The Final Harvest
After five momentous seasons of A CHEF’S LIFE, Vivian hosts THE FINAL HARVEST, a farewell feast of epic proportions. This series finale begins as a tractor pushes through her family’s cornfield to carve out the open-air dining room of Vivian's dreams. She gathers Summer’s last vegetables from Warren Brothers’ farm for a batch of chow-chow.
Episodes
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Liver Lover
S5 E9 - 24m 34s
Vivian visits one of her favorite farmers and an eastern North Carolina restaurant known for its fried livers. She learns that not all livers are created equal, but are equally good for you. Back at home, Mrs. Scarlett prepares a humble, old-school dish of beef liver and onions, which inspires Vivian to introduce a fancy, controversial liver dish to the restaurant's menu.
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Chasing Trout
S5 E8 - 24m 33s
Vivian plans a respite from the road during the holidays, but finds herself equally busy at home. She volunteers at a soup kitchen and does one last book signing in Kinston before the holidays. Vivian also visits Sunburst Trout Farms and prepares a Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner at the restaurant where trout — from roe to filet — shines.
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Persimmon Style
S5 E7 - 24m 32s
On a short hiatus from the book tour, Vivian takes the twins to pick persimmons off Mrs. Betty’s tree and learns about the different varieties of the fruit. She then takes that knowledge to Atlanta where an event called “Hired Guns” pits chefs and their dishes against each other. Back in Kinston, Vivian gets a pudding lesson from chef Bill Smith of Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill.
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Bourbon Country
S5 E6 - 24m 33s
What begins as a dinner at Maker’s Mark in Vivian’s honor ends as an American history lesson. A tour of Maker’s Mark and Jefferson’s distilleries illuminates the differences between whiskey, scotch, and bourbon for Vivian who also learns how Frank and Jesse James fit into Kentucky’s boozy biography.
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WANTED: Broccoli
S5 E5 - 24m 33s
Vivian heads to NYC where her book launch means a full itinerary. A celebration dinner at Bon Appétit Kitchen follows her appearance on the Rachael Ray Show where Vivian finds that a shot of bourbon goes a long way. Back at the shop, Ben and crew ready the food truck for its first stop in Nashville. While there, a lack of rain leads Vivian on a challenging hunt for broccoli.
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A Food Truck and a Pear Tree
S5 E4 - 24m 33s
Vivian, her parents, and Flo pluck pears from a tree that’s been in the family for 100 years. The arrival of Vivian's cookbook sparks a well of emotions as the reality of wheeling a food truck around the country sets in. In order to get a better handle on the truck, Vivian and her crew do a practice run at the farmer's market and serve up Tom Thumb with pear relish.
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Prolific Peppers
S5 E3 - 24m 33s
Vivian preps peppers for a trip to Lambstock, a party where chefs, food, and music converge. Even with Warren behind the wheel, the road provides unexpected woes. Before hitting the highway, Holley’s grandmother offers a lesson in stuffing peppers and delegating authority.
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Shake, Rattle and Pole (Beans)
S5 E2 - 24m 33s
With Summer heat high and rain levels low, Vivian struggles to scrounge up enough green beans to add to the menu at Chef & the Farmer. Her kitchen capers continue as she stumbles to find her rhythm with a new chef firmly in place. Mrs. Tessie Mae offers levity by giving Vivian a golf cart tour of her garden, an intro to pickled pork, and a lesson in snapping pole beans.
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Two-Mato
S5 E1 - 24m 34s
Vivian’s plate is full of everything. Except tomatoes. As Chef & the Farmer turns 10 years old, Vivian embarks on a fruitless search for the season’s first ripe tomatoes to serve at the restaurant’s birthday party. For the celebration that brings back familiar faces and dishes, she concocts a menu that represents a decade of professional growth, and then seeks the wisdom of Mrs. Mary and Ms. Lilli
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King Cornbread
S5 E10 - 24m 33s
While enjoying some time at home, Vivian films a segment for a morning TV show where cornbread takes center stage. She then stops by a Kinston institution that merges cornbread with another Southern signature to create a handheld delicacy called “the pig and a puppy,” and creates her own version for a charity dinner. Back in the kitchen, Mrs. Scarlett & Ms. Lillie team up in a cornbread cook-off.
Extras + Features
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Preview: King Cornbread
S5 E10 - 30s
Vivian films a segment for a morning TV show where cornbread takes center stage. Premieres December 9.
