Celeb Chefs From The '90s Who Totally Vanished

Delicious food is often a certified path to celebrity. But mafia connections, serial misconduct, and the whims of a changing culture can just as easily take all that fame and fortune away.
#Chefs #90s #Food
Emeril Lagasse | 0:00
Keith Floyd | 1:19
David Ruggerio | 2:31
Two Fat Ladies | 3:33
Joël Robuchon | 4:43
Biker Billy | 6:01
Rocco DiSpirito | 6:56
John Besh | 8:10
Mario Batali | 9:24
Jeff Smith | 10:30
Read Full Article: www.mashed.com/1289032/celeb-...

[@janscutter]

I GUARANTEE!!! You forgot about Justin Wilson! Him and Mr Rogers was the only thing about a real sick day any southern kid had going for them.

[@samuelgates5935]

This dealt with chefs who were not all they claimed.

[@ResinAlchemist2024]

Heck Yes! " You gotta put an onion and a little white wine"( proceeds to pour a third of the bottle. Then takes a swig himself. Growing up I loved Justin Wilson, Yen Can Cook, and Two Fat Ladies. I clicked on this video hoping to see Justin 😢.

[@kyledai8458]

You always gotta have that sliced…cheddar cheese

[@tombomichell7991]

Grew up in Alaska, same 😂

[@bytchesagainstbullshyt3696]

I just watched a video of Justin Wilson last night, I guaaarannnnteeeee you can still find old videos of him

[@wwrk25]

In the 1970'S I would love to watch the Graham Keir Galloping Gourmet. His show was funny and popular.

[@cuteologist82]

I lived him in the ninities

[@martinzenor7449]

Loved that show when I was kid.

[@marywatkins6798]

Yes! Why is he not on this video?

[@kimquinn7728]

Regardless of his personal life, I loved his show. My dad bought all the books hardcover and I inherited. Now, at 63, his Indian Pudding recipe from his early American cookbook is my and my family's favorite. Its not a quick recipe. Its hours, slow and rich and so old fashioned. Sorry his life went down the tube. Loved his show and would watch it now if able. Great memories of my dad entwined with it.

[@vygalnix7769]

He was hilarious. But have you seen his Galloping gourmet?

[@bmiller949]

I watched Jeff Smith when I was in college in the 80's. I learned a lot about cooking from his shows. Sad what a monster he was behind the scenes.

[@martymahem236]

And what's worse, he was a Methodist minister too. Religion is the root of most evil.

[@brianhayes7153]

I did too. Still have all his cookbooks, including one he autographed for me.

[@vin5388]

@@ghostladydarkling3250 Most wouldn't settle for such an accusation unless it was true, it was heartbreaking to learn what he "allegedly" (but still settled ) did.

[@eveadams4371]

@@martymahem236 you got the phrase wrong. It is the love of money that is the root of all evil.

[@DrHDoofenshmirtzphd]

@@vin5388 That's just historically not true. Loads of people settle to get it out of the media spotlight or before it gets into the media or before cases are even filed. That's what the person assumed David Letterman would do when he tried to blackmail him about cheating on his wife. Plus, in some cases, it is straight up cheaper to settle than to deal with paying lawyers.

[@myworms]

Emeril was huge…I don’t think food network would’ve taken off without him.

[@blaah9999]

I also read that the deal with Martha really wrecked him. :(

[@lavenderbee3611]

He made the Food Network...

[@slappyjones2136]

He's great. His recipes are really awesome too. I remember when I first saw him in the 90s. I loved him because he was so unpolished. He almost seemed a little mad at you for wathcing him. My buddy and I loved it so we watched and I was like ... damn that food looks good

[@zuglymonster]

I was so glad there wasn't a evil secret about him, just changing times

[@Dervraka]

Emeril did an interview on SiriusXM back a few years ago where he said he basically got burned out trying to do several shows at once while running a Restaurant empire. He also said Food Network paid him next to nothing to do his show, literally like $500 an episode and would tell him his "pay" was all the public exposure he got from the show.

[@Deanriley]

I loved the 2F Ladies; they were wonderful. Frugal was never truly frugal. My favorite tv chefs were Julia Child, Chef Tell, and Jacque Pepin.

[@thesinfultictac5704]

Ayyee fellow PBS kid right here

[@Mark-ki7ic]

Add Justin Wilson

[@Peter_S_]

Also Martian Yan. I remember when Chef Tell was doing the food segment on Evening Magazine in the late 1970s, a weekly CBS show. "You can use a food processor or if you're in a hurry, you can use a knife."

[@mechellebrown717]

Emeril Lagasse is one the kindest chefs. I was the president of our local American Legion Aux. I suggested a cookbook to benefit the USO. I reached out to Emeril to please submit a recipe. Soon a large manilla envelope arrived with 3 signed recipes. He even put a lil Bam!! on the outside of the envelope. I was so appreciative of him, that he took the time to help us. Btw...Our lil cookbook raised over $12,000 in 2007 and we built a comfort center in O'Hare airport. We bought computers, desks, futons, pillows, comforters, and other misc things. Emeril was a huge draw for our cookbook!!! He is a great chef but a better human!

