Exclusive Interview with Working Class Foodies

[caption id="attachment_2034" align="alignnone" width="510" caption="Working Class Foodies with Max and Rebecca Lando"][/caption]


This is the 21st post in our TV Series of the Week series.

Check out our Exclusive Interview with Working Class Foodies!

Working Class Foodies is a new weekly webshow appearing on HungryNation.tv. This great series shows how to make fun and easy recipes for the bargain price of $8 (or less!) per person in New York. This show tells you how to take what's in season and available at the local market and turn it into great food that everyone will love!



Check out Episodes of Working Class Foodies Here!

Stephanie Schoppert: How did WCF start?

Rebecca Lando: About 8 months ago, I approached my friend, Kathleen Grace, about producing a webseries that revolved around the idea of showing that local and seasonal food is affordable. At the time, Kathy was a freelance producer with Next New Networks. Originally, we planned to produce the show and have someone else host it, but it really felt like something we should be involved in. We shot a spec with the two of us in it, and then Kathy was hired full-time as the VP of Programming at Next New Networks, and we both kind of realized that the show would make the most sense if it were my brother, Max, and me. Max and I are both really passionate about eating locally and seasonally, and we've always worked best together in the kitchen. It was the most obvious choice all along, and I think the episodes prove that it was the best choice.

[caption id="attachment_2035" align="alignnone" width="250" caption="Max Lando"][/caption]


Stephanie: Who does what for the show?

Rebecca: I produce the show - set up 'guest cooks', like this week's (10/12) episode with Theo Peck, co-founder of TheFoodExperiments.com and a former chef at Blue Hill-Stone Barns (NY), Fore St (ME), and Hugo's (ME). Max and I come up with the concept for each episode together, and we write the blogs together. I edit the episodes with the help of my intern at Next New Networks, Brittany DeLillo, and the episodes are all shot by Kit Pennebaker, a really fantastic cinematographer. He's really the reason for the show's success; if he didn't make the food look amazing every time, I don't think people would keep watching!

Stephanie: Where do you get the ideas for the recipes?

Rebecca: The best place for inspiration is the farm stands at the Greenmarket. I've always loved going to the market with absolutely no idea what I'll get, and letting the market shop for me. We also use everything from blogs to newspaper articles to cookbooks and magazines to the menus at our favorite restaurants for inspiration. But we like to mix up our sources: In our next episode, airing on 10/19, we make a cake from an old family recipe; the episode after that, airing on 10/26, we'll make two recipes, one from Gourmet Magazine, and one from a favorite chef, Dan Barber of Blue Hill.

Stephanie: Where did you get the idea to make meals for under $8?

Rebecca: In New York City, at least, it's hard to dine out for under $8 a person, even for lunch, and that's just if you hit up the salad bar around the corner. We love restaurants that buy locally and cook seasonally, but most Americans can't afford the prices. There's so much good food being produced by small farmers all over the country, and it's ours - yours - for the taking. We want to help you find it, and just as importantly, show you how easy it is to cook at home. Frankly, a lot of the stuff we cook comes out to less than $5/person, but we wanted to keep the goal reasonable as much of the time as possible.


Stephanie: Do you really like everything you make?

Rebecca: So far, yes! Actually, we have a bit of a disaster recipe in an upcoming episode - it was a bad surprise and a serious disappointment, considering where the recipe came from. We're going to ask the fans to help us out, let us know what they think went wrong - and then I'm going to have to try it again to see if I can't make it come out better the 2nd time around.


Stephanie: How long does it normally take to put together an episode?

Rebecca: About 3-4 days, depending on how 'dense' an episode it is.

[caption id="attachment_2036" align="alignnone" width="250" caption="Rebecca Lando"][/caption]


Stephanie: Any cooking mishaps?

Rebecca: Well, the aforementioned 'disaster recipe'. I feel awful calling it that, since I love the recipe's source. I'm actually kind of hoping the mishap turns out to be all my fault! That episode will air 10/26, by the way, for anyone curious.


Stephanie: Do you get all of your food from outdoor/farmer’s markets?

Rebecca: As much as we can, yes. Things like flour and sugar, we obviously get from the grocery store, but we use local honey and local maple syrup. And obviously, my coffee's not exactly grown in New Jersey, but I love Gorilla Coffee, which is Fair Trade, encourages sustainable farming, and is roasted in Park Slope, Brooklyn.


Stephanie: What is your favorite food?

Rebecca: Mussels! The way we made them on the show, steamed in Belgian beer, and served with a big, crusty hunk of bread or a pile of fries. But I'll eat them just about any way.


Stephanie: Have you always enjoyed cooking?

Rebecca: Yes!

Stephanie: What is your advice for people just learning to cook?

Rebecca: You're in your kitchen, making your food. Cooking is a great way to pamper yourself. Don't sweat the recipe; unless you're baking, measurements don't have to be exact. Have fun, relax, and be creative. Add that extra clove of garlic; skip the black pepper if you hate it. And don't be afraid to use salt and fat - the two things that make every dish delicious.


Stephanie: What has been your favorite thing to cook so far?

Rebecca: The mussels, because they're my favorite food; the bratwursts with Theo Peck, because it was a huge honor to have him cook with us, and it was a recipe we might never have tried on our own; and the cake in next week's episode, because I really love baking.

To learn more about Facebook.

Check out New Episodes every Monday!

[caption id="attachment_2037" align="alignnone" width="200" caption="Working Class Foodies"][/caption]