David Chang

Fine Fast Food

Episode 36

Who says fast food can’t be superb? Join us as we visit chefs around the world who are redefining the very concept of fast food. Chef David Chang of Momofuku Ssäm Bar in New York City turns out a spectacular meal in next to no time. In Florence, Italy, a vendor of tripe sandwiches shows us the glories of the city’s oldest form of fast food, while in Hong Kong we visit a local wonton noodle shop that has gained widespread fame for its recipe, which fans consider to be perfect. In the Gourmet kitchen, we’ll show you how to make Steak Diane in a flash, using a very unexpected ingredient.

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RECIPES
Bean Parathas
Pork-Belly Buns
Steak “Diane”
Tripe Salad

The World of Sweet

Episode 37

Sweet doesn’t necessarily just mean dessert—it is a basic flavor element in all types of food in cultures around the world. We’ll attend a traditional Moroccan tea ceremony, complete with amazing sugared pastries, then travel to Shanghai to sample a sweet meat dish. From Morocco to Vietnam to Shanghai, we’ll discover the many uses of sugar and learn why it’s an ingredient we simply can’t live without. Back in the Gourmet kitchen, we’ll share the gooey goodness of a homemade marshmallow.

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RECIPES
Toasted-Coconut Marshmallow Squares

Photograph by Romulo Yanes

nose

Aromas: Fragrance and Taste

Episode 38

Come with us as we fan out across the world to meet with chefs and scientists who are exploring the importance of aromas, proving that the fragrance of a dish does not come only from the ingredients it contains. At the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, we talk with a “taste scientist” who demonstrates the crucial role that aromas play in our enjoyment of food. In the French countryside, we meet a chef who enlivens the dining experience with a wide range of aromas from the plants in the garden just outside his door. And in the Gourmet kitchen, we’ll show you how to keep your kitchen smelling delicious, even when you cook fish.

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RECIPES
Jasmine Syrup
Peach-Jasmine Sorbet
Roast Halibut with Onion-Bacon Compote

Photograph by Shayla Hunter

Vietnam: The Taste of Simplicity

Episode 39

Join us on a trip to the incredible country of Vietnam, where fine cuisine is utterly simple. In a remote fishing village in the waters of Ha Long Bay, we’ll experience one of the most popular dishes in Vietnam: Canh Chua Ca (Sweet and Sour Fish Soup). Next we’ll take a caffeine-buzz tour with a food blogger to the many coffee houses in Hanoi. In Tay Ninh, the local rice paper at a family-run factory is so special that cooks come from all over Vietnam to stock up. Back in the Gourmet kitchen, Clay Pot Pork combines sweet, salty, and spicy in a single easy-to-make dish.

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RECIPES
Clay Pot Pork
“Finger” Fish Rolls
Vietnamese Coffee Zabaglione

Photograph by Daryl Benson/Getty

Drinks: The Golden Age of Spirits

Episode 40

Come along as we travel the globe to discover the exciting and flavorful world of spirits, looking into the slightly wacky world of mixology and meeting the cocktail artists who are raising the bar for bartenders everywhere. In the field of molecular mixology, risk-taker Tony Conigliaro is known for blending some of the most innovative cocktails in the UK. In India, we’ll watch Keralan coconut climbers make fresh liquor from the sap of a coconut tree. We’ll also visit a micro-distillery in New York, the first to produce bourbon, rye, and vodka in the state since Prohibition. And in the Gourmet kitchen, we’re reinventing the multi-layered Pousse-Café.

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RECIPES
Black Forest Shooter
Pousse-Café

Photograph by Romulo Yanes

keywords
diary of a foodie

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