From Scratch

David hits the Jersey shore for a meal by restaurant impresario David Burke. Forget the sharks, it's the ostriches he is worried about. His culinary journey through New Jersey leads him to explore local apple orchards, sample artisanal honey, and forage for wild mushrooms. Along the coast, David learns the art of harvesting clams, digging into the sandy shores for these prized mollusks.

Winter has come to Sitka, AK, and food is scarce. Working with James Beard nominee Beak, David explores the edges of subsistence food gathering in a harsh land. He learns about the indigenous' food and environmental wisdom, journeying through fishing, foraging, and harvesting with female food producers of Alaska. David discovers the resilience and ingenuity required to sustain life in this breathtaking yet challenging environment.

David harvests crab and prawns for Michelin star chef Paul Lee. Then heads into the mountains to forage with native peoples who have been making meals from scratch for 25,000. But things get tough when a typhoon slams the island, challenging their culinary quest.

Portland, one of the best food cities worldwide, hosts Katchka, a foodie extravaganza. David stalks Pacific Northwest woods for salmon and the world's most expensive mushroom to recreate an amazing post-Soviet meal, blending local ingredients with Eastern European flavors.

The swampy Everglades and warm blue waters of South Florida call to David as he farms, fishes and hunts to recreate a Cuban American meal at Amelia 1931. But the scariest harvest on the menu is fishing for alligator in these wild, subtropical habitats.

It's raining pecans in Texas, but David faces challenges finding other key ingredients and is forced to hunt alone for the first time. Will he succeed in his solo quest for local flavors? The Lone Star State tests his foraging and hunting skills.

French cuisine is world renown and David is working with one of the best of the best this week, Mauro Colagreco. But things go sideways scalloping in the freezing North Atlantic, trying to harvest Caviar and turning the best butter in the world.

From cinnamon to cumin to chilies - David uncovers the bold flavors of Sri Lanka, but it's stilt fishing where the adventure gets really spicy. He explores the island's diverse spice-rich cuisine and tries his hand at this unique, precarious fishing technique.

From making soy sauce to shrimp paste and harvesting Thai delicacies of purple rice, giant river prawn, and ant larvae, David has his hands full to recreate the meal of Asia's top restaurant, Le Du. He dives deep into Thai culinary traditions and techniques.

David dives into the Bedouin food culture in this futuristic metropolis. From milking camels to hunting with falcons, things are looking like quite the adventure. But when the storm of the century hits, David struggles to find enough to eat in the challenging desert environment.