Glutton for Punishment
Encyclopedia
Glutton for Punishment is a program on Food Network
hosted by Bob Blumer
and produced by Paperny Films
. The show features the host in various food-related challenges. He is given five days to become proficient enough in the episode's featured specialty. His newly acquired skills are then put to the test by matching him up against champions and experts in the field. In several competitions, Bob Blumer surprises by qualifying ahead of many pros. When he is not doing so well, he acknowledges the difficulty he has, often with self-deprecating humour. The "Glutton for Punishment" crew most recently broke the Guinness world record for the largest bowl of salsa at the Jacksonville, Texas, 26th Tomato Fest on June 12, 2010. The final bowl weighed in at 2,672 pounds. The feat was filmed for Season 5 of "Glutton," during which Bob will attempt to break six world's records.
Food Network
Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
hosted by Bob Blumer
Bob Blumer
Bob Blumer is the host of Food Network's The Surreal Gourmet and Glutton for Punishment. He is also a cook book author and illustrator. Blumer was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, but now calls Los Angeles, California his home...
and produced by Paperny Films
Paperny Films
Paperny Entertainment is a Vancouver-based, Academy Award nominated producer of television programming and films, ranging from character-driven documentaries to provocative comedy to quirky reality shows...
. The show features the host in various food-related challenges. He is given five days to become proficient enough in the episode's featured specialty. His newly acquired skills are then put to the test by matching him up against champions and experts in the field. In several competitions, Bob Blumer surprises by qualifying ahead of many pros. When he is not doing so well, he acknowledges the difficulty he has, often with self-deprecating humour. The "Glutton for Punishment" crew most recently broke the Guinness world record for the largest bowl of salsa at the Jacksonville, Texas, 26th Tomato Fest on June 12, 2010. The final bowl weighed in at 2,672 pounds. The feat was filmed for Season 5 of "Glutton," during which Bob will attempt to break six world's records.
Season 1
| # | Title: | Description: |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | "NYC Waiters' Race" | Bob Blumer gets a crash course in waiting tables at a busy brasserie Brasserie In France and the Francophone world, a brasserie is a type of French restaurant with a relaxed, upscale setting, which serves single dishes and other meals. The word 'brasserie' is also French for "brewery" and, by extension, "the brewing business"... in New York City. |
| 02 | "Flair bartending Flair bartending Flair bartending is the practice of bartenders entertaining guests, clientele or audiences with the manipulation of bar tools and liquor bottles in tricky, dazzling ways. Used occasionally in cocktail bars, the action requires skills commonly associated with jugglers... " |
Bob Blumer trains in the dazzling art of flair bartending. |
| 03 | "Médoc Marathon" | Bob Blumer participates in the Médoc Marathon in France's Bordeaux Bordeaux Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture... region. |
| 04 | "Oyster Shuck-Off" | Bob Blumer learns the technique of oyster shucking and travels to the Urbanna Oyster Festival in Virginia to enter the Oyster Shucking Competition. His challenge is to crash the world of elite shuckers and become a contender in just one week. |
| 05 | "Benihana Benihana (restaurant) Benihana is a Doral, Florida-based American company that owns or franchises 116 Japanese cuisine restaurants around the world including its flagship Benihana Teppanyaki brand as well as the Haru , and RA Sushi restaurants.-History:The company was founded in 1964 on West 56th Street in New York... Chef" |
Bob Blumer takes the heat as he trains to become a full-fledged teppanyaki chef at Toronto's Benihana restaurant. |
| 06 | "Barista Barista A barista is a person, usually a coffee-house employee, who prepares and serves espresso-based coffee drinks.- Application of the title :... Competition" |
Bob Blumer's challenge is to immerse himself in the world of coffee by entering the Canadian National Barista Championships. |
| 07 | "Hatch chile Hatch chile Hatch chile refers to varieties of species of the genus Capsicum which are grown in and around Hatch, New Mexico. Most of these varieties of chile have been developed at New Mexico State University over the last 130 years... Festival" |
