'Idol' winner eats well at home - Weight of 360 lbs due to mom's cooking (How to Eat the Ruben Way)

Scripps Howard News Service ^ | May 25, 2003 | Leigh Anne Monitor

[Timesink]

Ruben Studdard, winner of "American Idol."

KnoxNews

'Idol' winner eats well at home

Weight of 360 pounds due to mom's cooking

By LEIGH ANNE MONITOR, Scripps Howard News Service
May 25, 2003

When "American Idol" winner Ruben Studdard was a little boy, his mama cooked foods that would help make him grow into a singing sensation.

It's likely no one guessed as much back then, but a few specialty Ruben Studdard dishes are oh-so-famous - around mom Emily Studdard's kitchen table in Winewood, Ala.

Ruben, 24, the city's tie to the Fox show "American Idol," loves his mama's chicken tetrazzini, her fresh fruit pizza and her layered salad, among many dishes.

He was so enamored with her greens that he called home from California during his "Idol" tapings and told his mom to explain to the "American Idol" chef how to cook those greens, she said from her kitchen.

Ruben, who has a reported weight of 360 pounds, was an average-weight child until about the third grade. He didn't eat a lot when he was very young, Emily Studdard said, but that didn't stop him from a few tricks.

In the second grade, Studdard spent his lunch money buying candy and chips at a vendor near the school bus. When he got to school, he wrote his teacher a note, "Please give Ruben his lunch. We are poor. (signed) Emily."

His mama told him not to try that one again.

When Ruben hit high school, he'd bring his friends by his house "and they'd expect me to cook for them," Emily Studdard said. "They said, 'Mom, what are you going to cook for us?' I didn't mind."

These days Ruben helps out a little around the kitchen, boiling the water and cooking the spaghetti for chicken tetrazzini - his favorite - Emily Studdard said.

Ruben Studdard's favorite foods that his mother cooked include the following, all from "Calling All Cooks," a cookbook from the Telephone Pioneers of America, Alabama Chapter No. 34 (16th printing, 1995).

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Turnip greens

2 large bunches turnip greens
1/2 pound lean salt pork (Emily Studdard substitutes smoked turkey)
4 tablespoons bacon grease or pure lard

Wash greens well to remove dirt; rinse at least three times in abundant water. Put small leaves in pot and strip larger leaves from stems. Before adding to pot containing 1 quart cold water, cut meat into strips about 1-inch thick and drop into pot. Add bacon grease or lard. Cover pot and bring to boil. Periodically stir greens in pot so as to allow those on top to go to the bottom. Then push down so leaves are covered with water. Lower heat and boil slowly for two hours (the longer the better), adding water to keep greens covered.

Actual cooking time depends on tenderness of greens. Juice from greens is good served over corn bread and laced with pepper sauce.

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Chicken tetrazzini

1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped celery
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups cooked chicken, diced
6 ounces (about 1-1/2 cups) spaghetti, uncooked and broken in pieces
1 (10-1/2-ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2-1/2 cups chicken broth or bouillon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Pinch nutmeg
1 (3-ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained

Saute onion and celery in butter in Dutch oven until crisp-tender. Arrange chicken in layer over vegetables; add spaghetti in layer.

Combine soup, broth, lemon juice, pepper and nutmeg and pour over spaghetti, making sure all spaghetti is moistened. Sprinkle mushrooms over top. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly, from 15 to 20 minutes until spaghetti is tender.

Garnish with Parmesan cheese and paprika.

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Layered salad

1 medium head lettuce, torn into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 red onion, sliced, separated
1 can tiny English peas (Emily Studdard leaves them out)
6 to 8 strips crisp bacon, crumbled
1 tablespoon sugar
About 1 pint mayonnaise

Add all products in layers. Spread over top with mayonnaise. Emily Studdard sprinkles the mayonnaise with Parmesan cheese in the layering process.

Seal all sides and corners. Cover with plastic wrap and foil. Refrigerate 24 hours.

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Fresh fruit pizza

1 package sugar cookie dough or cookie dough made from scratch
1 tub or can whipped topping or carton whipping cream
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Fresh fruit

Spread sugar cookie dough on pizza pan. Bake according to directions. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with sugar and vanilla until light. Spread on cooled crust. Top with fresh fruit. Garnish with a fruit glaze, if desired. Add whipped topping or whipped cream to top.

[Timesink]

"On the Ruben Studdard Diet, I have more energy than ever before in my life! I feel like i'm 19 again!"
--Simon Cowell

[Timesink]

Special non-NYT all-lard edition of The Ping!

