Food & Living

Greg sets sail aboard MV Columbia, the flagship ferry along the Alaska Marine Highway. From Bellingham, Washington to Juneau, Alaska, the Columbia winds its way through the rugged shores of British Columbia though some of the most picturesque scenery on Earth. In Juneau, Greg explores the secrets of Alaska's capitol beyond the crowded tourist hot-spots.

Seattle-born artist Nahaan sees tattoo, like many other forms of artistic expression, as a political act and a form of resistance.

In this episode, test cook Elle Simone and host Julia reveal the secrets to making foolproof Falafel at home. Tasting expert Jack Bishop challenges Bridget to a tasting of canned chickpeas, and test cook Becky Hays makes Bridget the ultimate Moroccan Lentil and Chickpea Soup (Harira).

Arriving at the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival is certainly entertaining for Samantha, who is instantly engulfed in dance and music (Cajun and Zydeco), and gets to watch band favorites jam before packed crowds. Piquing her musical interest, Samantha ventures off to Martin Accordions, who have been crafting custom accordions for major Cajun and Zydeco stars for decades. With a full understanding of the local music, Samantha gets her step on by visiting Glide Studios and learns how the locals dance, Cajun-style.

Today, what we watch can be just as appetizing as what we eat. From the Korean art of mukbang to viral sensations, artists both amateur and professional are using food as their medium of choice. Being a foodie today is just as likely to happen in a 24/7 Korean spa as it is in a restaurant.

Jessica Alba had already become a successful Hollywood actress when she decided to start her own business. She never dreamed it would be so tough to begin. Even though she received many rejections and faced much disbelief in her ability, she persevered. Now her eco-conscious baby products company, The Honest Company is valued at more than a billion dollars.

Benedict Cumberbatch (Patrick Melrose) with Claire Foy (The Crown); Angela Bassett (9-1-1) with Laura Dern (The Tale); Darren Criss (American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace) with Mandy Moore (This is Us); Jason Bateman (Ozark) with Bill Hader (Barry); Jessica Biel (The Sinner) with Alison Brie (GLOW).

Suggested outdoor activities for families include a child-friendly hike at Galena Creek Park, a senior-friendly walk on the Blue Line in Carson City and a dog-friendly walk along the Jones Creek Trail.

Test cook Ashley Moore makes host Bridget Lancaster perfect Fish and Chips. Then, tasting expert Jack Bishop challenges host Julia Collin Davison to a tasting of hamburger buns. And finally, test cook Christie Morrison makes Julia the ultimate Shrimp Burgers.

Test cook Dan Souza makes Julia perfect grill-smoked and herb-rubbed flat iron steaks, and then tasting expert Jack Bishop challenges Bridget to a tasting of mascarpone. In the Equipment Corner, expert Adam Ried reveals his top pick for tart pans, science expert Dan Souza explains the science of salting, and then test cook Elle Simone makes Bridget the ultimate fresh fruit tart.

Why did the ancient Roman rich and famous choose to vacation here? Who opened the gate for the bad guys in the 1500s? What does the town clock tower symbolize? What's the history of majolica tile art? Why are Sorrento lemons and limoncello so famous?

Two extraordinary women of Palestinian descent, Reem Assil and Lamees Dahbour, use food to bring their misunderstood homeland closer to Western tolerance and acceptance.

Roy meets the individuals bringing healthy and affordable food options into South L.A. communities that lack access to fresh food. Roy also visits with vegan grocer Olympia Auset, whose startup Süprmarkt delivers healthy and affordable food to the doorsteps of her community. Finally, Roy visits Earle’s Hot Dogs, a vegetarian hot dog cart that has grown over its 30-year history into a multi-location brick and mortar shop, now a staple of a community hungry for healthier options.

The world’s largest land predator is under threat, and George is heading to Canada’s far north to see how polar bears are coping with their rapidly changing climate.