[@kennethkilpatrick3758]

I was a FedEx courier in Seattle in 1990. I occasionally delivered to the Frugal Gourmet's home in Seattle. One day there was a problem with his intercom and he came out and berated me for being too stupid to figure out how to use it. When it didn't work for him he didn't apologize, just said it wasn't working for him either. I told him there was no reason for him to be so abusive. I had a delivery there the next day and his assistant asked that I wait because his boss wanted to speak to me. He came out and offered to fix a gourmet meal for me. There was something creepy about his tone so I politely declined. Eventually I transferred and years later really wasn't shocked by the allegations that came out. Always amazed when people gain great success then lose it all in such a manner.

[@catylynch7909]

I made my career as a talk-radio producer in San Francisco. Jeff Smith was a guest on a few programs, to promote his books, and his PBS program. As he seemed warm, and affable, on his program, we assumed that that persona would carry through to live interaction with staff and callers. That was not the case. He was lukewarm about signing his books for staff members, who had bought his books. And, he seemed rather cold and impatient with the callers who had questions/comments on the air. One host, who had a food-related program, apart from his general talk-show, opted not to have him on the program, after seeing this behavior.

[@SanFranDentist94301]

He was a creep

[@garyhooper3064]

That kind of behavior is a compulsion. They do it whether or not they have notoriety. They all have something to lose.

[@SmartphoneSorcerer]

He was creepy towards Craig Wollam.

[@samanthanickson6478]

those allegations against jeff were retracted. what i found curious was that when he was accused by his sous chef of misconduct, it was on a full front page ad. after he’d lost his show, his publishing and the majority of his fan base, i found the charges retracted at the bottom of page 8 in a 2”x2” ad. i’m not saying the charges were lies, but there was already enough of his snooty attitude to bury him with. was this necessary?

[@joannesmith2484]

Yan Can Cook! Loved that show back in the day - informative and funny. I'm sure he was the impetus for popularizing the wok in US homes in the 1980's. I've seen Martin Yan pop up here and there and saw a new show of his. But he was MIA for several years.

[@lil_old_man202]

i stopped watching him when it was clear that he was bullying and mentally abusing his female assistant.

[@deendrew36]

I loved his show too!

[@alithiadrew]

I grew up in the Bay Area in the 80s and watched Yan Can Cook every Saturday! In 2000, I was working in an office setting and met Martin Yan and his wife Susan. They were so incredibly gracious. I told them how much I had loved the show. It definitely contributed to my love of cooking!

[@hch1821]

We booked him for several corporate events and our clients loved him.

[@rosedevereux2391]

@@lil_old_man202 Thank you. J.Pepin was very rude toward his daughter; my sister and I used to watch his show and the way he spoke to her made us cringe.

[@mskard2]

In 1994 I observed Jeff Smith at SeaTac Airport acting entitled and demanding to an employee of the United First Class lounge. I walked over to him, where he was being attended to by his boy toy of the day, and struck up a conversation. He smiled as I said I had watched his show for years. His smile turned upside down as my tone changed. I asked how he could dare treat people merely doing their job with such disrespect and arrogance? He started to protest, even telling me that I wasn’t worthy of watching his show. But, I said what I had to say and walked away. A few of the lounge employees quietly said thank you, as I left. Out of sight, my adrenaline kicked in and I burst into tears. But, it was so worth it.

[@tessmolloy2388]

That took guts, thank you.

[@rebeccafoster-faith6647]

Speaking truth to power is hard. You did it. Good job 👍👏

[@jettsteari3062]

So you waked up in the middle of two other peoples conversation not knowing why there was a confrontation/disagreement between two people you never met and decided to run your big mouth and stick your nose where it didnt f k n belong and get into other peoples business.. and then walk away feeling like a hero, so you could brag about it, here .decades later..a real SJW wow! lol//you are pathetic

[@colorman4490]

Good for you. He was a pompous ass to start with.

[@richardwalsh8162]

If I stopped and interceded with every pompous entitled traveler in the executive lounge, I would miss all my flights.

[@hermanpesina6328]

This just made me remember how much I loved PBS. And the original era of food network.

[@ServinUone2]

Loved the 2 fat ladies they were great loved their banter 🥰

[@j16m02]

So did I, but from the very beginning, what with their weight and smoking, you knew they weren't long for this world. Certainly unique and entertaining.

[@jenniferlias191]

Never trust a skinny cook!

[@Ginny4407]

“If you’re not going to make bubble and squeak with lard, then you may as well not make it!”

[@sadjaxx]

Loved Clarissa's posh accent.

[@michaelb8245]

What about Chef Tell? I met Chef Tell at a roadside stop on PA turnpike in 1984. I said "Dad that's Chef Tell!!" He had a black 1979 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 6.9. It had AMG style black wheels which were totally ahead of its time. I will never forget him pulling away to the on-ramp and hammering it back onto the turnpike. It was so cool! He had a show on PBS that my dad and I used to watch. He inspired me to cook as a kid. I am pretty good according to my family!

[@seanswinton6242]

YES! As a kid, I learned a lot about cooking watching him. I loved his accent, and he made cooking fun.

[@Chefpavel]

When Chef Tell started his five-minute TV spots in Philadelphia during the 1970s, he lived in a garden apartment about five minutes away from us. I do remember the black Mercedes with the Chef Tell license plate and the phrase "I see you." painted in script on the rear panel. I never understood why he had to leave the country for seven years with some legal entanglements that drove him to Grand Cayman or someplace down there. However, one of his former girlfriends was the entertainment reporter on the same TV station and dated him for a while. He was nothing less than an abusive vulgar pig toward her and allegedly anyone he dated.

