At 8 p.m. Monday on PBS, the series No Passport Required returns for second season with chef and executive producer Marcus Samuelsson visiting six new cities to explore the rich diversity of immigrant traditions and cuisine that is woven into American food and culture. Born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden, Samuelsson, who is also an author and restaurateur, lives in Harlem, N.Y. Each episode attempts to show how important food can be in bringing Americans together around the table.
This season the cities include:
• In Monday's episode, Samuelsson visits Los Angeles, where a large Armenian community thrives in the foothills north of downtown Los Angeles. During this show he meets Armenians from Russia, Lebanon, Syria, Ethiopia and Egypt as they share dishes that include ghapama, a pumpkin stuffed with apricots, rice, Aleppo peppers, and other trimmings.
• On the Jan. 27 episode, Samuelsson visits Houston to explore West African food. The show explores Nigerian, Senegalese and Liberian food, and recipes for dishes like pepper soup and Nigerian suya -- grilled meat skewers with peanut and spices.
• On Feb. 3, the series visits Philadelphia where they showcase the Italian American community. Dishes on the menu include lasagna, Neopolitan pizza and pasta dishes.
• Samuelsson takes viewers to Las Vegas in the Feb. 10 episode. They explore the deep-rooted Chinese community where the host learns how to make hand-pulled noodles and Peking duck.
• On Feb. 17 it's off to Boston to learn about Portuguese-speaking communities, and to sample Portuguese chowder with halibut, dried cod and lots of meat.
Style on 01/19/2020