Uncork'd Entertainment
There are hundreds of food and travel shows out there. Heck, there are entire television channels devoted to both topics. Despite that, there’s often a lack of unique content. Most shows are formulaic and surface level, showing recipes for the home cook or providing marketing for any number of vacation destinations around the world. Some stand-outs include the likes of Bizarre Foods and Kitchen Nightmares: both provide a unique spin on travel and cooking content. From Scratch pushes similar boundaries, moving away from simple cooking instruction and travel marketing, and diving deep into the root of many cultures’ cuisines.
What makes From Scratch a unique food and travel TV series?
Hollywood nerds may recognize David Moscow’s name from the title credits of Big starring Tom Hanks. At 13, David’s first feature film role propelled him into a career as an actor. Now fully grown, David seeks a connection with food and nature he hasn’t felt since his childhood, running around the woods, foraging berries, and hunting small game. There’s something numbing about the way city life disconnects you from the food you eat: Where does it come from? What is it made of? Who makes it, and how? With these thoughts and questions in mind, David dreamed up an idea for a unique travel show.
In each episode of From Scratch, David meets with world-renowned and locally praised chefs in many countries including Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Finland, and the Philippines. Each chef prepares a signature dish based on the local culture, which David samples. After this meeting, David travels from farm to factory to kitchen, following (and making) the ingredients that form the signature dish he plans to create for these master chefs.
While David often lacks the cooking skills to match the masters he meets, this helps give viewers insight into the culinary arts, and his culinary ideas are always intriguing and lead the show on a host of fantastic food adventures. The addition of a cooking challenge to the food/travel genre is unique and will appeal especially to viewers looking for a low-stakes competitive element.
My favorite aspect of this show is the How It’s Made-type investigation of the growing, harvesting, and processing of base ingredients like flour, sugar, oil, and alcohol. Curious and honest documentation of food processing is lacking from most food content, making this show a must-watch for those who love Food Network’s Unwrapped.
Viewers will not only satisfy their cravings for fresh, international food but also feed their wanderlust with sumptuous imagery and insightful perspectives on the art of harvesting, hunting, fishing, and foraging in this series. It is a key reference material for food and travel enthusiasts.
How to use the cooking reality show From Scratch in your local public library
Those less interested in televisual entertainment can find the same enjoyment in a recently published book of the same name. From Scratch is a 2023 Nautilus Book Award Winner in which David delves into the cultures and environments that grow, harvest, and produce the food we all eat. This idea is both the book and the show’s greatest strength: The connection between the environment and the crops used to make each cuisine is highlighted throughout.
Anyone seeking globe-trotting content about food and culture won’t be able to get enough of this series. David’s curiosity about food and the people who create it acts as a perfect perspective for viewers to watch, learn, and appreciate the labor, tradition, innovation, and love that goes into every aspect of food from farm to table.
The series and book belong on any public library shelf that serves food, travel, and culture fanatics. Episodes of the series could be easily used to complement different chapters of the book during book club meetings. Likewise, copies of the book will fly off the shelves if viewers are directed to them. Consider a joint reading-viewing club where patrons meet to discuss the book and the series in tandem, driving up interest in both formats.
For foodie patrons with an insatiable appetite for culinary adventures intertwined with breathtaking destinations, From Scratch is an invaluable resource. David's exploration of the world's diverse food cultures not only tantalizes the taste buds but also serves as a travel guide.
This format could be continued for other food writers—such as Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern—who also produced television shows. If you’re looking for a foodie travel guide or a cultural documentary series to sate your patrons, From Scratch is a no-brainer for public libraries.
How to use the food documentary series From Scratch in your classroom
University librarians should consider this series for a number of its informative aspects. Culinary arts teachers, especially at the freshman or sophomore level, will find teachable moments in many aspects of each episode: Organic food, traditional food processing, foraging, and other chic topics in modern cooking are the stars of the show.
Similarly, they may find that some of David’s errors in the kitchen will give them the opportunity to quiz students about their palettes and menu planning skills: Many of his ideas would work with different execution, and some could be recreated as part of a lesson or perhaps extra credit. Episodes filmed in various nations and cultures explored may be worthwhile watches as introductions to a new culinary world, the products, and flavors that make certain cuisines so noteworthy.
Other coursework could benefit from the addition of From Scratch to the classroom. Many experts in cultural fields often repeat a well-known truism: If you want to understand a culture, start with its food. Food has been a driving force in civilization since the days of hunting and gathering, and food remains a staple of cultural expression no matter what a country’s staple crop is.
College instructors of history, sociology, and anthropology will find the focus on food culture unique and valuable as introductory material for the various countries and cultures explored in the series.
Those studying the environment will also benefit from many episodes, as sustainable farming, sustainable food manufacturing, and climate change are often discussed when David explores the many farms and facilities along the way to crafting his signature dish. This unique series can serve just about any library—academic or public—that serves patrons seeking information and entertainment about food, travel, and culture.
From Scratch currently has two seasons. You can purchase the food and travel show on DVD or find on several platforms, including Sling, fuboTV, and Philo. You can also purchase the recently published book of the same name.