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Restaurant Richard Coutanceau
CHARENTE - La Rochelle, FRANCE
The name Coutanceau belongs to a dynasty in La Rochelle: Richard the father and his two sons, Christopher and Gregory, are the uncontested stars of local gastronomy. The garden produces Richard Coutanceau's inspiration while his storehouse is the Atlantic Ocean, to which his cuisine pays spectacular homage, day after day.
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THE BEST CHEFS takes us on a journey into the culinary philosophy and genius of each featured
chef. An exploration of the most beautiful gastronomic restaurants and châteaux introduces the
viewer to the history and culinary gems native to each beautiful region. The series takes us behind the scenes into the kitchens of these creative chefs who share their best-kept culinary secrets while presenting the dishes that either make them happy or have made them famous. Each of
these great chefs discuss their paths, inspirations and the catalysts which made them who they
are today.
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Hôtel L'Eau à la Bouche
Laurentides - Sainte-Adèle, CANADA
Chef Anne Desjardins and husband Pierre Audette have taken Quebec's farm products to new heights. Their restaurant, L'Eau a la Bouche, is a melting pot of Quebec's finest products served up in a setting showcasing the magnificent nature of the Lauentians: Quebec as the French love it best!
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Charlie Trotter's
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Responding to a call from Charlie Trotter, one of the most high-profile chefs in the US, chefs Heston Blumenthal and Tetsuya Wakuda crossed oceans to take part in a benefit evening. Chicago's big cheese turned out for this sizzling event serving up a taste of gastronomic vitality, American style.
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Le Petit Nice
Provence – Marseilles, FRANCE
Gerald Passedat is described as a cross between Gilbert Bécaud and Al Pacino. Yet he is the son of Jean-Paul Passedat, from whom he inherited Le Petit Nice, a magnificent “work tool” located on the most beautiful coast of Marseilles, which is perhaps the most mythical city in France.
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Le Jardin des Sens
Languedoc – Montpellier
The Pourcel twins were born the very day the Ephebe of Agde was raised from the Mediterranean after thousands of years — a powerful symbol for two of France's greatest culinary stars at the cutting edge of gastronomic exploration.
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La bastide Saint-Antoine
Provence – Grasse, FRANCE
Star of the Croisette, Jacques Chibois, has been at the Bastide Saint-Antoine in Grasse, the ‘fragrance capital of the world', since 1996. A friend to all chefs, this native of Limousin has become the ‘high priest' of olive oil and the gastronomy of Provence.
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Oustau de Baumanière
Provence - Baux-de-Provence,
FRANCE
When Raymond Thuilier opened the Oustau de Baumanière after the Second World War, no one remembered the Baux-de-Provence and its Val d'Enfer, which inspired the poetry of the great Dante. After 27 years at his side, his grandson Jean-André Charial now upholds the great tradition of the Relais et Châteaux in the most enchanting surroundings.
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Château de Locguenolé
BRITTANY– Hennebont, FRANCE
With grace and intelligence, Mrs. de la Sablière would have inspired the greatest classics. Ideally located along the Blavet River, just minutes from Lorient, this Locguénolé domain would have provided an ideal backdrop for the creation of great masterpieces. Given his talent and generosity, its chef, Jean-Bernard Pautrat would have delighted them with the finest products of dramatic and bewitching Brittany.
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Clos de la Violette
PROVENCE - Aix-en-Provence,
FRANCE
At the foot of Mont Sainte-Victoire, oft-painted by Cezanne, Jean Marc Banzo delights the people of Aix with his fine and very tasty culinary creations. The chef adores his town, and his town returns the feeling. Banzo manifests his hunger for adventure and exploration into his dishes.
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Citronelle
Washington D.C., USA
After 31 years in the United States, Michel Richard has remained more French than any of his colleagues in France. It was his Los Angeles restaurant that introduced gourmet palates to California. Today, his Washington restaurant rules this world capital. Michel Richard's genius and outreach are matched only by his joyful disposition.
