star ingredients

Season 01,  Episode 02 | Manresa and Love Apple Farm – California

Join Eric as he demonstrates the importance of quality ingredients in great cooking. In the kitchen of Le Bernardin, Eric takes us through the preparation of raw ingredient dishes, such as smoked salmon with organic farm raised caviar (Yes, he’s become a convert to farm-raised caviar!). We then travel with Eric to California, and visit with his good friend, surfer, gardener and chef, David Kinch. From surfing in Santa Cruz to sampling the garden and restaurant delights in Los Gatos, Eric is inspired by his friend’s homage to the garden and the sea. Back home, Eric prepares a simple and delicious seared salmon with sautéed pea shoots and ginger-soy vinaigrette.

Recipes from This Episode
Hog Wash
Whole Roasted Red Snapper
Oyster and Sea Lettuce Salad

FARMING THE SEA

Season 01,  Episode 03 | Hog Island Oyster Company – California

On today’s episode we travel with Eric to experience farming the sea. We begin at Le Bernardin with the preparation of thousands of pounds of fresh fish delivered every morning to the restaurant. Eric then travels to Hog Island, a California shellfish farm whose millions of oysters and clams naturally clean the sea they are grown in. Back in his home kitchen, Eric is inspired to make a whole roasted red snapper with Thai spices and coconut rice.

birth of a dish

Season 01,  Episode 04 | Livorno – Italy

On today’s episode, we go on a journey with Eric to follow the birth a new dish. Eric travels to coastal Livorno in Tuscany where he starts the day early in the morning at the local fish and vegetable markets. He then heads into the kitchen to watch the preparation and enjoy eating a traditional fisherman’s stew called cacciucco. Inspired by this red wine fish stew, we next join Eric at his restaurant as he and his team of chefs create a new dish using these traditional flavors with new techniques. Back home, Eric shows us how to prepare a home kitchen version of the codfish Basquaise they created at Le Bernardin.

teamwork

Season 01,  Episode 05 | Melissa’s Garden Bee Sanctuary – California

On today’s show Eric explores the importance of teamwork – in the remarkable complexity of a honeybee hive, in the coordination of the staff of a 4-star restaurant, and in the harmony of contrasting flavors in a great dish. After traveling to the fascinating Melissa Garden Honeybee Sanctuary in Northern California, Eric returns home and creates a spice crusted duck breast with orange-honey glaze and cumin scented carrots.

Recipes from This Episode
Roasted Capon
Roasted Chicken
Romaine Salad

traditions

Season 01,  Episode 06 | Stone Barns with Dan Barber – NY

This week, Eric finds inspiration in the past and shows us how traditional practices can create a base for great cooking. Eric shares his grandmother’s traditional capon recipe with the sous chefs at Le Bernardin. He then travels to Stone Barns in New York’s Hudson River Valley where Chef Dan Barber explains how the farm’s focus on and reinterpretation of traditional farming practices results in remarkable ingredients. Eric then returns to the home kitchen to share his grandmother’s recipes for perfectly roasted chicken and salad vinaigrette.

ARTISANAL

Season 01,  Episode 07 | Villa Panna, Il Palagiaccio

This week, join Eric as he experiences the lifestyles of culinary artisans up close in Tuscany. Eric goes to a farm where they gather chestnuts for cooking and for feeding their prize-winning cows. He visits the outdoor markets where all sorts of artisanal products are sold. He learns about the cheesemaking process at the renknowned dairy, Il Palagiaccio. Last, Eric visits with restaurateur, Giovanna Carcasci, where they make spinach ricotta ravioli just like she did as a small child. Back at home in New York, Eric is inspired to make a French adaptation of the classic Italian linguini carbonara.

perfect pairings

Season 01,  Episode 08 | Eric and Aldo Sohm, Iron Horse Vineyards

In this episode, Eric explores the fundamental relationship between food and wine, in which perfect pairings serve to elevate the quality of each. We begin at Le Bernardin where Eric and his Sous Chefs challenge his Chef Sommelier, Aldo Sohm, to find the perfect wine pairing to accompany a spicy new crab salad. Eric then travels to California to visit the Iron Horse vineyard where they make a great sparkling wine that pairs beautifully with melon, tomatoes and fresh goat cheese.

Back home with lots of inspiration, Eric again challenges Aldo to create perfect pairings with 3 canapés—salmon rillette, garlic herbed goat cheese, and guacamole.

OIL & WINE

Season 01,  Episode 09 | Eric visits Castello de Fonterutoli

Join Eric this week as he explores the fascinating parallels between olive oil and wine. We get an insider look at one of the regular olive oil blind tastings done at Le Bernardin to ensure that the restaurant is using the best oil to enhance the flavor of the dishes. Eric then travels to the Chianti region of Tuscany, which is known not just for its wine, but also its olive oil. We visit the Fonterutoli estate where they produce both wine and olive oil, and where Eric gets an up-close look at the process of making olive oil—which is not dissimilar to the process of making wine.

Back home, Eric is inspired by his journey to make a succulent chicken paillard with tomatoes, fennel and olives.

craftsmanship

Season 01,  Episode 10 | Flowers Winery – Sonoma Coast, California

In the last episode of the season, Eric takes a closer look at craftsmanship and the importance of hands-on skills in cooking. We start in Le Bernardin where we follow the fastest fish butcher in the business as he precisely prepares the hundreds of pounds of fish needed for the restaurant each day. We also take a look at the intricate desserts prepared by the restaurants talented pastry chef. Eric then travels to the Sonoma coast of California and the Flowers winery where he follows the highly technical process being used to craft their impeccable pinot noir. Back home in New York, Eric demonstrates his craft in cooking a fabulous dish of scallops with tomato compote and champagne beurre blanc.