Global adventurer to highlight sustainable cuisine around the globe
by Sara Bonisteel / Photo by Food Network
The co-host of CNN's "Planet in Peril" will star in new 8-episode series, "Extreme Cuisine," on the Food Network this fall, network officials said Monday.
"I'm not looking to do another cooking travel show -- that's not what this is -- I think there's plenty of that on TV. This is not a 'Fear Factor' sort of show," Corwin told AOL Food in an interview Monday. "I really want this to be a surprising fun adventure where the audience and I get to explore a region and understand a community and a people and a culture through their food."
"Extreme Cuisine" will see Corwin discovering local cuisines in Thailand, Mexico, Greece, Australia and Peru.
"I'm looking forward to trying corn fungus [huitlacoche] in Mexico; it's sort of this weird fungus that grows in the corn, and it's very reminiscent of the truffle," he said. "I'm looking forward to traveling in the Andes, above Cusco near Machu Picchu. I guess they have as many different types of potatoes up there as we have candies in a penny candy shop."
Americas Most Endangered Foods
from Forbes.com
Northeastern U.S. and Eastern Canada aka Maple Syrup Foodshed
While the sugar maple still grows in six Canadian provinces and 34 U.S. states, there's been a rapid decline of sugar maple populations and maple-syrup production quantities. This is particularly true in the Maple Syrup Foodshed, which includes the Appalachian plateau of northern Pennsylvania and New York, according to Nabhan. Changes in forest soil, drought, overtapping, heavy grazing and heavy farm machinery traffic, as well as global warming, are all to blame.
In Depth: America's Most Endangered Foods
Christine Balderas/iStockphoto
from Forbes.com
Pacific Coast aka Acorn Foodshed
At least 62 foods are threatened or endangered in the Acorn Foodshed, according to Gary Paul Nabhan, editor of Renewing America's Food Traditions. Among them is the California Mission olive, which, green or black, is mild and rich in oil. Thanks to the work of the Mission Olive Preservation, Restoration and Education Project there are currently two retail distributors of California Mission Olive Oil.
In Depth: America's Most Endangered Foods
AP Photo/Jason Halley
from Forbes.com
Heartland aka Bison Foodshed
Historically, the Bison Foodshed was home to fertile soil, dozens of wild, edible seeds and roots, herds of game and crops such as beans. While conservationists are still concerned about the Hutterite soup bean, which yields a thick, creamy soup base in less than an hour, it is now available in nearly a dozen outlets for purchase in small quantities.
In Depth: America's Most Endangered Foods
Shelly Perry/iStockphoto
from Forbes.com
Southern Appalachian Mountains aka Chestnut Foodshed
At least 74 of this region's traditional foods are currently threatened or endangered, including the American chestnuts of Pine Mountain, Ga. It's estimated that as many as 4 billion of the trees may have been wiped out by diseases from Asia that were introduced to eastern forests in the early 1900s. But the recent discovery of a stand of healthy chestnut trees in Pine Mountain, Ga., and the Talladega National Forest are generating optimism that trees may be able to withstand blight and possibly begin to recover.
In Depth: America's Most Endangered Foods
AP Photo/Michael Conroy
from Forbes.com
Southwest aka Chile Pepper Foodshed
Sweet winter melons with juicy flesh, Santo Domingo casaba melons made their way to Mexico, and later New Mexico, in the 1500s, according to Nabhan. While the Santo Domingo Pueblo, an ethnic community near Santa Fe, N.M., has preserved the fruit's seeds, they are endangered by the threat of flooding by reservoirs in agricultural lands and invasive weeds.
In Depth: America's Most Endangered Foods
Gary Allard
from Forbes.com
Atlantic Seaboard aka Clambake Foodshed
As a result of the ecological restoration of rivers, bays, beaches and coastal waters, many foods native to the Clambake Foodshed are being recovered. Among them are the quahogs of Great South Bay, a large hardshell clam species with a distinctive blue inner shell. The clam of choice for clambakes in the region for years, its yield began to decline in the 1950s due to pollution and damage to its beds caused by metal-toothed dredges.
In Depth: America's Most Endangered Foods
AP Photo/Victoria Arocho
from Forbes.com
Mississippi River Watershed aka Cornbread Foodshed
The Nickajack apple is said to have originated where Cherokees lived along Nickajack Creek in Macon County, N.C. A large fruit, it has a crisp white flesh that changes flavor as it ripens, becoming aromatic. It's currently only commercially available in a handful of nurseries in the region.
In Depth: America's Most Endangered Foods
Susan Fox/Shutterstock
from Forbes.com
Chesapeake Bay aka Crabcake Foodshed
The unusually named fish pepper is a two-inch long vegetable that, as it ripens, changes from white with green stripes to bright red. An African-American heirloom, it may have been the product of an experiment or a mutation of a common Serrano pepper. It was traditionally used in shellfish and fish recipes, but as contamination and over-harvesting hurt the Bay's fish and shellfish populations, the fish pepper fell out of favor. Today there are about a dozen suppliers of the chile seeds.