Hosts Julia Collin Davison and Bridget Lancaster uncover the secrets to perfecting a Thai delicacy at home: Thai grilled Cornish hens with chili dipping sauce. Tasting expert Jack Bishop challenges Julia to a tasting of tahini, gadget critic Lisa McManus reviews grill tongs, and test cook Dan Souza makes the ultimate grilled pita stuffed with lamb.

Pati is invited to cook a special Cinco de Mayo dinner at the prestigious James Beard House in New York, then she visits three Mexican-American chefs in the city who are using food as a way of pursuing their dreams in America, creating their own successful businesses, and honoring traditional Mexican recipes and ingredients.

Series host David Jackson prepares two exemplary recipes in the studio kitchen. First, a low fat open-face burger and then grilled ahi tuna steak with herbaceous olive oil sauce, both illustrating how easy it is to cut saturated fats, emphasize healthier mono-unsaturated fats and not lose a speck of flavor in the process. David visits Thom Curry, owner of Temecula Olive Oil Company. Thom is on the board of the California Olive Oil Council and a member of the C.O.O.C. Certification Tasting Panel.

Kalimera! That's Greek for "Good Morning," and in this episode, Diane explores the varied ways to start the day with Greek-style breakfast and brunch. From Greece's unique coffee culture to the gentle herbal teas that are at once soothing and therapeutic, Diane explores the day's first sips then delves into sweet and savory regional breakfast and brunch specialties, from the islands and mainland. Finally, in a nod to modern times, she whips up a brunch cocktail classic, a Mimosa made with traditional Greek ingredients.

Does sugar have you in its thrall? Ellie helps one family tackle their sugar quandary so they can continue to do the baking they love in a healthier way without sacrificing flavor. Recipes: Crispy French toast fingers with blueberry maple sauce; Banana bread with chocolate drizzle; Coconut date balls. 3 Ingredient Recipe: Cherry chocolate haystacks.

One of the region's most celebrated chefs, Javier Plascencia, gives Pati a tour of the Baja he knows and loves before they make their way to his newest restaurant, Jazamango.

It isn't just recipes that get imported and exported between the East and West, but also food practices. The farm to table movement is not at all uniquely American. We travel around China's Hangzhou region with Dai Jianjun of Dragon's Well Manor and to Sang Lee Farms in New York's North Fork to see how widespread this movement to keep things local really is.

Samantha takes an epic trip along the Rhine River, first stopping at Freiburg, Germany, where she learns about the unique bachle water system and how this city is the gateway to the Black Forest. Next stop, Samantha visits a workshop, whose craftspeople work on restoration pieces for the famed Strasbourg Cathedral in Strasbourg, France, and then takes a stroll through the picturesque Petite France neighborhood. In Heidelberg, Germany, Samantha learns of its rich history while touring the iconic Heidelberg Castle.

Chris and Dave pedal to Hoover Dam along the Railroad Tunnel Trail, then experience a zip line at Bootleg Canyon, before traveling to Mesquite and visiting new areas of Gold Butte National Monument.

The rise of China has meant the rise of Chinese culinary traditions in America. Danielle checks out an industrial kitchen where traditional "confinement meals" are made for new mothers across the country; an underground Manhattan cocktail den whose main ingredient is the fiery liquor baijiu, the world's most heavily consumed spirit; and a wedding in the heart of San Francisco's Chinatown where old world and new meet at the banquet table and on the dance floor.

It was the main route from Alaska to the Yukon goldfields during the 1890s and the Klondike Gold Rush. Today, it's a 33-mile hiking trail through rugged inter-coastal rainforests and glacial lakes. Greg traces the historic Chilkoot Trail for a rarely seen look at this remote part of Alaska.

In the twentieth century, the Maori of New Zealand all but lost their tattooing tradition.

There is no more iconic CEO in this country than Howard Schultz. The green and white logo is in 75 countries and 28-thousand stores around the world, but it is the story of how it all started and the lessons learned along the way that is so remarkable. Howard takes us to his favorite Seattle restaurant Mamnoon, a Middle Eastern restaurant known for flavors so good "they'll make you cry." This restaurant is the backdrop for Howard to tell us about the heart and soul of his company and his future mission in the world.

