‘Chew’ hosts put on a show at Epcot
“The Chew” hosts Mario Batali, Carla Hall, Clinton Kelly and Michael Symon started off Thursday’s taping at Epcot with the fun and energy their audience has come to expect — with some extra help from the critters hailing from Disney’s Pandora — The World of Avatar.
The hosts of the ABC cooking and lifestyle show were toting banshees on their shoulders.
For the third year in a row, the program has hosted guests, cooked tasty dishes and enjoyed some hijinks in the heart of the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.
This year’s Epcot episodes will air nationally on the Disney-owned network Oct. 9-13. In Central Florida, “The Chew” airs at 1 p.m. weekdays on ABC affiliate WFTV-Channel 9.
During Thursday morning’s taping, which will air Oct. 11, Symon heated things up with kielbasa, while Batali and author/actor Chris Colfer chatted while making stuffed chicken porchetta-style. Hall danced with audience members and led the gang through a game.
“The Chew” has become a fixture at the festival, even inspiring the Earth Eats marketplace. Dishes include ricotta and zucchini ravioli, a grilled beef skewer with romaine, apricots and feta cheese, and a peanut-butter-andwhite-chocolate mousse with a caramel drizzle.
People start tweeting at chef Batali months before the show is scheduled to come to Epcot — right up until the fans take their seat in the audience.
Batali said he always feel the waves of energy from their audiences — but especially at Walt Disney World.
“You’re looking at [Spaceship Earth] behind us and you’re like, I’m here, it’s the promised land,” said Batali, a James Beard Foundation award winner.
For Batali, joining “The Chew” in 2011 made sense. The chef, who co-owns more than 20 restaurants around the country including New York and Los Angeles, figured he would work an 18-hour day regardless — why not add a new audience to learn about Italian cuisine?
“People think Italian food is pizza, pasta and lasagna and, you know, meatballs,” he said. “When you understand and taste around, when you get to the food, it’s the first step to getting to the people.
“And when people can understand each other, that’s where the world becomes such a remarkable place.”
“The Chew” won the Daytime Emmy for outstanding informative talk show host in 2015. Food has become a popular topic through the years as it moved from pure necessity to leisure activity, Batali said.
When they’re not asking about the inner workings of “The Chew,“fans inquire about his favorite food: “Anything that anyone else makes.” For his last meal: “The company would be far more important than the food.”
The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival continues until Nov. 13. Park admission is required.