the frugal gourmet, classic or dud?

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i loved the "colonial cooking" episodes.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:02 (twenty years ago)

My mom used to watch it all the time.

― n/a (Nick A.), Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:03 (twenty years ago)

So, classic, I guess.

― n/a (Nick A.), Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:03 (twenty years ago)

Mr. Smith's career went in the toilet due to the scandal of his sexual proclivities rather than anything connected to his cooking skills. See also Herman, Pee Wee.

― Aimless (Aimless), Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:05 (twenty years ago)

yeah i was gonna say, wasn't he a pedo or something?

haha i was weirdly obsessed with this show as a kid.

― strng hlkngn, Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:06 (twenty years ago)

were you perhaps HUNGRY in the late afternoons? i think that explains my fascination with the show.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:07 (twenty years ago)

http://www.vintagecookbook.com/images/ccb40.jpg

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:07 (twenty years ago)

the two cookbooks my parents had when i was really little were that one and the moosewood cookbook.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:07 (twenty years ago)

yeah his show was on at some odd weekend time between cartoons and regular tv. he was funny!

― g e o f f (gcannon), Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:08 (twenty years ago)

from http://www.jumptheshark.com/f/frugalgourmet.htm:

Jeff Smith was never arrested, nor did the accusations involve anyone from the TV show. He was sued for sexual abuse by several men who had worked as teenagers at his restaurant in Tacoma back in the 70's. He settled out of court for about $5 million (most of which came from insurance policies- according to the Seattle Times) just before trial when it became evident a lot of people were lining up to testify against him. I am tempted to say the show jumped when it moved from the low budget Tacoma PBS station to WTTW- Chicago whereupon the "frugal" aspect was discarded. I saw him onetime on Donahue making some fancy dessert- an audience member inquired "What's so frugal about that- thats very expensive to make". Mr. Smith just sort of stammered some nonsense about frugality being a relative term. But in reality, it was the Chicago shows that made him famous (relatively)

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:08 (twenty years ago)

The Frugal Gourmet was great when it was all about inventive frugal cooking. It JTS when half the show got to be about Jeff's and Craig's excellent adventures around the world in places we'll never get to visit. Some of those eps were 70% filmed travelogue, 30% cooking as an afterthought, and they started leaning on obscure and expensive ingredients. When the scandal erupted and the show got cancelled my wife made me throw out our Frugal Gourmet cookbooks. Today I work near the Pike Place Market area of Seattle, near Elliott Bay, and I see Jeff Smith from time to time. He lives around here is apparently confined to an electric motorized wheelchair-thing in which he navigates the streets and alleys around Belltown. The motor-chair is equipped with a loud horn which he uses against cars that creep into the crosswalk while he's trying to get across. He may be at peace but it doesn't appear so. I cross the street with him now and then and hear him muttering angry imprecations against everyone in his line of sight. If the charges were true, talk about karma coming around to bite you.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:16 (twenty years ago)

"doesn't appear so"

― g e o f f (gcannon), Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:17 (twenty years ago)

U.S.E. should write a song about him.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:18 (twenty years ago)

"FRUGAL GOURMET!"

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:18 (twenty years ago)

I once saw him walking down the street in the Pike Place Market and it was just as described - he looked very annoyed at people trying to make him stop and talk to them.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:19 (twenty years ago)

Dud, for the beard alone. I was all about some Yan Can Cook and the Cajun dude, though.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:19 (twenty years ago)

i have no opinion on this show's classicness, but when i was little i called it "foogoo gourmet." the dude seems like he'd be a dud though.

― caitlin oh no (caitxa1), Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:20 (twenty years ago)

he was oddly compelling!

― strng hlkngtn, Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:20 (twenty years ago)

apparently he died last year...

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:21 (twenty years ago)

Ohmigod I never heard about these allegations! That's amazing!

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:21 (twenty years ago)

the Cajun dude

Justin Wilson!

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:22 (twenty years ago)

the cajun dude made LPs!!! they are amazing.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 16 June 2005 20:22 (twenty years ago)