Dinner and a Date

Bill Kasal's exes bemoan the same thing — they miss his cooking.

“I'm not a chef, just a normal guy,” he says.

“But when you take a little time in the kitchen, it makes a huge impression.”

That kind of information is what Kasal passes along in his two-disc DVD set, “Bill's Simple Cooking for Guys to Impress Women.”

The Cathedral City resident found that a lot of guys are clueless in the kitch — and the cooking shows on TV aren't much of a remedy.

“I have tons of respect for the people on TV who are great chefs,” he said. “But do you know what sauteed truffle sauce au vin flambe is? Me neither. I just made that up.”

Now a freelance TV producer, Kasal might already be a familiar face to longtime desert dwellers.

On “Desert Living and Entertainment,” Kasal produced more than 230 half-hour programs about the Coachella Valley.

At KESQ, he was a producer, account executive and on-air weatherman.

He also was the co-host of the popular “Bob and Bill Show” on KPSI.

“People couldn't get away from me,” he joked.

The cooking DVDs were inspired by his time hosting “Desert Living and Entertainment.” Most episodes featured Kasal going to places throughout the valley or meeting interesting people.

It was the cooking shows, though, that drew fans.

“People would come up to me and rave about a cooking show I had done a year ago,” he said.

Because his mom's family was from Naples, Italy, Kasal grew up around good food, so cooking was something that came naturally. Even now Kasal feels most at home in his own kitchen, so that's where each show is filmed.

He prides himself on the simplicity of each recipe. The directions are plain and conversational — orzo is “football-shaped pasta,” for instance.

No fancy-schmancy ingredients necessary, no special gadgets required.

“This is all stuff I bought down the street at Albertson's,” he said.

“All you need are some pots and pans.”