Bob Blumer's challenge is to prove that he can really take the heat by entering the Hatch, N.M. Hatch, New Mexico Hatch is a village in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,673 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Las Cruces Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town is experiencing moderate growth, along with its outliers of Salem, Arrey, Derry, and Rincon... hot chile eating contest. |
| 08 | "Tour de France Tour de France The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The... " |
Bob Blumer trains with a veteran of the Tour de France and will attempt to conquer one of the most mythical and challenging sections of the Tour. |
| 09 | "Kansas City BBQ Competition" | Bob Blumer's challenge is to lead his own team in the Open Competition at a Kansas City BBQ Cookoff. |
| 10 | "Riesling Riesling Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines. Riesling wines are usually varietally... Harvest" |
Bob Blumer's challenge is assisting in the harvest of 17 acres (68,796.6 m²) of precious grapes, for a maker of fine German Rieslings. |
| 11 | "Guinness Guinness Guinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost... Diet" |
Bob Blumer travels to Dublin, where his challenge is to live on Guinness alone for 5 full days. |
| 12 | "Noodle Pulling" | Bob Blumer faces his toughest challenge yet: mastering the lost art of making hand-pulled noodles. He will have just one week to learn this complex technique, which most chefs take years to master. |
| 13 | "Breakfast Line Cook" | Bob Blumer's challenge is to make it into the tight knit ranks of the kitchen as a breakfast line cook. |
Season 2
| # | Title: | Description: |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Haggis Haggis Haggis is a dish containing sheep's 'pluck' , minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally simmered in the animal's stomach for approximately three hours. Most modern commercial haggis is prepared in a casing rather than an actual stomach.Haggis is a kind... Hurling" |
Bob Blumer's challenge is to travel to Scotland and try his hand at haggis hurling. |
| 02 | "Honey Bee" | Bob Blumer travels to Oregon to learn the art of beekeeping Beekeeping Beekeeping is the maintenance of honey bee colonies, commonly in hives, by humans. A beekeeper keeps bees in order to collect honey and other products of the hive , to pollinate crops, or to produce bees for sale to other beekeepers... . At the end of the week, he has to show what he has learned when he enters the Beekeepers Games. |
| 03 | "Cheese Rolling" | Bob Blumer's challenge is to travel to Gloucester, England to compete in the Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake The Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake is an annual event held on the Spring Bank Holiday at Cooper's Hill, near Gloucester in the Cotswolds region of England. It is traditionally by and for the people who live in the local village of Brockworth, but now people from all over the world take... competition. |
| 04 | "Okie Noodling Noodling Noodling is fishing for catfish using only bare hands, practiced primarily in the southern United States. The noodler places his hand inside a discovered catfish hole... " |
Bob Blumer's challenge is to travel to Oklahoma to catch catfish with his bare hands. |
| 05 | "Fried Egg/Sidewalk Chef" | Bob Blumer's challenge is to travel to the Mojave Desert Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States... where he has 15 minutes to cook an egg using only solar power. |
| 06 | "Garlic Braiding" | Bob Blumer is off to Arleux Arleux Arleux is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.-Heraldry:-References:*... , France, garlic capital of the world, to enter in a garlic-braiding contest. |
| 07 | "Watermelon Seed Spitting" | Bob Blumer's challenge is to travel to Hope, Arkansas Hope, Arkansas Hope is a small city in Hempstead County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2008 United States Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 10,378... and challenge past champions at spitting watermelon seeds on the back of a flatbed truck. |
| 08 | "New York Street Vendor" | Bob Blumer attempts to master the cooking duties before taking over a food cart Food cart A food cart is a mobile kitchen that is set up on the street to facilitate the sale and marketing of street food to people from the local pedestrian traffic. Food carts are often found in large cities throughout the world and can be found selling food of just about any variety.Food carts come in... business at the busy New York City intersection of 40th Street and 8th Avenue for a grueling 12-hour shift. |
| 09 | "Pike's Market" | Bob Blumer takes part in tossing salmon with the fishmongers at Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle. |