Julia and Bridget uncover the secrets to making perfect pan-seared thick-cut boneless pork chops. Tasting expert Jack Bishop challenges Julia to a tasting of white wine vinegar, and then test cook Keith Dresser makes Bridget foolproof corn fritters.

What did Alfred Nobel invent that led him to create the Nobel Prize? What is Gamla Stan? What's so important about the throne inside the Royal Palace of Stockholm? What is the Djurgarden Canal, and why was it only for the Royal Family? Why did the Swedes grow grass on their rooftops, and what's the history of their folk costumes?

Jazz Singsanong of Jitlada Thai and Louis Tikaram of E.P. & L.P. transport the palate around the world with the complex flavors of Thai cuisine. These chefs work to bring balance to the complexity of flavors that reflect the mixed cultural influences of their own backgrounds and experiences.

Roy explores future culinary landscapes looking forward to a world affected by climate change. He spends an evening with chefs Henry Fischer and Anna Rose Hopkins from Hank and Bean who make a surprising plant-forward dinner featuring non-traditional protein sources like crickets and jellyfish. Roy also visits with Ethan Brown of Beyond Meat, a company pioneering the plant-based replacements for our favorite burgers and sausages, and Vegan Hooligans, a pop-up restaurant in eastside LA’s Eagle Rock making classic American diner food out of entirely plant-based ingredients.

Professional storm chaser George Kourounis goes on a global adventure,travelling to some of the most dangerous places on Earth. As the planet heats up, natural disasters are becoming more frequent and severe, George experiences the most extreme forces of nature and reports back from the front lines of climate change.

Bridget and Julia reveal the secrets to making the ultimate Chinese barbecued pork at home. In the Equipment Corner, expert Adam Ried reveals his top picks for wire racks and rimmed baking sheets, and then test cook Dan Souza makes a perfect recipe for Sichuan braised tofu with beef (mapo tofu).

Friends and family always tell Pati she has an extraordinary photographic food memory, so she decides to recreate some of her most favorite food memories in her own kitchen and give the stories behind the dishes.

This week on "Simply Ming" is legendary French chef Daniel Boulud. Daniel is the chef/owner of several restaurants: Daniel, Bar Boulud, and Cafe Boulud in New York City and also Bar Boulud in Boston. This week a couple of different versions of chicken will be made. Chef Daniel creates a poulet a l'estragon with rice pilaf and yellow wax beans and Ming makes his favorite Chinese five-spice split chicken with charred chile-tomato salsa and steamed buns. Plus, there's a very special treat from Chef Daniel.

Potatoes, pasta and rice are just a few examples of our daily intake of carbohydrates, and each is on the menu in this episode. But as we age, we should unload some of these excess starches and sugars in favor of better choices and more modest portions. That's why David and Elizabeth have chosen three excellent recipes to illustrate how unloading carbs doesn't mean eliminating them altogether. From the studio kitchen in Palm Springs, David prepares classic parsley potatoes with the skin-on, for added nutrition, and sauteed in healthful and flavorful olive oil.

Nothing speaks more to Greek cuisine and to Greece itself than the image of traditional fishing boats plying the waters of a crystal-clear blue sea. In this episode, Diane visits a local fisherman and fish taverna to learn the secrets of sustainable fish cookery. Along the way, she discovers some of the local fish and seafood that thrive as well as those that are endangered. On the dock, she makes a traditional fish soup, kakavia, with the captain.

It can be a challenge to put dinner together in a working household. And then what happens when you're working opposite shifts? Ellie helps a frazzled couple trying to get healthy weeknight dinners on the table when conflicting schedules and priorities intervene. Recipes: Shrimp with spinach, garlic and smoked paprika; Peach chicken with crispy bread crumbs. 3-Ingredient Recipe: Two-minute mango-coconut sorbet.

