Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Minute to Win It down under?

*Update*
In the Brisbane area during the month of June 2010? Check out Knuckle Sandwich on a Walkabout!
--------------------------------------------------------

According to TV Tonight, an Australian TV blog, Australia's Channel Seven is currently in pre-production for their own, local version of Minute to Win It.

Castasugar.com is currently taking applications for contestants, must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident for at least 2 years to participate. The show, with host yet to be determined (Benjamin Christie? haha, kidding), will be shot in Sydney, Australia.


Nielsen ratings for Guy Fieri's Minute to Win It are strong enough for NBC to continue casting. An open casting call was held in Los Angeles, CA last weekend, March 28, 2010, and NBC.com is still encouraging people to apply to be on the show.

TV Ratings for Minute to Win It episodes:
101 - 4.6 million viewers, 2.8/5 households
102 - 7.2 million, 4.0/7
103 - 5.2 million, 2.9/5
104 - 5.8 million, 3.3/5
To see the most recent Nielsen Ratings, click here.

How to apply to be on NBC's Minute to Win It
Option 1: Attend an open casting call.

SATURDAY, JUNE 12TH
BOSTON
Health and Fitness Expo at the Hynes Convention Center
900 Boylston St., Boston, MA. 02115
Hall A
10 - 2pm

SATURDAY, JUNE 12TH
CHICAGO
NBC Chicago (NBC Tower)
454 North Columbus Dr., Chicago, IL. 60611
10 - 2pm

More locations will be announced.

Option 2: E-mail the casting department at minutetowinit@gmail.com.

*Be sure to include in your e-mail your contact info, city you live in, photo, and a paragraph about yourself. (In the subject line please put the city and state you live in)

Option 3: Mail-in a video; Download an application

*Visit www.nbc.com/casting and closely follow the instructions for taping your 3- to 5-minute audition video, and send your completed application, photo, videotape and copy of your driver's license to:

Minute to Win It
P.O. Box 1599
Studio City, CA 91614-0599

Applicants must be 18 years and older.



Related Links: Minute to Win It
Website - http://www.nbc.com/minute-to-win-it/index.shtml
Twitter - twitter.com/minutetowinit
Facebook - www.facebook.com/minutetowinit
My Page - Minute to Win It

Related Posts:
Guy Fieri to appear on the Bonnie Hunt Show
How did Minute to Win It do?
M2WI videos, SXSW eats and DDD goes to Tennessee

Monday, March 29, 2010

Guy Fieri and others raise money for C-CAP

*Update - for the 2011 C-CAP event, click here*
The 2010 International Home and Housewares show in Chicago, IL mid-March had an incredible list of celebrity chefs in attendance including Gordon Ramsey, Mario Batali, Todd English, Chef Morimoto, Michael Symon, Cat Cora and Guy Fieri.

Guy Fieri, always the multi-tasker, was there for two reasons: to promote new additions to his "Knuckle Sandwich" line of knives with Ergo Chef and to throw a fund raising party.

Guy Fieri and Mario Batali, 2010

While there Guy crashed Mario Batali's cooking demonstration at the KitchenAid Goho Kitchen Theater.


F00die blogger writes, "at the end of his presentation SURPRISE!!! Guy Fieri comes out for an unexpected appearance. I knew he would be there for the Ergo Chef booth kicking off a new knife line, but I had only a glimmer of hope to see him. And then there he was!"

The "Happy Hour" party was held immediately after the International Home and Housewares Show on March 14th. The by-invitation-only fund-raising event brought together industry professionals, C-CAP students and friends to benefit C-CAP (Careers through Culinary Arts Program).

Harold Import Company co-sponsored with Ergo Chef a night of food and music. Guy Fieri's recipes were prepared by C-CAP students and music was provided by the DJ Chef Marc Weiss and The Joe Moss Band and wines provided by St. Francis Winery & Vineyards.

ErgoChef blogged, "As foodies and knife guys, we love C-CAP’s mission. The program works with public schools across the country to prepare under-served high school students for college and career opportunities in the restaurant and hospitality industries. ... C-CAP has awarded students over $28 million in scholarships and has donated $2.3 million worth of supplies and equipment to culinary classrooms."

guyspeechTogether, the event raised $25,000 for C-CAP.

Harold Import Company wrote, "while there, attendees got the chance to meet Guy Fieri and enjoy sampling Fieri's dishes, prepared by over 50 Chicago C-CAP High School Students."

C-CAP is an organization that works with public schools across the nation to prepare under-served students for college and careers in the restaurant and hospitality industry.