| 10 | "Pumpkin Regatta" | Bob Blumer takes part in a race to paddle a hollowed-out, giant pumpkin across a lake. |
| 11 | "Corn Husking" | Bob Blumer heads to Dell Rapids, South Dakota Dell Rapids, South Dakota Dell Rapids is a city in Minnehaha County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 3,633 at the 2010 census. It is known as "The little city with the big attractions."-Geography:... to compete against America's best cornhuskers at the National Cornhusking Competition. |
| 12 | "Perfect Steak" | Bob Blumer's challenge is to learn how to cook the perfect steak, then become the head grill master at Bohanan's Prime Steaks & Seafood in San Antonio. |
| 13 | "Fugu Fugu is the Japanese word for pufferfish and the dish prepared from it, normally species of genus Takifugu, Lagocephalus, or Sphoeroides, or porcupinefish of the genus Diodon. Fugu can be lethally poisonous due to its tetrodotoxin; therefore, it must be carefully prepared to remove toxic parts and to... (Fish)" |
Bob Blumer travels to Osaka, Japan to prepare and eat his own Fugu. |
Season 3
| # | Title: | Description: |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Guinness Book of Records Guinness World Records Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world... " |
At the Calgary Stampede Calgary Stampede The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, exhibition and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", attracts over one million visitors per year and features one of the world's largest rodeos, a parade, midway,... in Calgary, Alberta, Bob Blumer's challenge is to break the Guinness World Record for the most pancakes made in one hour. |
| 02 | "One-Man Band" | In Paris, Bob Blumer's challenge is to run an entire 16-seat restaurant by himself. |
| 03 | "Lobster Banding" | At the Pictou County Lobster Carnival in Pictou, Nova Scotia Pictou, Nova Scotia Pictou is a town in Pictou County, in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Located on the north shore of Pictou Harbour, the town is approximately 10 km north of the larger town of New Glasgow.... , Bob Blumer's challenge is to win the Lobster Banding Contest. |
| 04 | "World Pizza Cup" | In Naples Naples Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples... , Bob Blumer's challenge is to compete for the coveted title of World's Best Pizza-Tosser. |
| 05 | "Morel Mushrooms" | In a burnt forest in northern British Columbia, Bob Blumer's challenge is to pick the heaviest load of morel mushrooms in a friendly competition. |
| 06 | "Deep Fried Competition" | At the L.A. County Fair, Bob Blumer's challenge is to compete in the Fair's Deep Fry Contest. |
| 07 | "Sea Urchins" | On Vancouver Island, Bob Blumer's challenge is to compete in a sea urchin harvesting race. |
| 08 | "Hot Sauce Judging" | At the Austin Hot Sauce Festival in Austin, Texas Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in... , Bob Blumer will become one of the official judges. |
| 09 | "Pie Baking" | Bob Blumer's challenge is to compete in the Shelburne Orchard's Annual Apple Pie Baking contest in Vermont. |
| 10 | "Pasta Cook" | Bob Blumer's challenge is to survive on the line on a busy Friday night at the Mia Francesca restaurant in Chicago. |
| 11 | "Grape Stomp" | At the Sonoma County Harvest Fair in Santa Rosa, California Santa Rosa, California Santa Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, California, United States. The 2010 census reported a population of 167,815. Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's Wine Country and fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, after San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont and 26th... , Bob Blumer's challenge is to compete in the World Grape Stomp. |
| 12 | "Coffee Picking" | In Kona, Hawaii, Bob Blumer's challenge is to compete in the annual Coffee Picking Contest. |
| 13 | "Navy Head Cook" | Bob Blumer's challenge is to work in the galley Galley (kitchen) The galley is the compartment of a ship, train or aircraft where food is cooked and prepared. It can also refer to a land based kitchen on a naval base or a particular formed household kitchen.-Ship's kitchen:... of a Navy ship. |
Season 4
| # | Title: | Description: | Air Date: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Kung-Fu Tea Challenge" | Bob Blumer's challenge is to master a special Kung-fu tea ceremony and then perform it for a tough panel of judges at the Tai Ji Tea House in Hangzhou, China. | January 18, 2010 |
