Q&A: Ted Allen

(Credit: Matthais Clamer/Bravo)

We’ve been digesting Ted Allen’s foodie advice since his debut on "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" back in 2003. Since then, the bespectacled Allen has become a popular guest critic on food shows such as "Top Chef" and "Iron Chef America."

We spoke to Allen about his new Food Network show "Food Detectives" (three words: "MythBusters" for foodies), his own personal kitchen disasters (two words: fire department) and scoring tables at the top restaurants in town (one word: connections). Let the foodie exploration begin...

Do you barbecue often?
I love to cook. When I have a day off I like to go to the farmer’s market in Fort Greene and get some interesting, inspiring stuff to work with. Today, I came home with a bag of zucchini blossoms, some gooseberries, some red currants and some weird kind of cucumber, and I have to see what I can figure out. I also bought purslane which I hadn’t thought about forever until I had it on "Top Chef" when Dale Levitski served it with grapes and scallops. I’m going to text Dale today for suggestions.

Do you keep in touch with many of the "Top Chef" contestants?
I keep in touch with a lot of them. One of the coolest things for me is sitting on the set of "Iron Chef America" next to not only Isaac Mizrahi and Marc Ecko, but also next to the finest chefs in the world. And when you have the chance to chat with these people who you’ve admired forever, the smart thing to do is get their cell phone numbers. It’s really helpful when you want a table in a restaurant!

Have you had them call for you?
I’m not obnoxious about it, but listen: It’s not easy to get a table in some of these places. And it’s a blood sport in this town, so you’ve got to take whatever connection you can get.

You've compared this new show "Food Detectives" to "MythBusters." Do you think there are enough food myths to keep it going for a long time?
There are a limited number of myths to debunk or verify, so we’re mixing myths in with other basic stories about food. Someday, we might explore the origin of the martini or talk about where the Caesar salad came from. Having a slightly more open rubric is good, because you’re going to run out of myths sooner or later.

You’re involved with a number of shows. Are you just shooting "Food Detectives" at the moment?
I am, but in between [shoots], I do work for Robert Mondavi. I work with their private selection portfolio and have appearances at food events and jazz festivals and art fairs all over the country, generally on the weekends. It’s a crazy time!

So, what exotic location are you in now?
I am sitting in my backyard in Brooklyn, and it’s beautiful out.

Home sweet home. There are a lot of great restaurants in Brooklyn that many miss because they stay on the island of Manhattan.
I was a Manhattan snob when I was in grad school at NYU. The only thing that ever brought me to Brooklyn was BAM [The Brooklyn Art Museum], and that was to see John Cale and Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson, which gives you a little window into the arty farty music I listened to at the time... and still do. But now, I love it. Before this, we lived in Chelsea. At this stage in the game, I’m more interested in having a space to barbecue than being close to nightclubs that are open until six in the morning.

What is your favorite kitchen gadget?
I have a lot of them. I made cherry mojitos and I was very impressed with my cherry pitter, and Barry [Allen's partner] got me a truffle slicer a long time ago but he didn’t get me a truffle so I’ve taken to using that for parmesean. But all you really need is a chef’s knife, a cutting board and a sautee pan.

We’re often on the go. What do you do when you’re in a rush but want to eat well?
I’ve totally sworn off fast food and I’m trying to avoid anything processed except for potato chips, which I can’t give up. I hate the idea people have that you have to buy processed crap to cook fast. It’s a big lie. Whatever happened to stir frys? One great seed of really fast cooking are vinegarettes. You can pan roast a piece of salmon in eight minutes with salt an d pepper and maybe some herbs, make a little warm vinagerette with grape tomatoes, put it all on a bed of spinach, and twenty minutes later you’re eating a delicious thing. That’s the kind of stuff that gets me excited.

What is the biggest mistake you’ve made in a kitchen?
When I really didn’t know what I was doing, I marinated filet mignon—which I very rarely buy because I’d rather have a flank steak because it tastes like something—in some kind of acidic marinade and left them in there for hours. When I served them, they were the consistency of mashed potatoes.

Mashed potatoed steaks don’t sound appealing...
The other one was Barry and I were making brunch for the dining editor at Chicago magazine. I was making homemade cinnamon rolls in the oven and didn’t account for the fact that the butter and sugar would boil over the edge of the pan. About five minutes before she pulled up, the house filled with acrid smoke. But, as I always used to tell the guys on "Queer Eye," what's more important than everything turning out perfectly is that you’re curious enough to try. Sometimes, when it turns out disastrous, it’s funnier than if it turned out well. Crack open a bottle of wine, order a pizza, laugh about it—and call the fire department!

"Food Detectives" premieres Tuesday, July 29, at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network.