For more information on C-CAP, please contact: Allison Burns-Ferro at 212-974-7111 or aburnsferro@ccapinc.org, or visit their website at http://www.ccapinc.org/.

This event was generously sponsored by:



Sponsors: Guy Fieri, DJ Chef, Ergo Chef, The St. Francis Winery,
The Goose Island Beer Company and the Joe Moss Band

Sources:
http://djchef.com/2010/03/dj-chef-rocks-chicago-housewares-show.html
http://www.longislandexchange.com/press/2010/03/28/rock-star-chefs-raise-funds-for-culinary-kids/
http://ergochef.com/blog/?p=56
http://f00die.blogspot.com/2010/03/starstruck-again.html

Related Posts:
Guy Fieri to attend the International Home and Housewares Show
Ergo Chef Knives: the Guy Fieri line
Guy Fieri is officially on Facebook

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Chicken N Rice, Everything's Nice (GI0709H)

Guy's Big Bite - Chicken N Rice, Everything's Nice - Aired: 3/28/10

Guy Fieri's upping his chicken and rice game with a trip down the produce aisle. Juicy chicken gets coated in an orange-ginger glaze, and he fills his rice and orzo pilaf with flavorful sautéed veggies. Save room for dessert: His Golden Pound Cake with Cranberry Citrus Glaze is a sweet-tart masterpiece.

Citrus Chicken - recipe - nutritional analysis


Rice Pilaf Garden Style - recipe


Golden Pound Cake - dessert recipe


Keywords:
chicken thighs, orange juice, orange zest, basmati rice, orzo pasta, tomatoes, Cranberry Citrus Glaze

Related Guy Fieri Recipes:
Main dishes with chicken
Side dishes with rice
Desserts

-> more on Guy's Big Bite <-

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Southern Soul BBQ in SSI, Georgia damaged in fire

Southern Soul BBQ, located on St. Simons Island in southern Georgia caught on fire this morning, Saturday, March 27, 2010. Updated 3/29/10 - scroll down for video.


blakely My favorite bbq place is on fire,literally. Southern Soul burning. 4 alarm fire. So sad. Beautiful historic bldg. Going up in flames.

kelleylo @ChefGuyFieri--Southern Soul BBQ is on fire burning down RIGHT NOW! hubby called from SSI to give the :( news


garrett_22884 just got word that Southern Soul BBQ on SSI has burnt to the ground

Guy Fieri just visited the popular Southern Soul BBQ for Diners, Drive-ins and Dives in late February.

Southern Soul Barbeque - website
2020 Demere Rd
St Simons, GA 31522 - Triple D map
(912) 638-SOUL
www.southernsoulbbq.com
Official Facebook page

I just had a fan write in to me asking if there has been a fund set up to help Southern Soul BBQ's owners and employees. If and when I hear of one, I'll post it here. You can bookmark this page and come back to visit, or follow me on Twitter - @FansOfGuyFieri.


Southern Soul BBQ has a group page on Facebook; click here to be re-directed. Also today, a Support Southern Soul BBQ page has been set up on Facebook. Click here to become a fan. For Southern Soul BBQ's official Facebook page, click here.


In July 2002, Guy Fieri's restaurant, Johnny Garlic's in Santa Rosa, CA was devastated by fire also. Damages at the time were estimated at $400,000.
From The Brunswick News,
As smoke poured out of his pride and joy, owner Griffin Bufkin kept his spirits high.

"Southern Soul is a lot bigger than that building," he said. "We will definitely rebuild."

Bufkin said the fire was not going to keep him from catering a wedding for a long-time employee Saturday. And Glynn residents will still get their barbeque fix this summer on the beach, he vowed.

"All we need is a smoker and a meat order and we're ready to go," he said. "There's no way we're quitting. You'll see us again."
No one was injured in the blaze. See also - Jacksonville.com.


Two local fund raisers are in the works:

April 1, 2010 - Save Our Soul - Thursday at Locos (Facebook) for the Southern Soul employees..with Honey Blue, Cornpone Nation, Matt Williams, The O'Reallys, Neal Hooks and more to come.... The music starts @ 6pm. It is a fundraiser for the employees of Southern Soul who recently were put out of work by a fire. There will be great music, a raffle, and lots of love!

April 10, 2010 - SAVE OUR SOUTHERN SOUL BEER FESTIVAL & FUNDRAISER - Mark your calendars Saturday, April 10th 12:00-? A day full of Pickers & Grinners, Local food and Lots of Beer...more info to come. If you would like to help please email me ckrisfalusi@gmail.com or call 912-577-8150. Lets show our boys (and staff) how much we love them!

