A Meaty, Boozy Father's Day
Polynesian Cocktail Party
10 Spicy Snacks
Party Food from the Corner Store
How to Make Nut Milk
Sausage Recipes of the Month
Every year, usually in summer, I make the Frugal Gourmet's sesame chicken salad. I use his plausibly Chinese method for poaching, which involves turning off the heat under the water and letting the chicken sit for an hour. Then I mix the meat with sesame oil and tahini, both of which I bought and used for the first time decades ago for this very recipe, and serve it to cries of admiration.
And the whole time I'm doing this, I'm thinking: "Ewww, Frug—you liked little boys."
As middle-aged readers might remember, the career of early PBS cooking superstar Jeff Smith, a.k.a. the Frugal Gourmet, died a quick and brutal death in 1997, when a grand total of eight men filed suit against Smith for fondling, kissing, and/or raping them as teenagers. Current reported in 1998 that Smith's trial, which never occurred due to a settlement deal, would have included damning testimony from more than a dozen other people not named in the suits. Smith passed away in 2004.
Innocent until proven guilty and all that, but, um, 19-plus people? Doesn't look good. It's made Smith's ebullient personality take on a rather creepy cast in our memories, not least of which for the always-kinda-unsettling attention he paid to Craig Wollam, his boyish-looking cooking and writing partner.
And yet, cooks out there still retain a little love for the guy, or at least for his recipes, which tend to work. Indeed, as Alton Brown noted last year in The Wall Street Journal while recommending Smith's book The Frugal Gourmet as one of his top-five faves, "were it not for Smith, I know of at least one would-be cook who'd still be on the sofa ordering takeout."
A surprising number of cooks have at least one Smith recipe in their regular rotation, like my sesame chicken, or Brown's Chicago pizza or carrot sauce. Or use a technique they learned while watching Smith on TV, such as his mantra "hot pan, cold oil, food won't stick." Or first encountered an ingredient, like whole cloves of garlic, due to Smith's influence. Hey, the guy routinely got 15 million viewers! That's a whole lot of people who learned to cook watching him.
So is it still OK to like the Roman Polanski of the food world, cook his recipes, and enjoy the results? Chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Rachael Ray have emerged relatively unscathed from sex scandals, though of course, neither of those alleged incidents involved minors. Do we just not care as much about the private lives of celebrities as we did in 1997? Or is the inappropriate touch still the quickest way to end a career?
Image source: RetroBookShop.com
My library had a large collection of his cookbooks which were immensely helpful to me as a new bride married to a non-vegetarian. I had absolutely no idea how to cook ANYTHING! So his essays and descriptions of ingredients were essential to me. And back then, in my area of the country, we were lucky to get *one* tv station if the weather was good. I happen to catch an episode of FG where "Elmo"...+READ
My library had a large collection of his cookbooks which were immensely helpful to me as a new bride married to a non-vegetarian. I had absolutely no idea how to cook ANYTHING! So his essays and descriptions of ingredients were essential to me. And back then, in my area of the country, we were lucky to get *one* tv station if the weather was good. I happen to catch an episode of FG where "Elmo" was the special guest (yes, the puppet) and that was the last episode I ever watched -- Books good, tv show stupid.-COLLAPSE
Jeff Smith did not "prey on children." He did not have sex with children. He may have had sex with minors, but they were NOT children. Get over it.
I find it curious that these young men did not run to the police but ran to lawyers in search of compensation, not criminal justice.
Nothing was proven. Allegations are all too often filed for malicious reasons. Nothing went to trial - so who is to say? I believed in Jeff Smith's innocence then, as I do now - although that is merely based on impressions of the man's personality on the shows. I do know this: my love of cooking and feeding others stems directly from watching his program. I was enthralled as a child to learn that...+READ
Nothing was proven. Allegations are all too often filed for malicious reasons. Nothing went to trial - so who is to say? I believed in Jeff Smith's innocence then, as I do now - although that is merely based on impressions of the man's personality on the shows. I do know this: my love of cooking and feeding others stems directly from watching his program. I was enthralled as a child to learn that there were so many different ways of eating (which was a genuine revelation if you looked at what was served in my home on a routine basis). He opened my eyes to the history of food, how it shapes and is shaped by culture and what it means to the notion of true communion with others. That is important to me - not twenty-year-old allegations that were never proven.-COLLAPSE
I hate how others judge without proof.
