A walk through the National Arboretum last week included sights of lush greenery, vibrant gardens and … an open flame?
The arboretum on June 5 served as the test kitchen for “Cooking With Science,” a new streaming series produced by the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It promotes cooking with sustainable food and crops, as well as the research behind it.
Todd Silver, branch chief for the research service, says the show was created in an effort to help the public understand the science behind “what they’re buying, what they’re shopping for, [and] what they’re cooking with.”
The best way to do this is with a cooking show that features a chef to teach viewers the recipe and a scientist to explain the science behind the ingredients being used, he said.
The USDA also aims for the series to promote nutrition research and for the public to consume more sustainable crops.
Scientists and growers are facing “huge challenges with climate change, with insects, weeds, everything, so they’re doing their best job to protect our crops, to protect our food supply chain,” which Mr. Silver said is a key reason the show features a scientist.
This episode filmed last week in the Arboretum focuses on buckwheat and beans.
“Iron nutrition is the big story for beans, and there’s a lot to that,” said Raymond Glahn, a research service physiologist who appears in the episode.
Mr. Glahn said the episode highlights the nutritional benefits of beans (especially iron) and other foods with antioxidant properties known as flavonoids, which help protect cells against damage.
This episode also features Chef Jessica Botta, a professor and chef-instructor in the Department of Hospitality Management at Montgomery College. Ms. Botta has opened several Fabio Trabocchi restaurants, with some locations in the District. She is also on the board of Culinary Corps and chairs the grants committee of Les Dames d’Escoffier’s Washington D.C. Regional Chapter.
Associate professor Jana Anderson, coordinator of Montgomery College’s hospitality program, said it was an honor to have someone of Ms. Botta’s caliber teaching culinary skills and being involved in the show.
Ms. Botta employed her culinary expertise to create specialized dishes with beans and buckwheat.
The show also made use of Montgomery College’s food truck, the Rolling Raptor, as a mobile kitchen for the episode.
The Rolling Raptor serves as a mobile business venture for students at the college. It gives them the opportunity to test their business concepts and gain real-world entrepreneurial experience, said Ms. Anderson.
Montgomery College’s involvement with the episode reflects the show’s objective to partner with community colleges and give them recognition for everything they’re doing, the USDA’s Mr. Silver said.
“Really a lot of our next-generation chefs come from the community colleges. People don’t always realize that, and they have great programs and great chefs, so we like to partner with them as well,” he said.
According to a spokesperson for the USDA, the arboretum was chosen because of its outdoor setting and the opportunity to feature the college’s food truck.
The arboretum also made for a scenic and unique backdrop, especially for a cooking show.
“The Arboretum was the perfect location to film as a backdrop to the video, and it gave us a chance to promote the Arboretum’s many interesting gardens and exhibits,” a USDA spokesperson said.
The episode filmed in the arboretum is the fourth in the series and will air this fall. Viewers can also expect two or three new episodes to come out in the next couple of weeks.
“Cooking With Science” can be viewed on the YouTube channel USDA-ARS and at aglab.ars.usda.gov/.