People who hardly ever cook at all, suddenly at the holidays, feel like it's their responsibility to not only cook dinner for large groups of people suddenly, but to serve things that are fussy or fancy or formal. And I don't think that's what anybody really wants, especially if you're not good at it.

Allen reprised the role as co-floor reporter for the Thanksgiving special on November 20 2011. in journalism from the Science and Environmental Reporting Program at New York University. Beginning June 13 2007 Allen appeared as a regular judge on seasons 3 and 4 of Bravo's reality television program Top Chef following several guest judge appearances during the previous two seasons.

"Ted" Allen is an American writer cookbook author and television personality. He is a longtime contributing writer to Esquire magazine the author of two cookbooks and regularly appears on the Food Network's show The Best Thing I Ever Ate and other television cooking shows. Edward R.