On behalf of SOUTHERN SOUL, there is a donation drop off container at:

Island Automotive
130 Airport Rd
Saint Simons Island,GA 31522
(912) 638-0888

if you would like to make a donation to help them.



Southern Soul owners Bufkin and Sapp said Sunday that they will open a bank account to accept donations to assist the restaurant's 16 employees who will be out of work while the restaurant is rebuilt.

I'll continue to update this post; more information as it comes in.

Related Posts:
Pictures and stories from DDD shoot in JAX and SSI
Guy Fieri heads back to Florida, end of February

Guy Fieri to host Marriott Oaks Bourbon Brunch, 2010

For the second year, Guy Fieri is set to host the Marriott Oaks Bourbon Brunch, held in Louisville, Kentucky, April 30, 2010, the day before the Derby. The event includes a silent auction, brunch and a live auction, 8:00 - 10:30 a.m.

The Marriott Louisville Downtown is hosting the 2nd annual Marriott Oaks Bourbon Brunch. VIP Table of 10 - $2,000, table of 10 - $1,250, individual tickets - $125. For more information about the event, visit http://www.oaksbourbonbrunch.com/, contact Ina Miller at (502) 596-1016 or email imiller@homeoftheinnocents.org.

Marriott Oaks Bourbon Brunch - Our brunch is going to be great - not only will you get delicous food from recipes created and demonstrated by Guy Fieri, you'll have a chance to purchase the appliances Guy uses at the event at our live auction thanks to Lowe's!

Proceeds from this event will benefit Louisville-based Home of the Innocents. A private, non-profit agency in operation for 130 years that served almost 2,000 children last year, The Home assists those who are facing severe crisis, including children who have been abused, abandoned or neglected, medically fragile children and provides support services for children with autism.

For more, visit Home of the Innocents.

Related Posts:
The BourbonBlog interviews Guy Fieri, about ... bourbon!
Charity auctions and appearances
Guy Fieri at the Oaks Bourbon Brunch 2009

Friday, March 26, 2010

Guy Fieri to emcee Jack Levar Golf Tournament

Guy Fieri is money! And I mean that in the financial sense of the word. Charity is one topic about which I find myself writing more frequently than just about anything else, besides his shows.

The Jack Levar Rotary Foundation Scholarship Golf Tournament is an all-day event, with golf, dinner and a live auction. The event is scheduled for Friday, May 7, 2010 at the Oakmont Golf Club (website) in Santa Rosa, CA. Golfers should arrive at noon for a t-off at 1:00 p.m. Dinner/auction guests can arrive by 5:00 p.m.

Join Guy Fieri, Maverick Media, the Santa Rosa Rotary, Oakmont golfers and friends for a wonderful day of golf, food, drink and live auction items to support scholarships for college kids in marketing / advertising, culinary arts and sports.

Guy Fieri is set to join at dinner and emcee the live auction.

Interested parties are asked to please reserve either your dinner ticket or your foursome by April 15, 2010. Contact Kim Murphy (707) 539-1077 or by email at kimurphy@aol.com.

For information, visit this Facebook event page or the Jack Levar Rotary Scholarship Foundation Facebook group page.

In the months following Guy Fieri's winning the Next Food Network Star season 2, Guy asked long-time friend, Jack Levar, to be his manager and assistant. Levar was a seasoned advertising and promotional executive, member of the Rotary Club and an avid golfer. Levar died in late 2007; he was 65.

"Jack was a great leader and mentor and business adviser. He was always my coach ... the principles and things he gave me about interacting with people in this industry, the pitfalls, sticking to your word, all this stuff," Fieri said.

A scholarship fund in his name was set up through the Santa Rosa Rotary.

With the help of Guy Fieri, Linda Levar, Maverick Media, his Oakmont Golf buddies and Santa Rosa Rotary help us support educating college age children pursue careers in Marketing/Advertising, the Culinary Arts and Sports.

Please join us for our 2nd Annual event, filled with golf, great food, our wild host and fellow Rotarian, Guy Fieri, May 7th.


Limited space available; first come, first reserved.

Related Links:
Jack Levar Obituary, December 2007
Article from Press Democrat, May 2007

Related Posts:
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Celebrity Chef night at Palapa Joe's, with Guy Fieri
Guy Fieri: supporting troops here and overseas

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Minute to Win It - open casting call March 28, 2010

*Update*
For all the current information on Minute to Win It, click here. You'll find when it airs, links on how to play the games, how to apply to be on the show, ticket information to be in the audience when the next season is taped and much more.

