Jeff Smith (chef)

Jeff Smith
Smith in 1990.
Born	(1939-01-22)January 22, 1939 Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
Died	July 7, 2004(2004-07-07) (aged 65) Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Education	Cooking
Spouse	Patricia "Patty" Smith (1966–2004)
Culinary career
Cooking style	Gourmet
Previous restaurant(s) Chaplain's Pantry (1972–1983)
Television show(s) Cooking Fish Creatively (1973–1977) The Frugal Gourmet (1984–1997)

Jeffrey L. Smith (January 22, 1939 – July 7, 2004) was the author of several cookbooks and the host of The Frugal Gourmet, a popular American cooking show. The show began in Tacoma, Washington, as Cooking Fish Creatively on local PBS station KTPS (now KBTC), where it aired from 1973 to 1977. It then moved to WTTW in Chicago, and finally to KQED in San Francisco where it aired from 1984 to 1997. From 1972 to 1983, Smith was the owner and operator of the Chaplain's Pantry Restaurant and Gourmet Shop.

Early life

Smith was born on January 22, 1939 in Tacoma, Washington. He went on to graduate from the University of Puget Sound (UPS) in 1962 and Drew University in New Jersey in 1965, where he was ordained as a minister in the United Methodist Church. Jeff Smith served as a chaplain at UPS from 1965 to 1972. In 1966, he married Patricia "Patty" Smith, and they had two sons, Channing and Jason. Patricia is credited with originating the nickname "Frugal Gourmet." In 1972, Jeff Smith left the university to open the Chaplain's Pantry Restaurant and Gourmet Shop, a deli and kitchen supply store in Tacoma. He and his students taught cooking classes to the public at the store. In 1981, Smith suffered a heart attack and had heart valve surgery. Smith was forced to sell the Chaplain's Pantry to pay for his wife's medical costs.

Career

Smith got his start on television in 1973. He was hired by a local PBS station in Tacoma, Washington, to host a show called Cooking Fish Creatively with Jeff Smith. "Cooking Fish Creatively" aired from 1973 to 1977. Each episode featured Smith demonstrating how to prepare and cook a different fish dish, complete with step-by-step instructions. Smith's friendly and informative approach made the show a hit with viewers, and helped to demystify the process of cooking fish for many home cooks. The first six episodes were in black-and-white, and then the station was able to secure a federal grant that allowed them to purchase color cameras. Smith used this upgrade to develop a new cooking show. In 1977, he rebranded the show as The Frugal Gourmet with Jeff Smith, As the price of fish went up, Smith began to focus more on frugal cooking in general. In 1983, Smith promoted his paperback cookbook on The Phil Donahue Show. After that, he moved the show to WTTW in Chicago, Illinois, which took The Frugal Gourmet with Jeff Smith national during the first season in 1984. As Smith pointed out, "frugal" doesn't mean cheap. It means not wasting money. And "gourmet" simply means someone who appreciates good food and good wine. There's nothing extravagant about cooking good food at home, and there are many ways to save money while cooking for yourself and your family.

In 1987, Smith was joined by his assistant and co-author Craig Wollam. Craig was a student of Smith's who went on to become the President of the American Personal Chef Association. In 1990, Smith became a spokesman for Columbia Crest winery. A year later, he formed Frugal Gourmet Productions, Inc. In 1992, Smith moved his show, "The Frugal Gourmet with Jeff Smith," to KQED in San Francisco, California. The show was produced by Natan Katzman's production company, A La Carte Communications, the same company that later created Julia Child's cooking shows, which were produced by Maryland Public Television. Katzman's company has also produced several other cooking shows. That iteration of the show lasted until 1997 and produced a total of 261 episodes and specials. Smith was known for his signature look, which always included his blue and white striped apron. He also wore a jade fish from China around his neck, which became his trademark. Smith's look was an extension of his personality: fun, approachable, and confident. In each episode of The Frugal Gourmet, Smith would follow a recipe as he showed viewers how to prepare a dish. He would often tell food-related stories and share interesting facts about the ingredients he used. He would also travel to different locations to learn about and sample food from various cultures. The theme music for his show was a movement from George Frideric Handel's Water Music, called the Bourree. At the end of each episode, Smith would sign off with his trademark greeting, "Until I see you again, this is the Frugal Gourmet, I bid you peace, bye-bye.".

Smith with his long-time assistant and co-author Craig Wollam at Fante's Kitchen Shop (1992)

Smith published numerous cookbooks, including "The Frugal Gourmet" (1984) and "The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines" (1989). He was also the host of a public television cooking show for many years. Some people saw him as a brilliant culinary expert, while others saw him as a bully. Kathy Casey, a food columnist for The Seattle Times and a longtime friend of Smith's, described him as a generous and knowledgeable man who helped many people in the food industry.

Smith also had his share of detractors. Irena Chalmers, a faculty member at the Culinary Institute of America and president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, once described him as "the Frugal Gourmet, who is neither". Chicago Tribune food and wine columnist William Rice wrote, "I've tried to cook his stuff, and let's say it was hit or miss. Some things worked and others didn't." Newsweek writer Laura Shapiro criticized him as "a prime example of prominent cooks who may compromise their integrity by being paid to recommend food products and kitchen ware." She cited The Frugal Gourmet Whole Family Cookbook as "especially shocking", calling it "the cookbook as infomercial". In a 1992 Harper's Magazine article, Barbara Grizzuti Harrison ridiculed him as "a purveyor of patronizing poppycock ... conveyed with the kind of mock anger that is always a mask for real anger." Smith brushed aside such criticism: "Not many people read Harper's," he said. "That's a very small audience." He continued, "People criticize me for enjoying good food when I use the word frugal. Frugal doesn't mean cheap. It means you don't waste your money. They haven't read my books. They don't know the meaning of the word."

Sexual abuse allegations

In 1997, seven men filed a civil lawsuit against Smith, charging him with sexual abuse. Six of them alleged that they were molested as teenagers in the 1970s while working at the Chaplain's Pantry in Tacoma; the seventh claimed that he was assaulted in 1992, at age 14, after Smith picked him up as a hitchhiker. Smith denied the allegations, and no criminal charges were filed, but he and his insurers settled the cases for an undisclosed amount in 1998. The litigation ended his television career, though he continued his writing and charitable work.

Personal life and death

Jeff Smith was married to Patricia "Patty" Smith. They had two sons, Channing and Jason, as well as daughters-in-law Yuki and Lisa.

Smith died in his sleep of heart disease on July 10, 2004, at age 65.

Bibliography

• Recipes from the Frugal Gourmet (1977)
• The Frugal Gourmet (1984)
• The Frugal Gourmet Cooks with Wine (1986)
• The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American (1987)
• The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines: China, Greece, and Rome (1989)
• The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immigrant Ancestors: Recipes You Should Have Gotten from Your Grandmother (1990)
• The Frugal Gourmet Celebrates Christmas (1991)
• The Frugal Gourmet's Culinary Handbook: An Updated Version of an American Classic on Food and Cooking (1991)
• The Frugal Gourmet Whole Family Cookbook: Recipes and Reflections for Contemporary Living (1992)
• The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Italian: Recipes from the New and Old Worlds, Simplified for the American Kitchen (1993)
• The Frugal Gourmet Keeps the Feast: Past, Present, and Future (1995)

Further reading

• Collins, Glenn (February 10, 1988). "'Frugal Gourmet': A Minister Makes Food His Mission". The New York Times. p. C1.

External links

• Jeff Smith bio at the Internet Movie Database
• The Frugal Gourmet at the Internet Movie Database