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It’s Monday morning, and the dining room at Michael’s Fine Food & Spirits is quiet and empty. But in the kitchen, Chef Michael Latreille is busy preparing one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes — an artichoke-crusted salmon on lemon sweet pea risotto.
“We get asked all the time how we make (this dish),” Latreille says, emptying previously prepared ingredients into a bowl of quartered artichokes. “I’m going to tell people almost how we make it.”
Scott Tranter, host of the new local cooking show CNY Flavors, laughs. “It’s an honor to be here in your kitchen …,” he says, standing beside Latreille. “Usually, viewers see me in my kitchen.”
The exchange isn’t just professional small talk. It’s being captured for Tranter’s show.
Producer Charles Thompson zips from one end of the room to the other, making adjustments to three strategically placed cameras. A cameraman crouches below the prep area where the ingredients for this week’s recipe are lined up in white bowls.
It’s been 11 weeks since Tranter began hosting the local cooking show, an attempt to bring viewers into his kitchen for shoestring budget recipes reminiscent of favorite dishes in local restaurants.
The show airs at 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays on CW11.
During the half-hour broadcast, Tranter shares his 39 years of experience in the restaurant industry, providing viewers with locally inspired recipes, professional cooking tips and other expert know-how, such as safety tips and terminology.
“We hope that (viewers), No. 1, learn about food: how to cook and combine ingredients properly and the most cost-effective way,” said Tranter, an instructor for the National Restaurant Association and owner of Crazy Otto’s Empire Diner in Herkimer.
More importantly, Tranter and producer Thompson, of No Sheep Designs, hope to share the area’s flavors. “CNY Flavors is focusing on the mom-and-pop organizations and featuring their specialties,” Tranter said. “We like focusing on that ‘keeping it local’ idea.”
So far, featured restaurants have included The Bistro in Frankfort, Raspberries Cafe in New Hartford, The Other Guys in New Hartford and DiCastro's Brick Oven Restaurant in Rome.
“We hope local operators have business brought to them,” Tranter said.
Typically, the show features Tranter preparing a favorite meal in his town of Ohio kitchen and an interview with a local restaurateur, baker or chef. The Valentine’s Day show, featuring Latreille, will have a different twist — Latreille does all the cooking from his restaurant in Sangerfield.
Latreille’s local roots (he grew up in Sauquoit and trained under Juanita Bass, of White House Berries Inn) fit well with the show’s theme, Tranter said.
“We always want to make the local connection,” he said.
It’s Monday morning, and the dining room at Michael’s Fine Food & Spirits is quiet and empty. But in the kitchen, Chef Michael Latreille is busy preparing one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes — an artichoke-crusted salmon on lemon sweet pea risotto.
“We get asked all the time how we make (this dish),” Latreille says, emptying previously prepared ingredients into a bowl of quartered artichokes. “I’m going to tell people almost how we make it.”
Scott Tranter, host of the new local cooking show CNY Flavors, laughs. “It’s an honor to be here in your kitchen …,” he says, standing beside Latreille. “Usually, viewers see me in my kitchen.”
The exchange isn’t just professional small talk. It’s being captured for Tranter’s show.
Producer Charles Thompson zips from one end of the room to the other, making adjustments to three strategically placed cameras. A cameraman crouches below the prep area where the ingredients for this week’s recipe are lined up in white bowls.
It’s been 11 weeks since Tranter began hosting the local cooking show, an attempt to bring viewers into his kitchen for shoestring budget recipes reminiscent of favorite dishes in local restaurants.
The show airs at 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays on CW11.
During the half-hour broadcast, Tranter shares his 39 years of experience in the restaurant industry, providing viewers with locally inspired recipes, professional cooking tips and other expert know-how, such as safety tips and terminology.
“We hope that (viewers), No. 1, learn about food: how to cook and combine ingredients properly and the most cost-effective way,” said Tranter, an instructor for the National Restaurant Association and owner of Crazy Otto’s Empire Diner in Herkimer.
More importantly, Tranter and producer Thompson, of No Sheep Designs, hope to share the area’s flavors. “CNY Flavors is focusing on the mom-and-pop organizations and featuring their specialties,” Tranter said. “We like focusing on that ‘keeping it local’ idea.”
So far, featured restaurants have included The Bistro in Frankfort, Raspberries Cafe in New Hartford, The Other Guys in New Hartford and DiCastro's Brick Oven Restaurant in Rome.
“We hope local operators have business brought to them,” Tranter said.
Typically, the show features Tranter preparing a favorite meal in his town of Ohio kitchen and an interview with a local restaurateur, baker or chef. The Valentine’s Day show, featuring Latreille, will have a different twist — Latreille does all the cooking from his restaurant in Sangerfield.
Latreille’s local roots (he grew up in Sauquoit and trained under Juanita Bass, of White House Berries Inn) fit well with the show’s theme, Tranter said.
“We always want to make the local connection,” he said.
