Food Network orders up local chef
Now Gurj Dhaliwal gets to pitch his food-show ideas to the suits


  
Dana Gee
The Province
Sunday, August 05, 2007



CREDIT: Les Bazso – The Province
Gurj Dhaliwal cooks up one of his specialties.

Julia Child, Graham Kerr, Jeff Smith, Emeril, Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and even Vancouver's own Iron Chef Rob Feenie have turned their skills in the kitchen into TV careers.

Gurj Dhaliwal, an affable 28-year-old from Surrey with a gifts for gourmet and gab, also hopes to stir up a TV gig.

But before he can do that, he has to come up with the right ingredients to make the executives at the Food Network bite (OK, the cooking references stop here).

Dhaliwal, who's been earning a living in the kitchen for 10 years and recently participated in The Province's Fitness Fantasy challenge, is already heading in the right direction as he was named the winner of the Food Network's six-episode test, Superstar Chef Challenge III.

Last season's winner, Anthony Sedlak, is hosting The Main beginning this fall on the Food Network.

As the latest winner, Dhaliwal didn't receive any cash, not even a new apron, but what he got was a shot at a TV future in the form of a development deal with the network.

In regular speak, that means he gets to sit down with executives -- sometime in the next few weeks -- and discuss possible show ideas in which he stars.

"We were impressed by Gurj's energy, and the way he interacted with people in the demo he sent in made him stand out immediately," says Emily Morgan, VP content for the Food Network.

That demo consisted of Dhaliwal on Robson Street on a rainy fall day persuading passersby to sample his butter chicken.

"I'm a people person, so I didn't give up, even though it was pouring," says Dhaliwal. "You know, it's kind of unique to be in front of HMV asking people if they want to try your butter chicken."

Those who did -- and there were many, as Dhaliwal proved a convincing salesman -- were blown away.

"My mom has westernized her butter chicken, making it lower in fat. Not me. I'm not there yet," says Dhaliwal from his parents' home in Surrey. "I went the full-on traditional way and everyone loves it."

Everyone seemed to love him, as well -- a good sign for the network suits.

"Being a host is hard," says Morgan. "Especially for a channel like Food, where we need hosts to be simultaneously engaging and appealing to an audience, as well as having an expertise and mastery of food preparation to share."

As for that expertise, Dhaliwal credits both his Vancouver College training and his traditional Indian upbringing.

"I was always in the kitchen growing up," says Dhaliwal. "I went to cooking school, but it was my mother who made me feel comfortable in the kitchen and showed me things, and big Indian family events mean your mom and all the aunts are in the kitchen making these dishes. I was right there, always poking my head in."

While the Superstar Chef Challenge wrapped shooting six months ago, the results were not made public until the show aired its final episode two weeks ago.

Dhaliwal knew he had won but, like a chef with a secret recipe, he kept his lips tightly sealed as friends and family gathered together to watch the show.

"People were just eyeing me the whole time; it was tough but I kept a straight face," says Dhaliwal, a former Diva-at-the-Met chef.

As for his upcoming meeting with Food Network executives, Dhaliwal is going in loaded with two strong ideas.

As a first-generation Indian, he would love to go to India (his family is from the Punjab) and "discover his roots through cuisine."

Another show idea would have him helping out the legion of bachelors who don't know a curry from a cheeseburger.

"It would be kind of bachelor-pad ideas," says Dhaliwal. "From shopping for the food to preparing it and serving it. I'd cover it all."

While Dhaliwal may be on the verge of his own TV success, the question is: Which network chefs does he like?

"As a kid, I watched Julia Child, Jacques Pepin and Graham Kerr," says Dhaliwal, who grew up in North Delta. "I'm also a big fan of Emeril. I like his energy and I like the way he breaks things down and explains stuff. I have two or three of his cookbooks and they are really, really good."

Speaking of cookbooks, that's another line on Dhaliwal's to-do list.

"I have a goal of putting out a cookbook by the time I am 30," says Dhaliwal. "It will be really straightforward, with every recipe using only five or six ingredients.

"We are so busy now, no one really has more than 30 or 45 minutes to prepare a meal for their family. It's tough to find time."

Especially if you end up with your own TV show.

dgee@png.canwest.com

Catch Dana Gee on The Morning News on Global Fridays at 8:45 a.m.

© The Vancouver Province 2007