From RealityWanted.com and AuditionsFree.com
Casting Call Information
City: Los Angeles
State: CA

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ONLY - Want to win a million dollars!!! NBC's Minute To Win It is hosting an OPEN CASTING CALL this Sunday at Universal City Walk!!! "Minute to Win It" is a new family-friendly competition series, hosted by Guy Fieri, featuring 10 deceptively simple games that require savvy contestants to complete under pressure with a prize of $1 million awaiting the winner.


Competitors will face 10 challenges that escalate in level of difficulty. Each game has a 60-second time limit and failure to finish the task on time will eliminate the contestant.

At various points throughout the game, the contestant can walk away with the money earned up to that point, but it'll take nerves of steel to complete all 10 tasks to win the $1 million.

OPEN CALL: SUNDAY, MARCH 28TH 2010
Universal CityWalk, Universal City, CA 91608
1pm - 4pm

Applications will be provided. Must be 18 years or older and a US Citizen to apply. To practice some of the Minute to Win It games at home, click here for some blueprints. And good luck!

Other methods for being cast on Minute to Win It, and up-to-date open casting calls in other cities / other times, visit www.nbc.com/casting.

*Update*
SATURDAY, APRIL 10TH
SAN DIEGO
Seau's The Restaurant
1640 Camino Del Rio North #1376
San Diego, CA. 92108
11am - 3pm

SATURDAY, APRIL 17TH
FRESNO
Fashion Furniture- River Park
255 West El Paso
Fresno, CA 93711
11am - 3pm

Related Posts:
Guy Fieri to appear on the Bonnie Hunt Show
How did Minute to Win It do?
More details on "Minute to Win It" with host, Guy Fieri

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Guy Fieri is officially on Facebook

Last year, Twitter; this year, Facebook. What on Earth can we look forward to in 2011? Haha. What am I talking about - I only just joined Facebook a few weeks ago, myself.

To become a Fan, visit www.facebook.com/guy.fieri.247.

On the right side of this page, scroll down to the RED area, that's where you'll find Guy Fieri's official tweets and his official Facebook fan page updates. Accept no impostors! haha.

And totally unrelated, the following: first, this video recap of the South Beach Food & Wine Festival, courtesy of New York Insider TV.



From Twitter, Chef_Works tweets, Guy Fieri and his "Krew" cooked for the White House and CW was there,actually our Kool Kustom Koat was there



And lastly, Guy Fieri at the International Housewares Show in Chicago, IL, introducing new additions to the "Knuckle Sandwich" line of Ergo Chef knives. See Shop Guy Fieri for more info.


Related Posts:
Things I learned about Guy Fieri from the Press Democrat
Guy Fieri takes himself very seriously
On the lighter side of Guy Fieri news

Monday, March 22, 2010

Guy Fieri to appear on the Bonnie Hunt Show

Guy Fieri is set to appear on the Bonnie Hunt Show, Tuesday, March 23, 2010 to talk about and promote Minute to Win It.

Guy Fieri ("Minute to Win It"): Best known for his extreme taste in food, Guy is now bringing that extreme to a new game show on NBC. Contestants must complete a highly unusual task in less than a minute for a chance to win a million dollars. Sounds easy enough? Don't answer too soon!

www.bonniehunt.com

Bindi Irwin ("Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove") and Crispin Glover ("Alice in Wonderland") are also scheduled to be on the show.

Last time Guy Fieri was on the Bonnie Hunt show in November of 2008 ...



Guy, maybe just leave the Tequila at home this time! Haha.

*Update* Nope, no Tequila!




Related Posts:
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Guy Fieri - on fried Oreos and fried pizza
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Saturday, March 20, 2010

This weekend's competitors, URS and M2WI

Sundays should be renamed Guydays. No, no, I'm kidding. But with two competition shows, a cooking show, and a food travel show all airing on Sundays, it's a lot to blog about. Two recent articles have been written about competitors who'll be on Guy Fieri's shows this weekend, Ultimate Recipe Showdown and Minute to Win It.

The Rhinelander Daily News reports that Barb Estabrook, known locally as "The Karate Grandma,” is one of the four competitors on URS-3 at 9pm/8c this Sunday, March 21, 2010.

