325409 Tue Sep 12 21:18:22 -0700 2006 112 33 Food Media and News 0 1872081 Hi... I'm sure many here remember that fiesty cajun cook from the 1970s, Justin Wilson. I certainly enjoyed every moment of his (seemingly) unscripted cooking shows, what with his wine-sippin' and generous hand with the tabasco, his folksy philosophy on food and women, and mostly, how he seemed to truly enjoy eating (as opposed to merely tasting) the final product of his labors. I enjoyed watching his belly expand further and further over his belt with each season, and his 'blasphemous' approbation of ordinary canned products in the service of down home cooking. When he'd look the viewer square in the camera, you sensed that he genuinely understood why both he and you were sharing that moment. Anyway, I wish those shows were available from somewhere. And wouldn't it be cool to have a 'classics' cooking show station, the way classic cartoons and situation comedies from the 60s and 70s have found viable markets? I don't have cable/satellite/etc, due to latent luddite tendencies, so I don't know if such a station or series already exists. But I suspect not. I only see PBS cooking shows on the weekends. I tell ya, if the PBS pledge drives were willing to show those old-skool classics (along with very early Julia, Graham Kerr, and the now infamous jeff Smith & sidekick Craig!), I'd be much more inclined to make a pledge, instead of having Susie Ormond, Wayne Dyer, and that gangly piano tutor force-fed down one's throat every three months. I won't hold my breath, but it would be great to see those cooking show pioneers brought back to show the Food Network hacks how it's really done... Tue Sep 12 21:18:22 -0700 2006 13171 silence9 1 1872110 I was just thinking about this recently. During the early years of Food Network, the classic shows from Julia Child, Graham Kerr, and James Beard showed late night. I watched PBS throughout my childhood and always loved the cooking shows. I remember stories from Jeff Smith about how he could never bring in Proscuitto into the country because of Customs. I have cable and can't find these shows playing. But I agree with you that it would be great to watch again. Tue Sep 12 21:33:57 -0700 2006 1872081 22596 rumgum 2 1877379 OMG, you just got me thinking again about Graham Kerr. I'll never forget "The Galloping Gourmet," his cooking show in the 1970's, when I was a kid. The wine was flowing freely, and he would wax poetic about whatever he was cooking. Then, at the end, he would go into the audience, take the hand of some random female audience member, and run back up to the stage with her. They would sit down together at a candlelit table and eat whatever he'd made. I still have a clear picture of him, chewing, moaning with pleasure about whatever he was eating, lips glistening with butter or some creamy sauce. It sounds repulsive, but was absolutely mesmerizing! Thu Sep 14 21:25:25 -0700 2006 1872110 20525 Lisa M 3 3028157 once he sobered up, his new cooking show was such a drag! Fri Oct 12 07:59:17 -0700 2007 1877379 105717 alkapal 2 4194521 Would love to see old Food Network episodes of Taste with David Rosengarten. I love Alton Brown, but David was the best. Sat Nov 22 13:47:55 -0800 2008 1872110 214697 ritabwh 3 4195190 I can only take Alton Brown in small doses. Maybe a half hour a week. Anymore and he gets way to annoying for me. Sat Nov 22 20:52:45 -0800 2008 4194521 242616 HZ20 1 1872388 how about one of the real granddaddie's, earl peyroux. i'm pretty sure he still holds the record for most pbs cooking show episodes. Tue Sep 12 23:26:39 -0700 2006 1872081 10730 byrd 2 1873704 Hi... I have not heard of this fellow. Will do a google search. Thanks... Wed Sep 13 15:53:40 -0700 2006 1872388 13171 silence9 2 1904163 I so loved Earl Peyroux's show as a kid! He was great...I even loved the theme music...a jazzy piano version of "these foolish things". Didn't he tape/broadcast out of the Fla Panhandle somewhere? Pensacola, maybe? Tue Sep 26 22:10:54 -0700 2006 1872388 12023 Hungry Celeste 1 1872429 They do show Justin Reruns in Georgia. Tue Sep 12 23:46:14 -0700 2006 1872081 10807 beteez 2 3030974 On PBS? Sat Oct 13 03:47:22 -0700 2007 1872429 92534 alias wade 3 3814334 Right after Beverly Hillbillies.... (must be an inside joke). By the way, RFDTV, which is available on Dish Network, has Justin Wilson. Just ran in to it a couple of weeks ago. I was channel surfing, honest. Wed Jun 25 20:31:43 -0700 2008 3030974 22801 bkhuna 1 1872751 I'd love to see the shows that Keith Floyd did back in the '80s (or maybe slightly before). Wed Sep 13 02:36:56 -0700 2006 1872081 10998 Jim Dorsch 2 1873137 That would be a hoot. FYI Travel Channel just ran some of his newer series for a few months, then stopped (ran out of episodes?). Pray or solicit them for a return. The American Life TV channel runs Graham Kerr daily and another fascinating/inadvertently hilarious show called Embassy Chefs about twice a week. Unfortunately, with unimaginative MBAs