Ted Allen Quotes

• I had a little epiphany when I was a writer at ‘Chicago’ magazine. I sat down to dinner at the Ritz-Carlton. Somebody poured a white dessert wine with chocolate cake. It was a wine I would never have expected to make sense. The idea of any wine tasting fabulous with chocolate cake was fascinating to me.

  Ted Allen

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Little, Writer

• When the idea of ‘Chopped’ surfaced, it was originally meant to be taped at some guy’s mansion with him and his crazy Chihuahua. A stuffy fellow in a tuxedo was to host, and the losing chef’s dish was then fed to the dog! I am not kidding, I saw it! I think it is genius! Twisted, but genius!

  Ted Allen

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Idea, Originally

• People who hardly ever cook at all, suddenly at the holidays, feel like it’s their responsibility to not only cook dinner for large groups of people suddenly, but to serve things that are fussy or fancy or formal. And I don’t think that’s what anybody really wants, especially if you’re not good at it.

  Ted Allen

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in People

• The world is full of people who would like nothing better than to spend six hours on a golf course. I would rather be chopping shallots.

  Ted Allen

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in People, World

• Cooking allows you to have travels, adventures and journeys without going anywhere. The running joke between my partner and me is that I’m not really concerned about how long it takes, or how much I destroy the kitchen, because I just have such a good time doing it.

  Ted Allen

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Adventure, Cooking

• I think what I do differently from a lot of TV chefs is that I break down barriers and make fine food more accessible to the regular person, who might be intimidated. I try hard, particularly with wine, to make it not intimidating. It’s sort of a teaching job.

  Ted Allen

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Differently

• The best way to learn is live, in person, cooking, feeling, smelling and tasting, but TV is the second-best thing to that; it’s a halfway facsimile.

  Ted Allen

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Cooking, Person

• I’m a home cook and love to read about food, but I’m not trained as a chef. I’m just really into cooking and passionate about it.

  Ted Allen

  Topics in Love

  Tags in Food, Home

• A friend told me about the casting notice for ‘Queer Eye.’ I was in Chicago and I had a contract with ‘Esquire’ magazine, so had been coming to New York City regularly and thought I’d catch a cheap flight, crash on a friend’s sofa and do this hilarious audition that I had no chance of winning.

  Ted Allen

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Friend, Notice

• For me, the kitchen is the most special room in the house. It’s a place for adventure – not drudgery, but discovery, sharing and showing off with friends, trying new ideas.

  Ted Allen

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Special

• Believe me, I understand the need for easy and speedy. After a 12-hour day of shooting ‘Chopped,’ say, I’m talking stir-fry, spaghetti, heck, peanut-butter sandwiches. But that’s not about the joy of food. That’s survival.

  Ted Allen

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Believe, Understand

• Cooking for people is an enormously significant expression of generosity and soulfulness, and entertaining is a way to be both generous and creative. You’re sharing your life with people. Of course, it’s also an expression of your own need for approval and applause. Nothing wrong with that.

  Ted Allen

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in People, Expression

• It’s okay if you finish cooking something easy after your guests arrive – some dishes must be prepared a la minute, as chefs say. Just remember to keep talking.

  Ted Allen

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Cooking, Finish

• One of the biggest mistakes people make when they cook for other people is to think that it has to be fancy and elaborate. This results in enormous expense and nine days of labor, plus you end up trying to assemble a croquembouche in front of your guests and everyone’s experiencing flop sweat.

  Ted Allen

  Topics in Mistake

  Tags in People

• Planning a dinner party in a way that you’re actually capable of getting it done without panicking is important. It’s bad hospitality for the host to be freaked out.

  Ted Allen

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Planning, Party

• In recent years, I’ve been writing because I’m fortunate enough to work in the world of food television, to travel and taste and learn about cooking from the best chefs in the business.

  Ted Allen

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Writing, Fortunate

• Not to sound too much like Christopher Guest in ‘Waiting for Guffman,’ but on Thanksgiving you’re putting on a show!

  Ted Allen

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Like, Guest

• It’s a 12-hour cooking class for me on the set of ‘Chopped.’ You’d think I’d get sick of it, but it’s a source of endless interest to me. The only thing I don’t like about it is it’s a long day and my feet hurt. Otherwise, I love it.

  Ted Allen

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Cooking, Class

• One of the smartest things you can do on ‘Chopped’ is to take one of those ingredients and make a pickle out of it, because almost every dish benefits from that. I’m feeling like those intuitions are becoming more natural.

  Ted Allen

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Smartest

• I’m really trying to respond to the foods that are in the stores and just pulling the things that are the very best and cook what looks beautiful and is seasonal. That’s the way to go. I love going to the grocery store and the market. None of it’s drudgery for me. Washing dishes is the drudgery.

  Ted Allen

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Trying, Respond

Ted Allen (50)

Birth:	20th May, 1965
Nationality:	American
Profession:	Anchor, Author, Writer

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Today's Anniversary - 7th March

Births

• 1934 - Willard Scott
• 1944 - Stanley Albert Schmidt
• 1971 - Peter Sarsgaard
• 1944 - Sir Ranulph Fiennes
• 1964 - Wanda Sykes

Deaths

• 1967 - Alice B. Toklas
• 1957 - Wyndham Lewis
• 2000 - Nicolas Hardy Walter
• 1997 - Martin Kippenberger
• 1274 - Thomas Aquinas