Cheflebrity Smörgåsbord: Apparently, Brian Boitano Has a Sense of Humor

In journalism, there is a concept called “burying the lede.”

The “lede” (an insider-ish spelling of “lead”) is the most important or juiciest part of the story.  So, if you were to bury the lede, your story would include a bunch of paragraphs with mundane information and then, as you’re getting to the end, you insert a bombshell revelation like it was nothing.  Burying the lede isn’t good when you’re a journalist.  But when you’re writing a press release, burying the lede is really bad because you want to grab hold of the reader’s attention as soon as possible to sell whatever it is you’re selling.

And so I have to call out the folks at Food Network for their latest press release, which features a number of new shows that will be premiering in the coming months.  Another Alton Brown show…a new season of The Next Iron Chef…Sandra Lee…blahblahblah…nothing earth-shattering.  And then I get way down near the bottom.

WHAT WOULD BRIAN BOITANO MAKE?

Premieres: August 2009

Everyone knows Brian Boitano won an Olympic gold medal in figure skating. What they don’t know: Brian is an accomplished cook who loves to entertain! In this new series, Brian takes viewers on a reality cooking adventure as he creates amazing food for a new event in each episode. Funny, knowledgeable and irresistible, Brian brings himself and so much more to What Would Brian Boitano Make?

Whaaaaaat?!?  Are they really going to have a show title that refers to the legendary pre-South Park The Spirit of Christmas? (See video above…language extremely NSFW)  There is simply no way that this is not the best show on Food Network, even before it debuts.

More delicious smörg after the jump…

– Food Network Magazine scoffs at all of you naysayers who claim that print is a dying medium and plans to more than double its circulation by summer 2010.  BTW…you won’t confuse it for Bon Apetit or anything, but some of the recipes in FNM are actually pretty good.

– All indications are that Mario Batali is a very involved father.  And that he will likely be buried in those damn Crocs.

– The Atlantic has started a new food channel on their site.  Yes, it’s about as warm and comfy as you would suspect.

– The folks over at YumSugar scored a sit-down interview with Tom Colicchio and he was not spilling the beans on where they’re shooting the next season of Top Chef.  But he did admit to once loving Kraft Singles, and says he’s so over bahn mi sandwiches.

– The New York Times does a profile on Jon Rosen, the William Morris super-agent who reps Bobby, Rachael, Giada and others.  Big deal…call me when he convinces Ina Garten to hold out for a contract extension and she starts doing sit-ups in her driveway.