Stephanie Izard uncovers flavorful culinary inspiration in Tastemade’s The Curious Chef

Stephanie Izard has a long list of accolades associated with her storied culinary career. From James Beard Awards to the first female Top Chef winner to even the title Iron Chef, her talents are immense. At all her many restaurants, there is greatness coming from the kitchen even though the “goat” reference is a different one. Even more impressive is that Chef Izard borrows from all types of culinary inspiration, but she is always looking for another flavor to discover. In the new Tastemade food show, The Curious Chef, Stephanie Izard is hungry to discover flavors from around the globe.

While food television fills the day with programming, some shows are more entertainment than educational. On Tastemade, the company appreciates that home cooks yearn to take the food off the screen and into the kitchen. Many of its shows look to educate while entertain. It is the delectable taste that brings people back for more.

The newest show joining the Tastemade lineup is The Curious Chef with Stephanie Izard. The concept is straightforward. Chef Izard heads to various locales and steps into the kitchen with cooks and chefs. She cooks with people to get a taste of culture, authenticity, and excitement about their local foods. It is time to put the competition space, the tweezers, and the other minutia away. Through conversation and insight, the meals spark a curiosity and a hunger for more.

During a recent conversation with Chef Izard, she mentioned that the idea behind The Curious Chef intrigued her. After being on many culinary competitions, she said that she enjoyed being able to go around, meet people, cook with them and ask questions. It is just about the chefs and food.

Chef Izard hopes that “the show will inspire people to get into the kitchen.” Whether it is trying a specific dish or adding a new spice to the mix, excitement is the sentiment sprinkled into every episode.

For Chef Izard, this opportunity to get out and try food is something similar to how her love of cooking and food began. She shared how her mother would plan out a variety of meals each week. That menu would hang on the refrigerator and offered a journey through food. From the recipe books to her mother’s food magazines, those dishes were a window into what food can offer.

But, Chef Izard admitted that sometimes she can hit mental block when it comes to creating new recipes. Being able to step into these other areas can spark her creativity. It might not be a totally new ingredient that she hasn’t used, but it is seeing that spice being used in a different combination. That little tweak can be all it takes.

Today, she has more opportunities to immerse herself into the flavors and ingredients from all over the world. While The Curious Chef headed to places like Jamacia and Nigeria, those places are just a small sampling of the culinary adventures that anyone can enjoy. Even if the home cook cannot jump on a plane to these locales, spices or ingredients can bring a sampling of that exploration to the home kitchen. It is just about being open to try something different on the plate.

For the home cook who is ready to satisfy that culinary curiosity, Stephanie Izard and The Curious Chef on Tastemade are serving delicious dishes in each episode. New episodes air starting on November 15.