RCTV’s new show, Fresh & Undressed, is a love affair with food

RCTV's brand new, made-in-Revelstoke cable program, Fresh & Undressed, is perfect for this time and this place: it's about great food and fantastic flavours produced by local residents. They may be making a TV show, but the people involved in Fresh & Undressed had a good time while they were at it. From left to right are: Elvira Brunner and Daniel Weber of Crescendo, Kendra Powell of Mountain Meals, Sue Leach, Ariel Christman, Kyle Brosseuk, Cathy Burke and camerawoman Shawn Filipchuk. Missing from this image is Jamie Burke. David F. Rooney photo

By David F. Rooney

RCTV’s brand new, made-in-Revelstoke cable program, Fresh & Undressed, is perfect for this time and this place: it’s about great food and fantastic flavours produced by local residents.

The program recreates one of the cooking courses offered by Kendra Powell of Mountain Meals and Daniel Weber and Elvira Brunner at Crescendo.

The whole idea for a cooking show originated with Leslie Savage, who writes the Savage Delights column for The Current.

At the end of the first course offered earlier this year Leslie lamented that it was too bad there wasn’t a TV show based on the absolutely stupendous meal we had just enjoyed.

“A cooking show?” I said. “Why not? We could do a cooking show.”

And so Fresh & Undressed was born.

Videotaped and edited by RCTV’s Shawn Filipchuk, Fresh & Undressed will take you through one of the courses offered by Crescendo and Mountain Meals. This is a completely unrehearsed program. The videotape is clear and crisp, although there is a minor audio problem due to the fan in Mountain Meals’ kitchen, and the unscripted dialogue and conversation is intelligent and often quite witty. The members of the dining audience — Jamie and Cathy Burke, Arial Christman, Kyle Brosseuk, Sue Leach and I — did not know what was on the menu so our reactions are spontaneous and genuine. Everyone had a great time and even learned a few things. And I hope you will, too.

If you appreciate good food you will not want to miss this program. And, just in case you’re wondering, we may in fact make more episodes — depending on audience reaction. So, please let us know what you think of the program by e-mailing your comments to me here at The Current: editor@revelstokecurrent.com.

Fresh & Undressed will be on Channel 6 starting Monday on these dates and times:

Monday June 14 — 7 pm

Tuesday June 15 — 3 pm

Wednesday June 16 — 7 am

Thursday June 17 — 10 am

Friday June 18 — 10 pm

Saturday June 19 — 2 pm

Sunday June 20 — 12 noon

In the meanwhile, here are a few more photos from the program:

Fresh & Undressed, which airs on RCTV's Channel 6 starting June 14, captures the preparation of a meal from start to finish at Mountain Meals using organic foods and the splendid oils and vinegars of Crescendo. David F. Rooney photo
Kendra Powell talks with the people invited to participate in the show, which mirrors the special Crescendo-Mountain Meals cooking courses offered every month. David F. Rooney photo
And here's the main course: pork, black rice and fennel. The combination of flavours, enhanced by oils and vinegars was indescribable. David F. Rooney photo