DOCUMENT: Crime

"Frugal Gourmet" Settles Sleazy Sex Charges

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"Frugal Gourmet" Settles Sleazy Sex Charges

With a trial only days away, Jeff Smith, TV's "Frugal Gourmet," has just settled a lawsuit brought by seven men who claimed that the chef was a "predatory pedophile" who sexually assaulted them when they were teenagers. Terms of the financial settlement between Smith, a Methodist minister, and the men were not disclosed due to a confidentiality agreement (but here's an excerpt from the lawsuit filed last year in Washington Superior Court). While we prefer Marcella Hazan, The Smoking Gun did enjoy Smith's book "The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American." But not for the recipes. We love the cover photo, which captured a beaming Smith--who has a turkey in his lap--flanked by two cherubic Boy Scouts. (9 pages)