'Moveable Feast' visits Wine Country

(PD) - It was inevitable that a PBS series about the nationwide farm-to-table trend would make its way to Sonoma County.

When the producers of “Moveable Feast with Fine Cooking” contacted Duskie Estes of Zazu Kitchen + Farm in Sebastopol about filming one of the 13 episodes here, the chef jumped in with both cowgirl boots.

“I'm pretty relaxed in front of the camera,” said Estes, who starred on the Food Network's “The Next Iron Chef” in seasons three and five. “I'm going to do the 'Julia Child' moment, where I put it in the stove, and 'Voila!'”

Hosted by Australian chef Pete Evans, the series takes viewers on a culinary journey with some of the top chefs in the country, including Tom Douglas of Seattle, and Marcus Samuelsson and Jonathan Waxman, both based in New York.

“Our chefs have the opportunity to experiment outside the confines of their regular kitchens, in fresh territory, where they can collaborate and stretch their cooking muscles,” said Laurie Donnelly, executive producer. “This inspiring new series is the culinary equivalent of a jam session.”

The series, produced by WGBH-TV and Fine Cooking magazine, will launch in San Francisco at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 14 on KQED Channel 9. The Sonoma County episode is scheduled to air on Nov. 23.

During each episode, Evans follows the local chefs back to the source for ingredients. Then they join forces — working under the gun, just like home chefs throwing a dinner party — to prepare a multi-course “pop-up” dinner.

As her partner in crime, Estes chose restaurateur Mark Stark, who owns five restaurants in Sonoma County.