Pati spends the day in Los Cabos with local legend Edith Jimenez, who worked her way up from waitress to living out her dream of owning the restaurant. Edith uses recipes from locals to preserve the area's culture and history, so she takes Pati to the small town of Miraflores to experience the traditional dishes for herself.

As bone broth and kombucha line the shelves of your local grocery store, we take a closer look at "food as medicine." From visits to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Centre in China, Manhattan Chinatown's Po Wing Market and Seoul's Kimchi Museum, we learn that food is so much more than just sustenance.

Samantha starts her Paradise Coast adventure off with a kayak tour in the salt-waters of Everglades National Park, while learning about the local eco system and remote mangroves. Back on land, Samantha visits the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens and meets Uno, a rescued blind Florida Panther. The Bayshore Arts District is certainly up-and-coming, and Samantha learns this after meeting a local designer, who specializes in re-imaging jewelry in a fresh way.

Dave and Chris explore the Toiyabe Range along the Gold Venture Loop, make a first-ever stop at Middlegate, then visit Hidden Cave outside Fallon before traveling to Buckland Station.

A new generation of chefs and entrepreneurs is finally bringing the amazing cooking of the world's second-largest country to a broad American audience. Danielle interviews a former financier who offers a light, healthy take on Indian classics at his fast-casual start-up Inday; the adventurous restaurateurs behind Babu Ji, where meticulous preparations and a Bollywood vibe have led to breakout success; and a Silicon Valley engineer who got her start in the food business selling homemade chai by bicycle in the hills of San Francisco.

Why did the famous French architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc only work on one residence: the historic Roquetaillade Castle? Why is there a monolithic church in Saint-Emilion? And why did its monk sleep underground? Why is there a giant wall around the tiny village of Blaye? And why was beautiful Bourg-en-Gironde built into the side of a cliff? And how do Cadillac and Pauillac make time stand still?

It's a land of fire and ice. A place where surreal land and seascapes meet and where a growing tourism industry is booming. But there's a way to explore Iceland beyond the usual stops and crowds. Greg sets out beyond the Icelandic capitol of Reykjavik on an unforgettable road trip through Iceland's lesser known national parks.

Marjorie Tahbone, an Alaskan artist of Inupiaq heritage, was first among the living women of her family to get her traditional chin tattoo.

In this episode, test cook Elle Simone makes Bridget the ultimate deviled pork chops. Then tasting expert Jack Bishop challenges Julia to a tasting of dark chocolate chips, and gadget critic Lisa McManus reviews kids' oven mitts. Science expert Dan Souza reveals the science behind non-Newtonian fluids, and test cook Lan Lam makes the perfect thick-cut oven fries.

When Jason Mayden grew up on the South Side of Chicago, he dreamed of being like Michael Jordan. Instead, he went on to design shoes for him. His Nike Air Monarch became the highest grossing shoe of all time. Jason takes us to Giordano's Deep Dish pizza to tell us why this Chicago comfort food staple is also symbolic of why he loves this city and how it fueled his imagination and dreams. Jason's neighborhood is one of the most dangerous in the city yet he believes the perceived negative aspects became strategic advantages for him in business and life.

The Jewish Delis of Los Angeles serve an important role for connecting heritage to food. Factor’s Famous Deli has been a central pillar for the community for 70 years while newcomers like Micah Wexler and Michael Kassar of Wexler’s Deli bring a fresh take to classic deli food traditions.

Roy visits Chris Yang’s Pop Cultivate to explore the emergence of a new culinary landscape since the advent of legalized recreational marijuana. He then tackles the gentrification of cannabis culture by visiting Med Men, the leader in upscale legal weed retailers in Los Angeles. An interview with Virgil Grant, a formerly incarcerated weed dealer now seeking to run a legal distribution business, sheds light on efforts to build cannabis equity for those hit hardest by the War on Drugs. The episode also features interviews with actor/activist Cheech Marin and Shep Gordon.

Pati's passion for travel doesn't stop with Mexico, she also has a soft spot for her travels in the USA. She'll put her Mexican spin on some regional American favorites to surprise her three sons.

