice) "Americans are so afraid of fat!" Whenever we make something that uses a lot of butter or heavy cream or something like that, that one comes up.

There was another episode where she said something that really stuck with me. She said people always get upset if they run out of a particular ingredient and say "Oh, now I can't make that because I don't have X." She said something like "Of course you can! Substitute something else or improvise!" That one comes to mind whenever something doesn't go as planned on brewday.

I highly recommend the American Masters episode of Julia. She was a fascinating lady.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/julia-child/about-julia-child/555/

 

[Dan]

All I can say is. I love this thread. Going to post later


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[noob1979]

I grew up on all of those, when we didn't watch Norm Abrum. There was a Cajun named Paul Preudome that made excellent food, I have one of his books.


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[LabRatBrewer]

I liked the Galloping Gourmet. There was also a local show with a man and wife, and it was full of sexual innuendo's and drinking. She was very funny. I don't recall the name. There's a youtube channel called "My Drunk Kitchen" that's clever.

Edit: Found it, it was called: At Home on the Range” with John Crean & Barbara Venezia I guess John died in 2007. Too bad, episodes here: http://www.hotrange.com/

 

[Homercidal]

I'm a big fan of Alton Brown. I especially loved the fun way he filmed his episodes, and the science and reasoning he brought to the party.

I think the first episode I saw was when he smoked a fish at a motel in a cardboard box.

I'm not saying he did everything right, or best, but I absolutely learned more about WHY things are done the way they are done. And there is always room for personal preferences in cooking.

 

[JonM]

I grew up on all of those, when we didn't watch Norm Abrum. There was a Cajun named Paul Preudome that made excellent food, I have one of his books.


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Because of Norm, I can't read "doors and drawerfronts" without thinking in a Massachusetts accent. Same goes for "framing square" and "combination square."

 

[JonM]

I'm a big fan of Alton Brown. I especially loved the fun way he filmed his episodes, and the science and reasoning he brought to the party.

I think the first episode I saw was when he smoked a fish at a motel in a cardboard box.

I'm not saying he did everything right, or best, but I absolutely learned more about WHY things are done the way they are done. And there is always room for personal preferences in cooking.

I like the way Alton Brown cooks out of the toolbox. That is, he uses an infrared thermometer, he used channel lock pliers to crack lobster claws because nutcrackers were too small, and a bunch of other things I can't think of right now.

 

[HornetSparky]

I too enjoy Alton Brown. The best part of Alton's approach is that he addresses why a particular technique works in addition to how to execute. Teach a man to fish . . .


Sparky
Making beer and hard cider in Southern Virginia since 2011.

 

[SmokeyMcBong]

Whenever I need to know "how to" for any procedure or technique I always check out what Alton Brown is saying. He's usually spot on to the way it should be done, plus he'll add in the why's and why nots.

I also absolutely adore Paul Prudhomme as well.

 

[noob1979]

Because of Norm, I can't read "doors and drawerfronts" without thinking in a Massachusetts accent. Same goes for "framing square" and "combination square."

I have exactly the same problem.


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