During each show, Smith followed a recipe showing how to prepare a dish. He goes to different places by showing food from many different cultures. The show always ended with Smith saying "Until I see you again, this is the Frugal Gourmet; I bid you peace, bye-bye". Smith would remind his audience that "frugal" doesn't mean cheap. It means that you don't waste money. And "gourmet" means loving good food and wine.