The dude making us dinner right now goes by the name "Shimmy" (a nickname derived from his full name Simlah). We're waiting for the catfish to get here, because Shimmy left it marinating in a fridge far from where the Denver apartment is we're sitting in. Luckily, his friend posits a genius idea to call the dinner an Uber, and transport the fish to the apartment where we were staging. As we sit and wait, the cameras get set up and the canola oil gets poured into a skillet.
I’m at the taping of a cooking show in someone’s apartment, the chef’s friend. The building itself is an old general store from the 1800s that was converted into a living area sometime in the '90s which now goes by the name Melon Gallery, a rotating gallery and home of two visual artists (and now the set of the cooking show). The ceilings are tall, and there is enough space for a counter and the 10 of us gathering around it waiting for the food. Barely.
Shimmy, the cook behind Feedd Your Friends — aka “The Worst Cooking Show on the Web” — is getting ready to film his intro. His friends and him are rehearsing the lines and motions. After a few practice runs, they call action.
Shimmy’s foodie roots are in New Orleans with his grandmother and family; he loves making different kinds of po’ boys. He especially likes making them for his friends which is where the show's name originates. Feedd Your Friends is simple: Shimmy cooks for the people he cares about and they eat it. While he cooks, he answers some questions off Twitter and some that his friends have for him. Tonight’s menu is Catfish Po’Boy Sliders. Along the way, we learn some pointers: like the catfish should be dipped in cornmeal — “NOT FUCKING FLOUR” — served with a side of homemade french fries — “NOT FUCKING FROZEN LIKE ORE-IDA.”
And don't use olive oil for the frying. Try conola oil or peanut oil, never ever olive oil. Watch the show below.
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