Having been interviewed about everything from national parks on The Weather Channel to big cities on a budget for The Today Show, I know you have to be ready for anything. When I heard that Guy Ferdinand, otherwise known as Chef Hot Pants, was coming into town to celebrate the kick off of “Travels with Darley” season three on PBS in primetime in Washington, DC, I knew that he would make for good television. Funny, fun and with some funky attire, Chef Hot Pants is known for his fresh cooking skills and signature short shorts, which he happily wore to our live segment in DC… and all around DC.
Prepping for Great Day Washington: Behind the Scenes Great Day Washington is a live morning show on CBS in Washington, DC. It broadcasts from 9am to 10am with hosts Markette Sheppard, Meaghan Mooney and Chris Leary. While Chef Hot Pants and I had already filmed together for our PBS TV show at his restaurant, Le Petibonum, which is located on a black sand beach in Martinique, during our PBS film shoots, you can do things over. During a live morning TV show, there are no do-overs, so even greater preparation is key.
Chef Hot Pants came prepared from Martinique with a dazzling selection of chef coats and ready to cook. We went to a Washington, DC grocery store together to get the rest of the ingredients needed for our segment and to talk logistics. I was going to make the cocktails, the Martinician Planteur, and Chef Hot Pants was in charge of making a heart healthy breakfast, the theme of Great Day Washington’s shows this month. He would be making a French Creole style breakfast, ti nin lanmori, which I was able to try on my adventures in Martinique. Not only was I able to try it, but I was able to actually help catch my breakfast.
Ti nin lanmori is a traditional Creole dish you’d find in Chef Hot Pants’ village of Le Carbet, in Martinique. If you are visiting, you can participate in a daily fishing expedition, called coup de senne, a method of fishing that’s been passed down for generations. Traditional Fishing in Martinique Every morning, the Carbet villagers cast out a super large net, about the size of a city block, into the ocean to catch fish. They reel in this net and the fish that’s caught is shared by everyone who participates. Then folks go home or to a community site to have this Ti nin lanmori for breakfast. Travelers can participate, which is a cool way to learn about the local culture and have a heart healthy breakfast and some exercise before breakfast! You are literally working for your meal.
We filmed this for our PBS TV show, and I was able to help pull in the net, but also enjoy the bounty of our labor. I was invited to a community breakfast to try Ti nin lanmori, and it sure was tasty. The fish and green bananas in this dish are boiled in water with no added salt, oil, butter… nothing but the main ingredient themselves. Adding in fresh avocado and cucumber salad and you have a healthy, tasty breakfast. Maybe we should consider eating fish for breakfast more often!
Cuisine in Martinique is really healthy in general. Residents eat a lot of fish, fruits and vegetables and this is because throughout the island’s history, dating even back to the days of slavery, locals have used the bountiful local ingredients to prepare daily meals foods. Our Great Day Washington Live Morning Show Debut To celebrate the debut of “Travels with Darley” season three on PBS, we joined TV host Markette Sheppard for our segment. We arrived early to the WUSA studios set up everything needed on set, including pouring glasses of Planteur to celebrate the occasion. We had a lot of fun!
Watch the segment to see how it turned out. It was one of the most fun live TV segments I’ve ever done, but learning about a new culture through food and customs is one of the most fun aspects of my career and life, and we certainly enjoy sharing the journey with you!
“Martinique Adventures” debuts on WHUT-TV, Howard University Television, in Washington, DC on Thursday, March 16th at 9:30pm. “Travels with Darley” season three also features episodes from Hong Kong, Illinois and Wyoming. It debuts on PBS stations across the nation starting in March and April.
See what else is in our new season from our filming in the USA and Asia and look for these episodes on your local PBS TV station and coming up on Create TV!
