Culinary Arts

Brought to Europe by the Venetians, coffee houses sprung up in major continental cities throughout the17th century, around the same time coffee made its way across the Atlantic to America. In 1615, Venice received Europe's first shipment of green coffee beans and the Dutch were the first Europeans to cultivate coffee trees on the island of Java. In 1720, French Naval officer Gabriel Mathieu de Clieu traveled to Martinique with a coffee tree seedling and by 1777 there were almost 19 million coffee trees growing in Martinique. Coffee houses in the major cities of England, Austria, France, Germany, and Holland worked on new and interesting ways to serve the drink. The popularity of coffee spread through Europe to such an extent that, during the 17th and 18th centuries, there were more than 300 coffee houses in London. Dr. Matthew Green, who has been critically acclaimed for his Coffee House tours, gives Judith an insight into some of the famous coffee houses that once dominated the heart of London.

To any good cook, a meal is more than food—it’s a form of visual self-expression. This video demonstrates techniques used by professional chefs to create and serve food that pleases the eye as well as the taste buds. The principles of color, shape, texture, and arrangement are explained, in addition to garnish and plate choices that can make or break a dish. Flavor, which must work in conjunction with visual design, is also a crucial topic. Incorporating real-world presentation demos from professional chefs, the video gives students essential guidance in completing delicious culinary works of art. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. A Meridian Production.

Beer is the world’s oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic beverage and after water and tea is the third most popular drink overall. Currently China is the leading global beer producer with the Czech Republic the greatest consumers with an average of 143 liters of the amber gold sipped each year per person

Food has been long considered an art form. But for years, top chefs have also been dabbling in the world of science. Molecular Gastronomy is commonly used to describe the modern style of cuisine involving fancy foams, gels and smoke embraced by top chefs all over the world. This program takes a look a look at some of the processes involved in creating the perfect plate of food, from the science labs of University College Cork, to the Michelin-star kitchen of Chapter One restaurant in Dublin.

Experience a century of food through the life of James Beard, who spoke of the importance of localism and sustainability long before those terms had entered the vernacular. A cookbook author, journalist, television celebrity and teacher, Beard helped to pioneer and expand the food media industry into the billion-dollar business it is today. Distributed by PBS Distribution.

Today, the so-called ‘third wave’ of the artisanal coffee revolution is taking the world by storm. We visit a coffee plantation in Hawaii where beans are grown, harvested, dried and processed. We then see how coffee is roasted, blended and brewed, and learn how to identify different coffee flavors. In Seattle and London, Dean and Judith visit specialist coffee roasters and Judith also visits an independent artisan coffee outlet to discover the future of coffee. She meets a barista champion and author Tristan Stephenson who shows her some of the popular brewing methods available on the market such as the French press and the standard drip.