Cooking On 'Cue By Marla Cranston, Halifax Daily News Chef Happy to get shot at TV show that proves men can cook, with the right tools and reasons Halifax is fast becoming a hotbed of cooking shows. The newest program to entice your taste buds is Red Hot & Ready, a spicy and strange half-hour show that debuted last week on MenTV, the new digital channel operated by Global and Quebec broadcaster TVA. Revolving around the barbecue and backyard culture, it goes far beyond slapping steaks and burgers on the grill. " All men, contrary to popular belief, can cook," says director Joshua Hannigan. " And the barbecue is one place where men really succeed at cooking. You know - you light a fire, get some meat, something primal goes on, like 'I'm burning stuff' and it's all good." But if men really want to impress their dates and mates, they can do much more than make a decent marinade. Chef John Pritchard explores Turkish, Greek, Mexican, Cajun and Caribbean cooking, haute cuisine, desserts, meals to impress your vegetarian girlfriend, and the all important "Apology dinner." There's good manly stuff too: chili, hangover breakfasts, beer can chicken, edible aphrodisiacs, football party grub, cowboy cooking, even a lesson on building a hubcap barbecue. " Did you happen to catch our cannibalism episode?" Pritchard asks from his home in Bermuda. (He's moving back to the Maritimes this summer.) A professional chef since 1986, the roguish, cigar-chomping host had always toyed with the idea of TV, and was delighted when Halifax's Ocean Entertainment hired him to do the "comedy cooking" show. In his first on-air job, he had no time to get nervous - the crew cranked out a whopping 65 episodes in just six weeks last summer, shooting in a south-end backyard. MenTV wanted a MAXIM magazine vibe, so there's plenty of racy ad-lib humour between Pritchard and his sassy co-host Melissa Carson, who teaches viewers how to buy fish, pack a picnic, even make their own edible undies. There are costumes, power tools, wacky characters like beerhat guy and an evil neighbour; and it's nothing like you'd see on Food Network, says Hannigan. "They're high art and we're more cake for the people. We've got the energy of prime time radio, a little bit of entertainment, great guests, and a host who, quite frankly, is completely unscrewed and a fabulous cook." Pritchard hopes women will also tune in, "just to laugh at me, and get a peek into the twisted psyche of men, which will probably confirm what they already believe." All joking aside, the show features beautiful food and useful tips on grilling techniques. It showcases local products like Paderno pots from P.E.I. and Grohman knives from Pictou, and all of the recipes will be available online at redhotandready.tv. Tune into Red Hot & Ready, on MenTV @ 7:30, 3:30 and 11:30 PM.

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