Filming rolls on for 'Family Kitchen Revival'

Celebrity chef Jonathan Scinto, of Bellmore, is deep into production on his television show that will put Long Island families on screens around the world.

The first season of “Family Kitchen Revival” will have families sharing personal stories of hardships with Chef Jonathan — as he’s better known — before he takes the family into their home kitchen to “revive” a family dish using new equipment.

“There’s a lot of great stories to tell,” Scinto said, recalling some that made him emotional. “To hear them in person has really touched me.”

After cooking up the dish, the family has the opportunity to share the feast with community members who helped them during a difficult time — a “humbling” experience, Scinto said.

A recent casting call at Bellmore’s Strawberry Festival led Scinto to two families to be featured, including one from Seaford. A Valley Stream family will also be featured.

To keep the experience as “organic as possible,” Scinto has gone into each session knowing only a “smidgen” of the family’s hardship and their names. “Nothing scripted or planned,” he said. “We end up forming relationships, like we’ve known each other for a long time.”

Scinto also revealed exciting partnerships coming to the show, including a Thanksgiving special filmed with Good Housekeeping magazine and 4K cameras from Canon. Sam’s Club will be providing food and gifts for the families, and kitchens will be decked-out in materials from Findking Knives, Crucible Cookware and Anfora, based in Mexico.

“When we bring in new items, we bring in new life,” Scinto said. “That’s the revival.”

With a team comprised of his wife, Annmarie, acting as the set-coordinator, Long Island natives Sal Conca and Joe Kane as executive producer and director, respectively, and Chef Ricky Robertson as the assistant chef and Scinto's "right hand man," production is moving along smoothly, Scinto said. “They’re long days, but at the end, families thank us for the amazing experience,” he added.

There’s still a chance for your family to make it onto Family Kitchen Revival, which will premiere in November, Scinto said. The team is searching for one more eligible family; submissions can be filled out on FamilyKitchenRevival.com.