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Loges de l'Aubergade
AQUITAINE- Puymirol, FRANCE
With the sumptuous décor of his dining room, the humour and efficiency of his cuisine, the beauty of his wife and the smoke spiralling from his cigar, Michel Trama never fails to win over his guests. Playful and adventurous, this self-taught chef is the envy of many professionals, and a true delight to lovers of fine food.
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Maison Troisgros
Rhône-Alps - Roanne, FRANCE
In his youth, the great Bernard Loiseau idolized the Troisgros brothers. Virtually every one of his colleagues who enjoyed his level of success was trained by them. Today, this family tradition is being perpetuated by Michel Troisgros and his wife, Marie-Pierre.
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Château de la Chèvre d'Or
Provence – Eze, FRANCE
Eze is a tiny medieval village perched on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean just minutes from Monaco. This site is so fabulous that its restaurant, Château de la Chèvre d'Or, would be full every night, even if it served nothing but French fries. Fortunately, Philippe Labbé, its young chef, is brimful of talent, ensuring a memorable dining experience.
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Le Moulin de Mougins
Provence – Mougins, FRANCE
Located between Grasse and Cannes, Mougins is the city of artists where Picasso spent his final days. It is here that the legendary Roger Vergé converted an old windmill into a mecca of world-class gastronomy and a museum of the great chef's friends: César, Folon and others.
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Hôtel du Centenaire
AQUITAINE - Les-Eyzies-de-Teillac,
FRANCE
At the doorway to the prehistoric land of the cromagnon, near the grottos of Lascaux and the domains of the Dor dogne River, Roland Mazère prepares dishes of such high precision they give the Perigord a whole new flavor.
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Restaurant L' Oasis
French Riviera - La Napoule, FRANCE
Stéphane Raimbault is the culinary Rimbaud and market Rambo. After ten years in Japan, he had his two brothers join him at the foot of the Esterel. Here, next to the famous château of an American eccentric, they help him operate the Napoule's renowned Oasis. On the menu: a gastronomic travelogue.
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Château Cordeillan-Bages
AQUITAINE – Pauillac, FRANCE
In the midst of an ocean of vines and the great vintages of the Medoc, Thierry Marx paints Caravaggio's on the tables of Cordeillan-Bages, the Relais Gourmand of the prestigious Lynch-Bages. Along with owner Jean-Michel Cazes, Marx is in the process of revolutionizing the peaceful village of Bages, on the west bank of the Gironde.
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Boyer “Les Crayères”
CHAMPAGNE – Reims, FRANCE
A native of this land, which gives local vines some of their world-renowned characteristics, young Thierry Voisin took over from legendary chef Gérard Boyer in this restaurant, which is perhaps the most sumptuous in the entire Champagne region.
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Homestead Inn
Connecticut – Greenwich, USA
Thomas Henkelmann left his home in the Black Forest, to learn his culinary trade from the greatest chefs before settling in New York, where he quickly became one of the leading ambassadors of French cuisine. Working with his wife Thérèse in his magnificent Greenwich inn, he continues to delight Manhattan's most discriminating diners.
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Cultural Flavors is a cooking tour that takes you around the world one dish at a time. Each episode of this 13 part series provides viewers with a snapshot of life around the dinner table of a different country. In every episode, the unique characteristics of local cuisine are shown, and afterwards each recipe is recreated step-by-step. Highlighted are the spices, vegetables, meats and seafood at the core of each country's culinary culture.
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The Debaters highlights the concept behind debating, its role in society and how it develops a global discourse for students to discuss important issues. Welcome to the cut-throat world of international school debating where feisty, intelligent teens from across the globe argue their way to the top. At the World School Debating Championships in Wales, we follow the journey of a top debating team and their determined coach as they face off against 36 countries in the battle for world domination.
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The spotlight falls on Berlin, an epicenter, of European contemporary art. When
the Berlin wall came down in 1989, artists moved in attracted by the city's bohemian
image and liberalism. Frank Thiel has documented the rapid rebirth and
architectural changes in the reunified Berlin and Norbert Bisky's violent, but
pastel scenes deal with disillusion in the utopia of a western world.
