2007

S1.E1 ∙ Oyster Shuck-Off

Sun, Oct 21, 2007

Oysters are loved throughout the world, but before you enjoy them, you have to get past that shell. Oyster shucking can be hazardous, and it requires practice to do it just right without mangling the prized oyster or losing a finger. In this episode, Bob will learn the technique of oyster shucking before traveling to the Oyster Festival in Urbanna, Virginia, and entering the Oyster Shucking Competition. Speed is only one element of the competition. Presentation is the other. Bob's challenge is to crash the world of elite shuckers and become a contender in just one week. His reward? To walk away triumphant, and with all ten digits intact.

0 /10

S1.E2 ∙ Waiter's Race

Sun, Oct 28, 2007

In the world of food and wine, waiters are the true unsung heroes. Working the front lines between picky diners and primadonna chefs, they are the foot soldiers of fine dining. This week Bob will be embedded, embattled and run off his feet at a busy brasserie in New York City. Once he's trained in the classic French style Bob will compete against the city's finest in the annual New York City Waiter's race held, appropriately, on French national holiday Bastille Day. His challenge is to run three blocks and back carrying two wine glasses and a carafe of water on a tippy tray, without spilling a drop. His reward is to prove that he can take the heat, in and out of the kitchen.

0 /10

S1.E3 ∙ Flair Bartending

Sun, Nov 04, 2007

Popularized in the Tom Cruise movie Cocktail, flair bartending is the practice of entertaining an audience with the throwing/juggling of bar tools (eg; shaker tins) and liquor bottles in tricky, dazzling ways. Once Bob is trained in this form of showmanship, he will enter an International Flair Competition in the 'mecca of flair bartending', Las Vegas. It is a dangerous task, and the action requires skill due to the dangers of possible glass breakage and even burning. Bob's challenge is to woo the judges with the technique, flow and creative flair of his routine while making actual drinks, and all in three minutes! His reward? To learn from the world's best flair bartenders, and of course, sampling all the drinks!

0 /10

S1.E4 ∙ Benihana Chef

Sun, Nov 11, 2007

Benihana is a chain of classic Japanese restaurants that elevates table-side preparation to performance art. Benihana chefs serve up a colorful variety of dishes directly in front of diners using a combination of razor sharp knives, a red-hot grill, sleight of hand and witty banter. Most trainee chefs spend four months in the shadows of the kitchen just learning to chop - Bob's challenge is to master all the skills necessary to become a Benihana chef in a mere week. He will be inducted into the Benihana experience by a seasoned chef, Michael Tan, but in the end he'll be on his own in front of a 600°C grill and a hungry audience. His challenge is to master fancy knife work, clever patter, juggling and the all important onion volcano. His reward? Knife skills worthy of a samurai warrior and fresh ideas for bringing drama to the dinner table.

0 /10

S1.E5 ∙ Barista Championship

Sun, Nov 18, 2007

You see them plying their trade every day as they provide the weary and red-eyed masses with their drug of choice - caffeine. Their job doesn't appear to be remarkably difficult, and it seems surprising that there could possibly be a coffee subculture complete with its own latte art competitions and barista championships. Bob will enter into this world when he enters into the Canadian National Barista Championships. He'll compete by making four espressos, four cappuccinos, and four signature beverages in fifteen minutes, in front of technical and sensory judges and a large audience. Bob will train with Canadian Champion Barista Sammy Piccolo, who warns that it is not as easy as it looks. However, with hard training, Bob might be able to compete after four weeks. Bob's challenge is to pack the training into just five short days. His reward? Entry into a unique and close circle of people who are passionate about the bean and live for the art of caffeine.

0 /10

S1.E6 ∙ Hatch Chile Festival

Sun, Nov 25, 2007

Bob Blumer loves spicy foods. The hotter the better (at least that's what he thinks.) Like a vigilante gunslinger in a western movie he'll journey to the hot, dusty heart of the hot chile empire: Hatch, New Mexico. Located in the plains of the Rio Grande Valley, Hatch is a chile-head's Mecca. Bob will work in the fertile fields of the surrounding Hatch Valley picking chile peppers in a 40°C heat discovering enough new varieties and various tastes to satisfy a steady throng of new converts. And then he'll go further. Bob's challenge is to prove that he really can take the heat by entering the hot chile-eating contest. He'll be going head-to-head with some extremely big guys who see their ability to eat insanely hot chiles as proof of manhood. His reward? Survival, and everything he needs to know to make his very own hot sauce.

