Lights, Camera, Dinner!

Area Chefs Show You How

By April Gruszkowski

Think of MonkeySee, www.monkeysee.com, as a newish viral video depot for web-obsessed gourmets—or, YouTube’s smarter cousin.

MonkeySee broadcasts how-to videos that teach you to do just about anything—from making tiramisu to mixing up a Surfer on Acid (that’s a drink, by the way, not your college roommate).

And area chefs are coming to the table. At press time, nearly a quarter of the featured MonkeySee toques were from Northern Virginia—and most of the rest hailed from D.C. or Maryland.

One of the most popular local chefs is grilling expert and Lake Ridge resident Mike Hedrick from Pit Pirate BBQ.

“I was asked by them to be their resident barbecue expert, and it sounded like fun,” Hedrick said.

Because participants can post bios and personal web links, MonkeySee also provides the perfect opportunity to sneak in a little self-promotion while sharing some knowledge. According to Hedrick, the videos have increased traffic to his personal website, www.pitpiratebbq.com. “I can’t say I’ve increased any sales yet, but the extra national exposure is good for sure,” he said.

It’s also a chance to learn: Hedrick said he’s taken notes from other food videos and picked up some new knife skills, as well.

Folks at home who’ve been itching to play TV chef can ham it up, too: Submitting user-generated content is as easy as creating an account and uploading a video.

To see our own April Gruszkowski in action, visit: www.monkeysee.com/aprilgruszkowski.

(October 2008)

Tags: Chew on this