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Travel to Italy to discover more about its burgeoning contemporary art scene. We
meet rising star Patrick Tuttofuoco, who uses architecture as inspiration for his dynamic
sculptures and we meet il Padre of contemporary Italian art, Michelangelo
Pistoletto.
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Destination Art travels the world in search of art in all shapes and sizes. Presented by Francine Stock, this series showcases some of the most renowned creative figures at the cutting edge of the world of art. From Tokyo to Mumbai we find both budding and established artists working in a range of materials and styles. Sculpture, oils, photography, installation; it is all covered in this insightful series.
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London is ranked as one of the top five fashion capitals of the world, and we are going to see why. Some of the most famed designers come out of schools in London. Meet up with the expert staff at Central St. Martin's to discover why they nurture talent with unique qualities. Bora Aksu is no exception. He came from Turkey and has since become a huge name in London's fashion scene. Meet the quirky designers Antoni and Alison who make their own trends. Unearth the vintage treasures that can be found in Rellik. Hear Amanda Wakeley's values of British quality and style. Visit Jasper Conran in his chic London boutique to discuss high-end fashion. And finally, unlock the secrets of Topshop in a meeting with brand director Jane Sheperdson. Experience the chaos, class and originality that is British style.
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The discovery of oil in the Middle East sparked worldwide interest for its acquisition and control. Over the past 100 years, struggles for power and wealth have kept the Middle East at the center of world conflict.
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Part 1 chronicles the discovery of oil in Persia in 1908; the tumultuous claims placed on Middle East territories and conclude with the British being sent home from Iran in the 1950s. This episode explores the sphere of interest, power politics, oil's role in both World Wars, American influence, the Saudi empire, the exile of Britain, and the Shaw's rise to power and the start of turmoil between the nations of the Middle East.
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Part 2 profiles the history of Middle East oil beginning in the early 1970's. It chronicles the oil embargo and the resulting rise in import prices as foreign leaders attempt to negotiate. Tensions in the Middle East begin to heighten as conflicting groups become more violent with each other and foreign powers. Assassinations, hostage situations and torture are tearing the region apart. American female soldiers fighting in the Gulf War sparks interests in women's rights in Saudi Arabia. Fundamentalist groups react to this and become even more oppressive and aggressive.
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Part 3 profiles the after effects of the second gulf war. Iraq, which once played a major role in the Middle East oil trade, is struggling to gain stability. Exemplifying this is the city of Kirkuk, one of the two largest oil regions in the country, where oil brought destruction and discrimination against the Kurds. In Iran, controversy surrounds the Sunni and Shiite's and the struggle for everyday life. This episode also shows the disparity between north and south Tehran and the south's disappointment with failed promises by president Ahmadinijhad. In stark contrast lies Kuwait and Saudi Arabia where modernization is far beyond that of Iran and Iraq.
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From ancient civilizations to current day metropolitan cities, all societies have been shaped by the struggle to control water. The future of humankind will be shaped by the element of water and this struggle for control will establish the balance between peace and war, profoundly influencing relations between countries and continents. Climate change will also greatly affect water resources in the future. In the next decades huge water projects will radically change the face of the Earth. The future of water is a highly important global issue, which threatens the security of the entire planet.
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Impressionism is probably the most well known and most popular style of art today. This eight-part series brings that world alive by looking at the movement through the lives of eight of the greatest Impressionist painters ever - MANET, MONEY, DEGAS, RENOIR, CEZANNE, VAN GOGH, TOULOUSE-LAUTREC and GAUGUIN. This series covers all aspects of "The Impressionists'" lives; their work, the development of their style, their characters, and their friendships. It also looks at a selection of each of the artists' paintings which are representative of their life and work. These paintings are all from a limited number of collections in Britain, Paris and Amsterdam.
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Italian Cathedrals is a visual portrait of two cathedrals; one in Venice and one in Florence. Learn about the architecture, art, interior design, and inspiration each has on it's city.
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Taking the future of culinary education to heart, the Rubinos gear up to lead a workshop in tasting menu production for some of the country's most promising young talents.
