The guy who brought us the PBS cooking show “Made in Spain,” starring D.C. chef-ebrity Jose Andres, now has turned his eyes to Capitol Hill for his next venture.

Phil Lerman wants to film members of Congress cooking “at home for their family/friends” — the show aims to tape each cooking politician while working, meeting with staff and then cooking. (John Podesta, are you listening? You’d love this.)

The goal is to get one Republican and one Democrat, have them whip up something and then have a D.C. chef-ebrity judge which one is best. Lerman wouldn’t offer names, but we hear Laura Ingraham has agreed to do a show.

But wait — do congresspeople even cook?

“At first, we wondered if we were barking up the wrong tree, but a lot of them do cook,” especially the congressional parents, he says. “They run home, make the fastest meal possible and come back,” Lerman tells us. “Nobody’s busier than them. If they can cook dinner, I can cook dinner.” (He notes the Midwestern congressfolk seem up for it.)

“Food is the ultimate communal experience,” he says, but right now he’s just focused on finding “A. who’s going to pay for it, and B. who’s going to air it.” Early stages.

But be aware: They’re looking for authentic. “It can’t be someone like Hillary Clinton who doesn’t like to cook,” Lerman adds, though surely he’d never turn her down. “People will know.”
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Labels: Celebrities and Food, Entertainment, Odds and Ends