In Depth: America's Most Endangered Foods
Kenny Point/ http://veggiegardeningtips.com
from Forbes.com
Gulf South aka Gumbo Foodshed
A kin of the habanero chile, the datil chile pepper packs a little less heat and lots of flavor. A key ingredient in a dish called the Minorcan pilau, the chile pepper was cultivated in gardens by Minorcans, who were brought to Florida in the 1700s as indentured laborers. Its inability to store or ship well has kept the pepper restricted to the region, but three seed catalogs currently supply datil seeds to chile lovers across the country.
In Depth: America's Most Endangered Foods
Christine Balderas/iStockphoto
from Forbes.com
Upper Midwest aka Moose Foodshed
While moose are not endangered as a species, populations at the southern limits of their range are falling as temperatures rise. Northwestern Minnesota moose can't bear the heat, causing greater die-offs during midsummer heat surges. Those that survive are also often plagued by parasites.
In Depth: America's Most Endangered Foods
David T Gomez/iStockphoto
"The undercurrent for me is to look at foods that are produced, harvested in a way that is sustainable and renewable and really celebrates the use of local produce," he said.
News of the new Food Network show comes as Corwin also works on a special for MSNBC entitled "One Hundred Heartbeats," looking at "the ultimate club [of endangered species] you don't want to join," he told AOL Food.
Filming for both programs will keep him on the road through November. While he tries all these new culinary treats, there will be a few foods back home that he'll miss.
"I'm a big lover of shellfish, and I just love good old cold New England shellfish," he said. "And I'm the lover of a good New England lobster."
The new Food Network show will begin airing in September.
"In a world where we tend to consume a lot and tend to be very demanding as a culture, I'm looking to see how other cultures that often -- as a result of limited ingredients, limited finance, limited opportunities -- make the best out of something very simple and humble that happens to be an incredible meal."
Extreme Eats
from Forbes.com
The Luther Burger
Named after late R&B singer Luther Vandross, this sinful sandwich consists of a bacon cheeseburger served between two glazed Krispy Kreme donuts. The increasingly popular concoction has been served up at locations as diverse as minor league ballparks and Google's employee cafeteria.
Mike Epstein/Satanslaundromat.com
from Forbes.com
The Fool's Gold Loaf
Elvis Presley made famous a meal known as the Fool's Gold Loaf, reportedly his favorite: To construct one, mix one jar of peanut butter, one jar of grape jelly, and a pound of bacon. Scoop the mixture inside a hollowed-out loaf of fresh-baked bread, smother the outside in butter and bake.
Supersizedmeals.com
from Forbes.com
The Hamdog
At Mulligan's Tavern in Decatur, Ga., discriminating gourmands can try this over-the-top treat: A hot dog wrapped inside a hamburger patty, deep-fried, covered with chili, cheese and onions, served on a hoagie roll and topped with a fried egg.
AP Photo/John Bazemore
from Forbes.com
Deep-Fried Pizza
The Scots are pioneers in the world of extreme eats--first they popularized deep-fried candy bars, and then moved on to whatever other fat-filled goodness they could find. Deep-fried slices of pizza have now made their way from the pubs of Edinburgh to restaurants like the ChipShop in Brooklyn, New York.
Chipshopnyc.com
from Forbes.com
Turducken
Consisting of a boned turkey stuffed with a boned duck stuffed with a boned chicken, Turduckens are an increasingly popular Thanksgiving main course. Louisiana-based Hebert's Specialty Meats claims they invented the hybrid bird in 1985--and now sell over 10,000 a year.
AP Photo/Chuck Burton
from Forbes.com
The 100% Bacon Burger
Barbecue how-to Web site Peppers and Smoke invented this beauty, which consists of a patty made from ground 100% hickory-smoked bacon. Cook in a skillet, add two slices of pepper jack cheese, and serve with Habanero potato chips.
Peppersandsmoke.com
from Forbes.com
The Philly Taco
In Philadelphia, hungry booze hounds looking for an alcohol-absorbing snack after the bars close have popularized the Philly Taco, one of the city's famous cheesesteaks wrapped up inside of a big slice of cheese pizza.
slashfood.com
from Forbes.com
The Beer Barrel Belly Buster
Denny's Beer Barrel Pub in Clearfield, Pa., boasts that it makes the world's largest hamburger--the "Main Event," which weighs 123 pounds. But if that sounds like too much, try the "Beer Barrel Belly Buster" -- at a comparatively slim 15 pounds, it includes 25 slices of cheese, a head of lettuce, three tomatoes and two onions.
Dennysbeerbarrelpub.com
from Forbes.com
Levee High Caramel Apple Pie
The Blue Owl Restaurant and Bakery in Kimmswick, Mo., uses over 18 apples in this towering, 13-pound treat, which is topped with a caramel pecan sauce.
Theblueowl.com
from Forbes.com
Beer-Battered, Deep-Fried Bacon Double Quarter Pounder
So many amazing extreme eats are born on a dare--including this self-explanatory treat, created by an adventurous Australian gourmand.
Danamania.com
