The sun's out and Guy Fieri is firing up the grill. Today it's Tandoori-style Yogurt Marinated Lamb Shoulder hitting the grates, with sweet grilled onions and crisp-tender green beans. His Spicy Chickpea Salad with tomatoes will heat up your taste buds, while a glass of green tea and rum-based Tea on the Green cools 'em right off.
Grilled Tandoori-Yogurt Marinated Lamb Shoulder with Grilled Onions and Green Beans - recipe
Guidposts Magazine recently interviewed Guy Fieri about "his macrobiotic childhood, love of garlic and a complex personality that few know."
Q: What inspired you to start cooking? A: Very simple. The deal in my family was whoever cooked made the decision of what would be made. My parents were into macrobiotics, and I was a carnivore as a child. So [by cooking] I could make people happy, I could decide what we’d eat, and I didn’t have to do the dishes. If that doesn’t channel you as a child I don’t know what does!
Macrobiotics use whole grain cereals such as brown rice and buckwheat pasta, fish, nuts and seeds as a staple ingredients with legumes, vegetables, seaweed, fermented soy products and fruit, combined into meals according to the principle of balance (known as yin and yang).
Nightshade vegetables, including tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, eggplant, spinach, beets and avocados are not recommended or are used sparingly at most. (More on macrobiotic diets)
Q: What three ingredients are always in your kitchen? A: Fresh cracked pepper, garlic and I can’t decide between soy sauce or olive oil.
On pepper If we went through my kitchen, there are probably 100 seasonings and sauces. From 20 different seasoned salts to 10 different vinegars. But when you get to the core basics, the taste of fresh cracked pepper is immeasurable. Salt and pepper are the simplest. It’s the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers of food.
On garlic The bodacious garlic. I call it “Vitamin G.” Its versatility is unparalleled. It can be sweet and creamy, sharp and bitter, can support or be lead character. I have to put that ahead of everything. At any given time there will be 10 bulbs in the jar when I’m home.
On soy sauce We often add sodium to things and soy sauce has a rounded flavor. I do a lot of Asian food, and it has a nice complex taste that works well--not a “Boom!” here’s my sodium.” I love it when people say, “But there’s no soy sauce in there!”
On olive oil Extra version olive oil is great for gentle, subtle things like dipping sauce or salads. Good plain olive oil can play a real nice role in many dishes. And it does not have a high smoke point. Often people don’t realize it can go bad. You need to keep it in a dark bottle, out of the heat. People will say, “This olive oil has a big flavor,” but actually it’s rancid.
Q: If you were a dish, what would you be? A: Hong Kong noodles. It’s one of my favorites when I do demonstrations.... I’m a deep person. Things in my life are flavorful. And, it’s crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. That’s something people will see in me, too.... I get people to see the other side of things. People might think that I’m a certain way, but there are other sides to me.
Guy Fieri has several stops to make in Southern California over the next few weeks. Guy is appearing in Disneyland on May 30 and 31 and filming Triple D in Los Angeles June 2 - 5.
The OC Register interviewed Guy about Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, his fans, and his upcoming appearance at the California Food & Wine Festival.
Q. So, your goal is to always give someone a great place to eat. But, what if it’s not good? A: I’ve had something like that happen, where it doesn’t look good. (Translation: the cook has totally messed up.) I stop (filming at that point) and say ‘Let’s move on.’
Q: What do fans say when they first see you? A: ‘Dude, is it really you. Dude, you are really cool.’ They also ask me, “Is the car (Chevy Camaro convertible) really yours?
Q: Is it? A: No. It’s the producer’s car.
Q: Since you’re headed to Disneyland later this week, let’s talk amusement park food. Do you like theme park food? A: I’m not a big theme park food fan. I will give props to Disney. I think the thing that Disney does best is the prime rib at the Blue Bayou and the corn dogs at the red truck. Now, that’s my kind of fast food. The broasted chicken is killer.
Q: You are a California boy. Yet, it seems like you spend a lot of time at dives outside California. Any plans to do more in Southern California? A: We are shooting in Southern California the day after Disney. In fact, we have 14 locations in California in the next (few) weeks.
[Wow. Has it really been a week since my last post? ~D]
Moments Photography was on hand to help Home of the Innocents with their fund-raising event on Oaks day. They write, "the special guest was Guy Fieri - Food Network Chef. He was so awesome to work with and we had a ton of fun!"
------------------------------------------------------ Kate and Josh write from their blog, "Guy Fieri came and spoke at SSU, it was really interesting!" And continue with this story he told:
"He told a story about how he was recently at a fundraiser in Kentucky trying to raise money for a children's hospital, and he was at 9K and was trying to get to 10K but all of the items had been auctioned off, and he was even auctioning off random things he just found like a mini fridge from the hotel. And finally he yelled to the crowd "We need to get to 10K, what's it gonna take??" and a guy yelled from the back "your sunglasses!"
