Traveling overseas and learning how to make exotic dishes is a perfect fit for Daniel Klein, a 2005 Gallatin graduate with sightseeing as part of his nature.
In 2010, he launched “The Perennial Plate,” a web documentary series about sustainable and local food in his home state of Minnesota. After publishing a video every week for a year, Klein and Mirra Fine, his business partner and camerawoman, decided to expand their film series on a global scale. They began traveling around the world in 2011 after partnering with Intrepid Travel, and they meet three to four people who produce their own food in each country they visit. The duo’s goal is to hit 12 countries in 14 months to showcase sustainable food options from each region. They currently have 11 episodes online and are in the process of editing six more.
On Feb. 7, in the middle of their 14-month-long journey, Klein announced his partnership with Tastemade and YouTube for the launch of their new cooking show, “In The Kitchen.” As Klein and Fine visit countries overseas, they will teach viewers how to make local and exotic dishes and will post the recipes online. The first episode, which aired Feb. 6, featured Bhel Puri, an Indian street-food staple. The video currently has over 50,000 views.
“We just returned from traveling in Japan, China, India, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, and we leave in a few days to go to Spain, Morocco, Italy and Turkey,” Fine said. “After that, we will travel to Argentina, Mexico, South Africa and Ethiopia.”
Klein grew up as a globertrotter and split his childhood between the United States, Singapore and England, intermittenly exploring Southeast Asia and Europe with his parents. He moved to New York City for college to attend the Gallatin School of Individualized Study and concentrated in social movement and change in Latin America and New York City.
“NYU and Gallatin helped me in learning what kind of development I could have in providing positive change,” Klein said. A few years after graduating from NYU, Klein returned to Minnesota, where he coincidentally met Fine, who is also a Minnesota native, at a local cheese shop.
“I’m excited about making a cooking show because I’m rarely on film,” Fine said. “This is a way for people to see Daniel and I interact.”
Klein and Fine’s filmmaking and culinary skills produce high-quality, food-centric content that has garnered the attention of people living all over the world.
“What’s special about the site is that it’s delivering the kind of content scads of folks want, that the food networks aren’t delivering,” said Kevin Kossowan of Alberta, Canada, who follows the series.
While they are excited to work with Tastemade on a new cooking segment for their documentary series, Klein and Fine are looking forward to crossing even more destinations off their list.
“I’m most excited to get the chance to travel the world and meet people in very remote villages and areas where I never would have imagined visiting,” Fine said. “I feel very lucky.”
“The Perennial Plate’s” newest episodes can be found on its website.
Daniel Yeom is a contributing writer. Email him at [email protected].