This week's episode is Party Foods, a new category over last year. Barb's signature entry is Chicken Cordon Bleu Roll-Ups with Ginger 'n' Spice Blueberry Chutney pictured at right (recipe) and her Three Cheese Crostini Appetizer (recipe) is on for the speed round.

Click here to read more about Barb and her competitors.

"This was really something," said Barb. “It’s a real honor since over 8,000 recipes were submitted. I taped the event in late September. High Noon Productions sent three men to Rhinelander to profile me.

"They spent the entire day with me, didn’t leave until after 10:30 p.m. They filmed me berry picking and shooting my rifle because I deer hunt. They also filmed me assisting kids with their karate at the YMCA. And they filmed me in my karate class. Then they came back to my home for a party and filmed that.

"It was a challenge. I was a bit nervous but Guy Fieri was smart, fun and really made you feel relaxed. I just made it under the time limits, though," Barb said. "Mine was a recipe for four and I was asked to make it for eight. There was twice as much to do."

Read the full article here.

*Update* Read an article about URS-3 competitor David Fogelman from Stamford, GreenwichTime.com.



And the Hanford Sentinel writes about a former Hanford local, Elia Cantu, for getting a spot on Guy Fieri's new game show, Minute to Win It. "The experience has been so surreal, it really is like how the contestants say when they are on these shows; it's so different when you are actually on stage and playing," Elia said.

She heard about the show and decided to try out for a spot. "I checked it out online and was like 'this is perfect for me,'" she said. "I was so stoked when I got picked."

Elia said soon after being selected she was called in by NBC to meet the show's producers and host Guy Fieri. "Guy is so awesome and sweet and down to earth, he really is so wonderful to work with," she said.

Her episode of the game show will air this Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 8pm/7c.

For the full story, click here.



Or click here to view NBC's sneak peek at Sunday's show.

Related Posts:
Excitement builds for Ultimate Recipe Showdown, season 3
How did Minute to Win It do?
More details on "Minute to Win It" with host, Guy Fieri

Friday, March 19, 2010

Who won the Guy Fieri Harley-Davidson motorcycle?

On March 6, 2010, Guy Fieri hosted a fund raising event for his friend, Lisa Thompson. The party was held at the Chrome Lotus in Santa Rosa, CA. Friends Raising Funds has raised over $80,000 for Lisa and her family, to offset medical costs resulting from her fight to win the battle over brain cancer.

Pre-sale tickets to the event were sold out. From their Facebook page, Jen Rota, spokeswoman for Friends Raising Funds wrote,
"I am SO pleased to say that Saturday night was HUGE success!!!! So far we have raised $81000.00!!!!!!!!!!!! With more money coming in and more awesome items to put up on Ebay, we are getting close to our goal!! I want to thank everyone that was a part of helping us at FRF as well as all the krew :-)"
Besides Guy Fieri's appearance at the fund raiser, one of the biggest draws for the event was the raffle for a Guy Fieri-inspired Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Tickets for the bike were sold at Northern California retailers and also available to purchase by mail.

John Gordon won the motorcycle; his wife bought him tickets for his stocking on Christmas.

Photographs from the event are posted on Hillary Miller's website, at http://hillarymillerphotos.com. To read more about Lisa's story, click here.

Related Posts:
Things I learned about Guy Fieri from the Press Democrat
Guy Fieri hosts March 6 fund raising event in Santa Rosa
Win a Guy Fieri customized Harley-Davidson motorcycle

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Guy Fieri's Rhode Island Calamari

The Next Food Network Star Season 2, Guy Fieri's season, premiered on March 19, 2006. Just four years from tomorrow.

In honor of the ... anniversary? I've found a Guy Fieri recipe from the third week into the competition, the Giada Elimination, (which, btw, just doesn't sound like a good idea. Let us NOT eliminate Giada. Nice lady) aired April 2, 2006.


The six finalists find inspiration when they meet season one winners Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh (Party Line with The Hearty Boys) as they learn how to share the stage. Next, Giada De Laurentiis (Everyday Italian) dazzles the group with her multi-tasking skills. The finalists are then asked to prepare two recipes while setting the perfect table.

And for fun, click here to read Guy's diary during the Food Network competition.

Rhode Island Calamari - recipe

Ingredients:
4 cups canola oil
4 ounces olive oil
4 ounces butter
1 cup sliced pepperoncini
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup minced garlic
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup clam juice
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 round loaf sourdough bread
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
12 ounces calamari, tubes and tentacles, cut in 1/4-inch thick
3 ounces diced Roma tomatoes
3 ounces chopped scallions

Directions:
Heat canola oil in a deep pot to 350 degrees F.

