Hunger can mean many different things for many different people, but for chef Gabrielle Hamilton, it can be best described as a lonely feeling. From a very young age, Gabrielle was left alone in her home to fend for herself. She rummaged through what was left in the pantry and refrigerator and satisfied her hunger with what she could scavenge. At 16, she moved to New York City where she used her jar of change to feed herself. All her experiences with hunger made her the chef she is today.
In this episode, Gabrielle “cooks” canned sardines with Triscuits, a signature dish at Prune that speaks volumes about making the best out of what you have. Then she cooks a fresh sardine sandwich. Gabrielle also cooks a NYC-classic, the egg and cheese on a roll. She visits chef Daniel Boulud at Daniel to cook tripe with calf’s foot, a true survivor’s dish, and then they both take a bite from Gabrielle’s youth with an egg and cheese on a roll from the corner deli on a NYC stoop.