MR. FOOD-OH SO GOOD

Art Ginsburg As Mr. Food-

A TV Cooking Pioneer

By Doc Lawrence

WESTON FL- Almost everything that I consider worthwhile about the relationship between food and celebrity I learned from Art Ginsburg, including the gentle art of promotion and marketing. Known to millions of television viewers as Mr. Food, he built an empire consisting of syndicated cooking shows, cookbooks, DVD’s and Internet advice few if any will ever equal.

After a battle with cancer Art Ginsburg, 81,died at his home in Weston near Fort Lauderdale. His signature declaration, "Ohhhh, it's so good," which was a colorful part of each television cooking segment, helped to define him as an American celebrtity chef original. If you looked closely, there was a twinkle in his eyes when he was facing the camera.

Art Ginsburg as Mr. Food began with a local show that was eventually syndicated nationally. At peak, the show was seen on more than 100 television stations and as Ginsburg once told me during a converastion at his studio office, was ideally suited for local television programming because it was not only interesting and entertaining, but “fit seamlessly into a brief format.”

Completing a dish or meal ready to be served in a matter of minutes seems impossible, but Ginsburg could do it masterfully with ease.

The television production company was the core of the overall businessoftheMr. Food operation and the physical facility was as complete and technolgically advanced as a major city television station headquaters. What impresse mewas that Ginsburg’s family was included in his business from top to bottom..

I have a growing kitchen library loaded with cookbooks and food and wine literature. Among the best are the ones from Mr. Food, particularly his cookbooks for diabetics. The recipes are healthy and should be guideposts for everyone seeking a better dining experience.

Mr. Food deserves credit for much of today’s interest in cooking live on the set, and the attention to local grown products, farm-to-table dining and healthy diets.

He was oh, so good.