Five Questions for The Hippy Gourmet
The Hippy Gourmet reaches a national television viewing audience in excess of 6,000,000 homes weekly, with broadcasts shown on both PBS and public access cable networks. In addition to television, the extremely popular series also enjoys a global viewing audience online, courtesy of Google Video. Hosted by Chef Bruce Brennan, the series began locally in the San Francisco area in 2001, and then regionally on public access cable in 2002. By 2003, it had expanded to more than 54 public access cable channels nationwide and in 2004, The Hippy Gourmet began airing on PBS. Initially filmed solely in the kitchen of The Herb’n Inn, a Haight-Ashbury bed and breakfast owned jointly by Chef Brennan and his sister, Pam Brennan, (a co-producer of the series), The Hippy Gourmet is now also filmed from various global locations, including Italy, the Netherlands, and the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil.
Chef Brennan’s culinary history includes becoming the youngest head chef in the history of IBM’s Long Island Management Training Center in New York, working at various restaurants on both US coasts, and also working as Head Chef at the Brasserie St. Germain. In 1974, he returned to California to become a personal chef, working within the entertainment industry. Shortly afterwards, his sister opened The Herb’n Inn, and Chef Brennan soon partnered with her, assuming co-hosting responsibilities, cooking for guests, and maintaining the inn’s herb and vegetable gardens. (Eventually, the Psychedelic History Museum and Flower Power Walking Tour became additions to the bed and breakfast.)
Each week, Chef Brennan transforms cooking into a calm, peaceful and fun experience for his viewers. Every episode of The Hippy Gourmet is simple and mellow, while remaining instructional and informative (and entertaining). Greatly influenced by the philosophies of natural self-reliance from Euell Gibbons and R. Buckminster Fuller, Chef Brennan stresses the use of organic, natural foods and environmental responsibility in his cooking.
The website (which is both created and maintained by use of a Mac, as the series is also filmed using Apple technology) for The Hippy Gourmet contains extensive information about the series, including an online recipe collection, streaming video, a series viewing schedule, and media center. There is also an accompanying blog, Cafe Press shop, and monthly newsletter. In addition to series information, the site provides various resources to support efforts in maintaining a healthy, environmentally conscious lifestyle.
Recently, we asked Chef Bruce Brennan five questions…
1. When can viewers expect to see the Hippy Gourmet Great Spas of Italy Tour, 2005?
The Hippy Gourmet “Great Spas of Italy Tour 2005″ has begun airing around the country in various cities and stations, with some of these shows being made available on Google video in the coming weeks and months ahead. We’re also working on bringing in global cable and satellite broadcasters, who will begin carrying The Hippy Gourmet throughout the world.
2. When will copies of the Hippy Gourmet Guide Cookbook be available for purchase?
We are all very excited about the Hippy Gourmet Cookbook and we expect it to be available in early 2007. So we’re asking our viewers and website visitors to sign up for our monthly newsletter, to keep them posted on when the book will be available (and to also offer them specials on ‘pre-ordering’ the cookbook).
3. How did The Hippy Gourmet end up on Google Video?
Because The Hippy Gourmet is broadcast on PBS across the country, and because we reach an audience exceeding 6 million homes a week, we were contacted by fans of our show who work internally at Google, who thus championed our direct relationship with them. This week, with the launch of Google Video Canada, Google has placed the Hippy Gourmet TV Show as one of their ‘featured producers,’ where our logo and link to videos are prominently placed.
4. What are your most memorable moments/episodes from The Hippy Gourmet series?
Wow, what a question … from the jungles of the Amazon rain forest in Brazil, to the Swiss Alps, all over Amsterdam and Holland, two separate trips to Tuscany and Sardinia in Italy, our recent filming in Vancouver and Vancouver Island in British Columbia, or even our Hawaii tour … there are literally hundreds of thousands of precious moments that comprise our production over the course of the past six years!
Interestingly enough, on our recent trip to Vancouver, we had a slight delay in getting through customs, but because of this delay we ran into Al Gore at baggage claim and had an opportunity to interview him about his new movie “An Inconvenient Truth.” These are the kind of lovely coincidences, what we call ‘universal connections,’ that we feel really blessed to have happen to us.
Probably the most memorable experiences, beyond meeting and filming the most wonderful and hospitable people around the world, is the connection we have with our audience. We receive letters and e-mails from fans who share stories about their lives and how watching our show has reconnected them with their families and friends, or a recent e-mail we received from a woman who categorically states that our show has ’saved her husband’s health and life!’
So often we get correspondence from people who are under the normal stresses of day-to-day life, work, kids, bills, etc. - but who then spend 30 minutes watching our show and find balance. The greatest thing for us is that we reach families of all ages, young and old alike, and even conservative types who one might think would shun anything ‘hippie’ or ‘liberal’ minded. It just goes to prove that food connects us all and that good food, good friends and special moments savored by family members are some of the greatest joys imaginable.
Also, having the opportunity to reach so many millions of viewers in this way, and to be able to inform and educate them about sustainable, organic, fair-trade ingredients, as well as alternative energy and organizations and people making a difference in the world, feels like such a gift to us!
5. Any one-word advice or suggestion for aspiring chefs?
Perseverance. Believe in what you do and who you are, and always remember that you can and do communicate through delicious recipes and the way meals are presented. The majority of the worlds’ chefs are relegated to behind the scenes, and back kitchen areas, where there exists an inherent disconnection from the patrons. Thus, the greatest chefs in the world use their selection of fresh ingredients, simple preparations and artistic garnishes to personally introduce themselves to people and their palates.
We are extremely appreciative for Chef Brennan taking the time to answer five questions for Paper Palate.
