A few weeks ago I described my lack of enthusiasm for a television series on wine, Oz and James’ Big Wine Adventure. Shortly afterward, I received another DVD recommendation from Merry Ann, the librarian, here in Creston. “You will love this,” she said, handing over the disks containing the first season of Diary of a Foodie.
A couple weeks later, with nearly 50 episodes (they each run for 24 minutes) under my belt, I am hooked.
The series was produced by Gourmet, a magazine I subscribed to more than 20 years ago. Dazzling photos and wonderful recipes were the appeal but I eventually let the subscription lapse. Living in a small town where many of the ingredients were impossible to find and having a couple of young kids at the table didn’t provide the ideal conditions for meals that were more exotic than practical in many cases.
I’ve spent some time in the website since Ann passed on that first season of Diary of a Foodie. With joy, I discovered that all of the episodes can be watched directly from that website, which is one of the most user-friendly sites I have ever visited. Each episode emerges from a picture box. Click on the arrow and it plays in its entirety. Use the enlarge icon to watch it full-screen size. Hook the computer up to your television and watch it in large, high-definition format. It’s that easy.
Even better, below the picture box for each episode is a list of recipes for each dish referred to in the show. Click on a recipe and the complete details appear.
So what is the appeal of the program? Gourmet describes the series: “With the breadth of international travel combined with a passion for food, Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie delivers a unique cultural look at the world, food first. Each episode of this mouthwatering food, culture, and travel series dives into the diverse realm of the world’s greatest cuisine, from New Zealand’s purest honey to Italy’s famous parmigiano reggiano. Over the course of 20 half-hour (season one) episodes, this James Beard Award-winning series promises to unearth an all-new feast of fabulous food trends, exotic ingredients and in-the-know food players.”
What I especially like is that the series is like a smorgasbord, allowing the viewer to dip into an enormous variety of topics, from the traditional foods of Oaxaca to the exotic creations of the guys I call mad scientists of the kitchen, who use liquid nitrogen to quick-freeze whipped cream concoctions and laser beams to create thyme smoke that is captured in an upside-down wine glass, to be turned over in front of a customer who has ordered a dish whose flavor is enhanced by the aroma. While many foodies are disdainful of these science-obsessed chefs and their love of things like intensely-flavoured foams, I like the idea that they push the boundaries of cuisine. And they are certainly just as passionate as others in the food world.
It is reassuring, too, to know that there are farmers who are succeeding with crops like heirloom tomatoes and heritage potatoes, making small batches of high quality butter from free-range Jersey cows and finding ways — in Tasmania, of all places — to grow truffles.
I don’t think I have watched an episode that I haven’t made a mental note to watch again. Each one is like taking a compact tour of into a different aspect of food around the world and each has at least an idea or two that even an amateur cook can apply in a home kitchen. Included in each 24-minute segment is a presentation by one of Gourmet’s editors, who demonstrate how to prepare a dish, usually quite simply, in the home kitchen.
A food and wine lover who hasn’t checked out Diary of a Foodie at www.gourmet.com/diaryofafoodie is missing out on a great treat.
Lorne Eckersley is the publisher of the Creston Valley Advance.