This week on "Simply Ming," legendary and James Beard award-winning Italian chef Lidia Bastianich is here. She's the author of many Italian cookbooks including her most recent, "Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine." Lidia is also expanding her Eataly empire to include Boston. Today, Lidia shows off the best of her Italian style with a wonderful calamari alla griglia with head-on shrimp, salsa verde and grilled bread. Ming counters that with his famous blue ginger crispy calamari with Thai-lime dipping sauce.

There are no spectacles or hearing aids for our taste buds, but there are two important things we can do to maintain the enjoyment of our meals. One is to pack more flavors into our food without grabbing the saltshaker. The other is maintaining excellent oral health. Host David Jackson has chosen two spectacular recipes that exemplify the first. Fortified Marsala wine is a highly distinctive flavor and he uses it in his pork tenderloin Marsala, rife with garlic, shallots and mushrooms, accompanied by whole wheat spaghetti with spinach, to prepare a memorable meal.

In Greece, they say you can learn to cook, but you're born to grill. For sure, cooking over fire is one of the most ancient ways to enjoy a whole variety of meats, fish, even vegetables. Today, we're focusing on the traditions of grilling in Greece, a hero's feast, so to speak. Even battle-hardened warriors savored the succulent smoky flavors of grilled meats to celebrate victory. In this episode, Diane visits one of the best-known Greek grill chefs to learn the secrets of cooking over fire.

He's a meat eater. She's a vegetarian. Their kitchen has become a battleground. Can this marriage be saved? It's Ellie to the rescue with flexible recipes that will bring them together. Recipes: Warm Spinach Salad w grilled sirloin; Panzanella with White Beans with chicken sausage; Forbidden Rice Bowl; Grilled veggies & lamb kabobs served with 3 Ingredient Recipe - Tahini Sauce.

A collective of culturally connected, distinguished chefs (including Ray Garcia of Broken Spanish, Wes Avila of Guerilla Tacos, Carlos Salgado of Taco Maria, as well as Jorge Gaviria of corn purveyor, Masienda) work to preserve heritage and push forward the “Alta California” Mexican food movement. By celebrating those dishes and ingredients integral to Mexico's cuisine and its economy, a group of accomplished Mexican-American chefs are working to elevate not only the food, but what people of their heritage can achieve in the food business.

Along with Chef Guillermo Gomez of Cabo's luxurious Esperanza Hotel, Pati sets out into the Sea of Cortez to reel in the catch-of-the-day that they will later grill up beachside.

The next generation of Asian Americans are redefining what it means to be Asian in the U.S. by keeping one foot in the past, and the other in the future. We talk to renegade chefs, entrepreneurs and cultural ambassadors from Canal Street Market to the dance party sensation Bubble T to see what's in store for the future of Asians in the mainstream.

Samantha experiences the revival of the once earthquake devastated city of Christchurch, New Zealand by starting her journey off at the Gap Filler initiatives. These innovative installations temporarily fill the gaps of the city rebuild with fun distractions like the Dance O Mat, where you can plug in your digital device into an old washing machine, blast your music and dance to your favorite tunes with your friends on a dance floor. Moving on, Samantha visits the whimsical C1 Espresso shop, where her lunch is delivered via pneumatic tube.

A visit to the Nevada Northern Railroad Museum complete with a ride on the train, then a gorgeous hike at Cave Lake State Park and a nighttime visit to a real bat cave to see researchers studying bat migration.

Danielle gets back to her roots in an episode devoted to the distinctive, rustic cuisine of Taiwan. With Cathy Erway, author of "Foods of Taiwan," she hits a Chinatown market and then makes the island's most famous dish, beef noodle soup. At Taiwan Bear House, started by homesick young expats, she tries a New York take on the box lunches known as biandang. And in California's Orange County, she pays a twilight visit to America's closest counterpart to a classic Taiwanese night market.

How did Dublin get its name? And what do Vikings and a black pool have to do with it? Who was Maewyn Succat, and why is he celebrated with green beer? How did the harp become a symbol of Ireland, and why do the harps on Irish coins and Guinness beer look different? What is the curious history of the Book of Kells, and how did it make its way into Trinity College's Longroom Library?