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Picking Peppers
S5 E3 - 3m 41s
Vivian visits Warren to pick from his prolific pepper patch.
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Preview: Liver Lover
S5 E9 - 30s
Vivian visits one of her favorite farmers and an eastern North Carolina restaurant known for its fried livers. She learns that not all livers are created equal, but are equally good for you. Back at home, Mrs. Scarlett prepares a humble, old-school dish of beef liver and onions, which inspires Vivian to introduce a fancy, controversial liver dish to the restaurant's menu.
-
Preview: Chasing Trout
S5 E8 - 30s
Vivian plans a respite from the road during the holidays, but finds herself busy at home.
-
Picking Persimmons
S5 E7 - 3m 31s
On a short hiatus from the book tour, Vivian takes the twins to pick persimmons off Mrs. Betty’s tree and learns about the different varieties of the fruit.
-
Preview: Persimmon Style
S5 E7 - 30s
On a short hiatus from the book tour, Vivian takes the twins to pick persimmons off Mrs. Betty’s tree and learns about the different varieties of the fruit. She then takes that knowledge to Atlanta where an event called “Hired Guns” pits chefs and their dishes against each other. Back in Kinston, Vivian gets a pudding lesson from chef Bill Smith of Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill.
-
Preview: Bourbon Country
S5 E6 - 30s
Dinner at Maker’s Mark in Vivian’s honor turns into an American history lesson.
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Bourbon 101
S5 E6 - 3m 3s
Vivian heads to Kentucky for a primer on bourbon.
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Preview: WANTED: Broccoli
S5 E5 - 30s
Vivian heads to NYC where her book launch means a full itinerary.
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Preview: A Food Truck and a Pear Tree
S5 E4 - 30s
The long-awaited arrival of Vivian's cookbook sparks a well of emotions.
-
The Pear Tree
S5 E4 - 2m 42s
Vivian and her family pluck pears from a tree that’s been in the family for 100 years.
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Preview: Prolific Peppers
S5 E3 - 30s
Vivian preps peppers for Lambstock, a party where chefs, food, and music converge. Premieres October 21.
Schedule
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A Chef's Life
Heavenly Hocks
Monday
Sep 25
30 Minutes
The hot and cold of curing ham; pig tails, ham hocks and fatback. -
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A Chef's Life
Mayo -- The Mother Sauce
Tuesday
Sep 26
30 Minutes
A blind taste test of mayonnaise; strange events affect Vivian's long-held vacation plans. -
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A Chef's Life
Two-mato
Wednesday
Sep 27
30 Minutes
Vivian Howard searches for ripe tomatoes to serve at the restaurant's 10th birthday celebration; preparing an old school tomato dish. -
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A Chef's Life
Shake, Rattle, and Pole (Beans)
Thursday
Sep 28
30 Minutes
Vivian struggles to find enough green beans to add to the menu; Mrs. Tessie Mae offers a golf cart tour of her garden, an introduction to pickled pork and demonstrates snapping pole beans. -
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A Chef's Life
Prolific Peppers
Friday
Sep 29
30 Minutes
Prepping peppers; stuffing peppers. -
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A Chef's Life
A Food Truck and a Pear Tree
Monday
Oct 2
30 Minutes
The crew makes a practice run with the new food truck; pear relish. -
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A Chef's Life
Wanted: Broccoli
Tuesday
Oct 3
30 Minutes
Vivian heads to a book launch in New York; food truck is readied for Nashville, Tenn.; a challenging hunt for broccoli. -
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A Chef's Life
Bourbon Country
Wednesday
Oct 4
30 Minutes
A dinner honoring Vivian; the differences between whiskey, scotch and bourbon; how Frank and Jesse James fit into Kentucky's boozy biography. -
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A Chef's Life
Persimmon Style
Thursday
Oct 5
30 Minutes
The different varieties of persimmon; a pudding lesson from chef Bill Smith of Crook's Corner in Chapel Hill, N.C. -
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A Chef's Life
Chasing Trout
Friday
Oct 6
30 Minutes
Vivian volunteers at a soup kitchen and does a book signing; preparing a Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner that features trout. -
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A Chef's Life
Liver Lover
Monday
Oct 9
30 Minutes
A simple beef liver and onions recipe inspires Vivian to add a fancy liver dish to the menu. -
Image
A Chef's Life
King Cornbread
Tuesday
Oct 10
30 Minutes
"Pig and a puppy" merges corn bread with another Southern staple; corn bread cook-off.
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