running the networks the infomercials are bound to take the formerly useful late night slots. I just heard that the Neilsen rating service will start rating commercials; if this includes infomercial programming maybe some station and network management will come to their senses.............NAAAAHH! Wed Sep 13 09:17:22 -0700 2006 1872751 23712 DiveFan 3 1887165 Keith Floyd was awesome, really enjoyed his shows. Tue Sep 19 18:55:03 -0700 2006 1873137 19558 mikester 2 1873461 Jim, "Floyd on Food" was hysterical! He was always drunk and rarely knew what the hell he was doing. I remember an episode where he made Casseoulet in France while a local French woman observed. When completed, she threw the whole thing in the garbage and screamed obsenities at him in French. I'd love to have that episode on tape. Wed Sep 13 14:27:11 -0700 2006 1872751 11158 Leper 3 1873699 Yes, I remember the 'Floyd on Food' and 'Floyd on Fish' series by Keith Floyd. He was like a culinary Michael Palin from Monty Python. Though drunk, he also seemed to genuinely enjoy the eating component of his segments, replete with real chewing, swallowing, and taking second and third bites with gusto. Too many of the current flock of cooking personalities seem hesitant to really chew and swallow their creations, either from food sitting under set lights too long or from smearing their make-up. As much as I cannot stomach that prettyboy Ming (from Simply Ming), at least he and his guest chefs actually sample the food they've cooked... Thanks for reminding me of Keith Floyd... Wed Sep 13 15:52:32 -0700 2006 1873461 13171 silence9 4 3028163 thanks for reminding me of the "floyd on" series Fri Oct 12 08:00:34 -0700 2007 1873699 105717 alkapal 4 3596194 They show those during the day time on the Travel Channel. Daily. Tue Apr 15 09:52:10 -0700 2008 1873699 11826 Phaedrus 5 3893503 phaedrus, is this still true? i just checked wed, thu, fri listings, and no luck.... will try later to search on the other days... Wed Jul 23 04:24:08 -0700 2008 3596194 105717 alkapal 2 4194516 OH, I loved Floyd on Food. I used to watch it on the Lifetime Channel back in the 80s. Back in those days, he proudly stated that his show was real time cooking. Even my husband enjoyed watching that show. Sat Nov 22 13:46:26 -0800 2008 1872751 214697 ritabwh 1 1873391 Fortunately, I videotaped several hours worth of Justin Wilson's show when it was on Iowa Public Television in the mid-80s. They're on Beta, and I still have a working Beta machine, but I really should transfer them to disc one of these days! I cant say I ever got a handle on dipping the garlic bread in the wine, but he did do some great stuff on that show. And not a blackened thing in sight! Wed Sep 13 13:59:50 -0700 2006 1872081 10258 Fydeaux 2 1887119 I actually tried dipping the garlic bread n the wine (from his cookbook which I probably got in the late 80's) and it was actually delicious. Tue Sep 19 18:42:31 -0700 2006 1873391 10243 jcmods 1 1873672 Oh man, I would love that. I was recently thinking of Justin, and even of the Frugal gourmet, even though he was disgraced, it would be nice to see reruns (I forgot about Craig!)... Wed Sep 13 15:45:07 -0700 2006 1872081 18154 prunefeet 2 3893576 I had a little pre-teen crush on Craig, and envied his job! I wonder what ever happened to him? Wed Jul 23 05:19:29 -0700 2008 1873672 11778 irishnyc 1 1874210 I loved Keith Floyd's adventures! Amazon carries a great selection of his cookbooks if you're interested. There's even one called "Floyd on Hangovers"! Here's a link to his TV management website... There's recipes, info on his latest books, etc. http://www.keithfloyd.co.uk Wed Sep 13 18:48:25 -0700 2006 1872081 26994 houndgirl 2 3030979 Could make the argument that Floyd was the original Bad Boy chef, what with the Stranglers theme music, rolling his eyes at suspect dishes-- at very least the first TV food personality with capital-A Attitude.... Sat Oct 13 03:50:49 -0700 2007 1874210 92534 alias wade 1 1874241 Two Fat Ladies!!! Wed Sep 13 18:58:32 -0700 2006 1872081 17717 dd992emo 2 1876324 Love them. But they're still around aren't they? Thu Sep 14 16:03:32 -0700 2006 1874241 18154 prunefeet 3 1876484 The one with the glasses died a few years ago. Clarrisa is the dean of a law school now..but she did have a show a while back on the BBC where she would go to people's houses and advise them on their dinner party meals. Thu Sep 14 16:48:03 -0700 2006 1876324 11408 melly 2 1887186 Loved that show. Loved the endings when they would show all the food, and the crowd they were cooking for. They always seemed to be having a great time cooking. Tue Sep 19 19:00:10 -0700 2006 1874241 11057 macca 3 3028186 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=476204&in_page_id=1879 excerpt (sad) from Clarissa's new book. Fri Oct 12 08:06:19 -0700 2007 1887186 105717 alkapal 1 1901680 WYES, THE PBS TV STATION IN NEW ORLEANS, STILL AIRS JUSTIN WILSON'S SHOWS. THEY HAVE A WEBSITE WITH MANY DVD AND VHS SELECTIONS OF THEIR