Glutton for Punishment Episodes
Oyster Shuck-Off
Bob Blumer learns the technique of oyster shucking, travels to the Urbanna Oyster Festival in Virginia and enters the Oyster Shucking Competition. Bob's challenge is to crash the world of elite shuckers and become a contender in just one week.
NYC Waiters' Race
Bob Blumer gets a crash course in waiting tables at a busy brasserie in New York City. Once he's trained in the classic French style, Bob competes against the city's finest in the annual New York City's Waiters' race held.
Flair Bartending
Bob Blumer trains in the dazzling art of flair bartending, then enters an International Flair Competition in the 'mecca of flair bartending', Las Vegas. His challenge is to woo the judges with the technique, flow and creative flair of his routine while making actual drinks, and all in three minutes!
Benihana Chef
Bob Blumer takes the heat as he trains to become a full-fledged teppanyaki chef at Toronto's Benihana restaurant. Teppanyaki cuisine elevates tableside preparation to performance art, as chefs serve up a range of colorful dishes using razor sharp knives over a red-hot grill, all under guests' noses.
Barista Competition
Bob Blumer's challenge is to immerse himself in the world of coffee by entering the Canadian National Barista Championships. Bob will have just fifteen minutes to make four espressos, four cappuccinos, and four signature beverages in front of technical and sensory judges and a live audience.
Hatch Chile Competition
Bob Blumer's challenge this week is to prove that he can really take the heat by entering the Hatch, N.M. hot chile eating contest.
Kansas City BBQ Competition
Bob Blumer's challenge is to apprentice with pit master Fast Eddy and then to lead his own team in the Open Competition at a Kansas City BBQ Cookoff.
RieslingHarvest
Bob is passionate about wine. He has toured many of the world’s renowned wine regions, tasted countless bottles, and earned the right to be considered a wine aficionado among his friends. But what happens when he is put to test by assisting in the harvest of 17 acres of precious grapes, for the maker of Germany’s finest Rieslings? Intense periods of backbreaking work will test Bob’s patience and skill, as well as his body. Prüm’s grapes are harvested late in the season, when the air has already turned crisp. While the physical efforts help warm the bodies of pickers, so does the Riesling – a late harvest desert wine. Bob’s reward: Delicious insight into the intimidating world of wine and the knowledge to back up his strong opinions.
Guinness Diet
Guinness, the great brew of Ireland, is often touted as a 'meal in a glass.' But how true is it? Thick, dark, and loaded with iron, vitamins and anti-oxidants, as well as surprisingly low in alcohol, calories and carbs, Guinness has long been associated with health. Pregnant women and nursing mothers were at one point advised to drink it – and still, in Ireland, blood donors and post-operative patients are given a pint to help them recover. Bob will travel to Dublin, the birthplace of Guinness, to explore the urban myth of "The Guinness Diet" – the notion that man can survive and thrive on nothing but Guinness. Bob’s challenge is to live on Guinness alone for 5 full days – while his Irish pal, Fiachna O’Braonain of the Hot House Flowers band, cheer him on and tempt him with the best regional fare Ireland has to offer. His reward: He will actually lose weight, while enjoying the greatest pub-crawl of his life.
Noodle Pulling
Bob faces his toughest challenge yet: mastering the lost art of making hand-pulled noodles. Bob will have just one week to learn this complex technique, which most chefs take years to master.
Breakfast Line Cook
Breakfast line cooks are like the marathon runners of the kitchen. Bob's challenge is to be accepted into the tight ranks of the breakfast line and then just to keep up with their finely honed skills. If he makes it through a busy shift, cooking for hundreds of patrons, his reward will be the relief of knowing that he can hold his own in such a demanding position.
