Jeffrey L. Smith (January 22, 1939 – July 7, 2004) was the author of several cookbooks and the host of The Frugal Gourmet, a popular American cooking show. The show began in Tacoma, Washington, as Cooking Fish Creatively on local PBS station KTPS (now KBTC-TV), where it aired from 1973 to 1977. It then moved to WTTW in Chicago, and finally to KQED in San Francisco where it aired from 1984 to 1997. From 1972 to 1983, Smith was the owner and operator of the Chaplain's Pantry Restaurant and Gourmet Shop.

Early life

Smith was born in Tacoma, Washington, on January 22, 1939. He graduated from the University of Puget Sound (UPS) in 1962. In 1965, he graduated from Drew University in New Jersey, and he was ordained as a minister in the Methodist Church.

Career

Early career

From 1965 to 1972, Smith was a chaplain at the University of Puget Sound. At the university, he taught a course called Food as Sacrament and Celebration. In 1972, he left the university to open and run Chaplain's Pantry Restaurant and Gourmet Shop, a deli and kitchen supply store in Tacoma, where Smith and his students also offered cooking classes to the public.

Television

Smith began his television career in 1973 at KTPS in Tacoma on the show Cooking Fish Creatively, which ran from 1973 to 1977. It was then renamed The Frugal Gourmet. Smith's wife Patricia has been credited with originating the nickname "Frugal Gourmet". His popularity soared after an appearance on the national talk show, The Phil Donahue Show.

Smith also had detractors. Irena Chalmers, a faculty member at the Culinary Institute of America and president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, once described him as "the Frugal Gourmet, who is neither". Chicago Tribune food and wine columnist William Rice wrote, "I've tried to cook his stuff, and let's say it was hit or miss. Some things worked and others didn't." Newsweek writer Laura Shapiro criticized him as "a prime example of prominent cooks who may compromise their integrity by being paid to recommend food products and kitchen ware." Smith denied the allegations, and no criminal charges were filed, but he and his insurers settled the cases for an undisclosed amount in 1998. The litigation ended his television career, though he continued his writing and charitable work.

Personal life and death

In 1966, Smith married Patricia "Patty" Smith. They had two sons. Smith died in his sleep of heart disease on July 7, 2004, at age 65.

Publications

  • Recipes from the Frugal Gourmet (1977)
  • The Frugal Gourmet (1984)
  • The Frugal Gourmet Cooks with Wine (1986)
  • The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American (1987)
  • The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines: China, Greece, and Rome (1989)
  • The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immigrant Ancestors: Recipes You Should Have Gotten from Your Grandmother (1990)
  • The Frugal Gourmet Celebrates Christmas (1991)
  • The Frugal Gourmet's Culinary Handbook: An Updated Version of an American Classic on Food and Cooking (1991)
  • The Frugal Gourmet Whole Family Cookbook: Recipes and Reflections for Contemporary Living (1992)
  • The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Italian: Recipes from the New and Old Worlds, Simplified for the American Kitchen (1993)
  • The Frugal Gourmet Keeps the Feast: Past, Present, and Future (1995)

References

  • Jeff Smith biography at the Internet Movie Database
  • The Frugal Gourmet at the Internet Movie Database