Prepped by a lecture and provided with a pantry full of raw ingredients, the student chefs keenly apply some Rubino basics to their own tasting menu creations.
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Having established successful careers in the restaurant business, the Rubinos take the next step in building their brand by testing the waters of the publishing world.
With requests from loyal patrons to document their recipes, the brothers educate themselves about the art and business of creating a cookbook. Thomas Keller, Masaharu Morimoto and Alfred Portale make guest appearances.
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Molecular gastronomy is a hot topic burning up the culinary world. As with any controversy, the Rubinos are hooked by opposing views coming in from gastronomic purists and hypermodern cooks alike. The only way to really get to the heart of the matter is to jump right in. A fresh approach to demystifying the old school vs. new school battle leads the Rubinos to some of America's leaders in culinary science. In the end, only ones palette can be the true judge of any culinary creation and an expert panel is called in to assess the validity of the food science movement or to make it history.
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What initially leads a young person to choose cooking as a profession can contrast starkly with the sacrifice and long, hard years of training it takes to become a chef.
Guy Rubino takes an undecided neophyte through the paces of an often arduous career choice. When an unexpected disaster derails a regular workday, the true grit of a committed kitchen staff separates the cooks from the chefs.
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Fatos, an exclusive distributor of truffles, challenges Guy to create a one-of-a-kind "truffles tasting menu."
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Part 1 - Columbus, Vespucci, Magellan - The earliest maps didn't represent the actual land content of the world. Maps were updated as more of New World was explored. The maps of the Middle Ages, were mostly based on conjecture rather than actual discovery. With the expansion of the spice trade between Asian and Portugal and Spain, the maps began to change once again.
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The earlier explores provided mapmakers with an understanding of the major continents. Part two of this series highlights the voyages of British Explorer James Cook and French explorer Jean Francois de la Perouse. James Cook, an exceptional navigator and cartographer, circumnavigated New Zealand, explored the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, and crossed the Polar Circle being the first to understand the icy nature of Antarctica.
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This two-part series gives viewers insight into how maps were drawn and revised based on the voyages of the great explorers. Interviews with historians and cartographers are interspersed with reenactments and the voyages and discoveries.
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10 year old Celine has dreamed of becoming a prima ballerina since she can remember. She auditioned at the age of 8 for this special school. Celine attends morning classes of French, math, geography and history. Lunch is followed by dancing classes.
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Jim bicycles to school. His first class discusses road signs; after recess the students study French, acting out sketches to employ their new-found foreign vocabulary.
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Linda and her siblings are transported to school in Tuscany by donkeys when the weather is nice. At outdoor art class the students draw various historic sites.
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Zena is 11 years old and loves history. Today the 30 members of her 6th grade class begin with French and then study Lebanese crafts.
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Mauritania is on the west coast of Africa; 12 year old Hakim lives in a tent and walks a half mile to school. Islam is the official religion of Mauritania. Both Arabic and French are spoken. Boys and girls must share the same classroom because of lack of space but they sit on opposite sides of the room.
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Because of a school shortage, Khadija attends classes for only half a day. Some classes are taught in French because Morocco was once a colony of France. Writing exercises are done on slate boards. At home her father helps her prepare for a test in dictation by citing portions of the Koran.
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On Bute Island 10 year old Edward prepares to leave his family's sheep farm to attend a boarding school on another island. Classes begin with geography.
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Celine usually travels by tram to the Steiner school, a private school which is founded on the ideas of Rudolf Steiner and is located in Geneva. The same teacher stays with each group of students from grades 1-8 where classes are taught in French.
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In 711 A.D. the Moroccan Islamic army crossed the strait of Gibraltar and reached Tarifa, a port at the edge of the European continent, and began a rule of more than 800 years. Those years of Islamic rule left unique traces of its culture in the Andalusia region of Spain. Now, Southern Spain has a complex history having absorbed the influences from not only Islam but from the Romans and Christianity. Cordoba became a symbolic city mixing the various influences and now has a culture unique to Spain. Does that cultural development continue today?
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