Well, apparently he had just received the sunglasses as a gift from the manufacturer, they were a one of a kind pair, created with his custom logo and copy of his tattoo as the design. He was in love with the glasses and had only had them about a week. But after standing on stage hyping everyone up about raising money, he knew he had no choice. So he walked to the back of the room and gave the guy his sunglasses, and brought the fundraiser up to 10K."
------------------------------------------------------ Guy Fieri stopped by EMG Pickups in Santa Rosa, CA - where this video was shot.
"Our mission is to be the undisputed technological leader in the pickup industry, creating exceptional products that empower musicians around the globe to explore and express their passion for performance."
------------------------------------------------------ From Fox Providence, more on grilling with pork:
------------------------------------------------------ Lisa Mertins writes from her blog that "Guy and his crew ... created a night of a lifetime to benefit Cardinal Newman high school and I felt lucky to be included...."
Winners of a charity auction enjoyed a dinner cooked by Guy Fieri and his crew, served in the Barrel Room at Villa de Vino, home of Kimberly & Allan Henderson, for a party of 10.
"Fieri was gracious and fun, signing books and posing for photographs. And he promised a spin with Lucinda in the Camaro he drives in “Diner’s, Drive-Ins and Dives” when he’s back in the North Bay — that put Lucinda over the moon.
Oh, there’s a caveat. She had to promise to spike her grown in hair like Guy’s to complete the picture, but she’s game."
Captain Guy Fieri's got a chicken recipe guaranteed to fly off your plate: his Pan-Seared Airline Breast is coated in paprika garlic rub, then smothered in caramelized onion and leek pan sauce. Flying alongside is wingman Rice a Munee, blending rice and vermicelli with veggies in a white wine sauce. Flaky Strawberry Rhubarb Turnovers hover close behind.
The Great American Food & Music Fest Saturday, June 13th , Doors 11:00AM/Show NOON Shoreline Amphitheater at Mountain View, California Tickets range from $35 to $526
The Gastronomy Blog has TWO tickets to give away to ONE lucky gas•tron•o•my reader.
All you have to do is visit their blog at gas•tron•o•my and leave a comment there with your name, email address, and the name of your favorite restaurant in America.
All entries must be received by Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at midnight PST. Good luck!
For more information on the festival, see my post here, or visit the event's webpage here.
For a Memorial Day week-long series of Dear Food Network, several fans meet up with their favorite Food Network hosts about grilling and bbq'ing.
On Monday, May 25 - All Access Grill Pass - Guy Fieri brings two of his biggest fans to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, to show them the Mexican pride, culture, lifestyle and flavors he enjoys when on vacation. He'll expose his new friends to the old and the new Cabo cuisines, including the places only the local foodies know about. Plus, Aaron McCargo. (repeats on May 26 and May 29)
Tuesday, May 26 - All American Style Grilling - featuring Alton Brown, with Giada De Laurentiis, Aaron McCargo.
Wednesday, May 27 - Grilling in Paradise - featuring Bobby Flay, with Aida Mollenkamp, Aaron McCargo.
Guy Fieri cooks for Carroll Shelby and Kenny Stabler his Racing Slick Shrimp in a Snakebite Sauce at the SEMA Show, November 2008 in Las Vegas. (Newsvideoweb)
Brenda, from BAM's Blog, caught up with Guy over lunch at Mama E’s Wings & Waffles in Oklahoma City, saying, "he was so kind to my kids and thanked us for coming out and for watching 'DDD.'"
And The Food Dude writes more on his interview with Guy Fieri. "He wanted to be a rock star but couldn’t really sing or read music. When he decided to go into the food industry, he wanted to be a restaurateur. 'I wanted to have my own band, not just be a singer.'"
Come in here, dear boy, have a cigar You're gonna go far, you're gonna fly high You're never gonna die, you're gonna make it if you try They're gonna love you.
"Have a Cigar" - Pink Floyd
On Saturday, May 16, Guy Fieri visited the Floodgate Winery in Healdsburg, CA with Camacho Cigars for CigarBQ® 2009, an annual event for cigar, food and wine aficionados. Guests enjoyed samplings of California cuisine, tastings from over 60 wineries and some hand-made cigars. The event benefited the YWCA of Sonoma County.