[@sacramentalist]

I forgot about him! "Very simple. Very easy."

[@cessnaverdi]

"I see you!"

[@geneard639]

I remember Jeff Smiths very first 'cooking show' during a pledge drive on WTTW. He set the stuido on fire! Then weeks later when WTTW decided to do a cooking show with him, they still didn't have an actual 'kitchen' studio so everything was improvised, and they got an actual French Duck Press from Carson Peire Scott & Co., a $700 kitchen tool and ..... he utterly broke it. I honestly thought he died in the 90s. The Two Fat Ladies were pure enjoyment. I loved them and their stories.

[@MikeS29]

Nick Stelino, Yan Can Cook, Graham Kerr, Great Chefs of (New Orleans, Charleston, etc.), Marian Morash (The Victory Garden), Jaques Pepin; the '90s cooking shows were great!

[@leapintothewild]

Loved The Victory Garden!! Also, Martin Yan - even though this farm kid never had Chinese until I was at least 18. 🙂

[@Tmanaz480]

Was Nick Stelino's accent real?

[@wednesdaytheblackcat7385]

Sara Moulton

[@AndrewMartinez1776Redux]

"If Yan can cook, then so can you." I love Yan Can Cook. #WhoaLookAtThis 😂

[@MegaMagicdog]

@@Tmanaz480 Very! He grew up in Sicily and married an American girl and last I'd heard was still happily married and living in the LA area. He has a restaurant there as well. I have many of his cookbooks and they were solid! I made many of his recipes and they came out great. My favorite was the one about Mediterranean flavors.

[@Chefpavel]

Jeff Smith was the most profound of all disappointments. I remember the first show I watched and thought he was so humble and informative that I became a regular viewer. Jumping ahead a decade or so, I was at the helm of a major culinary organization. We approached him about being a guest chef during our gala celebration to which we were shocked by his vulgarity and excessive demands, including a 1 pound tin of Beluga caviar and a case of Dom Perignon champagne in the most expensive hotel room available. One of our members had published a small cookbook of her grandmother's recipes and was unfortunately assigned the space next to him at a book signing. A few of her books were over into "his space" causing him to throw a screaming tirade, throwing her books on the floor, and using every degrading anti-female insult you can think of. And this was an ordained minister? May he simmer eternally.

[@TheFett79]

It really is amazing how many people of the cloth are the worst. It's as if they ones yelling the most at being abusive, are the abusers.

[@chevypreps6417]

That is a very disturbing story. Thank you for sharing. He was obviously an evil man.

[@Chefpavel]

@@TheJeffbarrett There was always something unsettling about his last cookbook - the one with he and the Boy Scouts. While I could have given it away, it is the only cookbook I ever threw in the trash.

[@BillStreeter]

Wow! I met him at a book signing once and he was very pleasant and good natured, basically what you saw at the show. But I'm sure he had a public face and a private face. He seemed very conflicted which might have been the reason he got into religion to begin with. I wonder about his children and how they're doing these days. I hope he didn't damage them too much.

[@cyann410]

He had an alleged problem with young boys

[@MrDan708]

The two TV chefs I probably watched most were Jeff 'Frugal Gourmet' Smith and Mary Ann Esposito of 'Ciao Italia'. We all know what became of Smith, but I had lost track of Ms. Esposito. Turns out, she's still going strong at 80! Bless her.

[@rosecorrie2920]

I get her email sent to me everyone every couple months, and she’s still on our local PBS channel.

[@martymahem236]

Her helmet hair has kept her safe.

[@kimquinn7728]

She was great. Also, Lydia Bastianich. Now, on yt I love watching Pasta Grannies. They just make me smile in amazement.

[@annbsirius1703]

I still watch her show! She's great!

[@i8dpie]

Omg, thank you, I had forgotten all about her and I used to watch her ALL the time, going to look up her videos.

[@JPFalcononor]

Ah, thanks for giving Biker Billy a nod. One of my favorite quotes by him was: " Add some Cilantro, my second favorite herb."

[@60andover-timetotrain-join89]

Biker Billy was fantastic! I watched him on Manhattan cable for years

[@seanswinton6242]

I thought of him as I watched Hell's Kitchen chef Milly who also sported a beard as well as one of my favourite bands ZZ Top.

[@crazyworldoccupant7386]

Emeril had a great run! He made the Food Network. Too bad they forgot that. He won’t starve, that’s for certain.

[@mr.zardoz3344]

Y'all forgot Jauques Pepin. Although not scandalous in any way, he is the creme de la creme of chefs world renowned.

[@r.a.contrerasma8578]

He's still going strong.

[@deendrew36]

But he didn’t vanish…he is still going strong.

[@mr.zardoz3344]

@@r.a.contrerasma8578 . Indeed. I've been reading his book The Apprentice. A wonderful writer as well as a chef.

[@kellyradtke4885]

He is cranking out content right here on KZbin. He's a gem.

[@chefpete12571]

Jacques still going, I think he kinda semi retired at the turn of the century. Admitidly, restaurant work is HARD on the body and mind. After all, he is turning 88 this year.

