Hall of Fame Profile: The Surreal Gourmet Gets Real Attention

Bob Blumer makes a big impression when he rolls into town. Blumer (a.k.a. The Surreal Gourmet) travels in a custom-made Airstream Trailer, a one-of-a-kind kitchen on wheels dubbed the Toastermobile due to the giant sheet metal pieces of toast protruding from the roof.

As one of today's most imaginative food personalities, Blumer is a good example of how any business can make itself interesting, exciting, even outrageous, and enjoy a lot of media attention.

Blumer designed the Toastermobile to promote his third cookbook, Off the Eaten Path. "When I'd seen Airstream trailers in the past they always reminded me of the shape of an old classic toaster," Blumer explained. "So when I was getting the trailer ready for the tour, I thought, 'why not?' and had two 12-foot wide pieces of 'toast' installed on top."

Blumer became a food personality when he published The Surreal Gourmet: Real Food for Pretend Chefs. It was an instant hit that established his brand and earned him a loyal following. "The success of my first book made me live up to my own moniker of the surreal gourmet," says Blumer. "I saw the potential to get a lot of publicity on television shows that are always looking for interesting people."

It's a strategy that has paid off. His 30-city, three-month book tour for Off The Eaten Path, fueled by Blumer's knack for showmanship, not only got a lot of media attention on CNN, QVC, Entertainment Weekly, People Magazine, and over 100 daily newspapers, it also helped him land his own show on the Food Network.

Now, whether he's traveling the country in his Toastermobile for the Food Network, designing a surreal meal for the Salvador Dali Museum, or creating a supermodel diet for RuPaul, Blumer continues to build his personal brand identity in ways that make the media take notice.

"In the world of cooking, I've carved out this one little niche that is very unique and attractive to the public and the media," says Blumer. "Because I so passionately and completely live my brand, and go out of my way to make it fun and interesting, the media love it! I make their job easy by developing my own surreal bag of tricks and culinary theatrics."

Blumer's trump card is salmon fillets poached in the dishwasher and topped with a brightly flavored cilantro sauce. According to Bob, "Not only do the media love it, but you can cook salmon, wash the dishes, and have your plates warmed all at the same time."