A Taste of History

Chef Walter Staib celebrates the history of the venerable City Tavern, Philadelphia's historic restaurant that John Adams called "the most genteel tavern" in America. George Washington used City Tavern as his headquarters during the Revolutionary War. Chef Staib operates it now for guests to experience 18th century dining.

Chef Walter Staib bakes some of America's favorites, inspired by the Baker General, Christopher Ludwig. A native German, he brought the art of gingerbread making to Philadelphia. Chef Staib roasts a turkey to demonstrate how to make a classic turkey pot pie from scratch, then finishes the meal with gingerbread and poached pears.

Boston bookshop owner, Henry Knox, used his literary interest in military manuals to become the chief artillery officer for General Washington. Chef Staib visits Fort Mercer to learn how Knox and a militia helped win America's independence. He cooks "pease" soup with pork and Sally Lunn toast, Hunter's stew with rabbit, beef, turkey and pork, skillet potatoes and lights cannonball punch on fire.

After the British invaded Philadelphia, Washington sent soldiers to Fort Mifflin to delay supply ships and give the Continental Army time to escape to Valley Forge. Chef Staib makes shrimp and rutabaga fricassee, corn fritters, okra fish stew and baked fennel.

Born in Ireland, General Hand came to America with the British army, but changed his allegiance in favor of his newly adopted country. Chef Staib cooks cabbage soup with meat dumplings, roasted stuffed pork stomach with pan gravy, steamed leeks with Irish bacon and Irish soda bread.

As new settlement pushed native Americans further west, many aristocrats found respite at the Jefferson Pools in Warm Springs Virginia. Chef Staib bathes in the the Hot Springs and retraces the path of 22 presidents at the historic Omni Homestead Hotel. He cooks mountain trout, honey stung Brussels sprouts, "hausenpfeffer" braised marinated rabbit and roasted, stuffed tenderloin of venison.

As America's War of Independence raged, the Eastern Caribbean became a powder keg of activity. Chef Staib visits Grenada, the spice capital of the world and the home of nutmeg, the most valuable spice of the 18th century. Chef Staib cooks with local chefs to make 'oil down' and other island dishes.

Join Chef Staib on an epic Chinese adventure. Follow him as he treks from an exotic fish market and the Forbidden City in Beijing and floats down the Yangtze River to sample authentic hotpots in Chonging. Along the way he cooks a classic Chinese feast of tripe, spicy peanut and peppercorn sauce, pot stickers, Chonging style chicken, steamed buns and more.

Chef Staib visits London and the Benjamin Franklin House where Franklin lived as an ambassador to the colonies. Chef Staib cooks Ben Franklin's own recipes for lettuce and anchovy soup, stuffed lobster, venison loaf, succotash and parmesan cheesecake.

Chef Staib travels to the port of La Rochefort, France for the final phase of reconstruction of L'Hermione the frigate that brought the Marquis d' LaFayette to America.Chef Staib makes calf livers in calvados with apples, potato gratin, poached leeks in vinaigrette, dandelion salad with lardons, a salad of mussels, barley, artichokes and tomatoes and the famous "floating island" dessert.

Chef Staib returns to his roots in the Black Forest of Germany, made famous by Grimm's Fairy Tales and where he cultivated his culinary career. He cooks Maultaschen, or Black Forest ravioli, mache salad with eggs, bacon and hazelnuts, Black Forest potato salad and Black Forest cake.

Chef Walter Staib returns to St Lucia to explore the Creole influence and sample a Taste of History. On this show, Chef Staib prepares authentic Creole cuisine with local experts.