01x04 - Brazil's Floating Feast

[bunniefuu]

KRISTEN: We're on a boat.

We are going to
another boat over there.

And on that boat, that's
where the restaurant is.

Um, I think in the
middle of a lunch service.

So, we're going to go
crash their party and

see what this is all about.

Throughout my career, I've
worked in all kinds of kitchens.

And every challenge I've
faced has made me a better chef.

So now, I'm headed
out on a journey.

I'm literally in
the middle of nowhere.

To places like this,

this and this.

Wow. Look at that.

To restaurants so
remote that their chefs face

more challenges in a day...

(screams).

GISELA: See what it
takes to get a good product?

KRISTEN: Then most
chefs face in a lifetime.

Oh, my God.

And yet, they turn
these obstacles into

once-in-a-lifetime meals.

I got a fish!

CAROLYNN: Oh, yeah.

Looking good.

KRISTEN: Now, they're
welcoming me into their kitchens.

Cheers.

GISELA: Welcome.

KRISTEN: Oh,
yum. Wow. Wow.

It's a chance to up my game.

ERIN: I'm just blown away.

KRISTEN: That's good.
ROGIER: I know.

KRISTEN: While having the
kind of adventure that can only

be had at the
very end of the world.

I've got it.

(theme music playing).

KRISTEN: I'm on a remote
stretch of Brazil's coastline,

surrounded by
mountains on one side

and ocean on the other.

It takes a five-hour drive
on a winding one-lane road to

reach Paraty from Sao Paolo.

And that's only the
start of this journey.

I'm headed to meet
chef Gisela Schmitt who runs

a restaurant
called The Sem Pressa.

This requires taking a
boat out towards Mamangua,

which is one of the
world's largest tropical fjords.

Along the way,
I'm told to keep

an eye out for a
50-foot trawler.

MIGUEL: That's the boat.

KRISTEN: Oh. Oh,
this is beautiful.

GISELA: Let me help you.
KRISTEN: Thank you.

GISELA: Hey.
KRISTEN: Hi.

GISELA: Hey. Nice to meet you.
KRISTEN: Hi, nice to meet you.

GISELA: Very welcome.
KRISTEN: Thank you.

Wow. Hi, everyone.

ALL: Hi.
KRISTEN: I'm Kristen.

GISELA: They're just
finishing lunch here.

KRISTEN: So, here's what
makes Gisela so fascinating.

GISELA: This is
tapioca and mango.

KRISTEN: Not
only is she running

a full-service
restaurant on a boat,

but the Sem Pressa is
renowned for using unique,

hyperlocal ingredients.

MAN: This is amazing.

GISELA: So, I'd
love to show you, the kitchen.

KRISTEN: This is
already a dream.

GISELA: Yeah, this...

GISELA: This is
a barefoot kitchen.

KRISTEN: Yeah.

GISELA: I have a grill
and the, the oven, the stove.

This is the bar.

KRISTEN: Mm-hmm.

GISELA: The, the,
the thing is, uh...

GISELA: We don't have
energy so we don't have a fridge.

GISELA: So, it's ice there.
KRISTEN: It's very, very small.

But this is all you really
need to create great food.

Oh, my God.

There is very few
places that feel like vacation

when I'm working.

But this is, this
feels like vacation.

GISELA: Oh, that's amazing.
KRISTEN: Yeah.

Creating that perfect
vibe is a crucial element to

any successful restaurant.

But behind the scenes, it's a
lot of work and a lot of stress.

Trust me, I know.

GISELA: This is, uh,
the guava cheesecake.

WOMAN: Ooh.
MAN: Ooh.

KRISTEN: But doing that
here in the middle of the sea in

a tiny kitchen without
electricity must be even harder.

So, what was the initial
vision when you're like,

"I want this
restaurant on a boat,

and this is what
it's going to look like?"

GISELA: I realized no
one was actually doing any

food experience at the boat.

So the idea came up,
let's do a restaurant...

...with all the service,
and all the courses, and...

...I wanted to have the
freshest seafood on my table.

For me, it's the most
luxury thing in the world.

GISELA: So, you feel
like a queen or a king...

KRISTEN: Yeah. Yeah.
GISELA: For a day, yes.

KRISTEN: Cheers.
GISELA: Welcome.

KRISTEN: Thank
you very much.

GISELA: Yeah, so
this is passion fruit batida.

KRISTEN: Ooh.
That's dangerous.

Wow. That is so
creamy and delightful.

GISELA: It's good, right?
KRISTEN: Exactly what is it?

GISELA: It's, uh...
KRISTEN: What's in it?

GISELA: It's basically
coconut, passion fruit, and vodka.

KRISTEN: Yum.

It's, it's a
tropical adult milkshake.

GISELA: Exactly.

KRISTEN: Gisela's origin
story is really interesting.

Originally from Sao Paolo,
she ran a catering business where by

necessity all of her ingredients
were shipped in from elsewhere.

When she married and moved to
Paraty to be with her husband,

she was thrilled
to find herself in

one of the most
biodiverse places on Earth.

She immediately knew
what she wanted to do.

Create a one-of-a-kind dining
experience focused entirely on

what could be caught,
grown or foraged nearby.

GISELA: Bye-bye. Bye-bye.
KRISTEN: Nice to meet you.

Her gamble paid off.

It's now one of
the most sought-after

dining experiences in Brazil.

And has inspired her second
restaurant in the marina.

So, this is where
you feed the masses?

GISELA: Exactly.

Yeah, so this is it.

KRISTEN: Gisela's marina
restaurant serves her tried and

true dishes, while
the Sem Pressa is where

she experiments with new
dishes and new ingredients.

What do you think has
been the biggest challenge?

