Avec Eric

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Avec Eric begins on Saturday @ 1pm. website here--also shows channel lineup if you're uncertain.

ETA: Joe Yonan of the WaPo did an interview with Eric Ripert that I just saw here--

Each episode of the 10-part series, which premieres at 1 p.m.Saturday on WETA, gives a behind-the-scenes glance at his acclaimed Le Bernardinrestaurant, follows him to the farms and woods and fishing operationsthat inspire him, and culminates in his cooking of a home-style dish ina studio kitchen.If the rest of the series is anything like the first two episodes,"Avec Eric" is a refreshingly whimsical, sometimes even spiritual lookat food through the eyes of one of the most respected, not to mentioneasy to watch, chefs in the world. Among other scenes, Ripert goesalong for a wild boar hunt in Tuscany (getting soaked in a thunderstormin the process), pops tomatoes like candy at a restaurant's farm inCalifornia and interviews Le Bernadin's saucier, a Caribbean charmernamed Vinnie.

I recently spoke with the 44-year-old chef by phone from his officeat Le Bernadin about the show. Excerpts of our conversation follow: