The Legacy of Mr. Food Continues with New Segments

Reader Mrs. Charles Lowery of Homewood recently inquired about a popular syndicated television food segment featuring Mr. Food. Art Ginsburg, the original Mr. Food, was known for his entertaining segments. Ginsburg passed away nearly 15 years ago at the age of 81.

Ginsburg became famous with his short recipe demos on local stations. Chicago’s ABC-WLS Channel 7 aired his segments with the midday news until his death in November 2012. Before passing away, he battled cancer, experiencing a brief remission after treatment and surgery.

Ginsburg’s segments focused on simple recipes with few ingredients. Each segment ended with his signature line: “Ooh! It’s so good!” This tagline was nationally trademarked. Mr. Food’s journey began in 1975 on the East Coast and grew into a nationwide program distributed by King World. It reached over 168 local TV stations at its peak.

His culinary background stemmed from his experience as a trained butcher in New York, where he learned Jewish family recipes from his mother and aunt. Ginsburg published 52 cookbooks, selling over 8 million copies. Though married to his wife Ethel since 1955, he chose a private life, avoiding celebrity status unlike other food stars from TV networks.

My colleague Eloise Valadez, who worked in the food and entertainment sections of The Daily Southtown, fondly remembers Ginsburg. He once visited the newsroom to showcase his recipes. Ginsburg would have turned 95 this month, sharing the same age as my mother Peggy.

In later years, Ginsburg reduced his on-camera appearances. His company, Ginsburg Enterprises Incorporated, led by his son Steve, continued managing the TV segments and other ventures. The firm launched a new segment, the “Mr. Food Test Kitchen,” featuring producer Howard Rosenthal and his team. Rosenthal, now 65, continues the legacy with recipes reaching 120 stations worldwide, attracting 2 million daily viewers.

Recently, I heard the iconic phrase during a family visit as Rosenthal presented a recipe called Deviled Egg Macaroni Salad. For those interested, the segment’s broadcast times can be found at www.MrFood.com by entering your zip code.

Deviled Egg Macaroni Salad

Makes 10 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 3/4 cup sweet pickle relish, drained well
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Paprika for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Cook macaroni in a large pot of boiling water for 7 to 9 minutes until tender. Drain and cool.
2. In a large bowl, mix macaroni, eggs, celery, relish, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
3. Sprinkle with paprika, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour or until ready to serve.

Columnist Philip Potempa, author of four cookbooks, is a radio host at WJOB 1230 AM. He can be reached at [email protected] or by mail: From the Farm, PO Box 68, San Pierre, Ind. 46374.