Season One: Season 1 : gourmet.com

Cure de Force

Episode 16

Curing: Used to preserve food and enhance flavor, but this method of aging, salting, and smoking food creates spectacular culinary effects. Join us as the masters of curing from around the world share their closely guarded secrets.

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RECIPES
Bresaola Carpaccio with Gribiche Vinaigrette
Croissant Egg Sandwiches
Hearty Lentil and Chorizo Soup
Potato and Celery-Root Gratin with Smoked Haddock
Spaghetti Alla Carbonara
Tea-Smoked Duck Breasts

Raising the Bar

Episode 17

What does it take to turn a run-of-the-mill beverage into an exceptional drink? We’ll observe artisans across the globe as they elevate wine, beer, and spirits into libations as sophisticated as a fine meal.

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RECIPES
Cheddar Beer Soup
Chocolate Stout Cake
Chocolate Whiskey Bundt Cake
Pan-Seared Steaks with Bourbon-Shallot Sauce
Pisco Sour
Stilton Cheese Puffs
Stout-Braised Short Ribs

Countries around the globe have differing standards of food safety. Most government health organizations quickly ban foods that pose potential health risks. But there is an entirely separate category of cuisine that falls into the “gray zone”—it’s not necessarily dangerous, but it is banned for a variety of other reasons. Often, with this controversial fare, what is legal in one country is considered contraband in another. Join us as we learn about the reemergence of mind-altering Absinthe in France; gourmet uses of the coca leaf; Ireland’s potent Poitin liquor; and an illegal foie gras update to the Chicago-style hot dog.

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RECIPES
Chicken Faux Gras
Slow-Roasted Pork Belly

Anatomy of a Meal II with Lydia Shire

Episode 19

Lydia Shire is a legend in her own time, a culinary pioneer who featured offal on the menu at the Boston’s legendary Locke Ober Restaurant at a time when other chefs shied away from entrails. Now that the rest of the world has caught up, this intrepid chef is on a new mission: to counter the no-fat, no-fun fad that encourages eliminating butter, meat, and salt from our diets.

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RECIPES
Chimichurri Sauce
Grilled Sweetbreads
Lobster Stew
Parmesan Sauce
Super-Prime Côte de Boeuf

Avant Garde à la Carte

Episode 20

A new generation of chefs is exploring the bold frontier of molecular gastronomy, an emerging culinary discipline that focuses on the science of cooking. They think about the restaurant experience as a whole, the emotions surrounding the food, and the way it is served. First, we’ll learn how Raymond Capaldi uses liquid nitrogen as an unusual palate cleanser in Australia. Then, we’ll visit two Chicago innovators: Homaru Cantu, a culinary wizard who serves innovative fare such as edible menus and dehydrated pastries; and chef Grant Achatz, whose high-tech creations at four-star restaurant Alinea are served on specially designed sculptural holders with no flatware. Join us as we discover how these avant-garde chefs are creating new and exciting foods that are cutting edge, delicious, and above all, entertaining.

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RECIPES
Carrot Foam with Chocolate Sorbet