10 July 2007 (2007-07-10) – 14 February 2011 (2011-02-14)
Glutton for Punishment is a program on Food Network hosted by Bob Blumer[1] and produced by Paperny Entertainment. The show features the host competing in various daunting, food-related challenges. He is given five days to become proficient enough in the episode's featured specialty, then his newly acquired skills are put to the test by matching him up against champions and experts in the field. In several competitions, Bob Blumer surprises by qualifying ahead of many pros—and he sometimes even wins. When he is not doing so well, he acknowledges the difficulty he has, often with self-deprecating humour. Bob recently broke the Guinness world record for the largest bowl of salsa at the Jacksonville, Texas, 26th Tomato Fest on June 12, 2010. The final bowl weighed in at 2,672 pounds. The feat was filmed for Season 5 of "Glutton," during which Bob attempted to break six world's records.[2]
Episodes
Season 1
#
Title:
Description:
01
"NYC Waiters' Race"
Bob Blumer gets a crash course in waiting tables at a busy brasserie in New York City.
Bob Blumer trains in the dazzling art of flair bartending.
03
"Médoc Marathon"
Bob Blumer participates in the Médoc Marathon in France's Bordeaux region.
04
"Oyster Shuck-Off"
Bob Blumer learns the technique of oyster shucking and travels to the Urbanna Oyster Festival in Virginia to enter the Oyster Shucking Competition. His challenge is to crash the world of elite shuckers and become a contender in just one week.
Bob Blumer travels to Dublin, where his challenge is to live on Guinness alone for 5 full days.
12
"Noodle Pulling"
Bob Blumer faces his toughest challenge yet: mastering the lost art of making hand-pulled noodles. He will have just one week to learn this complex technique, which most chefs take years to master.
13
"Breakfast Line Cook"
Bob Blumer's challenge is to make it into the tight knit ranks of the kitchen as a breakfast line cook.
Bob Blumer's challenge is to travel to Scotland and try his hand at haggis hurling.
02
"Honey Bee"
Bob Blumer travels to Oregon to learn the art of beekeeping. At the end of the week, he has to show what he has learned when he enters the Beekeepers Games.
Bob Blumer's challenge is to travel to Oklahoma to catch catfish with his bare hands.
05
"Fried Egg/Sidewalk Chef"
Bob Blumer's challenge is to travel to the Mojave Desert where he has 15 minutes to cook an egg using only solar power.
06
"Garlic Braiding"
Bob Blumer is off to Arleux, France, garlic capital of the world, to enter in a garlic-braiding contest.
07
"Watermelon Seed Spitting"
Bob Blumer's challenge is to travel to Hope, Arkansas and challenge past champions at spitting watermelon seeds on the back of a flatbed truck.
08
"New York Street Vendor"
Bob Blumer attempts to master the cooking duties before taking over a food cart business at the busy New York City intersection of 40th Street and 8th Avenue for a grueling 12-hour shift.
09
"Pike's Market"
Bob Blumer takes part in tossing salmon with the fishmongers at Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle.
10
"Pumpkin Regatta"
Bob Blumer takes part in a race to paddle a hollowed-out, giant pumpkin across a lake.
11
"Corn Husking"
Bob Blumer heads to Dell Rapids, South Dakota to compete against America's best cornhuskers at the National Cornhusking Competition.
12
"Perfect Steak"
Bob Blumer's challenge is to learn how to cook the perfect steak, then become the head grill master at Bohanan's Prime Steaks & Seafood in San Antonio.
In Kona, Hawaii, Bob Blumer's challenge is to compete in the annual Coffee Picking Contest.
13
"Navy Head Cook"
Bob Blumer's challenge is to work in the galley of a Navy ship.
Season 4
#
Title:
Description:
Air Date:
01
"Kung-Fu Tea Challenge"
Bob Blumer's challenge is to master a special Kung-fu tea ceremony and then perform it for a tough panel of judges at the Tai Ji Tea House in Hangzhou, China.
Bob Blumer goes head-to-head against Dim Sum Pros in a Dumpling Making Competition at the Night Market in Richmond, BC.
2010-03-01 March 1, 2010
09
"Bagel Roll-off"
Bob Blumer takes part in a challenge to hand-roll 44 perfect bagels in just five short minutes at the famous St-Viateur Bagel Bakery in Montreal.
2010-02-15 February 15, 2010
10
"Coconut Husking"
Bob Blumer competes in the 13th Annual Coconut Festival in Kapaa, Hawaii.
2010-03-08 March 8, 2010
11
"Gumbo Cook-off"
Bob Blumer is put to the test to see if he has what it takes to win the Gumbo cook-off in New Iberia, Louisiana.
2010-03-22 March 22, 2010
12
"Edible Car"
Bob Blumer is pitted against elite engineering students in the Edible Car Competition at Brown University in Rhode Island.
2010-03-15 March 15, 2010
13
"Chocolate Fashion Show"
Bob Blumer enters his unique wearable chocolate creation into a Chocolate Hat Fashion Show in the Salon Passion Chocolat & de la Gourmandise in Montreal.
2010-03-29 March 29, 2010
Season 5 (Record-Breaking Edition)
Bob will attempt to break Guinness World Records.
#
Title:
Location:
Guinness World Record Attempt:
Air Date:
01
"Pizza Making Record"
Toronto
Most 12-inch pizzas stretched, sauced, cheesed and fired in one hour.