GISELA: Uh, it was really
hard for me in the beginning to get

the freshest fish from
the water to your table.

GISELA: When I
first came to Paraty...

...I was surprised
that restaurants here

don't get the local fishes.

GISELA: My scallops before,

they were coming,
really, from Canada.

KRISTEN: Much like in Sao
Paolo, the local restaurants here often

serve ingredients
from other places.

Because local
fishermen contracted with

the big fisheries ship
their catch elsewhere.

GISELA: I had to create
my own supplier network.

So I started to go after the
fishermen and talk to them...

...and see if they could
deliver directly to me...

GISELA: Which takes much
more time and much more energy.

GISELA: But I felt
myself in a mission...

...to really get that
fish out of the water...

...and put on my table.

KRISTEN: Gisela has a group
of guests booked on the Sem Pressa

tomorrow and she's
asked me to come along as

she hunts for a rare and
unique ingredient to serve them.

I'm excited to try the product
and go digging for the sururu.

GISELA: Mm
- hmm. Mm-hmm.

KRISTEN: But, you know,
there's mosquitos.

Sururu are a
common local bivalve,

resembling a small mussel.

But many restaurants
still rely on

importing them
from elsewhere.

Gisela wants to change that.

The only problem?

They live deep in
the muddy mangroves.

And if there's one
thing I really don't like,

it's mosquitos.

But I didn't come here
to sit on the sidelines.

Let's have a
fashion show for a second.

I have two-layer pants on.

GISELA: Two-layer pants.

KRISTEN: I have two shirts
on, two long-sleeve shirts.

GISELA: Oh, my God.
KRISTEN: Oh, yeah.

And I have this thing.

And then I have,
let me do this.

GISELA: Oh, my God.
KRISTEN: Oh.

GISELA: Oh, my God.

I have to tell that I'm a little
bit worried about Kristen.

For her, it's going to
be a, a, a new experience.

(laughs).

KRISTEN: So, we go through
that little pocket right there?

GISELA: Yes, yes.

KRISTEN: Are
there snakes in there?

GISELA: I hope not.

KRISTEN: I'm trying
not to freak myself out.

But the closer we get
to that mangrove swamp,

the more I'm realizing this
is a full-on jungle situation.

GISELA: I think I see Isaias.

GISELA: Yes!

GISELA: Isaias!

This is Kristen.

KRISTEN: Oh, man. Okay.

GISELA: All right,
so this is it.

KRISTEN: Okay.

All right, yep. We're here.

GISELA: Okay, so...

GISELA: How do you feel?

KRISTEN: Uh,
yeah, I'm good.

GISELA: You good?
KRISTEN: I'm good.

GISELA: You look very...

(screams).

KRISTEN: No, just kidding.

I am going to be completely
eaten alive by bugs which is

one of my worst nightmares.

But, you know,
I'm here to learn.

So, I'm going to go in
there and I'm going to do it.

(buzzing)

Oh, my, gosh.

GISELA: See what it
takes to get a good product?

KRISTEN: Holy moly.

So, what do we look for?

ISAIAS: Stick your finger, like this.

GISELA: You see the hole?

GISELA: You put your finger in...

KRISTEN: Yeah. Okay.

Once you locate the
holes created by the sururu,

you have to dig deep since
they can be up to a foot down.

GISELA: I think he's...

He's just digging.

KRISTEN: Oh, nice.

I'm just going to start sticking
my fingers in some holes.

(laughter).

I can't tell if that's a branch.

Oh, I think I got it.

I got a...

ISAIAS: Easy.
KRISTEN: Ah. I got it.

It is so satisfying
when you get one.

GISELA: Yes. It is.
It's like a game.

KRISTEN: Yeah, it is.

It's the weirdest thing.

Once I started to get
the hang of the process,

I kind of got into it, even
if I was still a bit on edge.

GISELA: It can be really
relaxing as well,

don't you think?

KRISTEN: I don't know
if relaxing is the word

I would use.

Oh, that was a crab.

GISELA: No pain, no gain.

KRISTEN: Ah, hit
the jackpot here.

GISELA: You did?

KRISTEN: Oh, yeah.

They really attach
on there, don't they?

GISELA: Uh, I think we got...

Oh, my God.
I think we are good.

KRISTEN: Yeah?

Oh, oh, my God, we
have a lot, actually.

That happened very quickly.

GISELA: Yeah.

KRISTEN: This was oddly
satisfying and it's addictive.

GISELA: I think
you're obsessed now.

KRISTEN: Soon as you
start to dig your hand and

you start to feel one or two,

you just want to keep
going and going and going.

And I feel very good with
the haul that we just got.

And it's a process
that I'm glad we did.

GISELA: You got it?

(yelling)

KRISTEN: (bleep). (bleep).

GISELA: Nice.

KRISTEN: You
have freckles now.

You look great.

(laughter)

We have one
key ingredient in-hand.

But we'll need
much more in order

to create one of
Gisela's multi-course affairs.

All right, so where are we
going along this coastline?

GISELA: We are
going right there.

GISELA: We are
meeting Gabriel...

...one of my
favorite suppliers.

KRISTEN: So, Gabriel is one
of the first local fisherman that

Gisela convinced to
sell to her directly.

The problem is, she never
knows what he's going to catch

and if he comes back
empty-handed one day,

she has to think fast to figure
out what she's going to serve.

And what are we
fishing for? Anything?

GISELA: It's going
to depend on our luck.

We'll see what's gonna
go in the fishing net.

KRISTEN: So, depending on
what we catch, then you'll

just start developing your
dish around that?

GISELA: Yes.
KRISTEN: Right?

GISELA: Exactly.