SHOWS, THOUGH I DO NOT KNOW IF THEY HAVE ANY OF JUSTIN'S SHOWS FOR SALE. JUST A NOTE, JUSTIN WILSON IS FROM MISSISSIPPI SO DEPENDING UPON YOUR DEFINITION OF "CAJUN," HE MAY OR MAY NOT BE A CAJUN. THE LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA TV STATION AIRS HIS SHOWS TOO. Mon Sep 25 22:41:25 -0700 2006 1872081 15142 MIKELOCK34 2 1904169 Let's set the record straight: Justin wasn't from Mississippi. He was from French Settlement, LA, and his mother was cajun, although his father wasn't. Tue Sep 26 22:12:34 -0700 2006 1901680 12023 Hungry Celeste 3 1904261 HE STATES ON HIS SHOW THAT HE IS ORIGINALLY FROM MISSISSIPPI. HE MOVED TO LOUISIANA AS A CHILD. STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSES MOUTH. HE IS NOT FROM LOUISIANA. Tue Sep 26 22:42:30 -0700 2006 1904169 15142 MIKELOCK34 1 1904303 JUST READ ON MULTIPLE WEBSITES THAT HE WAS BORN IN ROSELAND. I WILL TRY TO FIND OUT WHICH EPISODE OR INTERVIEW IT IS WHERE HE MENTIONS THAT HE WAS BORN IN MISSISSIPPI AND THEN MOVED TO LOUISIANA AND THEN POST ANOTHER NOTE ON THAT. Tue Sep 26 23:01:25 -0700 2006 1872081 15142 MIKELOCK34 1 1904320 TOO FUNNY! USA TODAY AND ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA STATE THAT HE WAS BORN IN AMITE! Tue Sep 26 23:07:55 -0700 2006 1872081 15142 MIKELOCK34 2 1905398 French Settlement isn't that far from Amite. Wed Sep 27 14:36:21 -0700 2006 1904320 12023 Hungry Celeste 3 1912215 YES, YOU ARE CORRECT THERE, BUT IT IS HARD FOR ME TO GET PAST HIM SAYING THAT HE WAS BORN IN MISSISSIPPI. REGARDLESS, THE WYES SALES LIBRARY SHOULD BE CHECKED IF SOMEONE IS LOOKING FOR COPIES OF HIS SHOWS. THEY MAY ONLY SELL THEIR ORIGINAL PRODUCTIONS THOUGH. I BOUGHT SOME OF THE NEW ORLEANS NOSTALGIA SHOWS THAT THEY HAVE PRODUCED, BUT I DO NOT REMEMBER WHAT ELSE WAS LISTED ON THEIR WEBSITE. Fri Sep 29 22:44:13 -0700 2006 1905398 15142 MIKELOCK34 1 1909320 I loved The Galloping Gourmet when I was a kid. Still do. I used to pretend to be sick so I could stay home from school and watch him. All that eye rolling. He made everything seem so delicious. Thu Sep 28 20:47:18 -0700 2006 1872081 11497 Claire 2 2687268 this thread is way out of date, but for the record, in case anybody ever hits it and wants the real story: Justin Wilson was born 3 houses north of the one traffic light in Roseland, La. The house is still there. His father was "Old Man Harry Wilson" who went broke farming a couple times; Huey Long then got him elected State Agriculture Commissioner, he served a couple terms, extremely competent at it. Justin claimed to be from Amite, La. (A-meet), midways in Tangipahoa Parish, above New Orleans. Mr. Harry and Justin's mother bought a place across the woods from where I grew up, out east of Roseland and Amite. I've always said, I don't think Justin ever did a single damn thing in his life he really didn't want to do. He loved life, he loved people. He was educated as a Safety Engineer. Coming home drunk from a Safety Meeting he hit a bridge, broke most everything in his body. The Amite Dr. who delivered me managed to get Justin hooked on morphine. Justin stayed 'out in the woods' for 18 months till he knew he was safe. Justin discovered folks would pay attention to his Safety presentations (required by all the big plants along the Mississippi River) if he told jokes first. He was more surprised than others when an album on an obscure label started selling, the Ed Sullivan Show called and asked him to come up. My father sold Justin the land just east of Baton Rouge, at the end of Pete's Highway, at French Settlement. Justin shot the outdoor shows there. As he 'got on up in age' he woo'ed a somewhat youngish intern on the tv show, moved to Mississippi in what he told me was "a big double-wide" till he died. Justin used to call me when I worked in broadcasting elsewhere "Best time to spend money is about 15 minutes before you get your hands on it. Ain't no pockets in shrouds, no armored cars in funeral processions." He laughed, he was charging .. I think it was ... $1,500 a night plus expenses, thought 200 days a year on the road was too much. "I raised it to $2,500, I now got 250 nights a year." And claimed he never forgave me for getting him to speak gratis to a broadcasting convention in Ft. Worth where they gave him an autographed Dallas Cowboys football. "Now what in the Hell am I supposed to do with DAT?" Justin was a generous, kind, good man. What you saw on tv was what Justin was. I miss him. Sat Jun 23 11:07:34 -0700 2007 1909320 107416 dancutrer 3 2690447 Thank you! Sun Jun 24 22:10:53 -0700 2007 2687268 10864 sel 3 2692891 Thanks for this. I always enjoyed Justin Wilson's show. It's nice to have this information. Mon Jun 25 15:14:16 -0700 2007 2687268 13201 Seattle Rose 3 2695915 Thank you. That was one of my early favorite cooking shows. Tue Jun 26 11:24:55 -0700 2007 2687268 10505 jenn 3 2696018 I "garonteee" that was great information about a man I loved to watch cook. Thanks. Tue Jun 26 11:49:04 -0700 2007 2687268 11057 macca 3 3594446 