A New Queen of the Kitchen

September 19, 2013 PBS Wisconsin Leave a Comment

First there was Julia Child. Then Martha Stewart and Lidia. Is 2013 the year we pass the baton again? Perhaps. In October, we’ll welcome Chef Vivian Howard to the public television family. Her reality foodie series A Chef’s Life is poised to steal some of Martha’s Thursday night thunder in the coming weeks.

A Chef’s Life is a character-driven documentary and cooking series that takes viewers inside the life of Chef Vivian Howard, who left the big city to open a fine dining restaurant in small-town Eastern North Carolina.

While Martha gives you straightforward classic cooking tips and techniques (which this amateur chef is very appreciative of), A Chef’s Life puts technique on the back burner and, instead, paints a dramatic picture of what it takes to open and manage a farm-to-table restaurant.

The show beautifully walks viewers through the entire process, from meeting with food producers in the field, to menu planning and cooking to plating an exquisite dinner – a lot of work for one couple to juggle! While menu planning with her husband Ben – and twin toddlers in tow – the couple joke that they’re making the little ones salivate. (Not sure how a toddler would enjoy bacon fat croutons).

The 13-part show premieres 7 p.m. Thursday Oct. 3. But…you can watch the first episode “Sweet Corn & Expensive Tea” online now. It’s a gorgeous episode with an unfortunate dramatic ending that’s sure to fuel your desire to watch more.

PS: If you like A Chef’s Life, stay tuned for Around the Farm Table, a Wisconsin-based food and farming adventure that premieres Thursday, Nov. 7.

 

A Chef's Life Cooking Show Vivian Howard