In a skillet over high heat, combine olive oil, butter, pepperoncini and onion. Saute until lightly caramelized, then add garlic and cook until tender. Deglaze with white wine and cook until slightly reduced. Add the clam juice, red pepper, and lower heat to a simmer.

Core out bread and lightly toast the bread bowl. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix cornstarch, flour, seasoning salt and cayenne. Toss calamari in flour and shake off excess.

Fry calamari in oil until golden brown and crispy. Toss fried calamari with the sauce and pour into the toasted bread bowl. Garnish with Roma tomatoes and scallions.

Click here to read some comments from Guy Fieri, four years removed from his debut on the Next Food Network Star, season 2.

Related Posts:
Peek at NFNS filming, Guy Fieri's Grammy after party
Guy Fieri guest hosts Next Food Network Star 5, episode 4
Chefography: Guy Fieri

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

On the lighter side of Guy Fieri news

We take a break from our regularly scheduled Guy Fieri blogging to bring you these important messages.

From Twitter: Emeril - Just came across this picture of @ChefGuyFieri and me (AKA Gus and Emeilio) from SOBE this year. What a great guy.

Emeril Lagasse and Guy Fieri, 2010

And this from Wittysparks.com, a brief interview with Guy Fieri, dated Friday, March 12, 2010.



And this photograph of a crate, just backstage of the Guy Fieri Road Show in Los Angeles, CA, December 2009.

Photo courtesy Rob McCleland

You may now resume your regularly scheduled web surfing. Thank you.

Related Posts:
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Pictures, video from SoBe Wine & Food Fest 2010
Guy Fieri takes himself very seriously

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

How did Minute to Win It premiere do?

Guy Fieri's network television debut was on Sunday, March 14, 2010. How'd it go? I wish I could say. I spent a bulk of the next day reading over reviews and learning a lot about Nielsen ratings.

*Update* Click here to see the latest on Minute to Win It schedule, TV ratings, news and more.

Zap2It probably had the most useful information, to me anyway.

7 p.m.
CBS:
"60 Minutes" (11.7 million viewers, 7.5/14 households)
ABC: "America's Funniest Home Videos" (7.5 million, 4.3/8)
NBC: "Minute to Win It" series premiere (4.6 million, 2.8/5)
FOX: "'Til Death" - two episodes (2 million, 1.2/2)
Ages 18-49 leader: "America's Funniest Home Videos" (1.9)

8 p.m.
CBS:
"The Amazing Race" (10.2 million, 5.9/10)
ABC: "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (8.6 million, 5.1/8)
NBC: "Minute to Win It" series premiere (7.2 million, 4.0/7)
FOX: "The Simpsons" (5.2 million, 3.1/5)/"The Simpsons" rerun (5.4 million, 3.2/5)
Ages 18-49 leader: "The Amazing Race" (3.0)

Please don't ask me what all the numbers mean - I'm really just looking at the rankings and the millions of viewers who watched. Nor do I know if this meets nor exceeds expectations. But I think it's encouraging that half-again as many viewers were watching in the 2nd hour than the 1st, eh? (Update: "It's doubled their expectations," Guy Fieri said. ... a 41 % increase over NBC's non-sports average. source)


I will say that this blog received more action on Sunday the 14th than it did on Super Bowl Sunday. Although, that can't all be chalked up to M2WI; remember, there were 5 1/2 hours of Guy Fieri on TV that day - many Googlers were looking for information on Guy's other shows. Most popular search term for the day - "How tall is Guy Fieri?" Haha.

What have reviewers had to say? One must sift through the hardcore proponents of Guy Fieri, Fans of Game Shows and Haters of Either and Both. But there have been a few consistent comments in all the reviews I read.

1. The games are awesome.
Everyone wants to play them at home, at youth groups, at the next kid's birthday party, at pubs, bars, the next office mixer .... Shortly after the premiere episodes, this message from the M2WI Facebook page, "(viewers) have overloaded our inbox with contestant applications! If your e-mail bounced back to you, please give us a moment and we'll be up and running soon!"

2. Too many commercials / timing of commercials.
I'm not sure what one can do about too many commercials, but I'll admit that I found them tiresome too.

3. Guy's performance.
Mixed reviews. But one positive sentiment seems universal - his genuine enthusiasms for the game and for the contestants.

4. Pacing.
It seems that many viewers expected constant, virtually non-stop action, and that just wasn't the case. There was conversation, game set up and slow-mo reviews.

