Coast Guard and Philly

Travel across the Pacific to Okinawa and Guam where the U.S. military has been a strong influence for decades. Host August Dannehl and Top Chef winner Mei Lin explore the fusion of Asian and American flavors with her “Island Congee with Coconut Milk-Braised Pork Shoulder.”

Food can be a strong source of comfort and enabler of camaraderie as expressed by Coast Guard cook Arianna Gunn and South Philadelphia Fire Department resident chef and Marine veteran Bill Joerger. Chef de Cuisine Holly Jivin, who leads a team of more than 30 people at The Bazaar by José Andrés at the Beverly Hills SLS, prepares the restaurant’s signature interpretation of a “Philly Cheesesteak.”

Journey to Nablus in The West Bank and the streets of Tel Aviv in search of food that brings people together. Tim Hollingsworth, former chef de cuisine for Thomas Keller’s Michelin-starred restaurant The French Laundry and now Executive Chef at downtown L.A. restaurant Otium, cooks up a “Middle-Eastern Beef Tartare with Bulgur, Yogurt, Mint & Walnut Muhammara” inspired by his wife of Palestinian and Iraqi descent.

Meet the scientists and chefs working to ensure the health and well-being of our nation’s finest, even as they are challenged by the toughest terrains and harshest conditions in the world. Watch host August Dannehl and fellow veteran Mike Williams, currently the Executive Chef of West Hollywood restaurant Norah, transform the military’s utilitarian ration MRE into a mouthwatering “Jambalaya Risotto with Duo of Duck.”