As the only living tattoo artist from the Nisga'a Nation, Nakkita Trimble hopes to revive the traditional process of tattooing known as gihlee'e.

Bridget and Julia uncover the secrets to making foolproof all-butter pie dough and chocolate cream pie, and tasting expert Jack Bishop challenges Bridget to a tasting of cocoa powder. Finally, test cook Elle Simone makes Julia a decadent dark chocolate fudge sauce.

She has been named Forbes "30 under 30", Fast Company's "Most Creative People in Business" and Fortune Magazine's "Most Promising Entrepreneurs". Leila Janah started a non-profit with $14,000 she won in a business plan competition. Her goal was to reduce global poverty by putting people into jobs where they could earn a living wage. Her company Samasource does just that.

Jake Myrick and Noriko Kamei have taken their love for namazake and created Sequoia Sake, a small brewery in the heart of San Francisco. Rooted in the traditions of Japanese sake brewing, they work to resurrect an heirloom rice in California and pioneer the young but growing craft sake movement in the US.

Roy journeys from L.A. to Orange County to discover how two non-profit innovators are tackling the problem of food waste. He then visits Robert Egger, whose project LA Kitchen is simultaneously aggregating wasted food, using it to cook fresh meals for those in need, and providing workforce training. Roy also visits Bill Bracken of Bracken’s Kitchen who partners with Chefs to End Hunger to reuse leftover food and distribute it with his food truck in Orange County.

Off the coast of West Africa, George heads to a remote volcanic island where a river of molten lava is engulfing a mountain village. For locals, the consequences are disastrous, and it’s up to George to get as close as possible to provide emergency crews with critical information.

How to get the most out of one day in the city of Oaxaca. Featuring the top sights; lunch at a local market; and a taste of the restaurant scene. Recipes include tasajo torta with smokey guacamole; nopalitos salad with pickled chipotle; and natilla with fresh berries.

This week on "Simply Ming," the iconic television host, artist and master chef, Jacques Pepin, joins Ming as they cook up chicken livers two ways. Jacques is making chicken livers with mushroom port cranberry sauce, olive oil small potatoes, and topping it all off with an incredible chocolate Souffle; while Ming tries to match that with a hot chicken liver mousse with bacon-thyme sauce.

Chef/host David Jackson and resident dietician Elizabeth Kelsey show viewers that healthy calories from whole foods are nothing to stress over and not worth tabulating. But empty calories, from highly refined, over-processed foods, are what we need to scrutinize. David's trio of good calorie - not just low calorie - recipes reflect this fresh and tasty approach with Italian insalata di cavolo, plus stick-to-your-ribs southern-style beans and greens, both whipped up in the studio kitchen. Then it's off to Scotland for another outdoor culinary adventure.

Greek food is by nature the ultimate comfort food thanks to the wealth of rustic home cooking that defines the cuisine. In this episode, Diane explores specialties from the Ionian island of Zakynthos to the Aegean island of Tinos, adding her own twist with some modern comforts, too. Back in the kitchen, she makes a juicy chicken casserole, a vegetarian moussaka, whips up feta mashed potatoes, and waxes poetic about the ultimate grilled cheese -- it's Greek, of course! Zakynthos Chicken Sartsa; Artichoke Moussaka; Feta Mashed Potatoes; Spanakopita Grilled Cheese.

Ellie helps out a couple contending with the challenges of cooking in a tiny apartment kitchen. Ellie proves that with just a few key pans and gadgets, and some smart recipes, anyone can produce fantastic meals in even the most cramped quarters. Recipes: Herbed salmon and orzo casserole with feta; Beef and many vegetable stew; Lemon garlic turkey breast with roasted rosemary potatoes and Brussels sprouts.