Oh, there he is.

GABRIEL: Hey, Gisela.

GISELA: This is Kristen, Gabriel.

How are you guys?

GISELA: Let's fish.

(speaking in
native language).

KRISTEN: Okay.
These are cute.

GISELA: Yeah, we're
gonna look like Minions.

KRISTEN: So, we're going
out in a canoe in the middle of

the ocean with this
fisherman that does net fishing.

How do I look? Good?

GABRIEL: Good.
KRISTEN: Okay, good.

So, we don't really know
exactly what we're going to catch,

but we're, I'm sure we're
going to catch something.

GISELA: Do you think
there's fish there today?

GABRIEL: It's pretty weak.

GISELA: Ah.
This time of the year...

GISELA: It's the low season.

KRISTEN: So,
during the down season,

what's a good amount?

(speaking in
native language).

GISELA: Very few.

Very few.

KRISTEN: Gisela only
needs a few fish to cover

the next meal service.

But coming up with
nothing could leave

us in a very bad situation.

GISELA: And now, we're gonna work.

KRISTEN: Okay.

It's low season.

So, we're not
expecting a ton of fish.

But if we don't
come up with any,

we'll have to
think fast to figure out

what we'll be
serving tomorrow.

GISELA: So, we're
just going to pull here.

Hold, hold tight there.

KRISTEN: Oh. (bleep).

(laughter)

Whoa. (bleep).

GISELA: Look how big!

KRISTEN: You don't
keep that, do you?

GISELA: No, no.
It's a very dangerous fish.

KRISTEN: Okay. Adios.

It takes two canoes
to pull up the net.

As we continue to pull,
the net works like a funnel,

concentrating the
fish in the middle.

The best part of this way of
fishing is that anything that

comes up that's protected...

Hi, buddy.

Can be safely removed.

Okay, we're going
to put you back.

So, it's highly sustainable.

GISELA: Another one.

KRISTEN: Man, you
get a lot of those.

Okay, so we keep
coming up with things

that we can't use for the meal.

And as we get closer
to the bottom of the net,

I'm starting to get
a little concerned.

GISELA: They are too small.

KRISTEN: Oh.

But the bottom of
the funnel is also

where the most
stuff comes up.

Oh, (bleep).
Is that a mackerel?

Oh, there they are!

Holy moly. Oh, my God.

(speaking in native language)

GISELA: What is this?

GABRIEL: Bonito and spada.

KRISTEN: Wow. Oh, yeah.

(gasps)

GISELA: Oh, my God.
KRISTEN: What is it?

GISELA: It's a swordfish.

KRISTEN: It's a swordfish?
GISELA: Is that, uh, no.

GISELA: I don't know the name in English.

Hold through here! Tight here.

'Cause it has, eh...

KRISTEN: Oh, yep. There.

GISELA: ...teeth!

KRISTEN: Wow.
GISELA: It's good for us...

GISELA: ...to
make it like a crudo.

KRISTEN: Oh, yeah? Okay.

I'm sure this fish
will be great raw.

But if I'm going to
properly prepare it,

I need to figure out
what it's called in English.

(gasps)

GISELA: It's a bonito.

KRISTEN: It's like mackerel.

GISELA: It's like a relative of the tuna.

KRISTEN: All right.
We have so many things.

GISELA: Yeah. So,
let's go see the scallops.

KRISTEN: Yes.

This is an amazing haul.

But there's more to come.

GISELA: Kristen,
you're like a pro now.

KRISTEN: I just
do whatever he does.

I figured it out.

GISELA: Yeah.

KRISTEN: Gabriel's most
incredible product can be found

on a boat, just
beyond the fish nets.

GISELA: This is what makes
Gabriel so special for us.

KRISTEN: Oh, it's
not that charming smile?

GISELA: No, it's not
only that charming smile.

KRISTEN: His eyes?
GABRIEL: Thank you.

GISELA: But it's all
about the scallops that

he cultivates here.

Before Gabriel started to do
this professional program...

...we didn't have
scallops in Paraty.

So in the beginning I really
wanted to help that growth.

I told him whatever you get there...

GISELA: I'm buying.

KRISTEN: This is my
first time ever scalloping.

GISELA: Oh, really?
KRISTEN: No, I've never...

I've always just
received them.

GISELA: Yeah, yeah.
KRISTEN: At the restaurant.

GISELA: Ah.

KRISTEN: Scallops can take
up to seven months to grow

large enough for consumption.

And keeping them free from
diseases and predators during

that time is a
labor-intensive full-time job.

Wow.

GISELA: So cool, right?
KRISTEN: Look at that.

I'm genuinely excited
to try one of these.

We can eat one raw, right?

GISELA: Yes.

GISELA: Can we eat one?

KRISTEN: Can we try one?

Mm. That's really yummy.

GISELA: I think it's
very different from the north.

KRISTEN: The
Northern ones?

They are, they are sweet,
but they have more of a...

GISELA: Mm-hmm.
KRISTEN: A brine kick to it.

GISELA: Okay.

KRISTEN: These are
just simply sweet.

GISELA: Yes, yes.
KRISTEN: Mm.

So, the scallops are
some of the sweetest scallops

that I've ever had.

And I've eaten
quite a few of them.

It's just a little wave
of syrup, sugar, sea sugar.

We're going to
call them sea sugar.

I'm, I'm naming, I'm naming
the scallops sea sugar scallops.

GISELA: I really like
them with cucumber,

because cucumber
has the crunch.

KRISTEN: Yeah.

GISELA: And then we
put some citric yogurt...

...because the yogurt goes
very well with the cucumber.

GISELA: Uh, like a tartar?

And then I'm going to serve
the scallop inside the shell.

