Focus on what matters.”
Those four words of sage advice come from out entertainment guru Ted Allen. This mantra can apply whether preparing a small meal for you and your spouse, or planning a holiday dinner for friends.
“Especially in these times, why make yourself crazy or miserable?” asks Allen. “Focus on the friends you love, food that tastes great and decorating that is fun.”
The Queer Eye legend and Food Network star will appear at Halifax Uncorked, an annual Daytona Beach food festival in Nov. 21 and 22, and seems to have a gift for concentrating on what’s important.
Adaptability is a skill Allen has honed as a writer for Esquire, a talent that led him to a successful career in television. In 2004, he and his cast mates won an Emmy for the legendary reality show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. From there, Allen has been a guest on several television cooking shows, including Iron Chef and Top Chef. In addition, Allen has written three books, most notably the very user-friendly cookbook The Foods You Want to Eat. He is currently hosting Chopped, the Food Network’s lightning-fast cooking competitions for up-and-coming chefs.
In all of his endeavors, Allen advocates focusing on the big picture while remaining flexible.
“Don’t drive yourself crazy making some ridiculous holiday showcase with a life-size Santa and 23 reindeer all crammed on your front porch!” advises Allen.
The food and wine connoisseur and his partner, Barry Rice, haven’t yet decided what sort of holiday soirées they throw in their newly remodeled Brooklyn home. However, they know they’re going to keep the season uncomplicated.
“We just finished renovating our kitchen and a good chunk of the house, and it’s looking great. It’s an old house, built back 1879, so even hanging a picture is a major project.”
Queer Eye and Beyond
“We never thought we’d make it on the air,” Allen admits of Queer Eye.
It was heady stuff for a boy raised in an Indianapolis When he finished schooling in Indiana and New York City, Allen moved from large city to large city, starting his career in journalism and contributing food and wine articles to various magazines, most notably Esquire. At the famous men’s magazine, he started co-authoring the magazine’s popular section “Things a Man Should Know.”
From there, in 2003, it was a quick step to the then-burgeoning reality television world.
Of Queer Eye, Allen admits, “The five of us just thought we’d make this funny video, take our $2,000 for 10 days of work and go home and have something to show our friends and laugh about.”
Instead, the show sky-rocketed—even with the word “queer” in the title.
“I actually hated the title and I fought with the producers and argued to change it. It turns out I was actually wrong,” admits Allen. “I think the provocative nature of that title is what caught people’s attention.”
Through the show’s five seasons, Allen instructed straight men (and a few ladies) how to prepare delicious food while pairing homemade cuisine with fantastic wines and spirits. At the height of Queer Eye popularity, Allen started getting calls to guest judge on cooking competitions.
“I was in one episode each of the very first seasons of Iron Chef and of Top Chef,” Allen recounts. “I think I did well, because they kept asking me back.”
Chopped has recently been renewed for a third season.
“One might think there’s a glut of cooking shows,” Allen humbly states, “but our ratings are really good.”
On each episode of Chopped, four unknown chefs compete against the clock for $10,000. There are four courses of the meal and at the end of each course the guest judges eliminate—or “chop”—one of the chefs from the competition. To add difficulty, each course features a “mystery basket” with three or four ingredients,—Usually there is something unusual about the ingredients meant to test a chef’s versatility.
“When the basket gets opened, the viewers turn to each other and ask, ‘Wow, what would you cook with sea urchin and Pabst Blue Ribbon and Dijon mustard?’” Allen laughs. “That’s what we were hoping for!”
“Good cuisine is like traveling without the expense
of leaving home”
Allen is distinctly aware of how current economic situations shape his own work.
“Portion control; I feel that’s something we in America are struggling with, with our record number of obesity cases,” he says. “Look, you can have the butter or the cream sauce every once in a while, and not a gallon of it. Like everything else in our world right now, it’s about moderation.”
“People are also starting to understand where their food comes from,” Allen states, adding that consumers have a lot of influence. “If you pick up more organic, local, sustainable stuff, the groceries are going to start stocking it more.”
Allen admits this is more difficult in our economic recession.
“The most unfortunate part of this is that that option is more expensive. So if you don’t have the resources, you don’t have that option and that really sucks,” Allen laments. “So for people who can afford to, I almost feel like getting away from processed food and buying fresh, organic and local food is an absolute responsibility.”
This brings him back to his thoughts on the holiday, “You can still serve great food and have fun but you should also keep it simple and healthy and enjoyable—for everybody, including yourself.”
For details and tickets to the Daytona Beach food festival, visit DBIF.com. Allen’s own web site—with blogs and information on his shows—is TedAllen.net.
Ted Allen’s motto for the holidays:
Don’t forget that the people are important. “We are no longer willing to allow the holidays to create pressure. Prepare as much in advance and really gather the people around you who matter to you the most.”
Hot food item this season:
“One thing I just learned recently is a great way to roast a duck, which is a good thing for the holidays. I also love a duck breast that’s cooked medium rare.” We’ve include Ted Allen’s tips and techniques for cooking duck at Watermarkonline.com.
Favorite Christmas snack:
“It’s always fun to make spiced walnuts, where you sauté them in butter and a mix of savory spices like cumin and paprika. You can add a little cinnamon or nutmeg, but not too much. Also, they’re extraordinary with Chinese five-spice powder.”
Great wines
to pair with foods:
“Well, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that I am in my fourth year as a spokesperson for Robert Mondavi Private Selection wines. They’re really great wines, and they’re a really great company—very supportive of their LGBT employees, and very supportive of our community.”
Another tip for successful holiday entertaining:
“It doesn’t always have to be this huge blowout or this major extravaganza. Don’t give gifts to people you don’t really need to give gifts to. These holidays are about bringing people together, more than they are about trying to blow people out of the water with some amazing, showy creation.”