Reviews of Minute to Win It: (if you have read others, please let me know in the comments section. Thank you.)

www.dvrassassin.com
Entertainment Weekly
mouthwateringmarketing.com
gameshows.about.com
buzzerblog.flashgameshows.com
www.televisionwithoutpity.com
www.tvsquad.com
www.areyouscreening.com
http://www.tv.com

And there are a few reviews on the Minute to Win It discussion boards on NBC.com.

Click here to view Ep. 101: Series Premiere, and click here to view Ep. 102: Series Premiere, Part 2, available until 06/01/10

Minute to Win It is next on Sunday, March 21st at 8/7c.

Related Posts:
Tomorrow, Guy Fieri is on your television, all day long
More details on "Minute to Win It" with host, Guy Fieri
Minute to Win It - shoots this week, premiere date set

Monday, March 15, 2010

Guy Fieri in Cincinnati for Triple D

Guy Fieri is scheduled to be in Cincinnati, Ohio, for Diners, Drive-ins and Dives this week: March 15 - 18, 2010. Security is rather tight on locations, but we're beginning to get word on what restaurants Guy Fieri will visit in Cincinnati.

Oddly enough, there's a stop in nearby Kentucky. This trip is taking more forays into Kentucky than I had originally heard! That sneaky Guy Fieri. Haha.

3/15/10 - morning
Virgil's Cafe - website
710 Fairfield Avenue
Bellevue, KY 41073
(859) 491-3287
www.virgilscafe.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/virgilscafe
*Premieres 5/24/10 - Porkapalooza*

And confirmed a few weeks ago:

3/18/10 - afternoon
Blue Ash Chili Restaurant - website
9565 Kenwood Road
Cincinnati, OH 45242
(513) 984-6107
www.blueashchili.com
*Premieres 6/7/10 Comfort Food with Attitude*

Click here to view pic's from the Blue Ash shoot, from KISS107.

3/15/10 - afternoon
Terry's Turf Club - Facebook
4618 Eastern Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45226
(513) 533-4222
*Premieres 5/31/10 Grilled, Smoked and Sauced*

Click here to read about Guy's visit to Terry's. Or even more fun, click here to read what it's like to be a serendipitous extra in the show. And for a nice photo journal of the taping at Terry's, click here.

3/16/10 - morning - view TwitPic1 and TwitPic2
J.J. McBrewster's American Smokehouse - website
3101 Clays Mill Road #301
Lexington, KY 40503
(859) 224-0040
www.jjmcbrewsters.com
*Premieres 10/4/10 - Sauced and Spiced*

3/16/10 - afternoon
The Parkette - website
1216 East New Circle Road
Lexington, KY 40505
(859) 254-8723
www.theparkette.com
*Airs 9/20/10 - You Found Em*

Click here to read about the shoot at The Parkette

3/17/10 - morning
Wallace Station - website - Facebook
3854 Old Frankfort Pike
Versailles, KY 40383
(859) 846-5161
www.wallacestation.com
*Scheduled to air 6/28/10 - Farm to Table*

3/17/10 - afternoon
Rick's White Light Diner - website - Facebook
114 Bridge Street
Frankfort, KY 40601
(502) 696-9104
http://rickswhitelightdiner.com
Twitter: twitter.com/zachboomer
*Scheduled to air 7/26/10 - You Called It DV0912H*

To see a set of pictures from Rick's White Light Diner, click here. And the State-Journal (Frankfort, KY) wrote this article about taping Triple D in the area.

To see a map of all the places Guy Fieri visited in Cincinnati / Lexington, Kentucky, click here.

I'll continue to update this post as the tips and info come in.

Related Posts:
Guy Fieri is looking for tasty meals in Cincinnati
Guy Fieri takes himself very seriously

Things I learned about Guy Fieri from the Press Democrat

Recently Guy's home-town paper, the Press Democrat, wrote a thorough article on his past and current career. Oddly enough, many of the statements contained in the article answer questions I have recieved from fans, passed on to Guy's publicists and were not answered.


New things I learned from the Press Democrat:

His longtime Santa Rosa home is a modest place that became bigger with the addition of a killer kitchen and a pool for his two boys.

During the interview, Fieri was wearing a Sammy Hagar Chicken Foot T-shirt and sweatshirt with a paint splatter from a home project, drank Pellegrino water, and Johnny Garlic's in Santa Rosa has a big-screen TV devoted to Guy always going.

