TV Chef 'Mr. Food' -- Art Ginsburg -- dies at 81

WESTON, Fla. - Art Ginsburg, the delightfully dorky television chef known as Mr. Food, has died at his home in Weston, Fla.

Ginsburg, who was 81, enticed viewers for decades with a can-do focus on easy weeknight cooking and the tagline "Ooh! It's so good!" He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just over a year ago and died Wednesday. The cancer had gone into remission following early treatments and surgery, but returned earlier this month.

The team around Mr. Food posted a statement to mrfood.com on Wednesday.

"We are deeply saddened to announce (the) found of Mr. Food, Art Ginsburg, passed away today, Art's commitment to anyone-can-do recipes and passion for helping others made him well-loved among his peers and among television viewers and website visitors," the team wrote in a statement on the website.

"He was one of the first celebrity chefs and paved a road for many who came after him. His greatest love was for his wife, Ethel, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his daily visit into your homes via television," the statement continued.

Ginsburg had an unlikely formula for success in this era of reality cooking shows, flashy chefs and artisanal foods.

With a pleasantly goofy, grandfatherly manner and a willingness to embrace processed foods, Ginsburg endeared himself to millions of home cooks via 90-second segments syndicated to 125 local television stations around the country.