KRISTEN: Oh yum. Yeah.

I love hearing Gisela create
as she has the product in-hand.

It's great insight into
how she thinks about food,

and I cannot wait to serve
this to her guests tomorrow.

GISELA: We don't have
a fridge at the boat.

KRISTEN: Mm-hmm, so,
everything is last minute

in order to pre-serve...

GISELA: Yeah, to
preserve the freshness.

KRISTEN: The product.

We have 30 minutes
until the guests go onboard.

So, that means the
food needs to be set.

Everything has to be in
coolers, packed, ready to go.

GISELA: You put right there.

KRISTEN: Mm-hmm.
GISELA: Thank you.

KRISTEN: Once we leave
this dock, you have what you have.

There are no running
ingredients back and forth.

GISELA: Smoked
tuna sandwich there.

KRISTEN: All the
cooking takes place

on the boat in front of guests.

GISELA: These we do here.

Everything has its own place.

KRISTEN: And this will
be my first time cooking

a multi-course meal on a
moving boat in the middle of the sea.

GISELA: So, it's a
five-hour boat ride.

And because my
kitchen is very restricted,

we really have to finish
one dish to go to the next one.

GISELA: When I work my
kitchen in the boat, it's really hard...

...because it's a tiny kitchen.

It has to be like a dance.

You really have to work together.

GISELA: For her, it's going
to be a, a, a new experience.

But hopefully Kristen and
I will dance well together.

GISELA: Welcome!

WOMAN: Hello!

GISELA: How are you?

Welcome! Welcome!

(overlapping chatter)

GISELA: We have a special
guest cooking with me.

This is Kristen Kish, to
do a special meal for you.

And you, I hope you enjoy it.

MAN: Let's start it.

GISELA: Yeah,
yeah. Let's do it.

KRISTEN: Gisela is
coming up with all new dishes

based on what we sourced.

So, this is going
to be very much a

trial-and-error situation.

And she's doing that
with guests who expect and

paid for a
once-in-a-lifetime experience.

WOMAN: Cheers. Aww.

KRISTEN: Got to say, I
totally admire her confidence.

GISELA: Would you help me...

...doing the scallops first?

KRISTEN: Sure. Of course.

Yeah, I am here
however you need me to be.

GISELA: Okay.

I already cleaned those
scallops we got from Gabriel.

KRISTEN: Gisela and I are
about to start the first course

of her lunch,
the scallop tartar.

The scallops will be

served in the shell with

cucumber and citric yogurt,

topped with local seaweed.

But apparently,

Gisela doesn't actually
have the seaweed in hand yet.

GISELA: So, one of my special suppliers...

...they cultivate seaweed.

So if you don't mind...

...I'm going to go...

...jump in the water to get them.

WOMAN: Can't get any fresher, huh?

GISELA: Can't get any fresher than that.

You can play in my kitchen for awhile...

...while I go get the seaweed.

GISELA: 'Cause the seaweed
has a little crunchy and

I then I thought about
putting some on the top of it.

KRISTEN: So, I chop them up,
mix it all together and plate it up.

GISELA: Perfect. Perfect.

KRISTEN: I agree with Gisela
that seaweed is at its best when

it's just been
pulled out of the water.

So, I'm going to do my
best to hold down the fort

while she fetches it.

It's coming. I swear. Sorry.

(whistles)

GISELA: Kristen!

KRISTEN: Yeah?

GISELA: I got...

KRISTEN: Oh (bleep).
Yes. Okay. All right.

You dry off.
I will finish this.

GISELA: Okay, okay.
KRISTEN: Yeah.

GISELA: Perfect, thank you so much.

KRISTEN: All right.
So, just a little bite.

Uh, we have scallops
right from the ocean,

a little bit of
citric yogurt, uh,

chopped up cucumber,
the seaweed...

WOMAN: This looks amazing.

KRISTEN: That
Gisela just brought out.

WOMAN: All right.

KRISTEN: And feel
free to take a spoon.

WOMAN: Really,
really pretty, though.

WOMAN 2: Thank you.
KRISTEN: You're very welcome.

Please, enjoy.

WOMAN: It's like a little bit sweet.

What's the sweet thing?
That's what I'm trying to figure out...

...there's like a
little bit of a sweetness.

KRISTEN: When I
tasted these scallops,

these are unlike any that
I've ever had, it is just sweet.

That, that's it.
So, that sweetness...

WOMAN: So that's the scallop?

KRISTEN: Exactly.
WOMAN 2: Really? That's amazing.

WOMAN: I thought like, I
mean, we, that's what we were...

WOMAN 2: There's
no honey. There's...

WOMAN: Yes, honey!

WOMAN: So it's the scallop?

KRISTEN: It's the scallop.
WOMAN 2: It's very good.

It's amazing.

KRISTEN: It's crazy how the
local Brazilian clients aren't

aware of what the scallops
from this region even taste like,

because they're
so rarely available.

It really drives home
how revolutionary this

hyperlocal concept is
in this part of Brazil.

MAN: I like the flavor.

It's very nice.

WOMAN: She wants
to eat my shell.

And I'm like, no way.

There's another one there.

Grab another one.

GISELA: It's a tiny kitchen.

And the boat moves a lot.

So, we usually work
in sectors, you know?

KRISTEN: Okay.
GISELA: So, okay.

I'm going to cut some
thin slices of bottarga.

And, um...

GISELA: Do you want to fillet the fish we got?

KRISTEN: Okay.

Next up, Gisela wants
to serve a crudo made from

the fish we caught yesterday,

which as it turns out,
is actually a belt fish.

Will you show me
how to fillet it?

'Cause I've never
done that before...