[@Seonal]

back in 1989 when I was in 5th grade, we had to write a letter to our hero. I was very much into cooking and watching pbs at that time and loved the frugal gourmet, so I wrote a letter to jeff smith and sent it off. Forgot about it till one day after school I get home and my mom is super excited and tells me that jeff smith called her earlier that day wanting to talk with me. a little while later He called me and we spoke for a bit, I of course was quite starstruck and he said the reason why he called me was because he thought I would get a bad grade if he didnt respond. He sent me a signed cookbook and photo. How he got my number, I have no idea and apparently my mom didnt think to ask. We even have a photo she took of me talking on the phone with him, the shirt I was wearing in the picture for years I considered to be my "lucky" shirt. Pretty crazy now to look back in retrospect of what happened in light of his behavior towards young men.

[@MegaMagicdog]

I remember one of his books had several republished letters from younger fans like you. Curious of yours was one of them.

[@bigverybadtom]

C9onsidering what Jeff Smith did, your lucky shirt did its job!

[@NottyGurlStyle]

I was shocked when I heard about Jeff Smith…I use to watch him all the time with my mom and enjoyed his show…

[@thihal123]

One of my favorite chefs was Sarah Moulton. I miss her show.

[@mommachef4744]

I forgot all about her

[@thihal123]

@@mommachef4744 , Sarah Moulton was one of my favourite TV chefs in the early days of Food Network. While many of the cooking shows pivoted towards glitz and glam (and sports-like), Sarah's show consistent was about actual cooking and providing good information about cooking, like the kind you would get from America's Test Kitchen and so forth. She was great and she never, it seemed, jumped on that bandwagon of making cooking just about entertainment.

[@lb6135]

She was awesome and a big contributor to the old Gourmet magazine (RIP). So many great guests too, real chefs!!!

[@bender7565]

Long before Emeril Paul Prudhomme was cookin' Cajun sitting on his stool.

[@robbinruffino1201]

Graham Kerr had a series in the ‘70’s called The Galloping Gourmet and he cooked fat-heavy, cholesterol choking foods..and then he had a heart attack and came back in the ‘90’s with Graham Kerr’s Kitchen where he revamped those recipes to healthy ones and I adored Justin Wilson..so much like my Dad without the accent!

[@songsayswhat]

Don't forget he'd usually get drunk while cooking.

[@Mr.56Goldtop]

EVERYBODY l9ved Justin, I garrontee it!

[@michelledenise5096]

We watched Galloping Gourmet every day in my 5th grade class! I still use my bread scraper with the faded “Graham Kerr” signature.

[@AC-ih7jc]

Back in the day, the "James Bond of the Kitchen" was named by Weight Watchers as "The Most Dangerous Man Alive" I had no problem with him revamping his recipes to be healthier. However, Graham Kerr seemed to remove the fun and jokes from his shows, along with the booze, "clarified buttah," and unhealthy ingredients.

[@engc4953]

Actually, his original recipes were much healthier that his subsequent ones - it was the drinking that influenced his heart attack.

[@garyhooper3064]

The Frugal Gourmet turned out to be a monster.

[@l.h.tnguyen4916]

I've worked in the back before. Lots of misogyny and miscreants. Longs hours and alcohol don't help. Thank god I went back to school and away from the restaurant industry. Too much glorification of chefs these days; its a miserable life for most.

[@michaelmartin684]

My parents new Jeff Smith casually. In public he was so happy and friendly, it was crushing to find out that he was an abuser.

[@dottie2557]

I was a massive fan of Jeff Smith and it broke my heart when it all came out.

[@cheryllewis76]

So enjoyed The Galloping Gourmet! Watching his hilarious antics was a must in our house!

[@cmtippens9209]

The show, The Frugal Gourmet, lit a spark in me for cooking that I had never had before. I learned terminology and techniques that could never have learned from my family. I unapologetically spent money on staples of the kitchen (William Sonoma became my mecca 😉). The word "foodie" hadn't even entered the public lexicon yet, but that's what I was. I gained knowledge from that show and tried out recipes that I would never have attempted, or even heard of, before. Its always heartbreaking to learn that a mentor or anyone we relate to has done despicable things. But, we can take the good things that benefit us and leave God to judge the bad.

[@kathleenambrose3293]

It's always a big problem for me to separate actors and acts. I still have Jeff's cookbooks that I refer to, but it's hard. Great chef, bad human being. I too became a William Sonoma freak.

[@marywatkins6798]

“Hot pan, cold oil, food won’t stick.”

[@skiddlybop8]

Ohhhh well. Jeff Smith did not need to assault other men sexually. Older men were getting more and more attention in the gay male community in exactly the years of his celebrity, and there was no need for him to force himself on anyone.

