My Trip to the Food Network

Jacob Schiffman, Jessica Levine, & Mike Baru. And Yes I'm holding Edible Flowers!

As many of you already know, it has always been my dream to work for the Food Network. And although I previously worked in the same building as the Food Network, let alone the same elevator shaft for two and a half years, I had yet to take the grand tour. Luckily, my friends Jacob Schiffman and Mike Baru were able to give me an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the infamous Food Network test kitchen.

Of course the day I came to visit 95% of the chefs were out shooting in other locations. But despite the lack of chefs, this tour was just as exciting. As I rode the elevator up to their floor, I could hardly contain myself. To most people this trip would seem like any other day, but to me it was like taking a trip to Jerusalem!

First, I was taken through their corporate office. After walking past a handful of cubicles, I noticed the offices of Bob Tuschman (Senior VP of Programming & Production) and Susie Fogelson (VP of Marketing). These names would not resonate with most people, but I knew and appreciated their hard work and dedication in making the Food Network what it is today. And then out of nowhere, came Bob Tuschman himself! I must admit that I was slightly starstruck though I kept it to myself. And for those of you who don’t know Bob Tuschman, he is the man behind “The Next Food Network Star” as well as one of the judges.

So we kept walking and eventually made our way up to the test kitchen and live studio. And oh were they glorious. I definitely would have like to see some cooking, but I figured I’d take what I could get. The chefs that were in the kitchen that day were certainly getting a kick out of me taking pictures of an empty kitchen. But I clearly didn’t let them bother me and went on snapping pictures.

They certainly have EVERYTHING in that kitchen. I’d be curious to see what they didn’t have. My favorite part was Jacob’s “office” which you can see in the picture below. I think he had EVERY condiment anyone could ever want. And condiments are my favorite, so clearly this made me very excited; excited enough to take a picture of him and Mike in front of them.

After visiting the test kitchens Jacob took me back to the studio where they film Emeril Live and Iron Chef America. The studio definitely seemed smaller than I had imagined. And again, to my disappointment, there was nothing too exciting going on there, except for a bunch of kids getting their own little tour.

Next came the Food Network Library. I wish that I had access to that library. It was incredible how many books they had on various types of cuisines from locations all over the world. I’m sure if I had access to these books my recipes would be A LOT more interesting.

So after the library, my tour came to an end. Hopefully I’ll be able to make a second trip over there and see some of the magic that happens behind the scenes. But until then, feast your eyes on some of these shots:

Food Network Test Kitchen

More of the Food Network Test Kitchen

Mike Baru & Jacob Schiffman

The Food Network Library

Production Equipment for Emeril Live