I met Justin as a chance with my cousins in Baton Rouge, LA. I was an Arizona boy in the service and by chance got to talk with him as my interest was in BBQ's and was always eager to get a new twist and flavor on things. But, I talked about Scottish eggs (as I'm also Scottish)and he suggested using andoli(?) sausage in making them. Which I tryed and are truely great. What a Character and a truely down to earth person. His suggestion of using wine on my roast pork loin was a good one. I will never forget my moment in time with him although at the time, I did not know who he was. I was later stationed in Alaska and got his show on PBS. Imaging me with the big head and thankful heart for meeting a true Chef and a fine person. I know his family must still have loving smiles from knowing him. I stiil do, I guarentee it. Tom www.banditscovebrittanys.com Mon Apr 14 18:45:00 -0700 2008 2687268 183639 tgardenhire 4 3893505 andouille sausage. good stuff. i too loved justin wilson.... Wed Jul 23 04:25:27 -0700 2008 3594446 105717 alkapal 1 2687288 Whatever happened to a cooking show (I forget the name), I think on public TV, that featured a female narrator describing the chef's actions as he prepared his dish? The show featured chefs all over the world in their professional kitchens. It was an unusual show because the narrator was strictly play-by-play. If the chef wasn't doing anything significant at the moment, the narrator didn't talk. Sat Jun 23 11:18:26 -0700 2007 1872081 99521 KenWritez 2 2687317 I think that was called Great Chefs of the World. I liked it too. It's been gone quite a while now; it started in the 80s. Sat Jun 23 11:35:25 -0700 2007 2687288 10087 Pat Hammond 3 2883523 Great Chefs of the World on the Discovery channel taught me that basics that I parleyed into 3 years in a commercial kitchen. Between that series and "Cooking at the CIA" on PBS, I wouldn't be nearly the cook that I am. "Cooking with Biba"(?) was also very good. I would love to see those episodes redone, as well as the early food TV series, "How to Boil Water" That series was hilarious, as well as informative. Sun Aug 26 15:34:28 -0700 2007 2687317 22220 Kelli2006 1 2690478 I grew up watching Jeff Smith, and loved how he came across on TV. It was so sad to hear about his fall from grace, and subsequent misfortunes in later life. I also liked watching Graham Kerr- he was silly and made cooking look like alot of fun, to a young kid. At least here in Las Vegas, PBS has a sister channel called Create, that shows cooking, gardening, crafting and travel shows. I'm pretty well addicted, watcing a few hours daily. I do hope they dig into their old show archives like Justin Wilson, and Jeff Smith to make it more interesting. The newer cooks (even if I like some) just don't have the personalities of yesteryear. Nick Stellino is amusing, but i'm not a huge fan of MaryAnn Esposito..(she reminds me too much of an ex-boyfriend's mother!) PBS has such a rich treasure-chest of cooking shows to work with, I hope they listen and have a "old-show revival" sooner or later. Sun Jun 24 22:31:05 -0700 2007 1872081 23858 Honeychan 2 2695919 hey! thats the very reason I like MaryAnn Esposito! The boyfriend turned out to be a jerk but his mom was terribly nice.....and a good cook too! Tue Jun 26 11:26:04 -0700 2007 2690478 10505 jenn 2 3028199 Nick Stellino, is he for real? Fri Oct 12 08:09:09 -0700 2007 2690478 105717 alkapal 2 4199677 You can get more of the Louisiana accent on Create with the John Folse's Louisiana Cooking. He comes from an old line of German immigrants to the state. He's been focusing on the different traditions that contributed to the state. Mon Nov 24 19:46:08 -0800 2008 2690478 12139 paulj 1 2693074 We see Justin Wilson reruns for fun on RFD TV - one of the gems on satellite TV, along with the Cajun cooking lady. But the best had to be the Galloping Gourmet before he quit drinking, we would always watch after school in the late 60's. Mon Jun 25 16:05:10 -0700 2007 1872081 99062 archangelcat 1 2695926 Does anyone remember the name of the southern woman with the seriously big blond hair? She had quite an accent. I remember her most for the fact that whenever she whipped egg whites or cream, she seemed to hold the bowl upside down over her head. I was always waiting for it to fall out but alas, it never happened on any of the episodes I watched. Tue Jun 26 11:27:44 -0700 2007 1872081 10505 jenn 2 2866686 Wasn't that Nathalie Dupree? I watched her all the time. She was always saying, "Now, in a perfect world......" Tue Aug 21 12:29:25 -0700 2007 2695926 93384 cookingschool 3 2883403 Dupree used to drive me crazy! She'd have 15 stages of the dish she was making, and invariably she'd mess up all of them. Cookingschool, OMG, I can hear her saying that! She'd also say "Now, you'll do that better than I just did" as she moved on to stage 12 where she'd mess up yet again! Sun Aug 26 14:44:33 -0700 2007 2866686 84890 nemo 4 2883805 Oh, yes....now I can hear her saying...'Now, you'll