Meet our host
If you follow food, you've heard of Mark Bittman. He's an acclaimed food journalist, personality and writer of over 20 books including the How to Cook Everything series and the award-winning Food Matters. He was the lead food writer in the Sunday Magazine for the New York Times, where he became the country's first food-focused op-ed columnist for a major news publication. Mark has a history of sharing our True to Food vision of authenticity and respect for the food on every level.
Know thy butcher
We highly suggest being on a first name basis with your local whole animal butcher. Highly dedicated to the craft, their guidance can make a real difference in what you bring to the table. Meet Sam Garwin of Fleishers Craft Butchery in New York as she talks to best-selling author and former New York Times columnist, Mark Bittman about what it takes to make your meal better on every level. Sam knows her farmers well, and that relationship plays a part in the way the meat tastes.
Rising to the occasion
Ever noticed how a trip to your local baker can feel like a visit to an art gallery? Blends of shiny golden creams, deep browns, and flashes of off-whites are displayed by experts who know their craft. It turns out they have a secret that makes all the difference: steam. In this episode of True to Food films, Mark Bittman introduces us to Ellen King, co-owner and head baker of Hewn Bakery in Evanston, Illinois. Among many other things, they discuss the important role the best ingredients and the right equipment play in making bakery-worthy bread at home.
Mother Nature knows best
Creating wine can be an incredibly delicate process, one that plays out all along the way. Time, terroir, chemistry, luck, and preservation are all equally important factors in deciding if a wine is going to be incredible, or undrinkable. Only a seasoned vintner with an eye for each of these provides a wine that consistently hits the mark. In this True to Food episode, Mark Bittman will meet with vintner, Jean-Charles Boisset. Together they’ll discuss what it takes to develop a superior tasting wine - including how going organic is really just scratching the surface.
The art of preservation
Making French pastries beautiful, delicate, and appealing is a craft that requires a determined spirit, and the heart of an artist. In this episode of True to Food films, Mark Bittman introduces us to Kaitlin Guerin, owner of Lagniappe Baking in New Orleans. Committed to working with local, seasonal ingredients and staying connected to her Louisiana roots, Kaitlin knows her intricate masterpieces are only as good as what goes into them. Among many other things, Mark and Kaitlin discuss the important role that precise temperature control plays in preserving the perfect balance of flavor and texture of her culinary creations throughout the days-long pastry-making process.
A philosophy of food
In the hustle and bustle of New York’s financial district, it’s easy to feel separated from fresh food’s origins. Fortunately, renowned chef and culinary icon Jean-Georges Vongerichten has taken on this challenge by introducing the Tin Building. In this True to Food episode, our host Mark Bittman joins his good friend for an exclusive tour of this epicurean wonderland to learn about its roots, his dedication to fresh and sustainable food, and how he’s creating a new chapter as New York’s culinary epicenter.