GISELA: Okay.
KRISTEN: Of that fish.

GISELA: Me neither.

KRISTEN: Oh, you haven't?
GISELA: No...

KRISTEN: Oh, can I try?
GISELA: Yeah, let's try. Yeah.

KRISTEN: Okay. Okay.

GISELA: Let's
try together, you know?

KRISTEN: Is this the way?
I don't know if this is the way.

GISELA: Uh, uh, uh.

KRISTEN: I can kind of
figure out, you know, obviously,

the spine of the fish and
where you need to fillet.

But all of the things
that I'm used to having,

like my certain thinness
of knife that I love and

all the things that I
can control, I don't have.

KRISTEN: What the ****?

(sighs)

KRISTEN: I know I'm
freaking out a little bit.

But this is all
part of the adventure.

It's time to buckle
down and figure this out.

Okay.

KRISTEN: Oh, my God.

GISELA: Are you,
are you okay there?

Do you need help?

KRISTEN: Gisela and her
guests have finished their last course.

And all eyes are on
me to fillet this fish

that is 100% new to me.

Oh, my God.

GISELA: Almost there.
You got it?

KRISTEN: Even though
I'm getting frustrated,

I know I got to
keep this rolling.

So, here's an idea.

I think what might be smart,

'cause it naturally
wants to separate...

GISELA: Okay.

KRISTEN: Maybe we just
lean into the fact that

it's splitting and
serve it in strips.

GISELA: Oh, so
you're doing like stripes?

Okay, so let's think about...

KRISTEN: So, even...
GISELA: A, a striped plating.

KRISTEN: Yeah.

I mean it looks nice, though.

Look at, it's
going to be pretty.

It's like a noodle.

GISELA: Oh, my God.
Oh, now you got it.

Now, you're being
like professional.

I love to create new things.

So, I'm very excited
to try just different

matches of ingredients.

MAN: Wow.

WOMAN: This
looks very beautiful.

GISELA: So, this
is crudo, uh...

GISELA: ...with some
bottarga from the south of Brazil.

GISELA: Some
tangerine zest and scallions.

Enjoy.

WOMAN: Wow.
MAN: Wow.

(speaking in native language)

MAN: It's delicious.

WOMAN: It's very nice.
KRISTEN: Yeah?

WOMAN: It's this amazing
combination of flavor and

color and
silkiness on the tongue.

MAN: Comfort flavor.

MAN: Yes, I like it.

Very nice. Fantastic.

KRISTEN: Would you,
you'd have it again?

MAN: Yes.
We'll have another one.

Three times!

(laughter)

GISELA: All right. So...

GISELA: We have here the sururu we got.

So what I'm going to do,
I'm just going to heat it...

...and just get a nice broth.

KRISTEN: So, you're cooking
them very similarly to mussels.

GISELA: To mussels.

KRISTEN: They do
have the same flavor?

GISELA: No, the sururu is more earthy...

...because it comes from the mangroves.

KRISTEN: Okay.

The main course will be
steamed sururu and aromatics,

plantain puree blended

with coconut milk and

garnished with kale.

GISELA: So, our sururu,

some ginger.

GISELA: Watch out, it's gonna get wavy.

KRISTEN: Ooh. There it is.
GISELA: Ah, ah, ah, look!

KRISTEN: Watch the knives.
GISELA: Watch out.

Just hold the pan. Thank you.

KRISTEN: The challenges of
cooking on a boat are no joke.

But on top of that,
we're cooking sururu,

and this is the first
time Gisela has served

this ingredient
on Sem Pressa.

And it's likely the first
time any of these guests have

ever tasted them, too.

GISELA: Okay.
KRISTEN: Ah, lovely.

You'd be hard pressed to
find sururu served in any

other Brazilian
upscale restaurants.

So, this will be a
real experiment to see

if it flies with the guests.

GISELA: So, the
main course.

WOMAN: Thank you. Wow.
WOMAN 2: What is this?

WOMAN 3: Wow.

GISELA: So, this
is a plantain puree

made with coconut milk.

And the sururu we
caught yesterday.

And some very fresh kale
from my garden with some lime.

WOMAN: So, they're from the mangroves?

GISELA: They're from the mangroves.

So, it's more earthy.

It has more, you know, like...

MAN: Mud. Mud.

GISELA: All the
sand and the...

MAN: Mud.
KRISTEN: Yes!

It's the mussel of the land.

GISELA: Yeah.

WOMAN: Wow.

WOMAN 2: Very nice.

WOMAN: Very. Very.

WOMAN: Mmm.

It's very good.

(moaning)

MAN: I want to
learn how to make this.

KRISTEN: Mm.
GISELA: It's good, right?

KRISTEN: The broth
is very, very tasty.

Yum.

You know, I think the
standout dish for me was

the sururu and the plantain.

I think that
really encapsulated, um,

what I know as comfort food.

For me, the comfort came
from the mashed plantains

with the coconut milk.

And my comfort food is

mashed potatoes with
heavy cream and butter.

So, it's, it's
similar but different.

WOMAN: Like a fairy tale.

Have flowers. Have fish...

...have everything fresh...

...and amazing chefs!

WOMAN: Amazing.

(applause)

KRISTEN: I know there were
challenges that I encountered,

but I just didn't
see them as such.

I saw them as a fun opportunity
to learn something new.

And I think it's specifically
because of Gisela,

and just this.

I am so excited
for what's next.

GISELA: I was
really happy about it.

I think the guests,
they enjoy it.

What did you, what do you...

KRISTEN: I had a great time.

GISELA: I'm so
happy to hear that.

GISELA: Kristen and I
did one of the best meals

I ever did at Sem Pressa.

GISELA: She's
an amazing chef.

