The star of Hardcore Pawn is not one to mess with - especially if he's holding a knife!
We’re talking about Les Gold's skills in the kitchen!
He is competing on a cooking TV show and let's just say, he's a little cut-throat.
Reality TV star Les Gold is the king of his pawn shop, but put a knife in his hand, and he is king of the kitchen!
"Besides being a pawn broker, I'm a good knife wielder," says Gold.
On Monday night you can catch him on another show: ‘Chopped’ on the Food Network.
"I like to experiment. Chopped was the ultimate experience."
Les is competing against four other reality celebrities on a holiday edition of the show.
We met up with Les in his home to talk about the cooking completion and whip up his favorite recipes... like coleslaw and candied walnuts.
"That's a sweet treat for the holiday. Al your guests will love it."
"Walnuts, butter and sugar. You have to keep stirring. The key to a successful candied walnut is to make sure the candy gets on all the walnuts."
At home - his wife, Lilly, is the head chef. He credits her for his skills!
"She's trained me well."
He can't tell us what secret ingredients were thrown at him on the show and if he won the competition -- but he says he was cool under pressure compared to the other contestants.
"They were much more nervous than i was and they cook more regularly than me, but it was a nerve wrecking experience. You get there really early, if you win you stay there until 10pm for interviews. It was a great experience."
I'm no food judge - but I had to try Les's cooking.
"Besides the taste, it's all in the eyes."
"It's a Gold recipe, a Les Gold recipe. Not just a pretty face at the pawn shop."
That episode of Chopped airs Monday at 8 p.m. on the Food Network.
Candied Nuts Recipe
1 cup
1/4 cup white granulated or powdered sugar
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1. Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat, add 1 cup nuts, 1/4 granulated sugar and 1 Tbsp butter.
2. Heat over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently so your mixture doesn't burn (especially towards the end).
When the sugar mixture starts melting, stir constantly until all sugar is melted and nuts are coated.
3. Transfer immediately onto a cooking mat or parchment paper and separate the nuts right away.
