Well Fed Network

Posted by Madeline Miller on Edible TV.

To hear what Guy Fieri has to say about the new season of The Next Food Network Star (he’s a guest host and judge on Sunday’s episode) and his experience during Season Two, check out Part 1 of Edible TV’s exclusive interview with Guy. In addition to hearing about The Next Food Network Star, I wanted to know how Guy’s time at the Food Network is going and what’s in store for him in the future.

I think the most exciting thing I learned is that we can expect not one, but two, books from Guy Fieri in the future. The first is a cookbook based upon the recipes from Guy’s Big Bite. He’s in the middle of working on it, but expects it will consist of over 200 recipes. They are all picked out, now he’s reworking them, writing accompanying text, and finding it all a “monster task.” In fact, he referred to the process as “c-razy.” Since it’s a cookbook from Guy, it won’t be your average, run-of-the mill collection of recipes. He doesn’t have all the details yet, but it will have artwork from his own tattoo artist, Joe Leonard.

Guy just finished the second season of Guy’s Big Bite and the Food Network ordered 52 more episodes. As for the future of the show, guy plans on a continuing evolution, with food, laughter, “no rhyme or reason, learning new food” and challenging himself to take the mystique out of foods that people might be intimidated to try. One example - Turkey Meatballs with Curry is a recipe he’s currently working on for the show

The second book we can expect from Guy is a companion guide to his second Food Network show Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. This book is still in the conceptual stage, but Guy sounded almost giddy about it. It will include a map with all the locations the show visited, allowing a reader to go on a two-month road trip while retracing Guy’s steps.

When I talked to him about Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Guy emphasized just how much fun he has making the show, which goes into production soon for its second season. It even goes beyond that, since when a restaurant is featured, devoted Food Network fans go find it. By doing the show, Guy is helping people like himself - small restaurateurs who might not otherwise get such wide exposure. He said that the effect of bringing business to people who need it can “bring tears to your eyes.”

One example is the Four Kegs in Vegas. It was a favorite haunt of Guy’s when he was in college. After being featured on the show, the place had to hire more staff and has been shipping stromboli all over the country. Food Network fans arrive in limos from their high-end strip hotels to visit what is a self-described dive. I think having an effect like this on small businesses is a legacy Guy would be proud to leave when his Food Network days are eventually behind him.

So, other than two show and two cookbooks, what does Guy have in store in the future? His dream is to be able to work with children. His parents taught him “to do anything and everything I ever wanted to do.” Guy firmly believes that working with food encourages creativity and responsibility. He wants to work with kids to give them the same sense of empowerment that he was given by his own parents. Given Guy’s success in his previous endeavors, I have no doubt that he will make this dream a reality.