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Deconstructing Dinner: Reconstructing Our Food System is the result of two lovers of food and media coming together with the enthusiastic commitment of a small independent Canadian television company. Created by Jon Steinman and James Beard Award winning filmmaker Declan O’Driscoll, the series invites us to rediscover food – in our kitchens, our communities, and through one of our most precious assets… our sense of taste.
In each of the six episodes, Jon teams up with local farmers, scientists, backyard gardeners and award winning chefs like Michael Anthony (Gramercy Tavern), John Sundstrom (Lark), Blaine Wetzel (Willows Inn), Michael Stadtländer (Eigensinn Farm), Heather Carlucci (formerly of PRINT) and Mark Picone (Niagara College). With the help of these chefs, Jon explores, demystifies, and deconstructs six popular foods– Wheat, Tomatoes, Pork, Garlic, Honey and Eggs.
For the project’s online component, 44 short webisodes support the content of each episode, including unseen footage, step-by-step kitchen demonstrations and expanded profiles of the many farms and chefs featured throughout the series.
The series became available on Gaia in 2017 – a streaming video-on-demand service. Between 2013-2015, Deconstructing Dinner was broadcast on Canadian television through ichannel. The series is also available to view online at www.deconstructingdinner.com.
Deconstructing Dinner won “Best of Canada” at the 2015 Taste Awards in Hollywood, California.
The Crew
Declan O’Driscoll
(Producer / Director) Declan has produced many television series with Stornoway Communications and independently. His documentary, Milk War, won the prestigious James Beard Award of Excellence for Best TV Special/Documentary in 2011.
Jon Steinman
(Host / Writer / Associate Producer) Jon has been involved in food media since 2004 and was the Host and Producer of the internationally sydnicated radio show/podcast Deconstructing Dinner (2006-2010). More about Jon Steinman here
Adham Shaikh
(Music Supervisor) Adham is a Juno and Emmy Award-nominated producer, composer, sound designer, and DJ who brings his uniquely powerful global sounds to the world stage and screen. More about Adham Shaikh here
Michael Ofri-Attah
(Editor)
Adam Crosby
(Director of Photography)
Rob Walsh
(Camera Operator)
Alex Avelino
(Animator)