Oh, wow. The Jamie Oliver episode was fantastic–and I’m not saying that because Tamara and I were in it. If anything, we were a little bit the weak link. The episode focused on immigrant culture and home-cooked food in Queens, and it made me so proud to live here, all over again.

It’s fascinating to see an outsider’s view of New York (and America in general). And it’s a very atypical picture of the city, though not at all inaccurate. The city does not look all glossy and shiny and rich; in fact, it looks downright third world.

Huge thanks to Jamie Oliver, of course, but also to his excellent production and research team, who did all the heavy lifting and dug up some amazing stories for Jamie to take part in. The Peruvian woman who runs the restaurant out of her house, the Colombian guy who feeds homeless illegal immigrants, the just-arrived noodle-making women in Flushing, and of course, Ali and the halal slaughterhouse. It makes me proud of America.

Unfortunately, you still can’t see the series in the US (unless you resort to torrents–but I didn’t tell you that). So in the meantime, can I suggest you give a big thanks for immigrant food culture near you?

For instance, here’s a great photo essay about a Liberian woman who runs a home restaurant, in today’s NY Times. Love it so much!

Oh, and you can also read an interview with Tamara and me here, and see Jamie dance like a goof here. (I never thought of the Village People as being an American archetype until now!)