GISELA: Now, I want to
push myself to do something

even more new and creative.

So I have great idea of
what we're gonna do next.

♪ ♪

KRISTEN: Ooh.

Where are you taking me?

(laughter)

This morning, Gisela
told me to grab my face net.

Apparently, we're going
somewhere more challenging for

me than even the
mangroves were.

This is wild.

(chirping)

Gisela has never been
this deep into the jungle.

But has heard there are some
rare and unique ingredients

she wants to
experiment with for

tomorrow's very
important meal service.

Oh, my goodness.

I'm all about
taking on new challenges.

Oh, my, gosh.

But seriously?

KRISTEN: I would only
follow you into the jungle.

GISELA: Okay.
KRISTEN: No one else.

GISELA: Great.

KRISTEN: We're going
into the rain forest,

which has not only bugs
flying around your face,

but you have potential critters
crawling past your toes.

GISELA: Watch out.

(grunts)

KRISTEN: And it's not
a quick stroll, either.

We're trekking an
hour deep into the jungle.

But this forager Gisela is
meeting up with is supposedly

going to introduce
us to some things that

will be new to both of us.

So, I'm cool.

Well, not cool, but you know?

GISELA: Hey, Jorge.

GISELA: All is well?

JORGE: Excellent.

GISELA: This is Kristen.
KRISTEN: I'm sorry.

GISELA: This is Jorge.
We're a little bit tired.

(laughter)

KRISTEN: You know what?
You can borrow it if you want.

Don't worry.

(speaking in
native language).

GISELA: He has some bites, you see?

KRISTEN: I see them.

Ay. Okay.

He, he just validated
why I'm wearing this.

(laughter)

GISELA: So, the reason I
brought you here is because

I'm setting up this meal, uh,

for very important
people to my business.

So, I need to impress them.

GISELA: And one of them,
his name is Tonico.

GISELA: Tonico runs a
boutique hotel in Rio.

So, he's very connected.

He knows very
important people and

he brings them
to my business.

So, I really
want to impress him.

Jorge, he has a very
good knowledge about

the local flowers and
plants that we can eat.

KRISTEN: Mm.

So, I think that
would be really,

really interesting for
us to brainstorm here,

whatever we want
to put in our meal.

KRISTEN: Okay.

It's clear Gisela needs
Tonico and his friends to

be blown away by this meal.

GISELA: Let's go.

KRISTEN: So, I'm curious to
see what unique ingredients

Jorge will be able to
bring to the table, literally.

Ow.

(speaking in
native language).

GISELA: One of the
world's special species

in the rain forest.

Uh, the name
is, uh, capiçoba.

(speaking in
native language).

KRISTEN: That's pretty, huh?
GISELA: For you.

That looks, that looks
very beautiful on a plate.

KRISTEN: Mm-hmm.
GISELA: Oh.

KRISTEN: Mm.
GISELA: Mm. This is good.

KRISTEN: It kind of
tastes like apple skin

mixed with black pepper.

GISELA: Wow.

GISELA: She says it tastes like green apple peel...

JORGE: Wow.

GISELA: ...with black pepper.

JORGE: Wow.

GISELA: Very specific.
He's very impressed.

JORGE: Good mixture.

GISELA: Yes. She, she
looks like a green apple.

That's why she
remembered the green apple

with the black
pepper, you know?

It's her look.

(laughter)

KRISTEN: This is
really fantastic.

I'm really excited to
get this into the kitchen,

and I want to start
experimenting with it because

I'm always fascinated and
surprised when I come across

something that
I've never had before.

So, this is awesome.

Capiçoba was a great start.

GISELA: Ooh, look at this.

(gasps)

Oh.

KRISTEN: But there was
a lot more to discover.

GISELA: That's the wild coconut.

KRISTEN: Mm. Very mild.
GISELA: Very mild.

KRISTEN: It's not as
fatty as a larger coconut.

GISELA: Let's go deeper.

(speaking in
native language).

KRISTEN: Oh, oh,
it's like a wood ear.

Wood ear mushroom.

GISELA: Wood ear.

KRISTEN: I like the texture.

GISELA: You do?

JORGE: Ah, here's one.

Swamp cane.

KRISTEN: Mm. Yum.

JORGE: Don't let it touch you.
Don't put your hand on it.

GISELA: Is it a
cannibal plant?

JORGE: She's angry.

KRISTEN: Seriously? We're
going to get decapitated by a plant?

That's what I just heard.

Just when I'm
getting my groove,

we come across a poisonous
plant called crisiuma.

GISELA: That's crazy.

Oh, my God, it's a mad plant.

It was coming after me.

KRISTEN: Are you serious?
GISELA: Yeah.

Don't, don't touch it.

KRISTEN: Oh, my, gosh.
JORGE: Yeah.

JORGE: If she senses you touching her,

she will wound you.

GISELA: You can get hurt.

KRISTEN: They say this plant
can release poisonous toxins

that can burn you.

I'm not so sure it's true, but
I also don't want to find out.

Oh, no.

GISELA: Uh, what
do you think?

Do you think we
have enough?

KRISTEN: I like
where we're at.

GISELA: Yeah.

(laughter)

KRISTEN: Yep, it's
definitely time to head out

and start figuring
out how to work

these ingredients
into our menu.

How are you feeling?

GISELA: I'm a
little bit nervous.

KRISTEN: Because
yesterday's meal was so successful,

we plan to serve many
of those dishes again.

GISELA: Uh, we
have those beauty ones.

KRISTEN: But we need to
figure out how to incorporate

these new
ingredients into the mix.

GISELA: I thought about adding
the capiçoba to the scallop.

KRISTEN: Okay.