I know it was alleged.
I know what people said
I also know that all it takes is one person with a grudge to say something that is not true, and a couple of dozen to jump on the band wagon if they think money might be coming their way.
I also know that we are not to judge others, especially if we aren't involved.
Those WITHOUT sin cast the first...+READ
I hate how others judge without proof.
I know it was alleged.
I know what people said
I also know that all it takes is one person with a grudge to say something that is not true, and a couple of dozen to jump on the band wagon if they think money might be coming their way.
I also know that we are not to judge others, especially if we aren't involved.
Those WITHOUT sin cast the first stone. We sure must be a perfect society!
Maybe the man did or the man didn't who made you the judge.
Michael Jackson on a pedestal, Jeff Smith under someone's boot.
So I guess the more perverted you get the more your revered, or maybe it's just the more money you have.-COLLAPSE
Supporting a person who preys on children, in any manner, is repugnant. Neither Mr. Smith, or his estate, deserve any of my money or respect.
I still have my original hardback FG cookbook. He got me interested in cooking. It has good recipes in it. IIRC, when all that came about, he was getting kinda long in tooth. He had his merchandising deals and he was all over the place. Too bad he was a pervert.
Joyce, if you like the recipe, make it. Did he really originate it? No, he might have tweaked it a bit. Really, most recipes are just regurgitations.
I still have my Frugal Gourmet, Whole Family and Italian Cookbooks. My all-time favorite recipe is from his Christmas cookbook. It is a simple and spectacular recipe for Prime Rib. I still use it. To this day when I cook, I repeat to myself, "Hot pan, cold oil, food won't stick!" He was, however, a nasty little man!
I still use my Frug cookbooks occasionally. My fav being his Recipes From Our Immigrant Ancestors. I missed his show terribly when it was cancelled and actually got away from (avidly) watching all the food shows right after that and re-entered the work force. My kids still blame Smith for turning their dinnertime from a fun, interesting (usually international) repast into a boring ritual of...+READ
I still use my Frug cookbooks occasionally. My fav being his Recipes From Our Immigrant Ancestors. I missed his show terribly when it was cancelled and actually got away from (avidly) watching all the food shows right after that and re-entered the work force. My kids still blame Smith for turning their dinnertime from a fun, interesting (usually international) repast into a boring ritual of meatloaf, boxed tacos and spaghetti with sauce from a jar.
It's amazing what some people are willing to risk, and how they affect so many others when they fall to temptations.-COLLAPSE
I used to watch him and he certainly influenced my cooking back in the 90s but I'm a mom and I have never gotten over the horror at the acts & exploitation against young men and the personal betrayal I felt. I mean the man was an ordained minister with a family of his own.
EWWWWWWWWW 20 years later. I had a couple FG cookbooks but I dumped them then and haven't missed them for a moment.
He lost his draw with me when he did a special show on Cuban food and visited a couple of Tampa favorite eateries to learn the secrets of Cuban cooking. He went back to the studio and proceeded to make so many substitutions that, while I'm sure the dishes were good, they bore so little similarity to the Cuban restaurants that they were not only not traditional, but downright way off base.
His...+READ
He lost his draw with me when he did a special show on Cuban food and visited a couple of Tampa favorite eateries to learn the secrets of Cuban cooking. He went back to the studio and proceeded to make so many substitutions that, while I'm sure the dishes were good, they bore so little similarity to the Cuban restaurants that they were not only not traditional, but downright way off base.
His career came to such a screeching halt that the allegations had to have been pretty vile. (Even Michael Jackson continued to record and sell out concerts...) The fact that all of the cases were quietly settled out of court speaks volumes as to levels of guilt, in my eyes.
I cannot justify spending my money to further the career or fatten the wallet of someone who could stoop to such a level.