You've heard of deep-fried whole turkeys, but what about deep-fried turkey breasts wrapped in foil!? Guy Fieri's guest Panini Pete shows how this crazy method gets perfectly juicy turkey meat to pile on his hot pressed panini. To go with that, Guy's own deep-fried meat-and-cheese affair: crispy Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls. To chase these wild creations, Guy shakes up the Turkey Chaser, a citrus-raspberry cocktail fizzing with crisp prosecco.
Pete's "Rubbed and Almost Fried" Turkey Sandwich - recipe
The Sacramento Bee reports that California First Lady Maria Shriver will unveil the WE Garden in Capitol Park in Sacramento this Thursday morning, May 21, 2009.
Dubbed "WE Garden in Capitol Park," the 800-square-foot project is designed to inspire schoolchildren to learn about food and nutrition as well as agriculture.
Alice Waters and Guy Fieri will join Shriver for the dedication Thursday morning. The event also will feature a food fair with free samples, cooking demonstrations and healthy recipes.
Alice Waters is an American chef and co-owner of Chez Panisse, the original "California Cuisine" restaurant in Berkeley, California. She champions locally-grown and fresh ingredients and has been credited with creating and developing California Cuisine. Waters has written or co-written several books on the subject, including the influential Chez Panisse Cooking (written with then-chef Paul Bertolli).
Guy's Big Bite has been nominated for a Daytime Emmy. Specifically, Michael Schear, who has also directed Emeril and Rachael Ray, is nominated for Outstanding Directing in a Lifestyle / Culinary Program.
The Food Network was nominated for nine other Emmys, and Rachael Ray's talk show got a nod as well. The awards ceremony will air on CW, August 30, 2009, at 8:00 p.m. (ET) from The Historic Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles.
------------------------------------------- Looks like Guy Fieri is headed to Oklahoma next week for Diner's, Drive-Ins and Dives. NewsOK reports that Eischen’s Bar in Okarche, OK, is on the list of featured restaurants. The bar is known for its fried chicken.
An anonymous reviewer on CitySearch said, "The oldest bar in Oklahoma! Well I know most people go to Eischen's for the fried chicken and beer. I personally am not big on either one but my favorite is the fried okra."
And a YahooLocal reviewer said, "Simple (sic) the best chicken I have ever eaten. I am not a real chicken eater but I will eat here anytime. Its neat that the place has been around more than 100 yrs. We went with another couple and had a blast. Thanks Pete and Deb. It's more fitted for adults but children can go as well. Have the chicken and fried mushrooms. Worth the trip any distance."
*update* Anne Fox won the Emmy for Outstanding Directing In A Culinary/Lifestyle Program for Giada At Home. Other shows nominated were Guys Big Bite, The Martha Stewart Show, and This Old House.
Sonoma State University announces that Guy Fieri will "explore his rise from a pretzel cart to national culinary celebrity" when he speaks there on Wednesday, May 13th at 7 p.m.
"Fieri will discuss his humble beginnings at a pretzel cart and his rise to national celebrity, the creation of multiple successful and truly unique restaurants, how he came to know his own success, and how SSU students can come to know their own."
The event is free, but open to SSU students, faculty and staff only. For more information, call (707) 664-2382 or visit them online at www.sonoma.edu/as/asp.
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Kaitlin noticed some TV cameras in front of Guy's restaurant in Sacramento on Friday, part of his satellite media tour for the National Pork board, and this is part of the result of that taping.
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And Tyler Florence announced from his Twitter earlier today, "I'm on my way Hayward CA. Viking showroom tonight with Guy Fieri and Sam Choy." My mind is going whir with the possibilities of that little outing!
It's been a week of diverse activities for Guy Fieri.
On Sunday, May 3rd, Guy Fieri joined the Rock n Roll Fantasy Camp for a day. He was on hand at Baby Blues BBQ in West Hollywood to host a BBQ lunch for the campers and to co-MC the concert with founder David Fishof Sunday night at Whiskey A Go Go. At right, Guy Fieri with Rock n Roll Fantasy Camper Russ S.
------------------------------------------- On Friday, May 8, Fieri and the National Pork Board did satellite interviews with 33 cities to promote the "Search for the Next Pork Personality," a contest where three finalists grill-off in New York, hosted by Guy Fieri.
The National Pork Board also donated a Fieri-autographed charbroil grill to a Roseville fire department. ------------------------------------------- Roseville's paper reports that dozens of locals gathered at Johnny Garlic’s in Roseville on Friday, May 8 for the official grand opening of Johnny Garlic’s California Pasta Grill with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The restaurant opened in October of 2008.
------------------------------------------- The Sacramento Bee reported that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared the second Saturday in May "Cook With Your Kids Day" and issued a proclamation urging parents to spend time cooking with their children.
Moreover, Guy Fieri was presented with a resolution recognizing him as an advocate for families cooking together.
