April 10, 2009
The trendy New York restaurant wd-50 is a destination for foodies, thanks to chef Wylie Dufresne. Dufresne is a leader in the culinary movement called molecular gastronomy. Using surprising chemicals like liquid nitrogen, Dufresne invents dishes that both charm and confound. Kurt visits wd-50’s kitchen laboratory, where Dufresne begins to make our dish du jour: Eggs Benedict.
(Originally aired: November 21, 2008)
Wylie Dufresne loves state-of-the-art equipment, but his favorite kitchen tool is modest: the whisk. We asked an expert, Gourmet Magazine’s style director Corky Pollan, what makes a whisk really mix and beat.
(Originally aired: November 21, 2008)
Knoll Krest Farm, in New York's Dutchess County, supplies organic cage-free eggs to WD-50 and many other fine restaurants. Kurt and agricultural scientist Cynthia Shelly visit the farm. Kurt learns that life isn't so easy for chickens, especially when a fox gets in the henhouse.
(Originally aired: November 21, 2008)
Wylie Dufresne makes his unique Eggs Benedict, featuring a strange creation all his own: deep-fried hollandaise sauce. Food scientist John Coupland explains how the inventions of cutting-edge chefs sometimes find their way to the frozen food aisle of your supermarket.
(Originally aired: November 21, 2008)
Kurt sits down for our meal du jour with two eating experts: biopsychologist Marci Pelchat, of the Monell Chemical Senses Center, and John Willoughby, the Executive Editor of Gourmet Magazine. Dr. Pelchat identifies secret ingredients of Dufresne’s dishes: emotion, memory and nostalgia.
(Originally aired: November 21, 2008)
Michael Pollan is a food journalist who's made waves criticizing America's eating habits. His latest book is In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. Kurt spoke with Pollan about the lures and hazards of the organic bandwagon.
She built her sound in New Orleans and recorded her record, Hummingbird, Go! in her kitchen there, but she was born and raised in rural Sweden. Andersson is DIY to the extreme, looping guitar, drums, fiddle, vocals, and vinyl record samples. She tells Kurt how she does it and performs live in the studio.
(Originally aired: September 19, 2008)
Theresa Andersson performs "Na Na Na":
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