He's dead -- but those he terrorized and abused are, I'm sure, still fighting those demons...-COLLAPSE
i really find this pretty insensitive, since so many of the people smith victimized were up-and-coming in food/food media, and many of them still work in these fields. for the record, someone can still be a sick, abominable monster after being confined to a wheelchair.
Wow Chef Paulo thanks for the story. I kinda remember a Saturday Night Live where there was a spoof that made fun of his anal-retentive behavior.
If its bad to like the Frugal Gourmet then it's also bad to like Michael Jackson. Both had multiple people accusing them of molestation (and MJ even came across as creepier and weirder). I have 4 FG books and I love them.
I also tweaked the Italian gravy recipe. I decided to skip the part where you fondle a boy while waiting for it to simmer.
(Sorry, way too easy. Just couldn't resist. Kind of like the Frugal Gourmet upon encountering a room full of Cub Scouts.)
If you have access to Harper's, check out Barbara Grizzuti Harrison article "P.C. on the Grill." To put it lightly, she criticizes Smith for being self-righteous, pompous, and condescending toward all of the "fascinating," "brilliant and wonderful," & "charming" foreign peoples whose food he tried to popularize. It's a good read, and a good general criticism of the idea that "authentic" foods...+READ
If you have access to Harper's, check out Barbara Grizzuti Harrison article "P.C. on the Grill." To put it lightly, she criticizes Smith for being self-righteous, pompous, and condescending toward all of the "fascinating," "brilliant and wonderful," & "charming" foreign peoples whose food he tried to popularize. It's a good read, and a good general criticism of the idea that "authentic" foods should be romanticized.-COLLAPSE
I started cooking seriously because of the Frugal Gourmet. I used to watch his show on PBS, and I still have three of his cookbooks. I still use his recipe for italian gravy, among others, with a few tweaks of course.
@Chefpaulo I remember the episode with Itzhak Perlman. Despite the theme of the show, Smith insisted on making the salami and eggs with butter (a kosher no-no) instead of olive oil or some other acceptable substitute. At the time I thought that was quite rude of him.
That show, with the few other cooking shows available on PBS were a big influence to my growing palate and kitchen skills. I still find myself saying "Hot Pan, cold oil, food no stick!".
I remember hearing of the egregious offenses with which he was charged. Imagine, if that did not happen, he may have been a culinary superstar by now.
I too remember watching The Frugal Gourmet. I bought three of his books. Like Alton Brown, Jeff Smith helped to spark my interest in cooking. Unlike the author of this article, I thought his recipes were hit or miss. I developed my chili recipe from his and I learned cooking technique from watching the show, but I also remember some recipes that just didn't work. I remember reading somewhere,...+READ
I too remember watching The Frugal Gourmet. I bought three of his books. Like Alton Brown, Jeff Smith helped to spark my interest in cooking. Unlike the author of this article, I thought his recipes were hit or miss. I developed my chili recipe from his and I learned cooking technique from watching the show, but I also remember some recipes that just didn't work. I remember reading somewhere, before the scandal involving Smith, that some chefs said his recipes didn't always work. I tend to agree.-COLLAPSE
Isn't he dead?
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2001976403_smith10.html
Casually comparing allegations of child molestation to the alleged extra-marital affair "scandals" around Ramsey and Rae is insulting.
I feel the "kindly minister" veneer was an act and the inner man was much darker. My first clue was an episode to which Itzahk Perlman had been invited to prepare cuisine for Passover. Smith was totally disrespectful, almost spitting every time he said Jew or Jews. He truly treated him like a second class citizen. A year or so later, when I was involved with a non-profit to raise money for...+READ
I feel the "kindly minister" veneer was an act and the inner man was much darker. My first clue was an episode to which Itzahk Perlman had been invited to prepare cuisine for Passover. Smith was totally disrespectful, almost spitting every time he said Jew or Jews. He truly treated him like a second class citizen. A year or so later, when I was involved with a non-profit to raise money for culinary students, we approached Smith about being our guest chef. His demands were outrageous (the best hotel suite, a one-pound tin of Beluga caviar, a case of Dom Perignon,...the list went on) and his foul language to our president became a legendary story. More disturbing, a friend who had written a cookbook of her family recipes was at a show to do book signings and was seated at the adjacent table. When Smith arrived, he saw that a few of her books and papers were slightly over the line into his space prompting him to throw her books on the floor and yelling at her until she was in tears. Somehow, the sex accusations from the young men were not surprising considering the way this Borderline-Narcissist treated people.