0 /10

S1.E7 ∙ Médoc Marathon

Sun, Dec 02, 2007

Making it to the finish line of a 26-mile marathon is a grueling test of stamina that few people are capable of completing. But what about a full-fledged marathon that includes runners in costume, 22 wine tasting stations and an oyster bar along the route? The Médoc Marathon, a raucous, wine-soaked run that takes place every fall in the heart of France's legendary Bordeaux region, is just such an event. Bob will need to get himself in top shape not just for an intense physical test - but for a psychological one too. How will he keep himself focused on the finish line when there are so many mouthwatering and potentially impairing temptations threatening his progress? His challenge is to remember that even though it may seem like a party (that's what the other 8000 runners seem to think), it's still a race - and a long one at that. His reward? A whirlwind tour through some of the finest wineries in the world - and the chance to win his weight in first-growth Bordeaux.

0 /10

S1.E8 ∙ Alpine Cyclist

Sun, Dec 09, 2007

Cycling is Bob's second favorite activity after eating. And the two actually go very well together - a high energy bike ride can burn up to 1000 calories an hour, making an intense bike trip a perfect complement to the excesses of a gourmet traveler. Inspired by the greatest cycling event in the world, the Tour de France, we've designed a bike trip/food adventure that will test Bob's stamina and indulge his love of rich sauces and stinky French cheese. His challenge is to train with a veteran of the Tour de France and attempt to conquer one of the most mythical and challenging sections of the Tour - the high altitude 'cols' of the Alps culminating in the arduous and legendary pinnacle of Alpe d'Huez: eight vertiginous miles climbing 5839 feet through 21 painful hairpin turns. His reward? A nonstop, guilt-free gourmet feast of artisan breads, cheeses, sausages, raclettes and fondues from the Alpine region.

0 /10

S1.E9 ∙ BBQ Competition

Sun, Jan 13, 2008

Good old-fashioned, high fat, cholesterol-laden barbecue is all the rage. Drawn by hugely popular barbecue cook-offs from New York City to the wilds of Texas, hundreds of teams travel the continent hauling trailers loaded down with massive cookers and hundreds of pounds of pork butt, pork shoulder, beef brisket and chicken hoping to win big. With their own secret rubs and sauces at the ready, they set up camp and nurse their meats through 18 hours of sleepless 'low and slow' cooking. It takes a team of devoted meat maniacs headed by a fearless Pit Master to pull off the array of juicy meats required at competition. Bob's challenge is to apprentice with Pit Master Fast Eddy and then to lead his own team in the Open Competition. His reward? Barbecue boot camp at the side of a master - and a chance to see the sun rise over Kansas City through a coal-fire haze...two days in a row.

0 /10

S1.E10 ∙ Riesling Harvest

Sun, Jan 20, 2008

Bob is passionate about wine. He has toured many of the world's renowned wine regions, tasted countless bottles, and earned the right to be considered a wine aficionado among his friends. But what happens when he is put to test by assisting in the harvest of 17 acres of precious grapes, for the maker of Germany's finest Rieslings? Intense periods of backbreaking work will test Bob's patience and skill, as well as his body. Prüm's grapes are harvested late in the season, when the air has already turned crisp. While the physical efforts help warm the bodies of pickers, so does the glühwein - heated, spiced wine, that they are sent as a reward (or a bribe?) during their long shifts. This and the gourmet food prepared as an incentive to the workers will help get Bob through the severe labour. His reward? Delicious insights into the intimidating world of wine and the knowledge to back up his strong opinions.

0 /10

S1.E11 ∙ Guinness Diet

Sun, Jan 27, 2008

Bob Blumer attempts the ultimate "Guinnes Diet". A challenge of having nothing but Guinness Beer during a period of 5 consecutive days.

0 /10

S1.E12 ∙ Noodle Pulling

Sun, Feb 03, 2008

This week, Bob faces his toughest challenge yet: mastering the lost art of making hand-pulled noodles. This labour intensive technique involves folding, twisting and stretching dough until it separates, as if by magic, into perfectly equal noodle strands. It's so difficult that only a handful of chefs still do it. Bob will have just one week to learn this complex technique, which most chefs take years to master. At the end of the week, Bob will fly to Hong Kong where he will step into the shoes of the noodle chef at the Lanzhou hand-pulled Noodle King restaurant.

0 /10

S1.E13 ∙ Egg Cook

Sun, Feb 10, 2008

Breakfast line cooks are like the marathon runners of the kitchen; the toughest and fittest who put in an intense and sustained effort throughout each shift. Up since before the roosters, line cooks prep for hours - their shift half-done by the time the door sign is turned from closed to open. They cook for patrons who are perhaps the most ravenous and demanding of any they will face. Bob's challenge will be to first of all be accepted into the tight ranks of the breakfast line and then just to keep up with their finely honed skills. Can Bob can handle the heat, or will he get kicked out of the kitchen? If he makes it through a busy shift, cooking for hundreds of patrons, his reward will be the relief of knowing that he can hold his own in such a demanding position, for the hungriest of diners.

0 /10