do that better than I just did". To this day, everytime I screw up something in the kitchen, I'm saying (in that nah...nah..nah..tone) "Now, in a perfect world...." My husband has come to realize, that can't be a good thing. Sun Aug 26 17:31:46 -0700 2007 2883403 93384 cookingschool 1 2695990 Another oldie but goodie was Madeleine Kamman from the PBS cooking show Madeleine Cooks. I spent many hours as a kid watching her program. I remember thinking that she would make an awesome grandmother. I loved her way of explaining things and her soft comforting laugh. This is the first time I learned of what a bouquet garni is. Tue Jun 26 11:43:06 -0700 2007 1872081 18155 sandrina 2 3028205 i learned on another thread that MK had no love lost for Julia Child. I thought MK's show was good, also. Of course, nowhere NEAR Julia. maybe that was the problem! Fri Oct 12 08:10:40 -0700 2007 2695990 105717 alkapal 3 3745960 yes. Kamman was famous for disparaging Child throughout Child's career. "I'm going to show that dame how to cook," was one such gem. As a big Child fan, I won't read / watch Kamman. Tue Jun 03 12:46:24 -0700 2008 3028205 113176 jmckee 4 3893510 jmckee, what was the origin of this envy? Wed Jul 23 04:26:32 -0700 2008 3745960 105717 alkapal 5 3900834 I'm not sure. Julia, always a class act, never responded. But Kamman seemed to have an almost visceral need to excoriate Julia's abilities. The situation is outlined pretty well in "Appetite for Life", the biography of Julia Child. Fri Jul 25 09:16:36 -0700 2008 3893510 113176 jmckee 6 3902584 thanks jmckee, i'm going to get that book. Fri Jul 25 18:57:02 -0700 2008 3900834 105717 alkapal 1 2863639 Does anyone remember a chef I think form PBS I think he wore a red chef hat, a blue chef jacket and drank wine. When he turned his back to the camera he always said "excuse my back" I think he had a French or maybe even Italian accent. probably from the 1970's or 80's? I was so young and really got a kick out of his show. Mon Aug 20 15:44:42 -0700 2007 1872081 120801 natchef 2 2916512 Sounds like Pasquale's Kitchen Express on the Discovery Channel dating from the early 90's. Loved his wine and if remember correctly he did a lot of flambe'-ed desserts Thu Sep 06 10:48:04 -0700 2007 2863639 125174 SRM 1 2864520 Far Flung Floyd! What a classic. Justin Wilson's stuff is available all over the French Quarter, I'm sure there must be some videos available. I loved his down home folksy way of cooking, as well as the Boudreaux and Thibodeaux jokes. The Galloping Gourmet is the show that started me on my love of cooking and food. Jeff Smith, The Frugal Gourmet. Personal tragedy aside, that was the series that really taught me about food. I still laugh when I think of the episode with Elmo learning how to sautee. Mon Aug 20 20:30:43 -0700 2007 1872081 22801 bkhuna 2 2866819 Used to watch Galloping Gourmet and Frugal Gourmet as well. I think Graham Kerr is still cooking (albeit "healthy" cooking now because of his wife's health), but - - What do you suppose happened to Jeff's sidekick Craig? Tue Aug 21 12:57:39 -0700 2007 2864520 78611 aurora50 3 2867251 I've often wondered that, myself. I learned so much from Jeff Smith, watching his show and using his cookbooks. I just wish people would remember that, although he was accused (albeit by more than one), he was never convicted, and he settled out of court. Settling out of court doesn't necessarily mean he was guilty. If he was guilty, I would never defend him. Leave the judgement to God, since we don't know for sure. Tue Aug 21 14:42:18 -0700 2007 2866819 93384 cookingschool 4 3745967 Jeff Smith's food history was as faulty as his theology. great article in Chicago magazine during the height of his fame. Tue Jun 03 12:47:09 -0700 2008 2867251 113176 jmckee 3 2907400 The last time someone asked I googled Craig and the last mention of him was as a theater director near Seattle. I learned to cook from the Galloping and Frugal Gourmets, and Julia. I miss them all. Mon Sep 03 17:48:39 -0700 2007 2866819 15882 PrincessBakesALot 1 2867491 Dione Lucas, is the first cook on tv that i recall. My favorite was Pierre Franey, and i loved Madeline Kamen. Tue Aug 21 15:56:15 -0700 2007 1872081 89944 JOJOGIRL 2 2883384 Does anyone remember the Pizza Gourmet? Then there was a guy whose two favorite tag lines were "if I were a ( fill in the blank -- knife, spatula), where would I be" as he looked around the set for a utensile, and "serve on a bed of lettuce -- have you ever been on a bed of lettuce?" Then there were two guys with the cheesiest TV set (it looked like they were shooting in their basement) who did everything real time. If the recipe called for 5 pounds of peeled potatoes, one of them painstakingly peeled the whole 5 pounds while the other went on with his dish. No swap-outs for those two! They all had to have been on PBS, because back in the, what, eighties when they were on, PBS was the only place I had available for cooking shows. Also, for Julia Child's 