Guy - "Well, the first thing I would have to say is really good meat. I think it makes the difference of a lifetime. I think over seasoning it can also be an issue. I think cooking the burger and messing with the burger is the biggest flaw. I think it's always quality over quantity."
What's your ultimate Christmas comfort food?
Guy - "I'm such a weird one when it comes to Christmas. I made two gallons of gravy one year. I did a maple syrup brine turkey one year. It tasted just like ham. To me, it's rolling it out and doing something different. I'm doing a 28-day aged prime rib this year. It's drying out in my garage right now. I'll cut it into two different roasts."
The show is weekly but how long does it take to tape an entire season?
Guy - "We shot a show a day along with bumps (ins and outs) but each show took about 10 hours to shoot. Each episode was shot back-to-back. It was a 12 day schedule for this year's season."
If someone was preparing their first holiday dinner what would you recommend?
Guy - "The best advice I could give would be this. Cook a couple of your staples. Some people think they have to roll out an elaborate menu because it's a holiday event. The next thing to do is practice. A lot of people think they are going to be able to pull out their best with no practice. It just doesn't work that way. Also tell everyone whose coming they have to bring something. That way you can concentrate on your item and you don't have to do every item for the meal."
In 2007 you cooked for the troops in the Persian Gulf. What kind of dishes did you cook for the troops and how was it perceived over there?
Guy - "I am not at all pro-war. I am pro-soldier. But I went over to the Persian Gulf and met a lot of these people, father of three, and mother of four. The Navy takes such appreciation for culinary on their ships. A lot of stuff is frozen so they have to be very judicious of what they put on their ships. The morale of their stomach is very important to their sailors. They were having taco day or Mexican food. I come from Southern California and there were five kitchens on this ship and one of the things they made was comfort food. So I made them a little bit of some scratch gourmet macaroni and cheese. I'm going over to Iraq soon. Everyone is a food fan so I had a very nice warm response from everyone."
If someone was watching the Ultimate Recipe Showdown, what else would you think they would need in order to make it on the show?
Guy - "I don't know if they need to be a culinary expert. Some folks have more culinary talent than others. I think being cool under pressure is the best trait for a contestant to have. Maybe you are a one-trick pony with that bomb pasta dish but if you bring it, you will win."
You have a lot going on, what do you do to relax?
Guy - "My real true passion, and this is not a canned answer, is cooking. I've been home for ten days now and my wife is so ready to kill me. We're filming Chefography in the house and I made a huge dinner last night. And the night before, I cooked for all my restaurant managers who are here for a holiday party. I did eight dishes. And while I'm cooking I'm thinking I have to get ready for my show and bup bup bup bup...all this stuff is going on. For me the relaxation is just cooking food. I don't care...I'll set there and cut an hundred onions. Just playing with the knives. The big payoff is making people happy. That big smile when people enjoy my food. Also, I'm big into cars, hot rods, dirt bikes. For Thanksgiving, I took the RV and a bunch of my buddies and went up into the middle of nowhere. No running water, no anything. And cooked Thanksgiving for 30 people on a Weber."
