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In From Scratch, a reality food and travel show starring and co-created by David Moscow, food is a precious resource. Every ingredient Moscow cooks with is naturally sourced with respect for the environments and cultures that produce them.
Most of us don’t often think about where our food comes from. Not so for David Moscow, who in the first episode of From Scratch finds himself milking a water buffalo in Naples, Italy. He’s asking the question before we can: “How did I get here?”
The answer is surprisingly simple. Missing a deeper connection with his food, the New York-raised actor started From Scratch a mission to naturally source food and recreate dishes from different cultures—all from scratch, of course.
What is food sustainability?
Food sustainability encompasses various practices aimed at conserving the environment, preserving vital resources, ensuring global food security, and bolstering economic stability. By adopting sustainable farming techniques, we can reduce the environmental footprint of agriculture, minimize resource depletion, and protect biodiversity. This not only safeguards our natural ecosystems but also helps combat climate change.
How does David Moscow advocate for food sustainability in From Scratch?
David Moscow wants to connect with his food and the environment by naturally sourcing it, but how exactly does he do this? In each episode, the rookie cook/adventurer meets with a chef from a different country or U.S. state. They give Moscow a dish to try, then give him a list of ingredients he must hunt, gather, forage, and fish before learning how to cook the dish from scratch.
For example, Moscow visits Costa Rica in one episode. The lush, green environment is where Chef Manuel at Origins Restaurant enlists Moscow to source ingredients for his ceviche and gar. In the process, Moscow has to cut down a palm tree to collect sap for fermentation. He harvests vanilla beans that have been maturing for months. And he spends long hours fishing for the prehistoric gaspar, a fish native to Costa Rica.
Why is naturally sourcing food important?
With most of the world not giving a thought to where our food comes from, it’s vital that there are people, like those whom Moscow encounters in From Scratch, who are mindful of both environmental and consumer health in the process of growing their food. It can be very difficult when the rest of the world is going a different way.
In the From Scratch season 2 premiere, Moscow visits Marvin’s Garden to pick apples and peppers. There, owner Marvin Birt struggles to keep his farm going by refusing the use of pesticides and thus suffering damage to his produce. But the payoff is immense. Because, in the end, places like Marvin’s Garden produce food that is better not only for us as consumers but also for the environment.
How can we practice food sustainability?
David Moscow’s approach to cooking is certainly ambitious, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways we can incorporate his methods at home, such as:
- Gardening. Moscow gets a lot of his produce from people who grow food on farms and in greenhouses. With a personal or community garden, you can do the same on a smaller scale. You may even be able to get a community garden started at your local library.
- Fishing. Fishing is a great way to bring food directly from nature to your plate–but you need to first ensure you’re fishing in clean and unpolluted waters. Typically, websites for state governments and state parks will list viable fishing spots in your area.
- Hunting. Depending on where you live, it’s not always feasible to get out and hunt for your own food. If you do live in an area where it’s possible, make sure you have the proper permits and are operating within local laws. The meat industry is notorious for needlessly mistreating animals and hurting the environment, so hunting for yourself rather than purchasing meat from domesticated livestock can be a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and be a more ethical consumer.
- Foraging. Foraging can be a difficult practice, but if you can do so safely and ethically, it’s a great way to connect with nature. While some states ban foraging, others allow it on certain state-owned lands. Make sure to forage according to local law, educate yourself on what is safe to forage and eat, and don’t overharvest. A good rule of thumb is to not collect more than five percent of produce from an individual patch.
However you may attempt to source your own food, remember David Moscow’s words of wisdom during his adventures in From Scratch. For him, harvesting nature’s resources is about “trying to work in harmony with nature, rather than subduing it.”
Of course, nature is not always going to be prevalent where everyone lives. Even then, there’s the option of supporting farmers, as well as local stores and restaurants that naturally source their own food. And while not everyone has the resources and opportunities Moscow does in his reality cooking show, From Scratch will at the very least inspire you to pay attention to where your food comes from, and to make a deeper connection with your food and with your environment.
From Scratch is a food and travel show with a real-world impact
From Scratch is a food and travel documentary show like no other, in that it deeply cares about natural environments and cultures as much as the food Moscow plates.
While you won’t always be able to emulate the show’s mouth-watering recipes—unless you’re able to smoke butter with lamb dung or access fresh water from 300 feet below the surface of Malta—you’re sure to be inspired by From Scratch’s respectful treatment of nature in the food-sourcing process.
Whether you’re a professor teaching nutrition or environmental justice, a librarian organizing a food literacy program, or just an individual wondering how you can naturally source food for yourself, From Scratch is an educational, entertaining resource for your needs.
Viewers are taken on a captivating journey to explore what sustainable foods truly entail, shedding light on the importance of environmentally friendly and socially responsible food practices. The series not only educates but also inspires, making it a must-watch for anyone interested in consciously souring their food.
From Scratch currently has two seasons. You can purchase the food sustainability documentary series on DVD or find it on several platforms, including Sling, fuboTV, and Philo. You can also purchase the recently published book of the same name.