Behind the scenes at Food Network Challenge: Part 1

June 6th, 2008

Filed Under Food Finds, Luau, Spread the Aloha |

I noticed the Food Network will be replaying the Food Network Challenge: Luau Beach BBQ a few times in June. We actually attended this event to cheer on our new friend, Sam Choy. I thought my readers might be interested to see what goes on behind the scenes at one of these. When my husband contacted Sam Choy to cook for our 10 year anniversary in 2006, we had to do a little last minute finagling because he was going to be in the Food Network Luau BBQ Challenge. We originally were going to do it our last night on the Big Island on May 18th but had to switch it to the 16th for him to do the challenge. When we talked with him after dinner, he said he didn’t have everything together but wasn’t too worried because they were dishes he was very familiar with. I feel like we got a bit of a preview when he made us some kalua pork among other things. Oh they were WONDERFUL! He said we were welcome to come down to the challenge which was going to be at the Sheraton Keauhou…a few miles from our rental home. So a few hours into it we showed up. He looked up and saw us and smiled and waved at us. The pic above is when there’s about 90 minutes left in the challenge. The camera crews were around Sam alot so we took whatever pictures we could of him when they cleared.

Keegan Gerhard (left) was the emcee for the event as he is for most of the Challenge series. I’ll tell ya, the man has a gift for gab! The event is portrayed as people just watching the challenge the whole time, it’s not. For the majority of the time, there were probably about 30 people there including us consistently despite it being set up with about 200 chairs. Keegan talked non-stop for HOURS. He gave away some Food Network items like cookbooks, aprons, totes, etc. He was nice enough to take up close pictures of the chefs for people with their cameras since no one was allowed past the ropes to the chef’s kitchens. I have to say…it was very hot out. The outdoor thermometer read over 110 degrees the whole time we were there. But as long as Sam and the other chefs were toughing it out in full chef gear, we would too. Oh I almost forgot! The other chefs he was competing against were Bill Yosses who is now the White House executive pastry chef, Tim Love of The Lonesome Dove’s Western Bistro in Fort Worth Texas and Maui’s own Bev Gannon of Hali’imaile General Store. The “proteins” were cooked in an imu (underground oven) that was off to the side. Sam made kalua pork, Bev made short ribs, Bill made fish and Tim made goat. Yeah…goat. He bent the legs up into the cavity so they didn’t burn while cooking. It was each person’s interpretation of a luau and I guess goat may be on a good ol boys rendition of a luau but it grossed out the crowd!

Part of the end of the challenge was dressing your table for presentation of your food. Though I may be a little biased, Sam’s presentation was by far my favorite. The table was dripping in beautiful plumeria leis (left) the woman we sat beside had stayed up until midnight making them. For us it just invoked the true aloha spirit. I was so inspired by it I made another picture I took of it into art prints which hang in my home and greeting cards. This picture is when they were moving Sam’s table to be photographed for 30 minutes which would end up being maybe 10 seconds of aired footage. I have to mention that we were so impressed by the Food Network staff. They were constantly adjusting the umbrellas for us to make sure we were comfortable. As you checked in, they gave you little fans, sunscreen and lip balm all with the logo of the event on them. From camera people to producers and everyone in between, the staff was so nice!

It’s not over! If you’d like to hear more behind the scenes tidbits including why we didn’t eat any of the food and things we overheard that made us gasp, stop back for part two! (Make sure you don’t miss it by subscribing to this blog at the upper left hand corner)

Tune in Sunday for the first showing. Will you see me? Yes. I’ll be the one in the audience directly behind the winner screaming with my fist in the air. LOL

Air times:
June 08, 2008 8:00 PM ET/PT
June 09, 2008 3:00 AM ET/PT
June 11, 2008 9:00 PM ET/PT
June 12, 2008 12:00 AM ET/PT
June 14, 2008 3:00 PM ET/PT
June 15, 2008 5:00 PM ET/PT
June 18, 2008 12:00 PM ET/PT
Jul 11, 2008 7:00 PM ET/PT Just added!

Click here to read part 2!

Comments

6 Comments so far

Busymama Karen on June 9, 2008 10:46 pm
I’ll be back for part II
FFoF on Thursday #35 : True Aloha on June 26, 2008 6:36 am
[...] any cooking shows on tv? Which ones? I live for Food Network! (Which you would know if you saw I was at a taping of a Food Network show…hee hee) I stay away from Rachael Ray and Bobby Flay because both [...]
Summer Speeds Up at the Carnival of Aloha! on June 30, 2008 6:06 am
[...] is in charge of our food for this Carnival as she takes us Behind the scenes at Food Network Challenge: Part 1 posted at True Aloha. Angie said, “I know the date for the re-airing will have passed by [...]
skeet on July 1, 2008 12:54 am
Oh, I would love to go to a Food Network Challenge, especially on that is Hawaiian-themedd. Lucky, lucky you! I’m here for the Carnival of Aloha and will now dash off and read part two. Made you gasp? Really?
Evelyn on July 2, 2008 9:12 pm
Everybody loves food! It sure sounds like you guys had a lot of fun just being there! What a great challenge!
Replay of Food Network Luau Beach BBQ : True Aloha on July 11, 2008 7:10 am
[...] you missed our Behind the Scenes look at this taping which I attended. click here to see what it was [...]