by Andreas Kessaris for Curtains Up!
“Hit-making is not a repeatable formula. It can’t be bottled; a set of people at a certain point in their lives meet in a certain place under certain circumstances. They will never meet again in this way with exactly the same powers, nor will the world again be in the same state of receptivity. Crucially, the show, the song, the sculpture must find a way to be seen, heard, or experienced by others in its moment. As Linda McCartney once said, ‘You can’t reheat a soufflé.’”
-Allen Salkin
While I do watch television, I have never been a couch potato. I enjoy reading, movies, music, physical activity and sporting events with equal enthusiasm. I was completely satisfied with my basic set-up, until a few months ago when my brother, an actual couch potato, decided to upgrade his service, and gave me his old cable box, effectively doubling the amount of stations I could watch, as well as increasing my monthly bill, (thanks a lot!). One was a specialty channel called Food Network. I had previously heard of it when an acquaintance of mine informed me that her new show would soon be seen there, and via the antics and popularity of some of its stars, usually when they’d fall into some sort of disrepute (like Paula Deen). I have never been a fan of the old “dump and stir” type cooking programs and their hosts like Julia Child or local favorite “The Singing Chef” Pasquale, even when they were doing a demonstration on Good Morning America or David Letterman as a guest for a segment or two. I found that kind of broadcast to be bland, slow and boring. And although the aforementioned presenters were interesting characters, they never really connected with me. Until I saw Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on Food Network and its colourful host, Guy Fieri.
Celebrity chefs and food personalities like Anthony Bourdain, Rachael Ray, Emeril Lagasse, Bobby Flay and the creation of Food Network is the subject of From Scratch: Inside the Food Network, a new book by author Allen Salkin.
From the beginning I knew this book was a winner. Salkin, an experienced writer and journalist, takes us on a twenty-year odyssey from Food Network’s conception, (“CNN with stoves” as one of the founders referred to it), through its lean years, to its heyday with non-stop, captivating particulars. Despite the fact that the front and back covers of From Scratch display photos of famous chefs and personalities associated with the cable channel, the author adeptly focuses mostly on producers and executives, and the complex deals they had to make to start the network and keep it afloat through tough times and ownership changes, (often the behind-the-scenes dramas are more interesting than the shows they broadcast). It is quite common, when explaining business deals, which tend to be dry and ridiculously complex, for authors to bore us to tears with too many specifics, or frustrate us with too few, but Salkin finds the right balance, keeping the reader interested and informed.
Salkin moves the story at a respectable pace; the book is never slow or boring. Bios of the principal players are short but detailed, with no frivolous facts, and the author’s humorous asides, observations, comments and digressions are not overbearing or bitchy. In fact, there were several times where I laughed out loud, (once so much I had to stop reading for fifteen minutes). Although promoted as a kind of “tell-all” and “inside story” book, Salkin mercifully avoids the temptation to dish the dirt on people and maintains a strong level journalistic integrity throughout. Facts are presented clearly and fairly, and those involved are given a fair opportunity to tell their side of the story; any dispute or controversy is neither sensationalized nor trivialized.
The book covers in fascinating detail how chefs became rock stars, and the unlikely people who made it happen. But From Scratch is also about the creative process and how shows are developed, regardless of subject matter or format, and with its lessons and anecdotes, I can recommend it as a sort of how-to textbook for anyone planning to get into the television production, marketing, broadcasting or advertising business.
In short, if you are a fan of television and want an enjoyable and informative read, From Scratch: Inside the Food Network has all the right ingredients. (I can’t believe I said that! Please forgive me).
