Wednesday, January 06, 2010




















From Take-Out to Twinkies

Food with a 'Tude

New History Series -- Food Tech


Follows Food from Farm and Factory to Table

Whether Cheeseburger & Fries, Mexican or Chinese Take-Out... Food Tech host Bobby Bognar, a food industry veteran, travels America deconstructing our favorite meals. Along the way he reveals the hidden world behind every bite, uncovers surprising history and sees first-hand how ingredients from around the globe come together to become the meals we love.

Food Tech, a new 10-episode series, premieres Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 9 pm ET on History.

Bognar lives for food and in Food Tech he criss-crosses the nation in search of the origins and production secrets behind the foods we love. And, it's more than just the food itself. Ever think about how they get the soy sauce in those little packets or where all those pizza boxes come from? Get ready for a journey to see how ingredients from around the world come together to become the meals we eat.

Upcoming episodes include:

Food Tech: Cheeseburger & Fries -- Premieres Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 9 pm ET:
A cheeseburger and a side of fries - last year, Americans ate over 7 billion of them. And there's an amazing story behind every one. Any idea how they get the sesame seeds to stick to the bun? What does it take to stuff 20 tomatoes inside a ketchup bottle? And, what's the secret to getting the dill in dill pickle chips? Host Bobby Bognar sets off on a quest to find out, as he travels the country to unearth the hidden mysteries inside our cheeseburger and fries. It's the science behind perfectly melting cheese, the production of jet-black seeds that sprout into spanish onions, and a french fry factory where every day mountains of potatoes are sliced and diced into millions of french fries.

Food Tech: Chinese Take-Out -- Premieres Thursday, January 28 at 9pm ET:
Since an influx of Chinese immigrants to America in the mid 1800s, Americans have devoured Chinese take-out. But have you ever wondered what's really in an egg roll? What's the secret ingredient in beef and broccoli? And, did you know a fortune cookie can actually make you rich? Host Bobby Bognar is off to the far reaches of America to find out some ancient Chinese secrets. From the amount of salt in those hard to open soy sauce packets, to the waxing of Peking Ducks, it's time for take out …Chinese style.


Food Tech Host Bobby Bognar: The 411

Born in Fayetteville, N.C., Bognar's two passions in life are food and music. He is currently employed by Bon Appetit Management Company (BAMCO), an onsite restaurant company that provides café and catering services to corporations, colleges and universities, and specialty venues. Prior to that, he was the Director of Operations for Food Services at the Getty Center in Los Angeles.

Although not formally trained as a chef, Bobby has worked in almost every aspect of the restaurant business including: line cook, sommelier, waiter, bartender, pizza chef and more.

In addition to his life in food, Bobby is the guitarist and lead vocalist for The Piper Downs, an award winning Los Angeles-based rock band. He currently resides in Los Angeles.

Food Tech is produced for History by Actuality Productions. Executive producer for History is John Verhoff.