Cookbook authors and culinarians Marilynn and Sheila Brass — the Brass Sisters, a.k.a. “The Food Flirts†(Instagram: @thefoodflirts) — are two passionate food explorers of a certain age, on a mission to tackle their culinary bucket list one bite at a time. In each episode of this new, six-episode series on PBS, the Boston-based food ladies “flirt†their way into chefs’ kitchens to uncover ethnically unique and delicious delights, then head home to experiment for themselves — creating cross-cultural culinary mash-ups that viewers can try at home. The first two episodes of “The Food Flirts” premiere Friday, July 28, 2017, 10:00-11:00 p.m. ET (check local listings), after episode eight of the food show phenomenon “The Great British Baking Show.”
The Brass Sisters: Marilynn and Sheila Brass will debut their new cooking show on PBS Food this Friday, July 28.
Produced by former Food Network and Cooking Channel executive Bruce Seidel (Instagram: @bruceseidel) of Hot Lemon Productions, the series follows the ladies through culinary mash-up adventures, like a “modern†burger that mixes an Indian dosa with a cheeseburger, or a pastrami ramen-noodle kugel recipe. The sisters’ fanciful recipes and unscripted realness brings together unique tastes and unique personalities. Future episodes find the Flirts working culinary magic with baklava crust milk tart, curried golden raisin and cashew rugelach, and “Bunny Chow†pastitsio bread bowls with turmeric béchamel.
“The Brass Sisters have always been two favorite food people in Boston, and I’m thrilled to bring them to a wider audience with: “The Food Flirts” series in partnership with PBS,†said Seidel. “Think Two Fat Ladies meets Julia Child – these women have food chops, an alluring sense of humor, and are always ready to share culinary wisdom learned along the way!â€
The longtime Cambridge. Mass., residents have 130 years of combined baking and cooking experience. Recently named “Food Heroes†by the Mayor of Cambridge for their various food contributions, they are the authors of “Baking With The Brass Sisters” (St. Martin’s Press 2015), Heirloom Cooking With The Brass Sisters (Black Dog & Leventhal, 2008), and Heirloom Baking With The Brass Sisters (Black Dog & Leventhal, 2006), which was a finalist for the James Beard Foundation award in the Dessert and Baking category. Their books are consistently best-sellers; Food & Wine magazine has called the sisters “dessert geniuses,†and selected their books for its annual The Best of the Best 25 Cookbooks.
The Brass Sisters have appeared on numerous television programs during their careers and conducted cooking demonstrations at many events. Nationally, the duo headlined a one-hour special on Cooking Channel, “The Brass Sisters Celebrate the Holidays,†hosted the public television show “The Brass Sisters: Queens of Comfort Food†and appeared on “Throwdown with Bobby Flay†on Food Network (beating Iron Chef Flay with their pineapple upside-down cake). Marilynn and Sheila have appeared on local television and radio programs in 22 cities in 15 states, as well as in Canada, and have appeared three times at The James Beard House as part of the “Beard on Books series.”
The Brass Sisters have curated one of the country’s most comprehensive collections of culinary antiques, including: a copper batterie de cuisine from the early 19th century; chocolate, ice cream, candy, aspic and other food molds; menus; and food advertising signs and artifacts. Their collection includes 6,500 cookbooks, some dating from the 1600s, and 1,800 books on antiques.
For more information on The Food Flirts, visit
HotLemonProds.com/FoodFlirts.