Food Network – Page 9 – Premium Hollywood

It seems like cooking/restaurant reality based shows are popping up on every network. You’ve got Gordon Ramsay’s “Hell’s Kitchen” on Fox, and Bravo’s “Top Chef.” Then, of course, there are The Food Network’s “Chopped” and “Ultimate Recipe Showdown,” among others. Now NBC is getting into the action, with their new show, “The Chopping Block,” set to debut this Wednesday at 8pm/7pm central. The premise is that renowned British chef Marco Pierre White will direct two teams of four couples each in taking a restaurant from the ground up, with one couple being eliminated per week and the grand prize winner taking home $250,000.

We must now be so enamored with crass British reality TV talent judges that we now have to build shows around them. Along with Ramsay, “American Idol’s” Simon Cowell also comes immediately to mind. But while White seems to have Ramsay’s values, he has Cowell’s soft-spoken delivery and looks more like Howard Stern. Regardless, we caught a screener of the first two episodes and the show, which takes place in the restaurant hotbed of New York City, is definitely entertaining. The restaurant business is pressure-packed enough, but add TV cameras and celebrity food critics as well as some volatile contestants, and you’ve got some great natural drama. If you like any of the shows mentioned, you’re going to love this one too, provided you have time in your busy reality TV-watching schedule.

Adam Gertler was one of two runners-up in Season 4 of The Food Network’s “Next Food Network Star,” the same show that launched the white hot career of Guy Fieri. But six or so months later, Gertler has re-emerged with a new show on the network, “Will Work For Food.” The show pits Gertler in temporary places of employment such as fishing for lobster, digging for clams, and making honey from real bees. We had the chance to catch up with Gertler, who hails from Philadelphia, to talk about his show and more….

Premium Hollywood: Has there been a moment or moments on “Will Work For Food” where you were legitimately scared, like with the bees? And how disgusting was it to eat that giant clam raw?

Adam Gertler: Legitimately scared – hmm…I thought I was going to slide off the oyster boat because there was no railing, the boat was rocking, and it was slippery and wet from the snow. I was also a little concerned when digging the wine cave because I thought the cave was going to collapse on me before we applied the shotcrete (concrete fired out of a cannon) to finish it. The chainsaw I used when carving the ice sculptors had me worrying about possibly cutting off an ear. Considering I have no idea how to use a chain saw for its true purpose, using it for ice sculpting just seemed nuts. The clam was definitely disgusting in both texture and taste. And if I had the chance to do it again…yeah, I would.

PH: Do you come up with the ideas for the show, or do the producers?

AG: The segments are a collaborative effort with the “Will Work for Food team.” We do research and find great ideas for segments, then make them happen – it’s a team effort.

PH: Is there a job out there you absolutely would not do for food?

AG: There is nothing I won’t try at least once. I figure if it doesn’t put my life in danger, I can only grow from the experience.

PH: What is your dream job of working for food?

AG: I would love to go to Italy and learn how to make different kinds of salumi and cured meats as well as cheeses. Those are some of my favorite foods, and I would love to learn from the pros to see how they are made.

PH: How soon after “Food Network Star” ended did someone contact you about this show? What were you doing at the time?

Tag: Food Network (Page 9 of 9)

The Chopping Block debuts Wednesday on NBC

Adam Gertler from Food Network talks about his new show, cheesesteak, and Philly sports

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