[@hermionegardener3796]

Naw, I think we need to judge the bad here on earth because it's obvious god doesn't care...and why should they get away with it and have us pretend they'll pay after they die. If they're dead, ain't nothing more happening to them

[@Habanero777]

​@@skiddlybop8 what you don't seem to understand and realize is that anybody on TV that is what he called extremely popular are all satanists they have sold their soul to Satan they have done a blood signature to Satan and they are all pedophiles

[@user-fk5iq5pw2t]

Jeff Smith “The Frugal Gourmet” taught me the most important lesson……. Hot pan , cold oil, food won’t stick! I’ll remember him always! Could you tell me what happened to the Romanolis Kitchen from Boston.? 🎉

[@MyFlipperLikesIce]

The PBS cooking shows were my shit back in the day. I watched them with my dad, frugal gourmet, Yan Can Cook, Great Chefs, secrets of the cia. I was in culinary school when food network really took off. We didn't have the channel but my grandma did and she loved Emeril. Though she thought his name was Emeril-lie until she figured out they were saying Emeril Live 😂. Good times. I miss the old food network.

[@dontbefatuousjeffrey2494]

I get that you're saying PBS SHOWS back in the day were ones you both watched and were into - but I am also kind of wondering what sorts of culinary delights were served up on secrets of the cia... Unless I am missing something there, too. Please feel free to correct if so 🙂

[@MyFlipperLikesIce]

@@dontbefatuousjeffrey2494 Culinary Institute of America 😅

[@MyFlipperLikesIce]

It might've been called cooking secrets of the cia. I don't remember but I do remember seeing a guy stretch out tissue paper thin strudel dough with his bare hands and not tear it. Might've been the catalyst for my hand fetish 😂

[@dontbefatuousjeffrey2494]

@@MyFlipperLikesIce Brilliant. I too appreciate attractive hands (or what I find attractive about people's hands) - probably not to fetish level, but I do not kink shame 😏 Thank you for taking pity on my ignorance. The idea of "the other" CIA having gourmet pleasures at their disposal as a weapon of coercion was too much for my tiny mind to bear 😀

[@rick063092]

Secrets of the CIA!! Great pull.. that guy made some incredible stuff (first place I saw a birds nest) but I alway remember him coughing.. ha!!

[@centexan]

Reminds me of Rocco DeSpirito. He still pops up every now and then, but his weekly show faded away as quickly as it showed up.

[@thihal123]

Oh I remember him. He was such a hottie

[@ray7419]

I grew up watching Emeril and Two Fat Ladies. Always loved watching them and always made me hungry. 😊

[@MG-tb1kz]

Keith Floyd was so entertaining, witty & condescending, he loved classical french cooking, Rest in Peace Sir

[@smorgasbroad1132]

I had no idea Jeff Smith died. Used to watch him with my Dad, who loved to cook. I still have my Dad's copy of Smith's cookbook.

[@sdega315]

But you missed Justin Wilson, Yan Can Cook, and Lidia's Kitchen.

[@samuelgates5935]

They dealt with crooked chefs in this episodes.

[@jfilo3]

Lidia is still on.

[@marylist1236]

Martin Yan, the fastest cleaver in the east & west

[@Ozzy_2014]

Yan still on the air in Toronto.

[@eagledice2008]

Lidia is still cooking on TV

[@joewilson3393]

I always loved Rick Bayless. He was on food Network a bit, and did some competition after his original shows. Luckily, he runs a KZbin channel now so I can see him whenever. Also, chef Rocco makes frequent appearances on shows produced by Guy Fierri and has for several years.

[@SpamEggSausage]

I stopped liking him because he started doing Burger King ads

[@leapintothewild]

I've got several Bayless cookbooks, amazing stuff! Tried to watch his youtube during the pandemic, but the audio was so horrendous in the few I saw that I couldn't finish. Shocked he kept making them that way with his television experience! Did he ever get a mic that worked? lol

[@virginiamccarter6638]

Maybe Burger King would improve if he showed them a couple of things.

[@lb6135]

He's been on PBS for almost 30 years now!

[@r.bellbottom8964]

Pluto TV shows his Mexican cooking shows.

[@josepherhardt164]

For local home-grown cookin' mixed with humor, the guys on the PBS show _Cookin' Cheap_ were so bad they were good. Larry Bly and Laban Johnson were often accused of being masters of the can opener. Several seasons of the show are available here on YT. The show lasted until 2002. There was also Chef Tell Erhardt (no relation), but his run might not have extended into the 1990's, and on-line info on him isn't plentiful. He used humor in his shows; his catch phrase was, "I wish you had smellavision!" One time he told the story of how he mistook the cayenne pepper for paprika. (So even mad chefs can goof!)

[@carlaphoenix8965]

YES !!! My husband and I loooooved "Cookin' Cheap" and Justin Wilson. I've never had a crawdad boil, but good grief his stories were wonderful. "Two Fat Ladies " was a fave too.😂😅😁😆😅😂🤣😆

[@josepherhardt164]

@@carlaphoenix8965 I loved the Cookin' Cheap episodes that opened with the animated mouse. I don't think 2FL's were ever shown in my neck of the woods (central Va.).

[@terrykirk6951]

THE FRUGAL GOURMET WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITES GROWING UP...🥃🥴 COULDN'T BELIEVE HIS OUTCOME.

[@tixximmi1]

The Galloping Gourmet, (Graham Kerr) used cameramen from Professional Hockey. These cameramen or camerawomen were the only ones good enough to keep up with Kerr. That's were he got the Galloping part. For Chinese it was Yan Can cook, and Cajun with a side of Zydeco, Paul Prudhomme.

[@phoenixman8569]

didn't Mr.Yan also do another show called Wok with yan???

