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The Mind of a Chef

Season 4 · 16 episodes · Sep 5, 2015

In Season 4, enter the minds of chefs Gabrielle Hamilton and David Kinch. Follow these two great culinary figures from their home kitchens to destinations around the globe in search of ingredients, inspiration, and the perfect meal.

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    Episode 1

    Prune

    Sep 5, 2015

    With every chipped plate and hand-written to-do list, Gabrielle Hamilton’s “presence” is all over her NYC restaurant, Prune.

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    Episode 2

    Garbage

    Sep 12, 2015

    Having been raised in a large family with many mouths to feed, to then needing to fend for herself from a very young age, Gabrielle Hamilton is the master of utilizing scraps.

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    Episode 3

    Rome

    Sep 19, 2015

    Explore Gabrielle’s deep love with this ancient city.

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    Episode 4

    Hunger

    Sep 26, 2015

    From a very young age, Gabrielle Hamilton was left alone in her home to fend for herself. She rummaged through what was left in the pantry and refrigerator and satisfied her hunger with what she could scavenge. At 16, she moved to New York City where she used her jar of change to feed herself. All her experiences with hunger made her the chef she is today.

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    Episode 5

    Past

    Oct 3, 2015

    It’s an age-old saying, but where you have been is almost as important as where you are going and ultimately makes you who you are today. Gabrielle Hamilton has traveled the country and the world, but sometimes, it’s good to go back to your roots.

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    Episode 6

    Hustle

    Oct 10, 2015

    Surviving the restaurant game for 15 years in New York City takes some major hustle. From lying about her age to get her first dishwasher gig to lying about her tips, getting busted and charged with grand larceny, hustling was the easy part in running a restaurant for Gabrielle Hamilton.

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    Episode 7

    Napkin

    Oct 17, 2015

    Milan is a meeting ground of both contemporary and classic Italian culture. But what really entices Gabrielle Hamilton are the small details, an embroidered curtain, a classically non-garnished plate, a perfectly folded napkin.

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    Episode 8

    Evolution

    Oct 24, 2015

    Gabrielle looks long and hard at how she has evolved not only as a chef, but as a writer and restaurant owner.

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    Episode 9

    Fire

    Oct 31, 2015

    Things can change in an instant, as David discovered in July of 2014, when he got a fateful call that his restaurant Manresa had burned nearly to the ground.

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    Episode 10

    Legacy

    Nov 7, 2015

    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.

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    Episode 11

    Ocean

    Nov 14, 2015

    Nothing is more calming or inspiring than the sea, and living in Santa Cruz, David is never far from one of his many muses.

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    Episode 12

    Strawberry

    Nov 21, 2015

    A dish is only as good as its ingredients, but an ingredient can also be manipulated in many ways. In this episode, David focuses his attention to the strawberry, at the height of its season during production, to celebrate the summer favorite.

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    Episode 13

    Balance

    Nov 28, 2015

    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.

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    Episode 14

    Restrictions

    Dec 5, 2015

    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.

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    Episode 15

    New Orleans

    Dec 12, 2015

    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.

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    Episode 16

    25 Bites

    Dec 19, 2015

    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.