Maybe it’s life in La-La Land, or maybe it’s his mad scientist persona, but somehow, someway, Bob Blumer has managed to make his wacky culinary pursuits pay off, entertaining international audiences and garnering Gemini awards and other acclaims along the way. From poaching salmon in his Airstream’s dishwasher on the Food Network’s The Surreal Gourmet (now in repeats) to growing a bee beard and catching catfish with his bare hands in the new season of his latest Food Network show Glutton for Punishment, the intrepid foodie has definitely propelled adventure cooking to new levels—and lived to tell about it.
......Next up in Blumer world is a new book (his fifth), Pizza on the Grill (Taunton Press), which takes pizza making out of the oven and onto the barbecue grill. “It’s a whole new way of making pizza, with the dough right on the grates, almost like a wood oven pizza but without the wood oven,” explains the transplanted Montrealer, who moved to the Hollywood Hills 19 years ago to manage artists like Jane Siberry. Co-written with his friend Elizabeth Karmel, Pizza on the Grill also introduces regular pepperoni fans to such bizarre creations as a blistered corn, asparagus and pesto pizza (see recipe at right). “It sounds like a very strange combination of ingredients, but put it all together on a pizza and it’s unbelievably delicious and so easy to make,” says Blumer. “The results are so much greater than the sum of the parts. That’s what’s so fun about it.”
......Though he’s known for bringing fun to the kitchen, Blumer is less generous when it comes to splitting duties with his girlfriend, Kate, whom he met while shopping for heirloom tomatoes, no less. “I almost always do the cooking,” he says. “But if you’re lucky enough to be with someone who’s not as territorial as I am, cooking is a great way to spend quality time together.”
......He may not be fond of sharing, but Blumer certainly knows how to pull out all the stops for romantic meals, like the time he prepared a blindfolded dinner for Kate—a trick he learned from a restaurant he visited in Paris, Dans le Noir, where patrons eat in the dark, served by blind waiters. “It’s so tactile,” says Blumer. “As a diner, it’s a whole new way of experiencing food. As for the chef, it’s interesting because you’re more focused on texture and aroma.” For his blindfolded menu, Blumer paired crispy deep-fried crab balls with avocado, followed by caramelized pear, Stilton cheese and port served one after another for the dessert. “I chose dishes based on their textures, temperatures, flavours, aromas and how they would work when juxtaposed with each other,” he says. “It was a really educational experience.”
......When it comes to everyday home cooking, Blumer’s favourite tip comes down to the basics. “I like to pick one ingredient that has just come into season and let that be my inspiration,” says the organic farmers’ market devotee. “Do a little research, look at a cookbook and let that one fresh ingredient inspire a meal. It’s a good way to force yourself to change things up a bit.”