One of the biggest mistakes people make when they cook for other people is to think that it has to be fancy and elaborate. This results in enormous expense and nine days of labor, plus you end up trying to assemble a croquembouche in front of your guests and everyone's experiencing flop sweat.

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.