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Exclusive interview with Jeff Corwin: Food Network's Extreme Cuisine host with the most
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Jeff holding a conger eel in Morocco
Jeff Corwin has many outstanding accomplishments, including an Emmy win, and now he is the Food Network's host for the prime-time series Extreme Cuisine with Jeff Corwin. Jeff embarks on exciting and educational culinary adventures through culturally diverse lands. He dives in head first and learns all he can about the natives, the resources, the land, and of course, the food! In February 2009, Extreme Cuisine premiered as a one-hour prime-time special on Food Network, and it was then picked up for a full series premiering Thursday, September 17th, 2009.
Below is an exlusive interview I conducted with Jeff regarding his experiences while filming Extreme Cuisine, as well as some other things that may surprise you. Enjoy!
I watched the premiere episode of Extreme Cuisine that was filmed in Greece—you did such a wonderful job–great combination of knowledge and humor. Tell me a little about Extreme Cuisine in your own words?
Personally, I love my work with conservation and wildlife. But I have always had a passion for food and cooking. Where does food come from? Where do we get what we need to survive? How does it impact our national resources? It all comes from a secret love of food, and in this show I get to combine the biology and anthropology aspects to find out how we can go to the past and our ancestry and work it into the present. It is also a great chance for others to visit these fascinating regions.
Not to mention, we had a blast! There were so many hysterical moments. In the opener, I am milking a sheep, and I really don’t think I have ever laughed that hard! There were parts that had to be edited out—more appropriate for Sex and the City!
How long did the season take to film?
We are actually still filming. Each episode takes about ten days to shoot. We put a great deal of time into everything that we do. We don’t just show up for dinner and eat the food. I go harvesting for snails, dive for the octopus and help cook it.
We do lots of research before we arrive at a location. The crew and I also really want to capture the beauty of the regions to show to the viewers, which takes some time—but definitely worth it. It is amazing.
What was your favorite location? How did the natives treat you and the film crew? What was it like for them?
All the places we visited were great. Of course you know regions such as Greece, Morocco and Thailand will be great—but it is the places you do not have huge expectations for the really deliver. For example, we did an episode in Portland, Oregan where I explored the Native American communities. I went eel hunting with the Grand Ronde Tribe . We climbed waterfalls to catch these eels and prepare the day’s meal. The audience will experience so many fascinating stories—it is curiously very rewarding!
The natives of the regions were so welcoming to us. There is such a sense of pride… the people get really excited. They are happy that we are there to celebrate the cultural journey behind their food. Many of these regions gave us the food that they were going to eat. I am truly humbled by the whole experience.
In the Greece episode you made a comment about the odor of the lamb intestines getting to you a bit. Anything that you did not like to eat?
Extreme Cuisine is not about the shock value of what I eat or what others eat. The show is meant to tell stories about the connection and sustainability of resources in that area—what is locally produced and consumed. I leave my cultural prejudices at home and enjoy.
However, there are some obstacles. For example, in the segment where I am eating the lamb feast… the crew and myself were incredibly sick from the airplane ride and the food they served on the flight. Did I want to be eating lamb intestines, although very tasty, in 110 degree heat? Of course not—that is when it feels like a job. You want to be home in your PJs watching soap opera, right? But, you just pray to the powers that be and go for it.
Must have been exhausting? Were there times when you felt like you needed a break?
You just gotta keep going. You have to be in the right frame of mind and think “This is a great story, and I get to tell it!” But yes, it can be very taxing.
Are your wife and kids adventurous eaters like you?
Both my wife and children traveled with me to Greece to shoot the premiere episode. We have tried hard to open our kid’s minds to food. At home we grow our own berries and apples to name a few, and we try and catch our own regional fish. My daughter helps with the lobster traps, which is a lot of fun. But, once they get to school you know what is going to happen—all carbs and fried foods. But we try our best.
Tell me about your new book “100 Heartbeats” due out at the end of October, along with the MSNBC documentary that accompanies it airing November 22?
Well, I just finished the book.
You know, one day, my daughter and I were watching a show that I had done, although I don’t like to watch myself on television. It was The Vanishing Frog, an Animal Planet special about the Panama Golden Frog. My daughter made a comment that she really wanted to see one of those beautiful frogs, which is now extinct—in that short amount of time. We lose one species of life every 20 minutes. So, I started looking back over my experiences that was my motivation.
Final thoughts regarding Extreme Cuisine?
Again, Extreme Cuisine is not about the fear factor aspect of the food . In the end, it is about how we use natural resources. We need to be wise. Others are wise because they have to be. Regions such as Thailand eat insects as a form of protein—it has been done for thousands of years--and they figured out how to do it and make it tasty. It is not “weird” for them, it is life.
This show is a leap for me, and a leap for Food Network, but if the audience is willing to come along for the ride, they will have a great time as well as be informed!
See Photos of Jeff's Extreme Cuisine adventure
Read a Jeff Corwin's bio
Make Jeff's top recipes
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