Indian food has often been associated with stiff restaurants, all-you-can-eat buffets and heavily spiced, cream-based dishes. The Mahendro family (Anu, Pawan, Nakul and Arjun) immigrated to Los Angeles and found that they didn’t recognize any of the so-called Indian food available to them. Like carefully selected spices to a classic Indian dish, each family member contributes something special and significant to their restaurant Badmaash and to the city of L.A. Featured in the episode: Downtown L.A.’s Badmaash.

Asian beauty secrets have long held fascination with Western audiences. Charlotte Cho from Sokoglam shows us how the K-Beauty boom is all over mainstream America today. We talk to the (mostly) women leading the charge in the cosmetics and skincare scene and disrupting the American beauty industry, from inside out.

Samantha starts her visit in Charm City at the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM) and meets its founder, who together tour this truly inspiring and original facility that is filled unique and visual works of art. Hitting the Sunday farmers' market, Samantha meets Chef Thomas, who picks up some local ingredients for his soul food restaurant, Ida B's Table. Joining Chef Thomas and his wife for a bite, Samantha is invited to taste some of their brunch inspirations, as they discuss the importance of community and how their restaurant serves as a conduit for it.

We dip into Utah and visit the historic Wendover Airfield before traveling to Wells in search of a nearby hot spring, then head west where we see stunning views along and above Lamoille Canyon.

Asian cuisine is increasingly the engine driving the growth of the American food industry. Danielle talks to three Asian-American entrepreneurs about the secrets of their success: Tim Wildin, the young Chipotle executive whose Thai aunties' recipes contribute to the menu at Shophouse; Lynda Trang Dai, once known as the Vietnamese Madonna and now the queen of banh mi sandwiches in Orange County's Little Saigon; and Charles Phan, the ground-breaking chef whose Slanted Door was named best restaurant in the country by the James Beard Foundation.

Who were the Habsburgs, Maria Theresa, Franz Joseph and Sisi? And how did they shape Vienna? What is the Ringstrasse, and why are there so many oversized, ornate public buildings dotting it? Where did Mozart perform as a 6-year-old prodigy? When and why did Austria shrink to a tenth of its size? What do the eagles on the rooftop of St. Stephen's Cathedral symbolize? And why are Vienna's coffee and pastries so legendary?

The ancient city of Palenque was once a hub of Mayan civilization. For centuries after its decline, it lay hidden under layers of tropical vegetation, until modern archaeologists peeled back the jungle to reveal it to the world in the last century.

In this episode, Julia and Bridget unlock the secrets to the ultimate roast chicken with warm bread salad. Next, tasting expert Jack Bishop challenges Julia to a tasting of white miso. Finally, test cook Elle Simone teaches Bridget how to make foolproof skillet-roasted Brussels sprouts with chile, peanuts, and mint.

When Jim started his mattress business in Houston, Texas he had just $5,000 and a pickup truck. Now, he has amassed a furniture empire through his "wacky ads" and gregarious personality. It was, however, a single act of kindness that thrust him into the international spotlight. During Hurricane Harvey, he opened the doors of all of his stores to displaced residents, earning him local adoration and international cheers. We go with Jim to his favorite Mexican restaurant, Lopez Family restaurant, to eat fajitas and hear the story of how any local businessman can make a tremendous social impact.

Chef Claudette Zepeda-Wilkins opens her new restaurant, El Jardín, in San Diego. Inspired by the traditions of generations of Mexican women and combining regional heirloom ingredients from across Mexico, Zepeda-Wilkins takes a huge risk to elevate the cuisine in her hometown.

Roy takes a head-on look at efforts to heal the social and economic wounds of Watts, acknowledging one of the oldest communities in Los Angeles as a mirror into ourselves and our future. Led by activist Aqeela Sherrills, Roy visits with Sherrills' mother as she prepares free food for the community, digs into the soul of what makes Watts Coffee House a cornerstone in the neighborhood and examines the missed opportunities of the Jordan Downs Housing Project redevelopment.

Hoping to determine the effect of volcanoes on climate change, George heads to the island nation of Vanuatu where he rappels into the fiery crater of one of the world’s most active volcanoes.