[@Grigsy]

Emril is one of the greatest chiefs of all time. He is responsible for making cooking cool for so many young people.

[@Second_Insight]

Mario Pasquale, the singing Italian chef, Sunday afternoon. The red wine or coffee was his accompaniment. Delicioso!

[@carlbowles1808]

Graham Kerr the galloping gourmet.

[@maxineb9598]

A NZ icon who found more fame in UK and US.

[@carlbowles1808]

@@maxineb9598 Graham Kerr was a wonderful entertainer. 🇺🇸

[@danbaumann8273]

Amazing cook. 👌

[@blogauthor3375]

There were the two cajuns. Paul Prudome and Justin Wilson. I also watched Yan Can Cook

[@magenstaffarts]

And both cajuns were amazing. I still watch reruns of Justin Wilson when I can

[@Soapartisan875]

I loved the frugal gourmet along with Julia Childs and Jaq Pepin on pbs in Chicago every Saturday afternoon growing up 😊

[@maggiestrasser9815]

I never heard of his show, but I once rented a room from Efrain "Chef EF" Martinez. He was on the PBS series “Chef Ef” and the TV Food Network “Cafe Ole” in the early-to-mid 90's. His paella was still wonderful.

[@milesm9356]

i enjoyed two hot tamales and the galloping gourmet (early 70's).

[@rabbit_scribe]

Jeff Smith was always creepy, even before the scandal came out. Which wasn't a total surprise. It seemed to fit his icky personality.

[@TheGradysDad]

Awe man. I loved Jeff Smith. 😢 hope the victims found peace.

[@jenniferwellman5311]

That one hurts 😢

[@Cletus_the_Elder]

I did not know the accusations against Jeff Smith went so far back. I thought it was just the assistant chefs who worked with him on his show. He apparently suggested that his assistant do his work without his shirt on. Knowing better and knowing what was at stake, he still behaved poorly. It was a sickness.

[@Wayne-O-5169]

Sooo disappointed over Jeff Smith! His on air persona was so wholesome and I learned a lot from him… but never enough to ever excuse his secret life! A life lesson I suppose: never idolize anyone without reservation.

[@MrHorse-by3mp]

No, not Jeff Smith! I went through a brief phase at around the age of 12 of wanting to be a chef. I won't say "before it was cool" or anything stupid like that. It was a phase as I say. But for a time my mom was glad to have a helper in the kitchen and we made a ton of recipes from Jeff's books. Just a damn shame.

[@chouseification]

exactly... watching his show I learned as a preteen how prosciutto was made, etc etc... gained so much understanding of both cooking and ingredients (he loved shallots) and then of course we found out he was a total Chester. I had started with Galloping Gourmet and Julia Child - by ~11 or 12 was mostly watching Frugal Gourmet, Yan Can Cook, and Jaques Pepin... Damn, what a shame about Smith's "unacceptable habit".

[@MrHorse-by3mp]

Thanks everyone for the up-votes. My mother is in pretty poor health now and always reminiscing about the old days. I think I'll spare her this piece of information.

[@rogwheel]

Emeril has a really good restaurant in Santa Rosa Beach FL (near Destin) called Emerils Coastal Grill. He can be seen cooking and managing and his son also helps to manage it. He lives in the development behind the shops where the restaurant is.

[@amandaarkebauer3791]

I am curious about Burt Wolf. He did commercials for grocery stores (Winn Dixie) in the south and was a “celebrity chef”. What happened to him?

[@kimquinn7728]

I loved his travel show. Could listen to him for hours.

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

Dont forget Chef Tell! He was popular 1980s 1990s.

[@chicagojeff]

The Frugal Gourmet broke my father's heart. After the Galloping Gourmet, he was his favorite tv chef..

[@blackgrl71]

I absolutely ADORED the Two Fat Ladies❤!

[@donaldoswald5329]

Enjoyed Jeff Smith, he did many ethnic dishes that were interesting.

[@barcham]

I have one of his books and have found it to be a very good read with plenty of interesting recipes.

[@lindao7887]

Best thing I learned from Jeff Smith - Boil the water - throw the whole chicken in, bring back to boil, put the lid on, turn the burner off - let it sit. It'll cook.

[@mroggie8334]

Its just changing times: back when channels like The Food Network was new or PBS/local access were airing cooking shows they pretty much used chefs - just people who were really good at cooking. Then after all these cooking shows and channels were established came the birth of the "celebrity chef" who could both teach you how to cook but also entertain you. For this list Emeril really just oversaturated himself the rest were pretty much either brought down by scandal or just got bumped off TV by more entertaining and more widely appealing celebrity chefs.

[@fordhouse8b]

Yes, so entertaining that I haven’t watched a single show on Food Network for well over a decade. And yes, that was sarcasm.

[@epowell4211]

I never could stand Batali - his presence just screamed creep. I was heartbroken about the Frugal Gourmet. I loved the show - watching it was like spending time with my dad. It is horrible he was a monster. Has Guy Fieri gotten cancelled yet?

[@squirrelsarepeopletoo6678]

Guy Fieri is a total douchebag

[@christopherfranklin972]

Keith Floyd was utterly brilliant,it's rather absurd to say he "totally vanished" when he died of a heart attack ...

[@dontbefatuousjeffrey2494]

His career did end up on the skids, rather, some years before his death. Its... in the video.

