Brothers in fun
Their wacky antics won over online fans, but it's their fuss-free cooking that's made them culinary stars
New York City boasts many types of chefs, from Michelin-starred celebrities to funky hipsters.
Josh and Mike Greenfield belong to the latter category of young, experimental, self-taught home cooks.
Their culinary style is fun, outrageous and creative and most importantly, fuss-free.
The US brothers' cookery career started on YouTube two years ago with their hit web series Brothers Green Eats.
Their eclectic kitchen antics can now be seen on to the small screen with the duo's new show Brothers Green: EATS! premiering on MTV (StarHub Ch 533) tomorrow at 7.30pm.
Learning to cook stemmed from necessity, as their mother "wasn't the best cook and we were inspired to cook ourselves to make up for it", elder brother Josh, 30, told M via e-mail.
"Eventually we were entertaining and cooking for our friends all the time," added the part-time musician.
Brothers Green: EATS! will see the hilarious duo trekking across the globe for inspiration, and then using whatever ingredients one might have in the fridge to assemble easy-to-make dishes, such as Stuffed Bagel Doughnut and Microwave Peanut Butter Banana Bread, in their New York kitchen.
Said Mike, 27: "One of the biggest differences between EATS! and our YouTube videos is that viewers are going to get a lot of exploration of cities and food culture."
How did your food career come about?
Mike: I woke up one day and having had one of those out-of-body epiphanies, I realised that I was going to cook for the rest of my life. I called my brother and he was like, "Don't tell our parents just yet."
Who were your food inspirations?
Josh: My first inspiration was (US celebrity chef) Emeril (Lagasse). To me, he truly was the first cooking rock star. I used to watch his show Emeril Live at night and he always made food exciting and interesting.
Another inspiration more recently would be London-based chef Heston Blumenthal, owner of The Fat Duck restaurant. I think he's one of the most creative chefs in the world!
The recipes you feature on YouTube, such as Cheese Stuffed Pretzel Crust Pizza and Big Egg MacMuffin, look really yummy but are quite sinful. Is this the kind of food you eat?
Josh: Yes! Everything that you're seeing on the show is stuff that we've eaten and enjoy eating.
How would you describe your fans or people who follow your show? Are there more guys than girls?
Josh: It's pretty much an even ratio of guys and girls who watch our show. Our fans are very enthusiastic and they absolutely love food. They are also looking for new ways to cook and that's what we'll teach them.
Have you faced criticism about your style of cooking?
Mike: Every time you put out a new video on the Internet, you're going to get at least one hate mail.
Our cooking focuses on using simple ingredients in a creative way so whenever you try new things, there will always be people who disagree.
Why do you think you've become an Internet sensation?
Josh: I think it's because we're doing something that is different and unique. People are drawn to that and want to explore new and creative ways to cook with simple ingredients.
What are your signature dishes?
Mike: I really enjoy making pizza. You can basically take anything you already have in your house and be creative with it to make a delicious pizza. It's the perfect food to make with most leftovers.
Josh: I love turning things into sandwiches. We have a German Vietnamese Schnitzel Sandwich that is one of my favourite dishes.
Ever consider going to culinary school?
Mike: I was going to apply to this culinary school in New Zealand, but never ended up going through with it. Josh and I have been able to teach each other a lot about cooking.
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