Fieri hosted a sushi class for 40 children at his Sacramento Tex Wasabi's restaurant. Half of the participants were from the UC Davis Children's Hospital.
In a recent interview with The Bee, Fieri said parents need to teach children critical lessons, such as how to cook and how to eat in moderation. "We need to educate our kids about food," he said. "One of the things I do with my son is he has to make the lunch," Fieri said, adding that his son gets to buy the school lunch once a week.
Sunset Magazine did a nice article on some of Guy Fieri's campground cooking tips and recipes. The magazine shot these pictures in September of 2008 at Bodega Bay, and Guy Fieri fan T.A. Gowdy was on hand to snap a couple pictures.
Camp cooking tips from Guy * If you organize everything before you go, you’ll eat better and faster (important when you’ve been hiking).
* Cross-utilize your groceries by building leftovers into your meal plans. For instance, save bacon fat from breakfast to fry potatoes for dinner. Make sure you keep the fat, and all your food, away from animals.
* Invest in a camp Dutch oven. You can use it for everything from frying an egg to boiling water and, best of all, it has little legs so you can set the pot right over coals ― no flat surface needed.
* Keep things at least semiclean with antibacterial wipes, hand sanitizer, or a spray bottle of bleach solution (1 tbsp. bleach in 1 qt. water).
Guy Fieri dropped by The Meat Show on Monday, May 4th. Follow the link to listen to their podcast. The Meat Show with Chef Guy Fieri
I mentioned two weeks ago that Martie Knows Parties caught up with Guy and his Posse at the Metropolitan Cooking show in Atlanta. She got to tag along when Guy Fieri and his DDD crew hit Chicago for a taping of the show in late April. Check it out; she snapped some fine pictures.
And while in Chicago, the NBC5 Street team caught up with Guy at a Triple-D location. Click here to see a brief video interview with Guy Fieri.
I posted a few weeks ago that AutoWeek Magazine visited Guy in Northern California for an interview on his love of cars.
The May 4, 2009 edition of AutoWeek magazine is out, with a three-page spread on Guy Fieri, his collection of cars and a few tidbits about his life at home in Santa Rosa. Here are a few excerpts:
He still lives in the same 1,700-square-foot ranch he bought in 1997. He is adding a nearly 1,000-square-foot kitchen with all the hardware. And that doesn’t include the outdoor kitchen.
It’s a good thing the property had more than an acre when he bought it. That allowed for a recently completed nine-car garage, at the center of which is Fieri’s office, also with a garage door.
Guy Fieri with sons Ryder and Hunter
“I only have a couple of vices,” Fieri says. “I don’t smoke. I don’t do drugs. I do like cars.”
Guy Fieri in his garage
One friend is neighbor Bill DenBeste, who convinced Fieri that it was OK to get the lone Ford in his collection. It’s a continuation Cobra that DenBeste, a collector and racer, helped Fieri get after he introduced Fieri to childhood hero Carroll Shelby.
The big Guy Fieri story of the day is about a Guy Fieri impersonator at a Kansas City Royals game, interviewed as Guy Fieri on live T.V., Sunday May 4, 2009. Earlier today, Guy sent out a Twitter affirming that it was NOT he at that baseball game.
So check this out, some cat is playin me in KC. Crazy, just for da record, I am home and was not in KC. Thanks to those keepin an eye out. ~ChefGuyFieri
From KansasCity.com - "The imposter gave interviewer Joel Goldberg’s questions short, rude, one-word answers. He was acting like he wanted no part of the interview. He took a phone call during the interview."
Does the impostor look like Guy? Oh, I suppose yes, at least he would to someone who has only seen him a few times before. But anyone who's seen Guy in action knows he hams it up for the camera. Whoever this impersonator is needs to work on his act, eh?
Owner Sharon Risinger said he showed up, "walked in the restaurant and came into the kitchen. I was getting ready to run food out and about dropped the plates."
That party also included Joey Fatone (video here), who was whipping up drinks and assisting on the grill and others. The group feasted on veal and chicken, pan seared scallops, tiger shrimp and more and kept the party going until 3:30 a.m.
Before the races, Guy Fieri said "you can't beat a hot brown."
His trip to Louisville made him want to come back for his television show. "When you find a town with a lot of culture," he said, "diners usually follow." The night before the races, he ate at Vincenzo's. (not a diner)
"We had some pasta," Fieri said. "We had some Caesar salad."
He said he was going to bet on horses No. 3 and No. 12 -- Mr. Hot Stuff and General Quarters -- after his children's ages. (source)
Too bad he didn't bet on Mine That Bird, eh? at 50:1 -- Yowsers!
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