80th birthday, I remember PBS threw her a party. Guest chefs prepared the menu. We got to see them cook and present their dishes. I think Dungeness crab was on the menu and lamb for the entree. But I was most impressed by members of the Boston Pops (I think) who composed an instumental in her honor using nothing but kitchen implements, from wisks and old-fashioned egg beaters to upturned pots and pans. I'd love to see that show again. I hope OP gets her wish about PBS fundraisers! Sun Aug 26 14:37:01 -0700 2007 2867491 84890 nemo 1 2883506 Diana & Paul Von Welanetz They wrote a number of cookbooks and had a program on PBS Sun Aug 26 15:25:40 -0700 2007 1872081 36312 HillJ 1 2886335 I grew up on all the shows mentioned! Saturday afternoons on PBS I watch them all.... Julie..... The Frugal Gourmet (sigh)..... and I am glad I am not the only one who remembers Floyd on Fish! Mon Aug 27 12:49:15 -0700 2007 1872081 85738 libgirl2 1 2886384 There are two DVDs, each with a couple of cooking show episodes, available through justinwilson.com. Unfortunately it doesnt indicate what recipes are included. Mon Aug 27 13:00:15 -0700 2007 1872081 10258 Fydeaux 1 2906065 Now that I am remembering what about Yan can cook and the Great Chefs Series of the 80s that was on the discovery channel Mon Sep 03 07:08:07 -0700 2007 1872081 123233 Miamicooks 2 2916763 Does anyone remember that Asian guy who had a cooking show on PBS who was missing both arms? He was AMAZING wielding a knife, etc., with his feet. I will never forget the shots of him sitting on the butcherblock table, tossing salad high into the air with his bare feet. I think the show was called "Hands Off!" or some such nonsense. I remember it airing in the Portland, ME area as a teenager. Thu Sep 06 11:47:20 -0700 2007 2906065 113190 CucumberBoy 1 3030638 I remember Justin Wilson very fondly, but there was one thing that always irked me. He would never add more than on ingredient at a time. Add cubed boiled potatoes and mayo...stir. Add onions stir. Add parsley...stir. Add hardboild eggs...stir. Add salt and pepper and stir. Justin milked airtime like nobody else could. A couple of other posters brought up the Two Fat Ladies. God I wish the Food Network would re-run those shows. Julia, rest in peace sweetheart. Fri Oct 12 19:58:41 -0700 2007 1872081 109552 garfish 1 3077483 Who doesn't love Justin. Does anyone remember a PBS cooking show in the 70's called What's Cooking with LaDiva Davis...she is an African American and she was hilarious. I can't find anything about the show or Ms. Davis. Mon Oct 29 13:49:00 -0700 2007 1872081 138572 sheluvs2eat 2 3451007 Yes I remember LaDiva very well. She was my music teacher in junior high school. Her father was a well known Pool Shark and had a pool room in South Philadelphia. We were very proud of her when she was on PBS. She was an excellent teacher and I have often wondered what became of her Sat Mar 01 20:39:29 -0800 2008 3077483 170986 PhillyGirl9 3 4708460 I recall a friend of mine going to a school in Philly called CAPA...a performing arts type school back in the mid 90's and the head of the school's name was LaDiva Davis. This HAS to be the same woman. Don't think there are too many LaDiva Davis's in the world... Sat May 23 03:10:58 -0700 2009 3451007 322206 JerseyDiva55 1 3080106 I would love to see a Classic Cooking Channel (similar to AMC or TCM) startup where all of these classic cooking shows are aired. I'd watch these shows over 95% of what The Food Network puts out. I still remember when The Food Network was Food TV. Frugal Gourmet, Martin Yan, Madeline, Galloping Gourmet, Justin Wilson, Jacque Pepin... even the little cooking segments that Chef Tell (RIP) aired on the local evening magazine shows are much better than the polished faux cooking shown on TFN. Tue Oct 30 11:25:49 -0700 2007 1872081 56054 dave_c 2 3081587 Oh, how I LOVE this idea! I would watch nothing else on TV, and would be in heaven. Ted Turner, are you listening?? ^_^ Tue Oct 30 19:57:51 -0700 2007 3080106 23858 Honeychan 1 3474336 There was a woman from Hawaii with a fascinating natural foods cooking show on. My PBS station in the '80's carried it. Think she had a parent from Japan, so her approach had a lot of Asian & Island ingredients plus a meatless natural foods focus. It was very well done & she introduced so many concepts/ingredients much earlier than other sources did. Think it was called Kathy Cooks...Anyone else ever see it? Sat Mar 08 22:58:33 -0800 2008 1872081 111267 meatn3 2 3738283 Was it Christina Cooks? She used to talk about making sure to use the root ends of the carrots because that's where the energy of the earth was stored. Umm, ok... A lot of her stuff was healthy and interesting though, Anyway, she's still on our local Comcast channel. Sat May 31 19:17:15 -0700 2008 3474336 15882 PrincessBakesALot 3 3813531 Dear PrincessBakesALot, I have been looking for these shows. Found a copy of one ofthe books. What area of the country do you live in? When I search