Bauer produced the Grenada: The Island of Spice episode, aired during season seven of the show, which broadcasts throughout the United States on PBS and RLTV.
The award is the tenth Emmy for the show which first aired in 2008, but the first for Bauer who joined the Sandals team in 2009 after working with acclaimed chef, Sandals’ Culinary Ambassador and A Taste of History Host, Walter Staib.
A Taste of History is a half-hour show, sponsored by Sandals and based on the City Tavern Cookbook: Recipes from the Birthplace of American Cuisine, authored by Staib and written by Bauer. The show travels the globe to various historical locations, telling the unique story of American culinary heritage and its many influences by recreating dishes inspired by the founding fathers.
The show has filmed in several other Caribbean islands including Jamaica, Grenada, St. Lucia, The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, showcasing the local cuisine of each island and tracing the historical influences.
Bauer explained that there are many culinary parallels between island cuisine and eighteenth century American fare. “The show has celebrated the many unique culinary experiences of the Caribbean which are also shared by the United States”, he said. “Both regions have a common culinary history with the British and French and this is reflected in the many similarities between Caribbean and colonial American cuisines.”
The Grenada: The Island of Spice episode, which highlighted the history of authentic Grenadian cuisine, was awarded Outstanding Lifestyle Programme/Special at the award ceremony held at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown on September 24th. Bauer’s role as producer of the episode made him responsible for overseeing all logistics including identifying and securing filming locations, arranging interviews, sourcing ingredients and equipment and determining the stories to be told.
Thrilled by the win, Bauer said the award was not only his but belonged to the entire Taste of History and Sandals teams. “This award is as much for the Food and Beverage staff at Sandals who helped us bring this story to life, as it is for the Taste of History team. We could not possibly have done it without them. As Walter always says, one person may come up with an idea but it takes a team to execute,” Bauer said.
The show’s upcoming season which will begin airing in June 2017 will showcase the history of Jamaica’s Maroons and their important role in creating Jamaican jerk cuisine, with a special episode filmed on location in Accompong, St. Elizabeth.
