Joey Fatone In Sync with Kitchens Across America [INTERVIEW]
Joey Fatone, probably best known through his former band *Nsync and a contestant on Dancing with the Stars, is the host of the Live Well Network’s My Family Recipe Rocks. In the show, Fatone visits people from all over as they share their special dishes. Foodbeast was lucky enough to get a few minutes to talk to Joey about his show, favorite foods and what he loves about the holidays.
My Family Recipe Rocks
“Basically, we’re going to people’s homes and they come up with different recipes,” said Fatone. “We go to their homes, and we check out them making their food.”
What sets My Family Recipe Rocks apart from other cooking shows is, not only is America the kitchen, but viewers also get to share a bit of the cook’s history along with his recipes.
“It’s not like we’re going into the studio where there’s a chef,” he said. “It’s everyday people making something that’s been maybe handed down from generation to generation or something that they kind of whipped up and learned something and added their own twist to it.”
“We go to their home, check out their food, cook it, show you how to break it down and put it on their website for everyone to try and make,” Fatone tells Foodbeast.
There have been memorable moments for Fatone during his duties as host. One in particular was a chicken Mediterranean dish.
“A woman that owns a bed and breakfast made these cool [ground] pork and turkey meatballs and it’s with cream cheese,” he laughed.
Fatone said he initially thought the cream cheese would make the dish taste horrible.
“And then you put it in this pastry puff and you make this balsamic glaze on it,” he said. “It was absolutely amazing.”
Growing Up
Coming from an Italian family, Fatone was raised around cooking his whole life.
“My dad was really the big cook out of anyone, he was kind of the main chef,” he said. “I learned a lot from him just watching him cook.”
As he got older, Fatone would constantly call up his father and ask him cooking questions and advice.
A busy guy on the run, sometimes comfort food would be a nice break from his hectic schedule, and for Fatone, that comfort food would be pasta.
“It doesn’t have to be [homemade] but a lot of times we like to make it homemade,” Fatone said. “But I would never really do a lot of jarred sauce.”
Christmas Fun
Because the holidays are quickly approaching, Fatone is getting ready to celebrate. One year, he tells us, he and his wife made a gingerbread house. Because they aren’t big fans of gingerbread, they decided to make a house out of chocolate chip.
“We made it thick enough that it was still moist to where we made the walls up and everything,” he said. “I did the rooftop, I did a box of shredded wheat, we did licorice, melted lollipops for the windows to make a stained-glass window.”
“It took me like five days,” he laughed. “I got pretty creative with the stuff.”
Coming Up Next Season
Though My Family Recipe Rocks has finished their first season, they will begin shooting season two next year.
“We’re going to be shooting another 20 episodes,” Fatone said. “We’re going to be going all over, we’re going to be hitting New Orleans, Dallas, Washington D.C.; we’re going to be going to a lot of different places.”
Next season will be getting into the south according to Fatone and it’s going to be fun. Last season’s episodes can be found on the Live Well Network.
Shout Out to Foodbeasts
Finally Fatone has some words of wisdom for all the Foodbeasts out there:
“Be creative, that’s how good chefs come about. They’re very creative with their spices and that stuff that they infuse. So you know, try to have fun with that and have a good time with it.”
Check out a clip from the show and be sure to check out the new season in 2013!
photo courtesy of Live Well Network