Pictured at right, a television installed in the bathroom at Tex Wasabi's in Sacramento. Whether or not it's devoted to Guy-programming, I do not know.

Guy thinks about food constantly. “Three times since we've been talking I've thought about what I'm going to be eating today and what I'm making for dinner tonight.”

Guy Fieri bought a new truck, a yellow Chevy 4500 monster semi truck he got with a bank loan.

Marcy Smothers doesn't know the difference between "literally" and "figuratively." When describing Guy's career, she said, "It's literally stratospheric.” Haha.



The name of Guy and NBC's new game show changed from Perfect 10 to Minute to Win It during the audition process. "... during a spontaneous live audition, telling a contestant, 'You've Got a Minute to Win It.' Network brass loved the line and renamed the show."

Friends Raising Funds $80,000 for Lisa Millerick-Thompson.

On Friday, March 12, 2010, Guy Fieri "took his rock-star-style cooking road show to The White House, where he and a team that included his 13-year-old son, Hunter, prepared lunch for the West Wing staff." He used Sonoma County's Liberty Duck for the DLT. Also, although I knew he had cooked for troops in the Middle East, I learned that he'd also cooked for troops in Guantanamo Bay. I don't know when that was.

Both Guy and his sister, Morgan, have assumed the original Italian iteration of the family name, instead of their parent's last name, Ferry.

The Johnny Garlic's location in Santa Rosa used to be a Big John's Chicken.

While vice-president of a restaurant association, Guy Fieri "once got into a shouting match with another board member."

Guy Fieri is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 210 pounds.

Guy is about ready to launch The Guy Fieri Foundation for Inspiration and Imagination for Kids. “The idea is to use my celebrity situation and money raised to do events and put on programs that inspire the imagination and encourage kids to achieve their goals,” he said.



Lastly, I learned that if I want questions answered, I'll need to forward them to other media who can go straight to the horse's mouth, as it were.

New! And not from the Press Democrat. Haha.
Guy Fieri and Ergo Chef have released two new knives in the Guy Fieri Knuckle Sandwich line of chef knives.


The "Lil' Guy" - a 4" Paring Knife - $34.99 - click here
This Guy Fieri Knuckle Sandwich paring knife has a 4" cutting blade with hollow grounds which reduce friction for smoother cuts. The ergonomics of the handle design is created to be an extension of your hand for natural comfort. The balde is precision heat treated to 56RC to keep a great edge. Made from high carbon German steel (X50CrMoV15). Perfect for peeling veggies, fruits & all small cutting tasks.


The "Chopper" - a 5.5" Santoku - $54.99 - click here
This Guy Fieri Knuckle Sandwich Santoku "Chopper" has a 5.5" cutting blade with Hollow Grounds which reduce friction for smoother cuts. It's ergonomic design is created to be an extension of your hand for natural comfort while chopping & rocking through food product. A crisscross knurl crusher on end of hanlde is added to pulverize garlic & nuts etc. The full tang and abbreviated bolster adds strength & balance for precision cutting and easy edge sharpening. This knife is perfect for chopping veggies, & cutting up fruits when a larger blade is not necessary.

For more on the full line of Knuckle Sandwich knives by Ergo Chef, visit ergochef.com/GuyFieriKnives. And to contact the makers of these knives directly, visit their blog at ChopTalk.

Related Posts:
Questions from fans of Guy Fieri
Guy Fieri to host Perfect 10 game show on NBC
Guy Fieri hosts March 6 fundraising event in Santa Rosa
Mr. Fieri goes to Washington

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Totally Tempting Tostada (GI0712H)

Guy's Big Bite - Totally Tempting Tostada - Aired 3/14/10

Fall in love with Popeye's favorite food with Guy Fieri's "Spinach Converter" menu. Crispy spinach and bell pepper patties, topped with sauteed shrimp and vegetables, will make a spinach lover out of anyone. Creamy Wild Rice is rich and cheesy, and cocktail maestro Mike makes Grilled Papaya Caipirinhas.

Spinach Tostadas with Shrimp and Potatoes - recipe - nutritional analysis


Porcelain-ware by Lois Aronow.

Creamy Wild Rice - recipe


Grilled Papaya Calpirinha - cocktail recipe


Keywords:
papaya, cachaca (a liquor made from fermented sugarcane) wiki, spinach, peppers, shrimp, tomatoes, potatoes, Feta cheese, wild rice, heavy cream

Related Guy Fieri Recipes:
Main dishes with shellfish
Side dishes with rice
Cocktails with liqueurs

-> more on Guy's Big Bite <-