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by: darrencooper Hitting bookstores in October, Talk with Your Mouth Full, by Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh, is a must-have in any kitchen. Known as “The Hearty Boys,” Smith and McDonagh are two guys who never attended a culinary school, and after winning The Next Food Network Star, are the star hosts of the Food Network’s popular Party Line with the Hearty Boys. The two met back in the 80’s when they were both actors in New York City. After being cast together for a road tour of The Fantasticks, they dated for a summer, split, and spent ten years separately regretting losing each other. They are back together as co-authors, co-business owners, television hosts and dads to their two-year-old son, Nate, with Talk with Your Mouth Full.  Click to read reviews on Amazon.com
Dan Smith: Never having been to culinary school, we’ve never been hindered by any rules. We’ve made everything up as we’ve gone along and, while that can be scary as hell, it’s also incredibly freeing.
EM: You beat out 10,000 entrants to become "The Next Food Network Star." Did you know from the beginning that you'd "take the cake" so to speak? What gave you the edge?
Steve McDonagh: What you see on TV is us. That’s the key to succeeding in this business. Being true to yourself and letting the audience into a glimpse of the real you.
DS: I was always pretty confident that we’d make it to the final two, but I figured that when America started voting they wouldn’t go for the two gay guys. It was a nice surprise when we won!
EM: You guys deserved it! So what new projects are you working on? And tell us a little about HBTV.
SM: Our newest venture, which we’re incredibly excited about, is called HBTV. We want to give people a taste of what it’s like to tape their own cooking show. To that end, each guest will have three minutes in front of the cameras to create a cooking demo. A culinary producer will take them through the paces first, just as our culinary producer does when we tape our show. They then have three minutes to shine for the camera and all of their friends. A stage manager will count them down in their final ten seconds. We like to call it “cooking karaoke”! It’ll be a whole evening of fun with food and drinks in our sleek, new state-of-the-art space.
EM: What is the most commonly overlooked detail when planning a party?
DS: Ice. Not ordering enough or forgetting it altogether. Plan on about a pound and a half per guest at your average party. That extra $1.50 on a spare 8-pound bag is money well spent if it keeps you from having to leave your guests for a twenty-minute ice run.
EM: How about some advice on decorating for a party without breaking the bank?
SM: The book is filled with stories, recipes and real-life tips on party throwing. Here’s one of my favorite “cheap tips” directly from Talk With Your Mouth Full.
Ode to a Dollar Store
I have a love affair with Dollar Stores. If you’re lucky enough to have one near you, think of it first when organizing your next shindig. I strongly recommend snooping around every now and then to pick up supplies—wine glasses, champagne glasses, ashtrays, disposable paper decorations, kitschy ornaments, great bargains on candles, you never know what treasures they’ll have from week to week!
I’ve had all sorts of creative finds at Dollar Stores. For a fun outdoor barbecue once, I came across honey bear juice containers in a rainbow of super-sucrose colors. I repurposed them as tabletop decorations along with tall Hispanic religious candles. (Have you seen those?) They’re glass, cylinder candles with pictures of saints... They’re colorful and pretty, and I love them. If you prefer, they’re also available without the icon decal.
I don’t plan on reusing these types of decorations, and few of us have the space to store things we no longer need. So, the way I see it, I didn’t break the bank on décor, so I won’t feel bad about giving it all to Goodwill the next day.
As my mom says, “For so little money, it doesn’t owe you anything.”
EM: You have us covered from setup to cleanup, have you found anything that you left out of the book that you'd like to share with the Envy Man readers?
DS: Working together in the kitchen is a great date. Most guys think just cooking for someone will be enough, but the act of preparing a meal together is a bonding experience. It can be sexy, funny, you can learn a lot about each other, and it’s great for teamwork. It’s quality time spent talking and sharing and then you get to enjoy the fruits of your efforts together.
SM: Just put on some Ella or Sinatra and be sure that the wine bottle gets opened as soon as you begin prepping those veggies!
EM: Ring... ring... I have three guests arriving in two hours for dinner. What dishes from your book should I whip up? And it better end with the Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes!
DS: First off, don’t you just hate those people who invite themselves over at the last minute! Okay, now that I’ve got that off my chest, start with the Simple Salad with grape vinaigrette, feta and walnuts. It’s quick and easy but interesting enough to draw some favorable comments out of your guests. Next move on to the French Chicken Breast with orange tarragon compound butter. Searing the breasts takes minutes (and if you can’t find frenched breasts, just use a breast with the skin still on). Pair that with the Fingerling Potato Hash and Braised Leeks with sel de mer, also both quick and easy. Finish the meal with the Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes—they’re fun finger food and go well with either coffee or, if your friends are like ours, red wine!
EM: You must have a few celebs who are fans of “The Hearty Boys.” Care to share any of their favorite dishes?
SM: Hillary loved our Cheddar Cornbread Muffins but we smacked her hand when she reached for a second. We don’t want our girl looking hippy on the way to the White House.
EM: We don’t want her to get too hippy either. But pass those muffins our way! Thanks fellas!
The Hearty Boys Cookbook contains 125 recipes and over 100 full-color photographs throughout the hardcover book’s 224 pages.
{EM}
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