Episode 1
Episode 1

Blackberry Farm

“On the farm, there’s a kind of self-sufficiency, a way of looking at both the past and the future.” —Ruth Reichl


In the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, Blackberry Farm embodies the heritage of American cooking that is informing the fresh and simple way we want to cook right now. Join Ruth and Academy Award winner Frances McDormand at this culinary resort as they slide into waders to fly-fish for rainbow trout, then roll up their sleeves and harvest their own dinner.


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Episode 2

Jon Rowley’s Seattle

“This is really a cuisine of ingredients, not of technique. That’s why I’m taking cooking classes taught by somebody who is a master of the perfect ingredient at the perfect time.” —Ruth Reichl


No one knows more about fish than Jon Rowley. Julia Child dubbed him “the fish missionary,” and he teaches chefs across the country how to properly handle seafood. Ruth arrives just in time for the start of the Copper River salmon season, and Rowley catches and brings back the best Alaska has to offer for a lesson on how to fillet a 40-pound fish. Then, Rowley shows Ruth and actor Tom Skerritt how to forage for clams and how to prepare a meal right on the beach. Ruth also gets tips from chef Greg Atkinson of Canlis Restaurant on preparing fish and discovers the shocking differences between good and bad seafood.


WATCH THE FULL EPISODE
GET THE RECIPES | Download season one video podcasts at iTunes.
Episode 3

The Bertinet Kitchen, Bath

“Richard Bertinet showed us his revolutionary way of baking bread, and I’m never going to see flour the same way ever again.” —Ruth Reichl


Bath, England, is the orderly city of Jane Austen novels, a complete fantasy of what life is like in the English countryside. Here, renowned teacher and baker Richard Bertinet introduces Ruth and Academy-Award winner and novice breadmaker Dianne Wiest to his uniquely beautiful bread-making process. He also demonstrates how he puts his own French spin on recipes that make the most of local treasures—a walled garden bursting with heirloom produce, an old-fashioned mill with a different flour for every need, and an extraordinary dairy that makes classic clotted cream.


WATCH THE FULL EPISODE
GET THE RECIPES | Download season one video podcasts at iTunes.
Episode 4

Enrica Rocca’s Venice

“No matter how many times you come to Venice, you don’t really get any sense of what it’s like to live here. This time, I’m going home knowing what it means to be Venetian.” —Ruth Reichl


Jump into a gondola with Ruth and Academy-Award winning actress Dianne Wiest as they learn how to cook and eat like true Venetians from Enrica Rocca, an Italian countess. Rocca leads them through the Rialto market, where they get to shop with the locals, then bring back their finds to the Rocca family’s 16th century palazzo for cooking lessons in high Venetian style. But it’s not all work; the curriculum also calls for a traditional Venetian Prosecco spritz break at 11 a.m. and a chocolate-tasting adventure.


WATCH THE FULL EPISODE
GET THE RECIPES | Download season one video podcasts at iTunes.
Episode 5

Cocinar Mexicano

“I came to Tepoztlán looking for the secret of authentic Mexican cooking; I found fabulous recipes that I will be cooking the rest of my life.” –Ruth Reichl


In the mountains south of Mexico City, Tepoztlán stands guard over a wealth of traditional recipes and local specialties. At Cocinar Mexicano, classes are taught by local women whose knowledge and skills have been passed down through generations. Here, Ruth and Gourmet food editor Ian Knauer commune with all the many forms corn takes on—by milling ancient strains of corn for masa, stuffing squash-blossom tamales, and mastering the tricky art of tortilla-making.


WATCH THE FULL EPISODE
GET THE RECIPES | Download season one video podcasts at iTunes.


Episode 6

Peggy Markel’s Morocco

“We're making couscous, tagines, and Moroccan breads; and through this amazing food, we're going to learn the spice of life.” —Ruth Reichl


From the heady aroma of a spice shop in the market to the sparkling air of a Kasbah in the Atlas Mountains high above the city, Marrakech offers food that awakens all your senses. Join Ruth and Academy Award-nominated actress Lorraine Bracco as they learn from local cooks how to make the most of all the vibrant ingredients found at this cultural crossroads. As they get their hands dirty rolling couscous from scratch and preparing flavorful tagines, they learn the importance of taking your time when cooking something really meaningful.



WATCH THE FULL EPISODE
GET THE RECIPES | Download season one video podcasts at iTunes.

Episode 7

Yara Roberts’ Brazil

“Brazil is one of the most mysterious places on earth. I've tasted so many things here that I had not only never tried before but that I hadn't ever heard of.” —Ruth Reichl


Ruth and food writer John "Doc" Willoughby discover the flavors and charms of Paraty, Brazil, a perfectly preserved colonial village between Rio De Janiero and Sao Paolo. Cookbook author and teacher Yara Roberts shows them how the countrys most delicious dishes are the result of centuries of history—a blending of the traditions of the native Brazilians, Africans and Portuguese. Stand back as Ruth wields a machete to harvest hearts of palm, and raise a glass with Doc as he uncovers the tradition of cachaça.



WATCH THE FULL EPISODE
GET THE RECIPES | Download season one video podcasts at iTunes.

Episode 8

The Tamarind School, Laos

“Until I came to Laos, I thought I was a person who ate everything. Here, I discovered I haven't even begun to sample the menu of the world.” —Ruth Reichl


To discover the food of Laos, Ruth Reichl had to visit the country. There's really no other way to experience its strange and exotic cuisine. At the Tamarind Cooking School owned by native Joy Ngueamboupha and his wife Caroline Gaylard, she tries food that bites back, a salad with live red ants and their eggs, and learns the cultural and economic reasons behind the cuisine's big, spicy flavors. In the school's beautiful open-air classroom, Ruth tastes all the sour, the bitter, and the textural components that make Laotian food worth the trip.



WATCH THE FULL EPISODE
GET THE RECIPES | Download season one video podcasts at iTunes.

Episode 9
Episode 9

The Yangshuo School, China

“The food is like walking back in time and discovering a Chinese cuisine that is untouched by the modern world.” —Ruth Reichl


Ruth sets out to learn the intricacies of Chinese cooking in the most beautiful part of the country—the Southern province of Yangshuo. With its location bordering Vietnam comes an interesting mix of Canton, Hunan, and Vietnamese culinary traditions. Joined by acclaimed Dallas chef Dean Fearing, Ruth slurps springy Guilin noodles, harvests snails from muddy banks of the Li River, and bikes through the region's unique hills. At the Yangshuo Cooking School, they learn the art of simple dishes—how an enormous amount of flavor can come from just a few ingredients when carefully prepared.



WATCH THE FULL EPISODE
GET THE RECIPES | Download season one video podcasts at iTunes.

Episode 10

Julie Sahni's New York

“New York is my home, and I think it's the greatest place in the world to eat. The food here is diverse, extraordinary, and delicious.” —Ruth Reichl


In New York, you don't have to travel far to get all of the flavors of the world. Ruth Reichl and actor Jeffrey Wright explore a little slice of India hidden away in Queens, New York, with Indian cooking authority Julie Sahni. They visit supermarkets filled with otherworldly vegetables and street food vendors selling spice-packed paan. Then, Sahni invites us to her Brooklyn apartment to learn how to bring the flavors of India home—wherever you may live.



WATCH THE FULL EPISODE
GET THE RECIPES | Download season one video podcasts at iTunes.

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