I love food. I love to eat great food, nothing fancy, necessarily but GOOD food…I want it to be flavorful, balanced and interesting. That could be a steak or salad or something really exotic. Just make it balanced.
I am a fan of the show “After Hours with Daniel”. Daniel is Chef-Owner-Author Daniel Boulud who is probably best known as Executive Chef at Le Cirque in NYC. The idea of the show is an after hours conversation with chefs, food critics, restaurateurs and celebrities. For someone like me…AWESOME!
The most recent episode I watched was Episode 1 of Season 2. Taped in Los Angeles at Pizzeria Mozza in L.A. which is the creation of Nancy Silverton, Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich. INCREDIBLE stuff they are doing there including the creation of a Mozzarella Bar, sort of like a Sushi Bar but with exotic servings of Mozzarella…when I get to L.A. it will be one of my first stops. Guests on this episode included Chef Nancy Silverton, Chef Alain Giraud, Chef Hiro Sone, Restaurateur Lissa Doumani, Actor Josh Charles, Actor-Comedian Ray Romono and Comedian-Author-Producer Phil Rosenthal. What a perfect balance of Food, Comedy, Showbiz and conversation. At one point in the conversation, Phil Rosenthal was describing his passion for food and wondered why he wouldn’t be better at preparing food since he loves it so much. He also explained the motivation behind his love of food. Turns out his mother was a horrible cook and when he moved out of the house, he was able to taste what he had been missing.
Phil Rosenthal has written a book called “YOU’RE LUCKY YOU’RE FUNNY” which I have designs on reading very soon. In fact, one of the great things about livig in Columbus is that we have a great library system and I reserved my copy of “YOU’RE LUCKY YOU’RE FUNNY” to be picked up at the Main Library in the morning!
Phil also directed and co-wrote a really funny piece for the closing days of the Clinton administration back in 2000. Odd to see how different life was pre-911.
Just got a new another High School newspaper asked me for an interview. Here are the questions they sent me to answer for the article and my responses.
You were in radio for several years, what made you want to get in to radio and when and how did you make the transition to comedy?
Well, as a kid I was always “very funny” with my friends and family but with a group at large I was a bit shy so I probably would have gone into stand up right after high school if I would have had a little more guts. Radio, I LOVE IT but when it became so formulated and boring I decided to head to the stage.
Steak or hamburgers?
HAMBURGERS! Nothing beats a good hamburger except for the fact that I don’t actually eat a lot of beef…truth be known, I’d rather have Salmon.
What’s the worst job you ever had?
Door to door photo sales. Yeah, I did that and not in the good neighborhoods either. One are I went to was nicknamed “Machine Gun Ally”. I worked that job along with my very first job in radio which I loved!
What’s the first job you ever had?
Outside of delivering papers my first job was working for Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers on W. Broad Street across from Westland Mall. I started on my 16th birthday.
When you’re alone, and its midnight… what’s your favorite thing to do?
I’m never alone at midnight. I have a wife and the rest of it is none of your business. LOL!!!
What’s your favorite movie?
Tommy Boy!
If you weren’t a comedian what would you be doing for a living?
I’d more than likely still be in radio, and loving it! Or I would be a chef and loving it!
What’s in your CD player right now?
I don’t have a CD player, I have a Zune which has everything from Mark Heard to Bob Dylan to the Gershwin to Bach to The Cardigans on it.
What’s in your wallet?
My Starbucks card, Gas card, Drivers ID with a GREAT picture of me on it and my Columbus Public Library Card.
If you’re on a deserted island, name the 3 foods and one person you can’t survive without?
Foods…Water, Cashew Butter and Crackers.
Person…My wife.
Favorite reality TV show?
Hell’s Kitchen.
How bout your 3 Favorite Movies of all time
Seems like a throw in question too me, I mean you already asked me for my favorite movie a few questions back but to be the peace maker I will answer this redundant inquiry…just busting your chops.
I would say my three favorite movies of all time are
1) Tommy Boy
2) Ratatouille
3) Nacho Libre
What’s the one thing that you do to have a happy marriage?
Well, I make her laugh. I listen to her and I do stuff for her, like cooking, cleaning, simple stuff and then at least once every couple of weeks I take her out for a dinner and movie.
Can you cook? If so, what’s your best dish?
Yes, and to brag a bit I am pretty good. Nothing spectacular but the simple stuff.
I am very good at cooking any sort of fish. I am also very good at comfort foods like Fried Chicken and Mac and Cheese but the best stuff I make are salads usually with spinach, strawberries, blue cheese, walnuts or pecans, scallions, tomato, cucumber and home made croûtons.
Smurfs or Gummi Bears?
Neither.
What’s your sign? Do you think it fits you?
Aquarius. I have no clue, I’ve never paid any attention to that stuff.
What message do you want to share?
God loves you right where you’re at just the way you are.
Marty Daniels is a Comedian from Columbus, OH. check out his entire website by going to http://www.MartyDaniels.com.
There are a couple of things I love more than comedy…
I am happy to discover that a couple of those things are coming together through Oprah Jr., Rachel Ray, who is putting together a contest called "So You Think You Can Cook" in an effort to discover the next great untrained culinary guru.
Don’t count yourself out before you get started, Rachel Ray was not a trained chef, she just loved cooking and it seems to have "panned" out for her okay! So give it a shot.
The contest is sponsored by WalMart.
Here is a link to the official rules for the contest "So You Think You Can Cook" on Rachel Rays official website.
On a similar yet slightly different note…
One of my favorite presenters on Food Network is Alton Brown. If you are not familiar with who he is, Alton Brown is the host of the wildly popular "Iron Chef: America" on Food Network. He’s funny, entertaining and presents cooking in a really fascinating way because he talks about the history
and science of the food.
If you are getting a few miles on you and thinking about giving up, watch this video t get some inspiration.
And don’t forget to enter the "So You Think You Can Cook" contest now…I am!
A couple days back I wrote about my victory of being “a little chubby” well, as such you can bet I like to try new foods.
You wanna know where I find several really good new things to try?
BIG LOTS!
Yeah, the orange and black sign that means you found savings.
The other day I was in there to pick up some printing paper and I saw this imported canned food from FRANCE, ooh, la, la so I decided to give it a try and am I ever glad I did!
It’s called Gourmet To Go by a company called St. Dalfour. I got the Tuna & Pasta and it was SOOO GOOD!!!
Inside the can was a variety of veggies, oils, herbs, pasta and tuna…I ate it for lunch and it filled me right up.
Another good thing, no preservatives and no additives…YUM!
Why am I telling you this? Because we’re friends…right?