Never talk to Bob Blumer on an empty stomach.
The celebrity chef was sitting in Steveston on Friday morning, scouting the seafood capital of Canada (Let the arguments begin. Are you just going to sit there and take that, Prince Rupert?) for a good, fresh lunch before he flew to Prince George for the BC Northern Exhibition. He'll be here for the entire duration of the fall fair, a point he had to haggle over in contract negotiations. He wanted more time in P.G.
"The original discussion was to come for three days, there was this competition for professional chefs they wanted me to be a part of, and that was OK, but then I did some checking and found out there was a whole other day, so I got back to them and said I wanted the whole four days, I didn't want to miss the amateurs," he said.
He knows Prince George from past visits. He couldn't remember if it was Streetheart or Headpins - he worked with a number of music acts back in the day - but he did remember P.G. being a stop on the tour schedule.
It was during his early years in the music industry that he developed his love of cooking. Like the proverbial starving student, aspiring rock bands didn't pay their managers and publicists rich contracts, but that turned out to be his meal ticket.
"Foods and spirits are a great way to elevate your life when you don't have a lot of money. If you're creative, with very common ingredients you can make a life affirming meal pretty easily," he said.
When he was managing alt-pop chanteuse Jane Siberry, a position he held for more than a dozen years, budgets were better but his passion for food was already sizzling. In off times he was chipping away at his own project: a cookbook.
"I wrote this cookbook as a pet project, and I continued to manage Jane for another six years or so. I loved what I was doing with her, but I was just following my muse and it eventually took over," Blumer said.
When he was in the music business, he hung out with musicians and managers. When he was in the food business, he hung out with chefs and restaurateurs. Since he was known as an author on the subject, techniques and recipes came his way. He was in a sort of guerilla culinary school.
He was also the graduate of the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. He parlayed his foodie fetish and author status to take some next steps, becoming one of the first to produce a cooking show that went beyond the "kitchen stage" presentation style associated with the likes of Julia Child in the States and Bruno Gerussi in Canada.
Blumer hit the audience sweet tooth with books like Off the Eaten Path, The Surreal Gourmet and Glutton For Pleasure which parlayed into Food Network programs like The Surreal Gourmet and Glutton For Punishment and World's Weirdest Restaurants.
He also tried seven times to set a Guinness Book of World Records benchmark, and all seven times he succeeded (559 pancakes flipped in an hour, 168 pizzas made in an hour, etc.).
The latter TV show is the one that set network records for frequent flier miles and fans running to the bathroom. Maybe it is a good idea to talk to Bob Blumer on an empty stomach after all, when you consider that he has tucked into daring meals like killer bee larva, yak penis, sheep testicles, and poisonous fish - the legendary fugu dish. It was this dish that gave him the only substantial pause before taking that first bite.
"There is no antidote. If you have even the amount that would fit on the head of a pin, you're dead. But first you're alive in this frozen state, seeing and hearing people talk about what an idiot you were, then you die eventually."
While most restaurants he visits on camera merely sport strange themes, there are some that have truly squeamish things on the menu. He's gotten used to it.
"You can't say no in those situations," he said. "You have to save face when you're a guest in someone's country and someone's restaurant. And when contemplating not eating something, you also have to contemplate the 50 people lined up for your job who are more than happy to eat it."
Extreme dining is only one aspect to Blumer's contributions to food culture. He is also adept at simple things like conveying the most efficient way to set up a kitchen, offering practical tips to make your life as a home cook or commercial chef more pleasant for you and everyone you serve.
One of the simple things he's most proud of is popularizing the pizza on the grill.
"That was unique to people but it has taken off, and it's not because its some gimmick. You end up with the most amazing, smoky, flavourful crust that will stand up to more ingredients than your basic tomato sauce and cheese. That's one of the demos I'm going to do in Prince George."
Blumer will be doing his own creative demonstrations at the BCNE, but he will also be anchoring the competition at centre stage in the Northern Taste Market. It's Iron Chef-style for local culinary creators.
Starting Thursday, the amateurs light up the kitchen first. The four competitors are: Heidi Johns, Kate Ames, Tamara Kobylka and Suzanne Starrett.
Starting Friday, the professionals take the stage. They are: Ryan Cyre (White Goose Bistro), Cindy Klassen (Bites Of Bliss), Chris Angus (The Twisted Cork), Wilma Cragg (Ramada Hotel), Marc Kraima (North 54) and Rosina Turner (Papa Yianni's).
"Of the four judges that will be deciding who advances in each heat, one judge will be selected from the audience at the beginning of each challenge," said Norm Coyne of Citizen Special Events, co-producer of the Northern Taste Market along with the BCNE.
To meet Blumer and enjoy the competitions, take in the fair. Details on the BCNE website.
