Fine Living: Shopping With Chefs

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Chuck Williams has been known to reminisce about how, the day after an episode of Julia Child's The French Chef used to air, there would be a run on whatever French gizmo she had used – whether it was a mandolin or a garlic press and particularly the Cuisinart. (See Super Chef p. 24) Kitchenware specialty stores must have witness an equally amazing boom coinciding with the rise in popularity of food television. Chefs have taken notice - unlike Julia who, Chuck said, refused to put her name on a kitchenware line – and have put their names on everything from knives to pots to tomato sauce. Chefs go on television to fill their restaurants, push their books and magazines, and most of all to sell their product lines. It is no wonder that the Food Network's website is a virtual store for chef's products, and that the Food Network special Gotta Get It push gizmos. Americans love to shop. They love gizmos. And they love bargains and insider's knowledge. Shopping with Chefs, premiering on Sunday July 22 at 8pm on the Fine Living TV Network hosted by David Myers of Sona in West Hollywood and Jill Davie of Josie in Santa Monica. The idea is to go shopping with the two chefs who help consumers with what to look for tips. Super Chef got a sneak peak at the premier episode in which the chefs examine everything from salad greens to salmon. What makes this a fun show is that the chefs really do know how to choose good equipment and food. Salmon should not have a fishy smell and salad greens are best purchased in a farmer's market. They summarize their tips in handy lists. They don't appear to be pushing any particular brands – and no equipment by fellow chefs made it on to this episode. They don't actually buy anything but they do show how things work and what to look for in a good product and why a more expensive stainless steal gadget (a immersion blender) does a better job than the plastic version. They cover how to buy salad greens, grill pans, pepper mills and pepper, fish, colanders and more in one episode. However, the pace of the show is exhausting. David gets in a few good tips on buying a chef's knife, but what is missing is seeing him judge the feel and balance of the different knives, as a musician would choose a violin. He examines the salads at the market, admiring the crisp leaves and remarking on the different flavors, but which would he choose for the salmon dinner served later in the program? Which chef's knife should the couple purchase? Do they need a mandolin for the dinner they are putting together? Which pepper would be best for the fish? It's as if too much was crammed in to this one show to allow for any of the segments to fit together. This is a good show to pick up tips from chefs. It is very Southern Californian, both in location and in style. At times, the pushy tone of a salesperson sneaks in, along with a wave of finger tips – think Sarah Jessica Parker in L.A. Story. Maybe interplay between the two chefs - or their missing partners, Josie La Balch and Michelle Myers - would have made for more sophisticated banter. Maybe in later episodes the two chefs could start speaking to the audience they want: serious home cooks and culinary students who want insight into what great products can really do and have the patience to listen. Previous articles: [Chefs & Branding] [Food Television - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging --> back to Super Chef