GISELA: We have a lot
of work to do, actually.

I look calm, but I'm not.

And so, we have a
few hours to finish and

then start putting
everything on the boat.

GISELA: I am stressed right now because...

...I didn't have time to...

...put everything in my head together...

...for this menu.

And I'm concerned about
the expectations of my guests.

GISELA: If you can help me...

GISELA: It really would
help to make a dessert.

GISELA: Because...
KRISTEN: Okay.

GISELA: I didn't have time.

KRISTEN: Let me take
some pressure off you.

GISELA: You know, I really
wanted to do something special.

KRISTEN: Okay.

GISELA: So, if you
could help me with that...

KRISTEN: Sure.
GISELA: That would be amazing.

Amazing.

KRISTEN: I haven't seen
Gisela this stressed since knowing her.

Hopefully, I'll be able to
come up with a dessert that

will help impress her guests.

I'm going to go
rummage around and

find what's going to be my...

GISELA: Go forage, Kristen.

KRISTEN: What to
make for dessert?

I don't want to let her down.

And I know this
dessert needs to highlight

a hyperlocal ingredient
in an impressive way.

(gasps).

GISELA: Nice.
KRISTEN: Yes! Okay.

GISELA: So you got
the passionfruit.

KRISTEN: Found that.

Let me taste one of
these so I can start to

make the dish in my head.

GISELA: Perfect.

KRISTEN: Yeah, this
will be really good. I'll...

GISELA: Nice. Yeah.

KRISTEN: I'll figure it out
when we get on the Sem Pressa.

GISELA: All right.

KRISTEN: I love this
Brazilian passionfruit,

which is meatier,
bigger and sweeter than

the ones I'm used
to in the States.

But now, I have to
figure out what

I'm actually going
to do with it.

No pressure.

GISELA: Okay, let's do it.

All right, so, these are
the last things we need here.

Everything's all set.

KRISTEN: Today's
meal is a big one because

it's with a well-connected
client from Rio

who sends a lot of
high-end guests to Gisela.

GISELA: He usually receives
like very famous bands in Rio.

He sends to me like
famous singers and actors and

so it's a good person
to know what I'm doing.

KRISTEN: Yeah.
GISELA: I get goose bumps.

KRISTEN: Oh, my God.

You just gave me goose, you
just literally passed them on to me.

GISELA: Yeah,
because, you know...

KRISTEN: Okay.

GISELA: It's so
important to me and I'm...

KRISTEN: Are you nervous?
GISELA: I'm, I'm good nervous.

KRISTEN: I am here
however you need me.

GISELA: Okay.

TONICO: Hola.

GISELA: Tonico.

TONICO: Hey.
GISELA: Hey. That's...

TONICO: Hello.
KRISTEN: Hello.

GISELA: So, we have
a special guest today.

This is Kristen. She's a chef.

And I'm so happy
to have her here.

She helped me really
putting amazing menu for you.

So, let's do it.

Let's have a great
day together.

Nielson, vamos.

TONICO: All right. Off we go.

KRISTEN: Gisela's
talking about the menu like

it's all figured out.

But that's hardly the case.

Not only do we have all the
ingredients we sourced this

morning that she's planning
to incorporate in some way...

GISELA: Oh,
that's the shrimp boat.

KRISTEN: But we're also
making a pit stop to get one more.

GISELA: So,
dear guests, uh...

GISELA: Kristen and I will
jump off the boat very quickly...

...to get very fresh shrimp.

WOMAN: Wow.

GISELA: So, you're going to
have an amazing experience.

TONICO: Grab us the big ones.

GISELA: Okay.

KRISTEN: This pit stop not
only means we'll be getting

the freshest
pink shrimp possible...

GISELA: Come to mommy.

(laughter)

KRISTEN: But they'll
also be sulfite-free since

we'll be grabbing them before
any preservatives are added.

GISELA: Look at this, Kristen.
KRISTEN: Wow.

GISELA: Let's get 20 of them.

KRISTEN: These are
going to be amazing.

GISELA: Yeah. Great.

KRISTEN: Gisela wants to
serve the shrimp ceviche style.

But we'll have to figure out
where to incorporate some of

our new ingredients
we foraged.

(overlapping chatter)

KRISTEN: Thank you.
TONICO: Welcome.

GISELA: How about we
use that wild coconut...

KRISTEN: Mm-hmm.
GISELA: With the ceviche?

KRISTEN: We'll chop it
up with the young coconuts

we found in the jungle,

marinate it in wild lime juice,

then serve it in
a coconut shell.

GISELA: All right.

All right, my dear guests.

Uh, we have...

TONICO: Ooh-la-la.
GISELA: Amazing thing for you.

MAN: It's beautiful.
MAN 2: Oh, merci beaucoup.

GISELA: Mayor, Patricia.
PATRICIA: Thank you.

GISELA: So, Kristen
will explain to you.

KRISTEN: So, the shrimp
that you just saw us get,

these are marinated in
several different kinds of lime juice

and citrus, a little bit
of chopped confit red pepper,

sliced red onions, wild
young coconut that we foraged.

TONICO: Wow.
MAN: Wow. Wow.

KRISTEN: Please enjoy.
TONICO: Wow.

MAN: Wow!

TONICO: What a privilege.

Thank you.

MAYOR: Ceviche.
Sometimes it's too much acid.

TONICO: Right, right.

MAYOR: This is not so acid.

MAN: Because of the coconut maybe.

TONICO: This is out
of this world, chefs.

Thank you.

WOMAN: Thank you.
TONICO: Wow.

WOMAN: It's perfect.

GISELA: So,
let's do the scallops.

KRISTEN: Scallops.

Maybe we can use
some of that capiçoba.