Schadenfreude

This is the New York Times Schadenfreude Ping List. Freepmail me to be added or dropped.

[AntiGuv]

This must be the yummiest thread I've ever seen on FR.. ;)

[Timesink]

ping for bump list

[Clemenza]

I can't believe you guys watch these Sheep Shows.

I am proud of the fact that I have NEVER watched an episode of American Idol, Survivor, Joe Millionaire or The Batchelor.

For what its worth, the only shows currently on the air that I enjoy are The Sopranos, South Park, The Man Show and Law & Order

[Timesink]

I can't believe people that think they're superior for not watching "sheep shows" because "they're scripted" adn then brag that they only watch a certain few programs ... that are all scripted.

[Clemenza]

When I was a kid, we had "Star Search" (revived, with Arsenio) "Dance Fever" (Danny Terrio can NEVER be replaced) and "Puttin' On the Hits" which were talent shows syndicated nationwide. Why are people so excited about this concept now? The older shows and not "American Idol" are no more interesting than your typical Church talent show. Then again, I really can't fault the American people for enjoying such sh-t, as "reality shows" are probably still a step above the "Sh-tcoms" that have recycled the same plots since the 1950s.

[Drammach]

I have NEVER watched an episode of American Idol, Survivor, Joe Millionaire or The Batchelor..... The Sopranos, South Park, The Man Show and Law & Order..

I watch South Park, and the Man show, have seen a couple episodes of Law & Order. ( Just another cop/lawyer show, nothing special.) I too, have never watched American Idol, Survivor, Joe Millionare, the Bachelor, Bachelorette, etc.. or the Sopranos, Six feet under, You name it..

I'm pretty much a news show junkie, (FOX, CNBC) when I want entertainment I watch Junkyard Wars, Rough Science, the Discovery Channels, History Channel, TechTV, etc..

As far as Reuben and Cain, or Cale, or whatever his name was, I figured Reuben would win from what I saw/heard on the news shows.
Not that it really matters a lot, at least the top 3 or 5 will probably get some sort of recording deal anyway, and have a lot more freedom in managing their own careers than Reuben does.

All those other shows, the old ones? I think "Star Search" is the only one I ever bothered to check out. I may have seen a half-dozen of them..

What I really liked as far as talent shows went was "The Gong Show"..
Oh, the humanity..

[SamAdams76]

Remember the "Gong Show?" Now that's when talent was talent!

[martin_fierro]

Mmmmmmmmmm, LARD

[fieldmarshaldj]

Try watching "The Man Show" with women present, that's a REAL treat (especially when the bikini-clad babes start jumping on trampolines). My g/f gets so pissed, she storms out of the room... Sheesh. :-P

[dennisw]

Anyone who loves greens is OK in my book. But his mom needs to omit some of the lard and fatback.

[Fzob]

Ok I gotta ask

I have NEVER watched an episode of American Idol, Survivor, Joe Millionaire or The Batchelor.

the only shows currently on the air that I enjoy are The Sopranos, South Park, The Man Show and Law & Order

Please explain how American Idol, Survivor, Joe Millionaire or The Bachelor are sheep shows and The Sopranos, South Park, The Man Show and Law & Order are not.

To me they're all sheep shows.

Just for full disclosure, What I have watched

American Idol; Nope

Survivor; I watched about half of the last series

Joe Millionaire; Nope

The Bachelor; Nope

The Sopranos; Nope

South Park; Nope

The Man Show; Nope

Law & Order; About half of one show

I don't give a hoot what people watch, but I'm curious how one defines the line between sheep shows and shows Ok to watch for the diligently autonomous.

[NYCVirago]

Wow, thanks for sharing. It's good to know that reality shows are "sheep shows", while brainiacs like you watch such quality entertainment as South Park and The Man Show.

[ewing]

Simon looks impressed..

[Mister Magoo]

All good ones. I would also add Curb Your Enthusiasm, which for my money, is the funniest show on television, even funnier than Seinfeld.

[Salvation]

Methink mom needs to change his diet!

[Katya]

I don't know about the rest of those shows, but Idol is a contemporary version of the old variety show. The kids sing song hits from the 60's 70's and 80's, and listen to comments from amusing judges.
I'm radio person and don't follow much tv but have to say, it's nice to be able to watch one show with a 9 year old and not have to cover their ears.

[marajade]

Well I can say I've never watched any of the shows you mentioned in your post... either those you do or don't watch...

The only show we watch with regularity is the "Dead Zone."