Comcast, this show does not appear? Thanks Wed Jun 25 15:11:56 -0700 2008 3738283 203939 sooobr 4 3902561 I'm near Boston. It used be on CN8, the Comcast channel. That channel has been broadcasting just a message screen lately. Sorry to send you off on a wold goose chase! Fri Jul 25 18:44:42 -0700 2008 3813531 15882 PrincessBakesALot 3 3893516 christina cooks is half-japanese? looks more irish to me... http://www.christinacooks.com/ here in dc it's on pbs (whut) on saturdays... Wed Jul 23 04:31:39 -0700 2008 3738283 105717 alkapal 1 3474499 There are many Justin Wilson clips on YouTube.com http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=justin+wilson&search_type= Sun Mar 09 05:21:15 -0700 2008 1872081 126101 Antilope 1 3474704 I still have (and use several times a week) my "Pizza Gourmet" oven stone and peel, along with a pan and cook book. Carl Oshinsky was his name and I always got a kick out of that show. Another one of my favorites was "Cookin' Cheap". It was like the early version of "Semi Homemade". These two guys would just open a few cans and wing it, often with recipes that viewers had sent in. I have seen Floyd on The Travel Channel and they look like fairly new shows. Dave Sun Mar 09 07:51:21 -0700 2008 1872081 155945 dave2 1 3475307 Great thread. I loved Justin Wilson and Yan Can Cook. When I got home from school I would watch Franco Palumbo (I think that was his name). He might have been local, I grew up in Western PA. He was funny and an accesible chef for me to watch when I was younger. They must have been live, because I recall one time his kitchen towel caught on fire on the stove - used that as a safety lesson. Loved Jeff Smith, too, even when he had Elmo on as a guest - saute! Saute! Sun Mar 09 12:19:30 -0700 2008 1872081 11802 ClaireLiz 2 3488463 I loved watching Justin Wilson, but more for his comedy than the food (althought the food was good too). Jeff Smith on Frugal Gourmet was one of the best cooking shows ever. I've several of his books, and they are very enjoyable reads as well as great recipes. (In spite of his troubles, which nobody can condone, I loved his show and was sorry to see that it was not politically correct to have them in reruns.) I think the great cooking shows were on PBS, the Great Chefs of series, Julia Child, Martin Yan, Jacques Pepin, Ming Tsai, etc. Thu Mar 13 08:07:34 -0700 2008 3475307 11814 dinwiddie 1 3596060 WOK WITH YAN! Also, even though it's not all that old, I always loved the In the Kitchen With Jacques And Julia, particularly when they'd demurely argue with one another over something and then she would rather pointedly call him "JACK." Tue Apr 15 09:25:40 -0700 2008 1872081 156941 dingey 2 3653268 I loved that show Wok with Yan when I was little! He had the best things written on his tee shirts! Sat May 03 11:26:14 -0700 2008 3596060 139265 Cookiepants 1 3731264 I LOVED Justin Wilson. I was just telling my kids about the neat shows that were on PBS"s Saturday afternoon schedule, not only the cooking shows but Bob Ross and his happy little trees. Count me in for an avid viewer if a channel would begin showingi classic cookikng shows. They were the best. . .move over Emeril, Bobby and Rachel. PBS could count on my money if they brought back those classic shows. :o) Thu May 29 11:18:23 -0700 2008 1872081 196211 lynnmarie 2 3737204 Anyone with DirecTV can catch Justin Wilson-Lookin' Back on RFD, channel 379. I just caught it yesterday for the first time. From the program guide, it looks like it is shown a couple of times on Fridays and Saturdays. Sat May 31 09:47:46 -0700 2008 3731264 179170 DDR4040 1 3890827 Thanks for your post! I was looking around the net for the show my mom watched in the 90s she loved show much and this helped me. Would watch it from time to time with her. She loved both Justin Wilson and Grahm Kerr. I agree it would be nice if the Food Network could bring more of these down to earth people into their network instead of ones that have to look at act a certain way after all its the home cook that meant to watch this network?? Tue Jul 22 08:23:44 -0700 2008 1872081 212098 Deedledoll 1 3892382 I just purchased (for like a buck) a Jeff Smith cookbook I wanted at the time. Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines: Greek, Roman and Chinese. Just having paged through a quarter of it I'm not sure what to make first! Tue Jul 22 15:44:39 -0700 2008 1872081 183904 HarryK 2 3902563 I use that book all the time. I also still make a lot of the vegetables and sides in his Christmas book. Fri Jul 25 18:46:05 -0700 2008 3892382 15882 PrincessBakesALot 1 3897307 You can find a lot of public television's popular cooking series on Create TV. chefs include: Julia Child, Christina Pirello, Lidia Bastianich, Jaques Pepin, John Folse, Paul Prudhomme, Ming Tsai, Sara Moulton,Todd English and much more. The channel is available in about 3/4 of the US - to find the channel in your area visit the website at: www.CreateTV.com Thu Jul 24 08:37:55 -0700 2008 1872081 204423 