I've since relegated his book to a bottom drawer and haven't looked at it in years. I can usually separate one's art from their character except Smith personally hurt and insulted more than one who is near and dear to me.
CP-COLLAPSE
i was in pikes place market once when the produce guy said what can i get you mr. smith. i turned around and saw this wreck of a man in a power wheel chair. doubtless he was not a good man but it was sad to see a familiar figure in such bad shape.
I would like to be able to believe he was innocent because I liked his TV persona. I would like to believe Lidia Bastianich, her son, Gordon Ramsay, and Mario Batali are guilty as charged in their assorted scandals because I loathe theirs... I do find it disturbing that Smith's books and TV shows have been dismissed on the basis of the accusations, which never saw a courtroom because of a...+READ
I would like to be able to believe he was innocent because I liked his TV persona. I would like to believe Lidia Bastianich, her son, Gordon Ramsay, and Mario Batali are guilty as charged in their assorted scandals because I loathe theirs... I do find it disturbing that Smith's books and TV shows have been dismissed on the basis of the accusations, which never saw a courtroom because of a pre-trial financial settlement, while millions of people remain unswervingly loyal to the Roman Catholic Church, despite multiple convictions of priest-verts and credible journalistic reporting establishing that the cover-up extended up the hierarchy all the way to the very top.-COLLAPSE
Sorry, I never warmed to "the Frug". His demeanor just struck me wrong. Prissy and "just a little bit better than you". Thus I never watched his show much and never tried his recipes. Never got the frugal part either. Ham hocks and turnip greens is frugal, some of the ingredients he used, not very.
Seems that we pick and choose who can be forgiven. Polanski yes, Kazan no?
My family and I used to refer to him as the 'Frug'. We were very saddened when we learned what he did. We still have the cookbooks. I don't know if I could watch reruns of his show now, I also would definitely not buy copies of his book now. However I can remember watching Smith's episode about chili and having a discussion with my mother about it, we felt very vindicated by him agreeing with us...+READ
My family and I used to refer to him as the 'Frug'. We were very saddened when we learned what he did. We still have the cookbooks. I don't know if I could watch reruns of his show now, I also would definitely not buy copies of his book now. However I can remember watching Smith's episode about chili and having a discussion with my mother about it, we felt very vindicated by him agreeing with us about the need for beans in chili. He's among the group of tv chefs that I feel influenced me as a child watching PBS when I was sick. In no particular order, Jeff Smith, Julia (natch), Galloping Gourmet, Martin Yan, Jacques Pepin, and of course the late great Justin Wilson.-COLLAPSE
I can absolutely separate the man from his work/ art. (We do that for many people other than just Roman Polanski.) I love his recipes, but that doesn't mean for one second that I endorse his actions in private life.
I loved watching the Frugal Gourmet as a child but by the time of scandal I was a disillusioned teenager who didn't give a fig for food or cooking. I'll always love hearing about the show.
I think it isn't cool to like the Frugal Gourmet. That's the title of the post--knowing his past and behaviour with minors, is it cool to like the individual? I say NO. He did have good shows, he did pass along good cooking information, he did educate the general public about food. But is it cool to LIKE him? I say NO.
I think that it's possible to like the recipes without liking the man. He started creeping me out whenever he had children on his shows years before the lawsuits. My sister refused to ever believe he'd ever do any wrong and has continued to cook his recipes. And I never refuse to eat his dishes when she cooks them.
I have in the past liked some of his recipes, but I can't get around these allegations.
While I grew up watching him & really 'cut my teeth' on his form of cooking show. I learned a LOT and think I can really say he's one of the first chefs I admired but, I'm sorry --- I just can't dismiss all the molestation & rape allegations. To have done even 1/4 of what he was accused would be unthinkable. Nothing makes up for that...time or a great sesame chicken salad.
I always liked his recipes, I am not guilty of anything for that .