| 02 | "Nettle Eating" | Bob Blumer participates in the Stinging Nettle Stinging nettle Stinging nettle or common nettle, Urtica dioica, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant, native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and North America, and is the best-known member of the nettle genus Urtica... Eating Competition in Dorset, England. |
January 4, 2010 |
| 03 | "Sushi Masters" | Bob Blumer will go head-to-head against a seasoned group of sushi chefs in the Sushi Masters Competition in San Diego. | February 1, 2010 |
| 04 | "Goat Milking" | Bob Blumer competes at the Mason-Dixon Fair's goat milking competition in Delta, Pennsylvania Delta, Pennsylvania Delta is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, United States, and one of the southernmost communities in Pennsylvania. The population was 728 at the 2010 census... . |
January 11, 2010 |
| 05 | "Slice and Dice" | Bob Blumer competes against culinary professionals in a Knife Skills Competition at Kendall Culinary College in Chicago. | February 8, 2010 |
| 06 | "Ice Cream Making" | At the Austin Ice Cream Festival, Bob Blumer competes in the homemade ice cream making contest. | January 25, 2010 |
| 07 | "Potato Peeling" | Bob Blumer strives to be the fastest at the annual Potato Days Peeling Contest in Barnesville, Minnesota Barnesville, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 2,173 people, 865 households, and 569 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,032.8 people per square mile . There were 923 housing units at an average density of 438.7 per square mile... . |
February 22, 2010 |
| 08 | "Chinese Dumpling" | Bob Blumer goes head-to-head against Dim Sum Pros in a Dumpling Making Competition at the Night Market in Richmond, BC. | March 1, 2010 |
| 09 | "Bagel Roll-off" | Bob Blumer takes part in a challenge to hand-roll 44 perfect bagels in just five short minutes at the famous St-Viateur Bagel Bakery in Montreal. | February 15, 2010 |
| 10 | "Coconut Husking" | Bob Blumer competes in the 13th Annual Coconut Festival in Kapaa, Hawaii. | March 8, 2010 |
| 11 | "Gumbo Cook-off" | Bob Blumer is put to the test to see if he has what it takes to win the Gumbo cook-off in New Iberia, Louisiana New Iberia, Louisiana New Iberia is a city in and the parish seat of Iberia Parish, Louisiana, United States, 30 miles southeast of Lafayette. In 1900, 6,815 people lived in New Iberia; in 1910, 7,499; and in 1940, 13,747... . |
March 22, 2010 |
| 12 | "Edible Car" | Bob Blumer is pitted against elite engineering students in the Edible Car Competition at Brown University in Rhode Island. | March 15, 2010 |
| 13 | "Chocolate Fashion Show" | Bob Blumer enters his unique wearable chocolate creation into a Chocolate Hat Fashion Show in the Salon Passion Chocolat & de la Gourmandise in Montreal. | March 29, 2010 |
Season 5 (Record-Breaking Edition)
Bob will attempt to break Guinness World Records.| # | Title: | Location: | Guinness World Record Attempt: | Air Date: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Pizza Making Record" | Toronto | Most 12-inch pizzas stretched, sauced, cheesed and fired in one hour. | January 3, 2011 |
| 02 | "Rice Eating Record" | Taipei Taipei Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean... |
Most rice grains eaten one by one with chopsticks in 3 minutes. | January 10, 2011 |
| 03 | "Largest Bowl of Salsa" | Jacksonville, Texas Jacksonville, Texas Jacksonville is located in Cherokee County, Texas, United States. The population was 13,868 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Cherokee County and part of the larger Tyler-Jacksonville Combined Statistical... |
Largest bowl of salsa. | January 17, 2011 |
| 04 | "Egg Cracking Record" | Granby, Quebec Granby, Quebec Granby is a city in southwestern Quebec, located east of Montreal. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 47,637. Granby is the seat of La Haute-Yamaska Regional County Municipality. It is the fifth most populated city in Montérégie after Longueuil, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Brossard and... |
Most eggs cracked with one hand in one hour. | January 24, 2011 |
| 05 | "Caesar Salad Record" | Yuma, Arizona Yuma, Arizona Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It is located in the southwestern corner of the state, and the population of the city was 77,515 at the 2000 census, with a 2008 Census Bureau estimated population of 90,041.... |
Most table-side Caesar salads made in one hour. | January 31, 2011 |
| 06 | "Onion Peeling Record" | Walla Walla, Washington Walla Walla, Washington Walla Walla is the largest city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,731 at the 2010 census... |
Fastest time to peel 50 pounds of onions. | February 14, 2011 |
| 07 | "The Best Of" | n/a | n/a | February 21, 2011 |