As large network programming goes I am not a fan, and cannot remember much of any particular show that I clicked with since coming to America two decades ago.
Every person follows something they individually crave or have a deep affection for and seek out a life to live vicariously through the media they watch.
In our case both the wife and I love to eat and explore flavors - we live to eat - and try to appreciate the varied lifestyles of the people that inhabit this oblate hardware we call Earth. To that point we have been fortunate to visit some remote parts of this planet from the southern fringes of Australia and New Zealand to the northern latitudes of Alaska and some parts in between.
Food of course comes in many forms sometimes living and mostly dead (assuming it had parents) and can be manipulated in terms of texture and the final flavor profile before it hits your plate and your palate.
Growing up with a largely vegetarian diet in a country where a cow is sacred, I did not come to taste or consume any meaningful volume of meat till I hit the shores of the USA. From there it was and continues to be a culinary expedition of gargantuan proportions and portions (have you seen the latest size of a Kung Pao chicken # 25 on a Chinese menu?).
Television has had many a chef and restaurateur present their version of food discovery in studio or out but the best of the best to us is a show on CNN hosted by Anthony Bourdain.
The show is punnily titled 'Parts Unknown' as it is a time capsule that encompasses the story of a people from far corners of the globe and told through their food. Mostly food. Tony as he is affectionately called by those that know him goes in search of the everyday, the lifeblood of a place he visits and tries to extract the story behind the story through the food the people serve him. This causes him to explore politics, religion, beliefs, cultures, and the like that are taboo on many programs let alone a program with food as its central thesis.
But Tony in an interview claimed that he did not give a **** about what someone thinks and is shooting a program that he can craft as an artist would a sculpture. Surely there are editors and network hawks that tone down the heat in all that he produces but nevertheless the end result is delicious.
From the roadside stalls of Laos or Vietnam to the Michelin star NOMA in Copenhagen he deftly cuts through the meat with equal aplomb and style and presents a what I think is candid picture of what makes food great. His honest opinion that food does not have to be fancy or complicated to be amazing resonates deeply with us - the wife and I - who can attest that a good warm waran bhat with toop on a cold evening can hit the spot anyday.
Wish Tony many years of success with his travels and explorations and on the very off chance he happens on this blog request that he do a show entirely on Maharashtrian cuisine. He will not be disappointed and I will be waiting.
Every person follows something they individually crave or have a deep affection for and seek out a life to live vicariously through the media they watch.
In our case both the wife and I love to eat and explore flavors - we live to eat - and try to appreciate the varied lifestyles of the people that inhabit this oblate hardware we call Earth. To that point we have been fortunate to visit some remote parts of this planet from the southern fringes of Australia and New Zealand to the northern latitudes of Alaska and some parts in between.
Food of course comes in many forms sometimes living and mostly dead (assuming it had parents) and can be manipulated in terms of texture and the final flavor profile before it hits your plate and your palate.
Growing up with a largely vegetarian diet in a country where a cow is sacred, I did not come to taste or consume any meaningful volume of meat till I hit the shores of the USA. From there it was and continues to be a culinary expedition of gargantuan proportions and portions (have you seen the latest size of a Kung Pao chicken # 25 on a Chinese menu?).
Television has had many a chef and restaurateur present their version of food discovery in studio or out but the best of the best to us is a show on CNN hosted by Anthony Bourdain.
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| On a train bound for Shimla |
The show is punnily titled 'Parts Unknown' as it is a time capsule that encompasses the story of a people from far corners of the globe and told through their food. Mostly food. Tony as he is affectionately called by those that know him goes in search of the everyday, the lifeblood of a place he visits and tries to extract the story behind the story through the food the people serve him. This causes him to explore politics, religion, beliefs, cultures, and the like that are taboo on many programs let alone a program with food as its central thesis.
But Tony in an interview claimed that he did not give a **** about what someone thinks and is shooting a program that he can craft as an artist would a sculpture. Surely there are editors and network hawks that tone down the heat in all that he produces but nevertheless the end result is delicious.
From the roadside stalls of Laos or Vietnam to the Michelin star NOMA in Copenhagen he deftly cuts through the meat with equal aplomb and style and presents a what I think is candid picture of what makes food great. His honest opinion that food does not have to be fancy or complicated to be amazing resonates deeply with us - the wife and I - who can attest that a good warm waran bhat with toop on a cold evening can hit the spot anyday.
Wish Tony many years of success with his travels and explorations and on the very off chance he happens on this blog request that he do a show entirely on Maharashtrian cuisine. He will not be disappointed and I will be waiting.
I also love Anthony's shows I would love to have a job like him, traveling around the world knowing people and flavours.
ReplyDeleteOf course each job comes with its own stress but a good 'Bun cha' or 'mutton biryani' can cure it all
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