ALTON - The hit food and culture television series Food is Love with Chef Lasse Sorensen picked up two new Emmy Nominations this week for its season 3 episodes. The show follows Chef Lasse Sorensen as he spends time getting to know the people and stories behind the food.
Each episode demonstrates the connection between food and love, and dives into the personal stories behind the dishes. Episode 302, featuring James Beard recognized Chef Rob Connoley, and Season 3 episode 307, featuring St. Louis landmark soda fountain Crown Candy Kitchen, are this year's nominees. The recent Emmy nods come just weeks before the new season is set for its broadcast premiere on September 28th. Formerly a PBS-based show, Food is Love has broadened its horizon and will air on KBSI Fox 23 in the Cape Girardeau/Paducah market and on KPLR 11 in St Louis.
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A resident of Southern Illinois himself, Sorensen hasn’t forgotten the place he calls home. “Even though we have some pretty substantial guests and the show is going all over the world this season, we still make it a priority to circle back to our home turf. That’s what keeps us grounded.”
The home turf Sorensen is referencing is the city of Alton, Illinois. Alton is where Sorensen has established the Food is Love world headquarters as the base camp for Food is Love’s nonprofit work in addressing food insecurity, giving a literal meaning to the name Food is Love. Sorensen also oversees the Space Shuttle Café at Flock Food Truck Park and Bar.
Furthermore, in an effort to help spur growth, Sorensen has partnered with social impact group AltonWorks to help cultivate Alton as a food scene. World travel and a broader scope aren’t the only changes viewers can expect in season 4. According to director of photography Erin Pinkston, “Season 4 spends a little more time telling some of Chef Lasse’s story. This helps to give context to his perspective on the places he goes in each episode.”
Even more broadly, the show is now available on Amazon Prime TV, YouTube and multiple other streaming and on demand services.
“The show has never been as widely available as it is now” says Executive Producer Jason Pinkston, “and we wanted to reflect those changes in the kinds of show we brought to season 4.” To cater to a global audience, the series is shifting its focus from the Greater St. Louis region to the rest of the world, with season 4 including episodes in Peru, Alaska, Denmark, NYC, San Antonio and Napa Valley, just to name a few.
Part of that perspective is a behind-the-scenes look at the closing of Sorensen’s long time restaurant Tom’s Place. “Making the decision to close Tom’s Place wasn’t easy, it was an emotional time for me that played out in front of the cameras. It made sense not to censor what really happened and to include it in the show,” says Sorensen.
In total, Food is Love has been Emmy-nominated 8 times for the past three seasons, but EP Jason Pinkston says, the reward isn't in winning the hardware. “I’m grateful to be able to tell authentic, positive stories and to make art. To me that means that we have already won.”
Viewers can tune into the new season starting September 28th, by subscribing to YouTube.com/foodislovetv and following foodislovetv on Instagram and Facebook. The 2024 Emmy Awards ceremony will take place on October 26, 2024.
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