GISELA: The one that you
said tasted like a green apple...

KRISTEN: And black pepper.
GISELA: And black pepper.

Perfect. With the seaweed.

Yeah, yeah, that's good.

GISELA: Where are those babies we foraged?

GISELA: This
one is capiçoba.

KRISTEN: The second
course will be the scallop tartar

we served during
the last meal.

But we'll elevate it with
one of our foraged plants.

Mm.

The distinct flavor of the
capiçoba is just the thing to

make this dish completely
surprising and memorable.

(speaking in
native language).

KRISTEN: So, these
are fresh scallops.

WOMAN: Wow.

KRISTEN: Mixed with a
citric yogurt, cucumber.

And then we found this
green when we went foraging

and it's called capiçoba.

TONICO: Wow.
WOMAN: Wow.

KRISTEN: And it tastes like
green apple and black pepper.

So, a little bit just raw
so you can taste the flavor.

GISELA: Yeah, it's very nice.
WOMAN: Wow.

MAN: Beautiful.
WOMAN: Wow, that's amazing.

Wow.

MAYOR: These plants from the rainforest...

...with the fish and everything it's...

...made for it.

TONICO: It goes
well together.

It's really, really nice.

Really nice.

MAYOR: I never tried such a taste before.

TONICO: Myself, neither.
And we're from Brazil, right?

In fact, I'm gonna
do it again. Excuse me.

KRISTEN: The guests seem
really happy with the appetizers.

But the main dish
will be the true marker of

a successful meal.

(laughter)

KRISTEN: We're
serving the sururu,

but with some new flavors.

I love the bacon.

GISELA: Yeah.

KRISTEN: That's
a great addition.

GISELA: Great addition.
KRISTEN: Yeah.

GISELA: And this time
I got the collard greens.

GISELA: And then
let's add those mushrooms

that we got from Jorge.

KRISTEN: Great idea.

You have the
cachaca already?

GISELA: I do.
I have it here.

KRISTEN: The sururu will
be served over the plantains

like the last meal.

But this time,
Gisela's adding pork and

wood ear mushrooms.

And adding a Brazilian spirit

to the broth called cachaca.

GISELA: All right.
I think we're ready.

KRISTEN: Feel good?
GISELA: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

KRISTEN: Since sururu is not
considered an ingredient used in

elevated dining experiences,
this is a really risky dish for

such an important client.

GISELA: So, the
main course.

So, this is the sururu with
plantain and coconut milk,

collard greens with leeks...

GISELA: Bacon.

GISELA: And we opened the
sururu with cachaca broth.

WOMAN: Wow, wow, wow.
TONICO: Right. Wow.

GISELA: And we are very
happy for you to taste it.

WOMAN: It's the
first time I eat this.

MAYOR: We, we don't eat
sururus in restaurants.

MAYOR: I've tried every type of food,

but I never taste sururu in my life.

WOMAN: It's not common at all.

MAYOR: It, it, it's very rich.

TONICO: It's something out of the ordinary,

in its own category.

MAYOR: But the flavor of it's
stronger than, uh, the mussels.

TONICO: Mm-hmm.

MAN: It's hard to describe
because it's, it's different.

MAYOR: Mm-hmm.

TONICO: And delicious.

WOMAN: Mm.

TONICO: This day could repeat
over and over and over again.

TONICO: ...and we'll be fine with it, right?

GISELA: Thank you so much.

TONICO: Praise the chefs. Thank you.

MAN: Thank you very much.

MAYOR: It's beautiful.

KRISTEN: All right.
It is dessert time.

All right, so
we're going to take...

GISELA: Want me to help?
KRISTEN: Yeah.

So, we have the rice pudding.

You have the vanilla bean?

GISELA: Yes, I do.

(speaking in
native language).

KRISTEN: So, my
dessert is inspired by

my newest
Brazilian obsession

of the batida, that coconut,
vodka, passionfruit drink

that she served to me
here on Sem Pressa.

And some rice pudding.

This is an important dinner.

And to rely on me for an
entire course of this meal, um,

you know, I, I
want to do a good job.

A little dessert for you.

MAYOR: Wow.
WOMAN: Wow.

KRISTEN: So, it's
rice pudding with

a little bit of
fresh vanilla bean.

Then we whip in
some really light cream.

TONICO: It's beautiful.

KRISTEN: And then your
gorgeous Brazilian passionfruit.

WOMAN: Wow.

Mm.

TONICO: How about
the little seeds here?

Wow.

MAN: Very tasty.

Very much so.

MAYOR: It's
absolutely perfect.

I love it.

Everything was
absolutely delicious and, uh...

WOMAN: It is something.

WOMAN 2: Hey, Gisela?
Best experience of my life.

GISELA: Thank you so much.

TONICO: As a chef, Gisela for me,
is the top one in Brazil...

...that can concise the spirit
of a place in the plate...

...in this boat, in this region.

TONICO: It's got to
be promoted because it's

a real concentrated experience
of Brazil that you won't get

anywhere else in the world.

KRISTEN: You feel good
about how the dinner went?

GISELA: I'm
feeling pretty good.

I'm very happy about it.

Im, so, thank you to you.

KRISTEN: You know, what I
truly adore about Gisela is

that she has created a community
of food suppliers and together,

they're changing
people's perceptions of

what top end
dining looks like.

TONICO: The crunchy part
of the seed is the best.

KRISTEN: She's turning the
local into the luxurious and

the common into
the exceptional.

(speaking in
native language).

KRISTEN: Ironically, it
took me traveling to the end of

the world to realize that it's
not always about how far you go.

Sometimes, it's about what
you do with the people and

resources you find
in your own backyard.