The Mind of a Chef

2012 • PBS
4.9
144 reviews
TV-PG
Rating
Eligible
Watch in a web browser or on supported devices Learn More

Season 4 episodes (16)

1 Prune
9/6/15
Join Chef Hamilton as she shares what drives a reluctant chef and her “family.” Step into her shoes to spend a day working at her beloved East Village restaurant, Prune.
2 Garbage
9/13/15
Explore what is, and what is not, garbage in the kitchen as Chef Hamilton demonstrates how dishes get better the longer you re-use ingredients.
3 Rome
9/20/15
Venture into this ancient city to see what makes it a culinary hub and one of Chef Hamilton’s first loves. During her trip, she cooks old favorites and learns some new skills.
4 Hunger
9/27/15
Explore the many meanings of hunger and how hunger influences Hamilton as a person and chef. She chronicles the way cooks can make the best of what they have.
5 Past
10/3/15
Join Chef Hamilton as she revisits her past and sees how it influenced her as a chef. She not only goes to forage along a stream, but also meets up with old family friend to cook up some comfort food.
6 Hustle
10/10/15
Roll up your sleeves and learn why hustle is at the core of the restaurant game. Chef Hamilton meets up with an old friend to talk about harder times and the joys of cooking humble and memorable dishes.
7 Napkin
10/17/15
Explore both contemporary and classic Italian culture with Chef Hamilton as she takes in the century-old work around her that’s grounded in tradition and respect, but also quiet and not for personal gain.
8 Evolution
10/24/15
Venture into the unknown with Chef Hamilton as she explores what’s next for her career and the challenges associated with making the decision to step away from life in the kitchen. Jacques Pepin demonstrates techniques and Mario Batali offers advice.
9 Fire
10/31/15
Things can change in an instant, as Chef David Kinch discovered in July of 2014, when he got a fateful call that his restaurant Manresa had burned nearly to the ground.
10 Legacy
11/7/15
Food is evolution, and wise chefs never forget from whence they came. A solid foundation allows them to test new boundaries and push things to new limits.
11 Ocean
11/14/15
Nothing is more calming or inspiring than the sea, and living in Santa Cruz, Chef David Kinch is never far from one of his many muses.
12 Strawberry
11/21/15
A dish is only as good as its ingredients, but an ingredient can also be manipulated in many ways. In this episode, David Kinch focuses his attention to the strawberry, at the height of its season during production, to celebrate the summer favorite.
13 Balance
11/28/15
For Chef David Kinch balance in life is as important as balance in a dish. And seeking that balance means walking away form the bustle of the line and demands of running the restaurant.
14 Restrictions
12/5/15
Diners these days can be pickier than ever, and they seem to have no problem telling a chef how to do his or her job. Allergies, self-diagnosed sensitivities and customer “dislikes” have become the bane of several chefs’ existence.
15 New Orleans
12/12/15
When your first restaurant job is Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, you are inevitably destined for great things. As a high school student in New Orleans, David’s eyes were opened by the glamorous Crescent City institution, and a long career in cuisine followed.
16 25 Bites
12/19/15
A perfect tasting menu relies on balance, and on not fatiguing a customer’s palate. Based on that theory, no meal should be more than 25 bites.

About this show

From ramen to rotting bananas, Copenhagen to Kansas City, pork buns to golf clubs, THE MIND OF A CHEF combines travel, cooking, history, science, and humor into an unforgettable journey. Join executive producer and narrator Anthony Bourdain as he takes viewers inside the mind of noted Korean-American chef and restaurateur David Chang, a New York Times best-selling author and chef/owner of the Momofuku restaurant group. Chang brings a voracious appetite for food knowledge and a youthful exuberance to cooking and travel, whether cooking in his kitchens in New York and Australia or traveling for inspiration to Japan, Denmark, Spain or Montreal.

Ratings and reviews

4.9
144 reviews
Bryant Laney
September 26, 2015
I have binge watched every episode of this series and it is fantastic and inspiring.
3 people found this review helpful
Did you find this helpful?
Chuck
May 7, 2017
My favorite Sunday morning cooking show. Highly recommend.
Did you find this helpful?
E
October 31, 2014
Good show, like it!
Did you find this helpful?

Rate this show

Tell us what you think.