Local chef Charles Smith goes one-on-one with Food Network grillmaster Bobby Flay
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Charles Smith, left, with Bobby Flay
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Chef Charles Smith considers himself a true Renaissance man. He's a designer, painter, sculptor, muralist, gourmet chef, owner of The Culinary Artists Gourmet Catering Group and -- now -- a guest television chef.
On Sunday, Chef Smith will showcase his skills on the Food Network's "Grill It! with Bobby Flay."
In each episode, viewers who are also known for their grill mastery get a chance to grill alongside Mr. Flay, the celebrity chef and restaurateur. The guests come prepared with their best recipes, while Mr. Flay has to come up with his own recipe on the spot.
Chef Smith said auditioning for the show was his sister's idea. When he found out about the open casting call, he had just one week to submit a video of himself grilling. For his audition video -- filmed outside after a heavy snowstorm -- Chef Smith decided to "visit three continents in three minutes," preparing Tandoori-style grilled lamb, grilled bok choy salad with Thai chili garlic shrimp and a mango-lime caipirinha. After submitting the tape, "it all happened so fast," Chef Smith said. Within weeks, he was flown to Los Angeles to grill with Mr. Flay.
Chef Smith, a Wilkinsburg native, said his culinary career began in earnest when he became a waiter at age 17. "Being able to guide people through their dining experiences just worked for me," he said.
He began recreating restaurant dishes at home in the East End. At the same time, he was featuring his paintings in gallery shows and preparing food for the openings. "Out of a roomful of people, 10 percent will consider making a purchase, but 100 percent will enjoy the food," he said.
In the summer of 2007, he combined his loves to create his company, The Culinary Artists Catering Group.
He believes art and food are deeply related. "I think when you're an artist you just see art in everything," he said.
Having traveled the world extensively, Chef Smith draws most of his inspiration from international cuisine and calls his cooking style "global fusion."
His future includes a number of Pittsburgh events, such as a cooking demonstration in the Strip District with Farmers@Firehouse on Sept. 11, as well as a trip to Thailand and India in February to explore local cuisine and shop for spices. Eventually, he would like to start offering cooking classes for children to teach that it is possible to make delicious and healthy food quickly.
For now though, he said, "I'm very, very fortunate to be able to do what I love for a living. Anyone who can say that is blessed."
First Published August 5, 2010 12:00 am
