A coastal TV host roped in a Cariboo-raised star of Riverdale recently to wrangle steaks and prawns.
Laurie Belle and Lochlyn Munro’s adventures in the kitchen at NY Grill and Bistro air on Get Cooking with the Stars Jan. 9 and 11.
Munro grew up at Lac la Hache, a short distance north of 100 Mile House.
“I grew up in the Cariboo,” he said. “…Very much cattle country…“There are a lot of high-end beef ranches there.”
That upbringing helped him when he acted in westerns.
“So that was easy to do. Just to portray and get into character for that, I just went through my Rolodex of all the kids I went to high school with,” he joked.
Belle is the host and executive producer of Get Cooking with the Stars. Living in Cloverdale, she’s no stranger to South of the Fraser eateries, so the show has featured local restaurants.
In addition to NY Grill, they’ve filmed at places such as Chaberton Winery, and Ban Chok Dee Thai Cuisine.
Belle said she takes viewers on a journey through the cooking process as well as that celebrity’s career during the episode.
The new season of Get Cooking with the Stars kicked off in December with what ended up being one of Alan Thicke’s last interviews.
Other guests include actor Aleks Paunovic (War for the Planet of the Apes, Van Helsing, Numb) and ‘Blind Ambition’ NYC & Yuk Yuk’s comedian Darryl Lenox. Belle has also welcomed athletes including Ashley McIvor and Geroy Simon.
On Riverdale Munro portrays Hal Cooper, the father of Betty, and the editor and co-owner of a local newspaper.
He’s also appeared in White Chicks with the Wayans Brothers, Supernatural, When the Heart Calls, Beauty and the Beast (TV show), Rizzoli and Isles, Arrow, Cedar Cove, Clint Eastwood’s film Unforgiven, and much more since he started acting in 1989.
He joked about his role in the kitchen for his episode, admitting his wife, Sharon, is the best cook in the family.
“I feel like when I concentrate and I do cook, I’m not bad,” he said.
His signature dish – egg whites.
“And my own physical activity in the kitchen [for the episode], I’m probably flipping steak,” Munro said, adding he will also specialize in taste testing. “It’s quality control by the stars… all of the hard work is done by Laurie. All I have to do is taste and give good nod.”