Tom Kerridge, an English Michelin-starred chef who owns The Hand and Flowers, the only pub in the UK with two Michelin stars, heads stateside. The show airs tonight 19 September at 9pm on the Food Network here in the UK and viewers can expect to see an honest and humble approach to U.S. cuisine as Kerridge goes on the search for the nation’s favourite dishes and lesser-known delicacies.
The series kicks-off on the North Coast of California where he meets culinary pioneers creating fantastic food made from local ingredients. From forest foraging to fishing, Kerridge chats with local chefs and uncovers what makes their dishes so popular. In episode one, Kerridge visits The Bewildered Pig in Philo, Mendocino County, before heading to Bodega Bay in Sonoma County where he visits a seafood shack selling the freshest Clam Chowder around. The episode finishes with a beach barbeque in true California style.
As the series continues, Kerridge travels to Oakland where he explores the city’s 20-year-old Chinatown, learns how to make traditional Northern Chinese noodles, and uncovers the history of the Fortune Cookie. (Spoiler alert: they were actually invented in America.) With the help of award-winning food writer and celebrity chef Tanya Holland, Kerridge discovers the story behind Soul Food and makes a spiced pumpkin pie as his “ode to Soul Food.”
On his final California stop, Kerridge heads into lush Yolo County in the Central Valley where organic cooking is king. Getting his hands dirty, Kerridge experiences the farm-to-fork movement by harvesting asparagus. In Gold Country Kerridge visits the capital city of Sacramento where he samples the region’s speciality—“Dirty Balls,” also known as deep fried sprouts. Finally, he finds out how one chef is singlehandedly revolutionising hospital food by using fresh, organic produce to bring nutritious, local food to patients. In his kitchen, Tom whips up a delicious walnut and orange cake.
Make sure you tune in tonight for the first installment of this appetising new TV series.
