Press

Asking what's cooking is a question not exclusive to the kitchen, provided it is all good. For the cast and crew of "2 Guys Can't Cook" Sunday's filming at the Holiday Inn of Houma, 1800 Martin Luther King Blvd., meant adding another episode to a budding reality series soon to be launched on Web television.

Commonly referred to as Web TV, and not to be confused with specific companies making use of that term, Web television is a rapidly growing genre of digital entertainment.

Instead of producing 30-minute or one-hour programs, which are common to television, makers of Web television features are 5-to 10 minute segments. Such programming is common on MySpace, YouTube and other social media outlets.

As for the "2 Guys," producer Diane Isaacs of Unencountered Films said her crew is building a structure of episodes to launch in either October or November. "We have been traveling all over the world to get different flavors and are sorting out the details," she said.

The two guys at the center of this program go by the names Andy and K. Ross. Neither is a professional chef, but each is dedicated to what he likes and willing to try new things.

As a motivational speaker and entrepreneur, K. Ross is a life-long vegetarian who claims he has never eaten meat. In spite of his healthy diet, he was shocked to be tagged obese according to the Body Mass Index. He originated the program's catch phrase, "It's all good."

By contrast, Andy, a former auto salesman turned international artist, is a devoted carnivore. A junk food junkie he loves tasty treats that do not always love him.

The challenge with each episode is to develop fare that pleases both characters while making sure this is not a show about recipes, diets or even cooking.

"I know the challenge of eating [a variety of foods], but it doesn't mean it has to be boring," Isaacs said. "The thing about '2 Guys Can't Cook' is they are on an adventure to meet new people, see new opportunities and experience the world."

"I will be working with our kitchen crew to present some different dishes based on what is common here," Holiday Inn General Manager Ken McGowan said prior to program production. "There will also be entertainment and music."

In addition to kitchen scenes, filming at Houma, included other activities such as alligator wrestling and a concert with J.D. Strait and Pershing Wells.

"There is kind of disconnect of people knowing about cooking and what they are putting in their bodies," Isaacs said, explaining that this program is as much about healthy choices as it is entertaining audiences. "We are saying it is a great to feel it, know it and know cooking as an experience."

Isaacs said that while taking on regional fare, cooking becomes basic to nature. "There is something different about eating the food you prepare," she said. "I think we have gotten on automatic with our feeding in our culture and this is getting back to knowing, connecting and having a healthy relationship to food."

Part of that relationship involved a tech-savvy audience. "They film these and put them on the Internet," McGowan said. "That is how a lot of the new programs get picked up by different [television] networks."

"I think more and more, [entertainment] content is going to be on the Web," Isaacs said. "Dot-TV domains are really coveted now." She explained that many new programs are making use of the Internet to reach a target market.

McGowan said localized filming helps highlight a region. Because of an increased number of Louisiana-based programs during the past two years, the hotel manager said he has seen an increase in tourism.

"We are starting to see an uptick of tourist coming into the market," McGowan said. "I would say we are up between 20 and 30 percent occupancy on the weekends from this time last year."

"We want people to reach outside their comfort zones," Isaacs said about featuring new areas, foods and entertainment options. "That often starts with eating and goes from there. Like K. Ross says, 'It's all good.'"