LOS ANGELES - Bacon, whiskey and stilettos - this is not your
mother's kitchen. This is "Epic Chef," YouTube's 20,000-calorie cooking
spectacle that makes its debut on Friday.
"The
show is complete madness," producer Rob Czar told Reuters on a recent
set visit in Los Angeles, where two scantily-clad women in heels hurled
greasy bacon and corn dogs at each other during a taping.
"There are no rules other than the usage of bacon and Jack Daniels," Czar said. "Pandemonium is encouraged."
"Epic Chef," an offshoot of the Canadian-produced YouTube sensation
"Epic Meal Time" series, aims to bring in viewers by the million with
extra helpings of gluttony - all in spite of Americans' obsession with
health and weight loss.
"We're here to say pizza
is good, cheeseburgers are good, but pizza-cheeseburgers are even
better," said host Harley Morenstein, a former substitute teacher whose
"Epic Meal Time" garners some three million views per weekly episode on
YouTube.
"We do this so that you don't have to," writer Tyler Lemco added. "You can watch us and live vicariously through us."
Contestant
Jeffrey Williams is filmed as he cooks during the taping of "Epic Chef"
Episode 5: Epic Chicken at the Belasco theatre in Los Angeles,
California on October 17.
Lucky to have a camera
"Epic Chef" pits contestants against each other to prepare outrageous
heart-attack-inducing meat-laden dishes with massive calorie, fat and
cholesterol content all in the name of impressing a panel of judges.
The winner is determined by taste, presentation and use of ingredients.
Chefs include the likes of Ilan Hall, a past winner of Bravo's hit "Top
Chef," while well-known kitchen personality Duff Goldman (Food
Network's "Ace of Cakes") and writer Timothy Ferriss ("The 4-hour Chef")
serve as judges.
The idea for the shows came to
Morenstein two years ago after seeing a photo of an over-the-top meal
online and later trying to replicate it with friends, Lemco said.
"We were bored and had nothing else to do," the writer added. "Luckily we had a camera."
In one upcoming episode, tentatively titled "Epic Chicken Challenge,"
the meals prepared include fried chicken wrapped in bacon and stuffed
with Cheetos, Doritos chips and corn-dog hash.
The final product emerges as fried chicken encrusted with the snack
food, wrapped in bacon and smothered in barbecue sauce. Other dishes
include gingerbread houses made of meat, human head-sized egg rolls and
meat breakfast cereal with gravy.
"We're going to die doing this," Lemco said. "That's how dedicated we are." — Reuters
0 comments:
Post a Comment