[@zeldasmith6154]

Jeff hid his ugliness very well but I saw him lose it with a young girl who was on his show. I saw how vicious he was and never watched him again.

[@culperjr.122]

I have an Emeril cast iron I got from a flea market in 2013. Still use it today.

[@TopCat2021]

I hated to just learn about how terrible a person Jeff Smith was, my mom would've been devastated about the news as she truly loved his shows.

[@gohawks3571]

Uhg, same. Poor kids😣😩 So glad they came forward

[@robert3302]

Lies

[@bigverybadtom]

@@robert3302 Yeah, that was why he settled.

[@Mr.56Goldtop]

The FRUG!! Being in Seattle in the 80s and 90s I used to watch the Frugal Gormet a lot. I still have quite a few shows on VHS! He always had great shows, a lot of background information plus the cooking! I really miss him. 😔 I much preferred the early Emerill, before he turned into a cartoon. But he did return to normal with his The Essence of ... series.

[@Preservestlandry]

OMG, remember how he wasn't frugal at all?! That's what I remember my mom and I joking about when we'd watch the show - "that's not frugal if you have to go to San Francisco to buy this special ingredient!" LoL!

[@kootybear]

Dring the 90s while spending the summers with my grandparents, there was a guy that was on every afternoon called Mr. Food. He was great and his catch phrase of Ooo its so good was awesome.

[@newguy90]

I remember all the stuff about Jeff Smith came out around the time he was in talks with The Lifetime Channel about a new show. Reruns of his PBS show The Frugal Gourmet were already popular on the channel.

[@cheemomugdoo799]

I worked with someone that worked with Jeff Smith and knew Batali before his days of fame. He said Mario was always trying to get on TV, He was a man of large appetites, too much food and drinking. Once he became somewhat famous he treated my friend like a nobody.

[@paulpek6616]

how about the galloping gourmet graham Kerr I watched it when I was young 1960's /1970's my all time fave his corny jokes and accent worked for me.

[@sussvarman]

"I've never seen the snowy top of a mountain" is the single most badass reason to hang it all up

[@dk60ish]

Mom & I both loved The Frugal Gourmet, we were so shocked & disheartened at the nasty allegations.

[@cremebrulee4759]

Loved "Two Fat Ladies". You forgot Justin Wilson though. I think he was in the '90's. I have to comment that if I never hear the name Guy Fieri again I'll be ecstatic. His shows seem to make up at least 80% of The Food Network's schedule these days.

[@therosas]

How about the Canadian Wok with Yan?

[@deendrew36]

Loved that show!

[@GamingDrummer89]

Jeff Smith...I had forgotten his name but I remember gleefully anticipating his show coming on when I was 6-7 years old and recognized him instantly upon seeing the thumbnail here. Now it all makes sense why his show slowly started being showed less and less during 1997 before disappearing altogether. I was hoping this video would reveal something innocuous or at least not so scandalous about why his show stopped. My hopes were dashed and my disappointment is deep. He had such a likable personality and he gave me that "loving grandpa" kind of vibe, so that makes it even more of a let-down that he would stoop so low as he did.

[@bigverybadtom]

Nothing compared to the shock when Bill Cosby turned out to have fooled the world for fifty years.

[@cjkitty60]

Sad that Emeril’s NOLA didn’t reopen. I enjoyed it & had the best shrimp & grits I had ever had.

[@lisaspikes4291]

I was very disappointed when Mario Batalli got in trouble. I really liked his show!

[@thihal123]

Didn’t know he got in trouble. He was good

[@rnbsteenstar]

He gave sound advice with Italian cooking.

[@wongjefx980]

In Canada we had Pasquale's Kitchen Express, and Wok with Yan. Remember Jeff Smith on PBS....didn't recall the guy was a freak.

[@lindapgolan7070]

Watched CBC from Detroit, saw Wok with Yan and Bruno Gerussi

[@Mental_Patient]

The Canadian show 'Wok with Yan', loved that show.

[@keithandreotta]

Many of these shows, among others, definitely inspired my love of cooking. Now when you watch the F network, it's all game shows, not cooking shows.

[@bcpr9812]

KZbin is better for finding instructional cooking videos from chefs and cooks with their own channels, these days. Glen and Friends, Helen Rennie, Chinese Cooking Demystified, Pailin Chongchitnant (Hot Thai Kitchen), Kenji Alt-Lopez, etc. There are so many good ones, from any cuisine you can imagine.

[@lb6135]

It's become a joke, just reality shows for food voyeurs with short attention spans, not people that actually want to improve their cooking.

[@kimquinn7728]

What about Michael Chiarello and his Napa cooking show? I love what I learnex not just about cooking but the look of hospitality. Also, the original Giada DeLaurentis show. We loved her. Original Barefoot Contessa. Everything now is oneupmanship. Contest. Who is BEST. Not enough to all be great, you need to be the Pinnacle🙄 No longer enjoyable.

[@adriennefortune210]

Also wondering about Chiarello.

[@lb6135]

Very successful guy, with many shows, cookbooks, and restaurants under his belt. He owns a restaurant in San Fran called Coqueta and has a winery in Napa. I ate at his now shuttered Napa restaurant Tra Vigne (Between the Vines) and it was outstanding.

