the sam livecast: a visit with sam the cooking guy

I was invited to come to a live taping of Sam the Cooking Guy’s show, the Sam Livecast, to check it out and hang out on set (aka Sam’s House) and see what it was all about.

I got to admit, I was apprehensive about accepting. Me and cameras, we don’t get along so well. I’m not interested in being in front of them and I refuse to watch myself on camera. But, after thinking about it and getting reassurance from Sam’s intern, Jessica, that I wouldn’t have to talk very much I accepted and planned a day to be a guest on the show.

I was originally supposed to go on a Monday, but the plans fell through and I instead showed up on a Wednesday, the same day Sam also had two other guests on the show for “The Chef Bitch Table”.

I got there early enough to watch them setting up and getting ready for the show. Chef Matt Gordan from Urban Solace was already in tow and Chef Paul McCabe of Kitchen 1540 was on his way in. I was still under the weather at this point and initially refused a drink from Sam’s wife, Kelly, opting to instead just drink some water.

But then Sam came by to say hi and offered me a drink and I felt I couldn’t refuse. His wife balked jokingly and said I was making her look like a bad host, to which Sam replied, “Come on honey, it’s me.” I was terribly amused.

So Matt Gordon made me this Manhattan cocktail that was so strong I could smell it, through my stuffed up nose, about a foot away from me on the table. The incredible lightweight that I am drank maybe a quarter of it (or less) so I wouldn’t get buzzed on set. Oy.

I took up residence on the couch with the dogs and with Kelly. This is lucky.

And this is Haley. If you’ve seen any of Sam’s shows, you’ve probably seen the dogs lounging around or walking across “the set” aka Sam’s living room.

I found it entertaining to be on the couch and watching everything unfold behind the scenes.

Sam started the show off by drying some tofu. Tofu! The thought of tofu didn’t really fill me with glee in any way, but Sam assured his audience that it would be worth it in the end – an easy and also tasty dish.

The majority of the show consisted of Sam talked to chefs Matt and Paul, asking them what they hated about most about the restaurant business. It was entertaining look at the other side of a restaurant and it was fun to be there and listening to them talk.

Really, my favorite part though was just watching all of the behind the scenes action and looking at how much is going on before the show starts and what goes on during. I love that kind of stuff!

I also got to try some of Sam’s tofu. As soon as the show ended he started to cook up some more of the tofu for the crew and I was able to get a sampling to try it out. Sam grilled the tofu in a grill pan and made a quick little sauce of out of some hoisin sauce and other stuff (sorry, I don’t remember and I’m refusing to rewatch the episode) and a sprinkling of green onions and peppers for a little crunch.

And I must say. It was really good.

I’m not really into tofu but I have to admit that this was a tasty dish. Sam was right, damn it.

I brought some cupcakes along which were gobbled up by the crew (Earl Grey Tea cupcakes with lemon buttercream in pretty fall colors).

All in all it was a really great time. I catch Sam’s show from time to time – his TV show and the livecast. The difference? The livecast is well, live, it’s an hour long, it’s uncensored and it’s sort of a cross between a talk show and a cooking show. Sam’s fun and zany personality shines through on the show and he throws caution to the wind by doing a live show three times a week.

If you happen to ever catch the show live, tune in early! They turn on the cameras about 10 minutes before the show starts and you can get a glimpse of them “setting up” as well, which I think it incredibly cool.

The Sam Livecast shows every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 6PM. Check it out!