A Chef's Life

Chef Vivian Howard and her husband Ben leave New York to open a restaurant in her small North Carolina hometown. As the episode concludes, a devastating setback threatens their new life.

Vivian and Ben rebuild their restaurant against the backdrop of the Southern harbinger of spring, the strawberry. Vivian and a friend develop a recipe for Coconut Cornbread Strawberry Shortcake with Basil Whipped Cream.

The restaurant gears up for a practice service where the new menu will be tested in real time. One addition to the restaurant’s menu is a section called “Pimp My Grits,” where Vivian exalts the ingredient in four distinct ways.

Vivian goes about christening the restaurant’s new “whole animal, no waste” program with two little pigs from Warren Brothers’ farm. She uses everything and shows us how to make her version of sweet potatoes with cracklins.

Vivian preps for a Southern Foodways Alliance luncheon. Food enthusiasts from around the country are coming to study BBQ & Vivian plans to serve them the ultimate tomato sandwich.

Vivian explores the new culture of farm-raised oysters in the Southeast. She and Ben share plans of opening an oyster bar in hopes it will be a place that adds character and variety to the town’s “dining scene.”

Ben, Vivian and the twins pick muscadine grapes at a small local vineyard while learning the history of this native grape. Back at the restaurant, Vivian makes a pizza with mulled muscadines.

Vivian travels to South Carolina, to meet with Glenn Roberts of Anson Mills and learns about Carolina Heirloom Rice growing in fields on the Savannah River. Glenn explains Anson Mills’ efforts to save heirloom grains.

Vivian visits neighbor Marty Harper’s peanut farm just before and during harvest. Vivian’s dad introduces Ben and Vivian to the old school break snack, a pack of salted peanuts dumped into a Pepsi in a glass bottle.

Vivian introduces us to the proprietors of one of the largest sweet potato farms in the country. Vivian make her grandmother’s candied yams and Vivian later re-imagines these for the restaurant with texture, sorghum and pecans.

Vivian spends the morning with her neighbors, the Mills brothers, participating in their 100-year-old, all-male family tradition of making collard kraut.

Vivian and Ben go to Maple View Dairy to pick up product for the restaurant. They talk buttermilk with the dairy’s manager, and the noise Ben makes while savoring his cup of the thick liquid annoys his wife.

Vivian visits Broad Slab Distillery, where they talk about the art and soul of white lightning. The restaurant’s mixologist works moonshine into several new drinks, while the restaurant staff struggles through the holiday party season.