[@michellecrocker2485]

I miss the way food network used to be. Now it’s just travel and game shows

[@harrumphy]

Just checked to see if a friend of mine was on this list but it looks like he’s been spared. He had his own cooking show but lost everything to booze & drugs. Not one to exercise moderation, he lost control and fell behind on debts and has no memory big chunks of his time achieving his dream. When I met him, he was already 10 years into recovery and took his therapy, medications, and strict healthy lifestyle with set hours and even avoided excessive sugar or caffeine just to keep his mood naturally regulated, and this also means a low-key, less extroverted lifestyle just to maintain equilibrium. He’s still a knowledgeable foodie and loves making modest dishes for close friends. He doesn’t give himself enough credit for maintaining his sobriety two decades later.

[@MiddletownMike]

I know he turned out to be a terrible person and there is no excuse for his actions but Jeff Smith, " The Frugal Gourmet" was charming and personable. I still have a number of his cook books.

[@JPFalcononor]

I watched the Frugal Gormet for many years ("Hot pan, cold oil, food won't stick" was drilled into my head). However, even before I had any awareness of his sordid past, I always got this creepy vibe between him and his assistant Craig.

[@l.h.tnguyen4916]

He was charming and personable so he could grab your balls.

[@MiddletownMike]

@@JPFalcononor Craig didn't come a long until the last couple of seasons of the show but i know what you mean. Craig has basically disappeared. I can't find a record of him anywhere on the internet. I would have loved to hear his thoughts on Smith.

[@kmoecub]

His charm is what allowed him to be a successful pedophile. He deserves to be forgotten.

[@nedoran5758]

Grew up with his shows and recipe books and learned a lot about cooking from him. I'm sorry for the people he hurt but he was a talented, complex person with a lot of good to share.

[@annbsirius1703]

I still use my 10 piece Emeril pot set. They're great pans! Anything Martha I've had was crap. I bought her pasta pot and it actually rattled on the stove when boiling. Kind of surprised she bought him out.

[@lb6135]

Emeril's cookware was made by All-Clad, that's why it's so good!

[@amylewis7563]

U missed Justin Wilson! Loved him! ❤❤ Had no idea about Jeff Smith. 😢 Shocking.

[@elidagdagan2780]

David Ruggerio was very interesting. They should make a movie about his life.

[@a.mathis9454]

I remembered that Emeril liked bacon grease. 😂

[@lb6135]

Who doesn't!!! Pork fat rules, as he used to say. However, duck fat is even better.

[@lisaspikes4291]

Jeff Smith owned a deli in Tacoma?! I’m now wondering if I was there. We stopped at a deli in Tacoma where I had the most delicious bagel sandwich I’ve ever had! It was over 20 years ago, and I still think about it! I wish I could remember the name of the deli.

[@leiliaxf]

It was called “Chaplain’s Pantry” and it had closed in the early 1980s.

[@monicadifranco8116]

@@leiliaxf It could also have been The Judicial Annex. That was a deli that he opened.

[@drtyboy]

I had completely forgotten about some of these Chefs!

[@stevekemble8911]

I liked Taste with David Rosengarten. Always looked forward to the next episode. Oh - and The Galloping Gourmet! And Justin Wilson!!

[@lb6135]

Taste rocked!!! Was before it's time and Alton Brown copied him more or less. He was a serious cook and part of old Gourmet magazine (RIP) as was Sara Moulton.

[@shinetilly]

Maybe he was just a hit in my house growing up but we loved Yan Can Cook on PBS!

[@Redrum662]

What about Mr. Food????

[@timepoet77]

I loved watching The Frugal Gourmet and Floyd on Fish on public TV in the 80s.

[@LorelLa22]

Used to love watching Jeff Smith! He was on Public Television in the 1980's

[@JSFGuy]

I remember some of them back to the '80s included.

[@billgrandone3552]

I remember Jeff Smith from the 70's and 80's. I purchased two of his cookbooks as I and my wife were into cooking together when we were first married. I haven't looked at them in years, especially since the time we found out that he was a child molester. One person you did not mention was Graham Kerr from Austraila. He was not only a good chef but was a lot of fun, like having Soupy Sales in a kitchen. I'd love to know what happened to him and if his shows are being televised in the States anywhere.

[@phoenixman8569]

i thought Graham Kerr died years ago but apparently he is still alive.....

[@billgrandone3552]

@@phoenixman8569 Yep! Alive and living in Washington State. Good for you Mr. Kerr!

[@stephenmcdonald3422]

Graham was a New Zealansr

[@stephenmcdonald3422]

Sorry ,pleased to see he is still a New Zealander

[@billgrandone3552]

@@stephenmcdonald3422 Actually from what I read, he was born in London.

[@susan_elizabeth]

I'm deeply saddened that several of these chefs were taken down by allegations of harassment or abuse. Mario Batali absolutely broke my heart.

[@yvangnutov8114]

Clarissa Dickson Wright ‘s book is quite something

[@timreno72]

We had a local (Reno NV) guy who had (3) restaurants and a PB cooking show. In less than 10 years he gambled and drank it all away. I at least learned (1) awesome recipe that I still use today!

[@rcrawford42]

Well, I learned -- or adapted -- a recipe from Rachael Ray, and that should prove even the worst can have some value.