Jeff Smith is probably responsible for teaching me more about food than any other television chef. In the days before Food TV and assorted other cable television cooking shows, PBS was the place to go to feed your food instruction jones and The Frugal Gourmet was always my favorite way to do it. While the show's raison d'etre was teaching about other cultures through the use of food, The Frug always came through with the basic technical instruction and essential knowledge needed to be a good cook. He's the reason I cringe every time I see Rachel Ray drag her knife sideways on her cutting board and his voice is the one I hear when someone in my family says "Hot pan, cold oil, food won't stick". He could cook circles around just about any of the doucheballs on Food TV right now and I would put his store of knowledge up against any and all of them. Even Alton Brown.....sure the guy knows food science like nobody's business, but he fails to bring anything near the joy to his cooking that Jeff Smith did.
Unfortunately, the guy's career ended in disgrace when he was accused of sexual assault by a former employee and then about 7 others joined the first accuser in suing him. He settled out of court and never admitted any wrong doing, but the damage was done and he left the air forever soon afterward. In my humble opinion, he got jobbed. The first Michael Jackson case showed people that accusing public figures of sexual crimes could make you a boatload of money and I have no doubt in my mind that Jeff Smith was a victim of both the times and some unscrupulous assholes who sought to enrich themselves by destroying his good name. It's a shame and 10 years later it still pisses me off that such a nice man died in disgrace.
On the brighter side, his cookbooks are still available, still selling like hotcakes, and they make GREAT GIFTS for the bloggers in your family.
Hint hint.
3 days ago
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