New CPTV Production

Takes Cooking And

Train Travel International

Great chefs meet great trains in Dinner on the Diner, Connecticut Public Television’s newest national public television series. The program will air on CPTV (Charter Communications channel 12), on Thursdays, June 1-22, at 8 pm. In each of the four one-hour installments, a celebrated public television chef will explore a region’s food, culture and people, all while traveling by train.

The four-part series begins with the episode “Dorinda Hafner in South Africa,” on June 1. Food writer and television personality Dorinda Hafner will survey the majestic mountains, indigenous forests, rocky coastline and lush green valleys of South Africa onboard a beautifully restored vintage steam train.

A native of Ghana, Ms Hafner is an enthusiastic gourmet chef who cannot resist preparing a favorite recipe of African spoonbread for the train’s chefs. Her experiences off the train are as engaging as those onboard, from an ill-fated elephant ride to a face-to-face encounter with a cheetah.

On “Graham Kerr in Scotland,” airing June 8, author and cooking series host Graham Kerr (Graham Kerr’s Kitchen) travels back to the country of his ancestry for a journey aboard the deluxe train The Royal Scotsman.

Mr Kerr’s infectious enthusiasm for fine travel and tasty food is evident as he assists the train’s gourmet infectious enthusiasm for fine travel and tasty food is evident as he assists the train’s gourmet chef in preparing local Angus beef with horseradish sauce accompanied by a Yorkshire pudding crepe, and discusses the making of a perfect cup of tea.

He also shovels coal on the engine footplate, traces the Kerr family roots and, in traditional Scottish attire, enjoys a five-course meal. The episode features breathtaking footage of the Scottish countryside and rousing Highland music.

“Mary Ann Esposito in Spain,” on June 15, will feature Mary Ann Esposito (Ciao Italia), who has spent her career studying and teaching Italian cooking and culture. But in this episode, Ms Esposito discovers Spain as she travels aboard the restored vintage train Al-Andalus Expreso.

Along the way, she explores the architecture of the medieval city of Cordoba, eats tapas at an outdoor café, goes shopping for flamenco fans and dresses, and observes a young apprentice matador as he practices his craft. She also joins some local fishermen in Gibralter to fish for red bream, then cooks them in the traditional ways.

“Martin Yan in Southeast Asia,” on June 22, will take viewers aboard the luxurious Eastern & Oriental Express from Singapore to Bangkok, while chef and author Martin Yan (Yan Can Cook) savors the region’s exotic culture, romance and cuisine. In Thailand, Mr Yan stops off at the Kwai River bridge, made famous in the film Bridge Over the River Kwai. In Bangkok, he uses the extensive canal system to travel around the city, visit the markets and temples, and sample the nightlife.

From the frenzy of “shop till you drop” Singapore to the simple ancient lifestyle of Thailand’s hill tribes, Mr Yan’s adventures illustrate the surprising variations in contemporary Southeast Asia.