Professional.Eater 1 3902730 I still tell the groaner that I heard on the microwave cook's show.He was Dominic sorry the last name escapes me. The daughter potato comes home to her blue ribbon winning father, a russet, and her gold medal winning mom, a yukon gold, and tells them the good news.She loves her job, she loves her apartment and she is engaged to marry Dan Rather.Her father explodes, "We are potato royalty, there is no way our daughter is going to marry a commentator. Fri Jul 25 20:16:56 -0700 2008 1872081 105235 wolfe 1 3904094 Does anyone remember David Wade? I used to watch him when I was home sick from school in the late 60s or early 70s. He always wore a blazer with a cheesy crest on the pocket and worked so hard to insert as many polysyllabic words in his speech as he could. Wade was all about recipes. There was no technique involved, just dump and stir, with his "tasting spoon/baton." He would brag about being the inventor of Worcestershire Powder, although to his credit, he didn't seem to be trying to sell it to you. I saw him again sometime in the 80s on an obscure Christian network, still doing the same old schtick. Sat Jul 26 14:42:27 -0700 2008 1872081 17348 Vladimir Estragon 1 3904189 "Cookin Cheap" with Larry Bly and Laban Johnson! 22 seasons out of Blue Ridge TV in Roanoke, Virginia. They cooked recipes the viewers sent in, and tasted them at the end of the show. Some were frankly Not Good, but a lot of them apparently turned out pretty well. Kind of a master class in middle range southern food. And Larry and Laban seemed like really sweet guys. Sat Jul 26 15:35:00 -0700 2008 1872081 41016 Meann 1 3923546 I remember a cooking duo on the Florence Henderson show I think in the 80's and they were hilarious. Anyone remember the names? One fellow said he was Indian and they had a great routine. Also, another good one for simple receipes was The Burgermeister. A french looking guy and had great recipes for upgrading a simple burger. Fri Aug 01 20:12:05 -0700 2008 1872081 215279 dekiser 2 3923834 The burger guy is Marcel Desaulmiers. He also had a Death by Chocolate show and a bunch of cookbooks. Sat Aug 02 00:12:20 -0700 2008 3923546 179170 DDR4040 2 4193973 williams and ree, on tnn's "country kitchen." http://www.reznetnews.org/multimedia/video/williams-and-ree-country-kitchen-21170 here is an interview with marcel desaulniers: http://www.sallys-place.com/studio/desaulniers.htm Sat Nov 22 08:34:11 -0800 2008 3923546 105717 alkapal 1 4197533 I remember "A Taste of Louisiana" with Chef John Folse--I have a great John Folse story for you. I LOVE his recipes--so much that I've been to his old "LaFitte's Landing' in Donaldsonville, LA and it was one of the best meals I had ever had in my life. Anyway, when my son was in third grade, he had to do a project on Lousiana. So, for his class I decided to make the pralines that was in one of his books. I screwed them up. Tried it a second time, and screwed it up again. Now I'm frustrated--so I CALL him. Honest to God. He called me back and walked me through the recipe and it turned out GREAT. In addition, I had mentioned to him that i could not find "Steens Cane Syrup" in NYC, where I lived. I'll be darned if three days later, a case of steen's came delivered to my home from him. I love that guy! Nathalie Dupree was a very big favorite of mine as well. I do remember my mom being in love with Graham Kerr back when I was a kid--I hadn't realized he was always drunk--I thought he was just funny! Does anyone remember a woman who had a show who cooked in menonite/amish style? I can't remember her name, but she was interesting! Mon Nov 24 06:22:08 -0800 2008 1872081 239703 jarona 2 4197681 marcia adams, "cooking from quilt country" is what you're thinking of, jarona. http://www.wbgu.org/community/local/MarciaAdams/QuiltCountry/index.html http://philadelphia.about.com/od/cookbooks/tp/amishcookbooks.htm Mon Nov 24 07:19:36 -0800 2008 4197533 105717 alkapal 3 4197844 OMG...that's RIGHT! THANKS alkapal! Didn't she always end her show saying something like "Essa goot"' or something. I don't know why I was so enthralled with her show because I never made anything, but I watched the show anyway! What a hoot! Mon Nov 24 08:27:15 -0800 2008 4197681 239703 jarona 4 4197880 yes, issa goot -- or something. "Das ist gut!" (that's good) in german. but it did sound like "issa"!! i always watched if i came upon the show, but always thought, "i'd never make this...." ;-). she was engaging, i guess, because she was engaged -- in the subject matter -- and appreciated the amish's talents with making use of what was there, being thrifty, and doing so with both food and fabrics. Mon Nov 24 08:39:47 -0800 2008 4197844 105717 alkapal 1 4731300 Here in South MS, I get WYES PBS out of New Orleans. I have rabbit ears only (2 channels PBS and ABC) Every Sat and Sun at 1:00pm, Justin Wilson's "Looking Back" airs. WKNO in Memphis sells VHS/DVD's of his shows. Sun May 31 19:51:29 -0700 2009 1872081 324647 jayraew97