Glutton for Punishment's Bob Blumer in action

With his penchant for gourmet fries and his aversion towards any dish topped with hundred-dollar truffles, Bob Blumer is a wunderkind. He is a chef, but has taken no culinary studies. He is the host of his own television show, wherein he subjects himself to food-related challenges, but is in fact a self-confessed scaredy-cat.

On TV, Bob is charming and hilariously witty, but in person he is even more so. Nothing gets him more pumped up than the newest season of his show, Glutton for Punishment. He relates his adventures with undeniable enthusiasm, from being tangled in sea kelp and almost drowning, to breaking a Guinness world record for making the most pancakes in an hour.

But before his stint with food and television, Bob used to be business manager to Canadian singer Jane Siberry. However, the food world was too tempting for him to resist, and he soon caved in to it with the release of his first book, The Surreal Gourmet: Real Food for Pretend Chefs. But that was just the beginning. Several books after, Bob soon became the host of his own TV show called Surreal Gourmet. Now, he is making waves with Glutton for Punishment.

The premise of the show is this: Bob gets five days to learn or master a challenge before he takes it on. Some of his more interesting challenges include living on nothing but Irish Guinness for five days, and learning how to prepare fugu for five days, and eating it afterwards.

But if you think these challenges are easy, think again. Irish Guinness is actually a popular beer made of water, barley, hops and brewer’s yeast. Fugu, on the other hand, is a deadly Japanese blowfish. Only chefs who have had more than three years of experience could prepare fugu and make it safe to eat. But Bob only had five days to learn what these chefs have spent over three years studying.

“I’m really competitive by nature, and some of the things we’ve done in the first season, I’ve already done variations of it in my personal life,” he explains. “It’s just crazy and exciting.” Crazy is right, for while doing the show, Bob has sustained several injuries and has put his health at risk. “I had two knee surgeries after the cheese-rolling competition. And that wasn’t even from going down the cliff – it was from training with the judo instructors!”

Moreover, Bob’s food escapades, however far-out, are genuine. “There are certain episodes wherein the possibility of dying exists, like the fugu episode,” shares Bob. And that’s what makes Glutton for Punishment so exciting. Nothing is scripted, and Bob’s whole ordeal is documented, however embarrassing or difficult. “Whatever happens, happens,” he says with a smile.

“We’ve now done 42 shows, and I’ve embarked on 42 competitions where I start the week knowing nothing about something, and five days later, I enter the competition and I frequently beat seasoned professionals,” relates Bob. “I start the week really focused and doing everything I can to learn how to do what I’m doing. And in the end, I do it exceptionally well.”

Bob might look game-on for every challenge presented to him, but just like everybody else, he has his own quirks and phobias. He is claustrophobic, hates being alone, and is terrified of speed. But these things didn’t stop him from putting on a scuba diving outfit, or riding his Toastermobile or cycling in the canyons. “If you want to do something, often there’s nothing to stop you,” he says.

And with this kick-ass attitude of his, there’s definitely no stopping Bob Blumer.

The new season of Glutton for Punishment airs this July on Discovery Travel & Living. For more information, visit www.gluttonforpunishment.com or www.bobblumer.com.