The Splendid Table: Conversations & Recipes For Curious Cooks & Eaters

This week, it's home cooking with the authors of Food IQ: 100 Questions, Answers, and Recipes to Raise Your Cooking Smarts. Daniel Holzman and Matt Rodbard bust food myths about cooking with frozen meat, and extoll the beauty of letting butter brown in the pan. Then, we visit J. Kenji López-Alt’s home where he gives us a lesson on cooking his favorite childhood dish, a super quick Japanese take on the Chinese classic, Ma po Tofu. Kenji is the author of the New York Times #1 Bestseller, The Wok: Recipes and Techniques. Broadcast dates for this episode: May 20, 2022 (originally aired)May 19, 2023 (rebroadcast)April 17, 2026 (rebroadcast) Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

This week, we talk about Mexican street food and the sometimes surprising foods that make us happy. Masienda founder, Jorge Gaviria, gives us a quick lesson on Vitamina T,aka those delicious masa-based Mexican street foods. Jorge is co-author, with Fermin Nunez, of Vitamina T, Your Daily Dose of Tacos, Tamales, Tortas and More Mexican Street Food Classics. He leaves us with a delicious recipe for a soon-to-be classic, Beet and Avocado Tostada. Then, pastry chef and writer Tanya Bush talks about her latest book, a memoir-cookbook documenting a year of experimental baking & living that ultimately led to delicious desserts like her Dark Chocolate and Toasted Coconut Birthday Cake. Tanya Bush is the author of Will This Make You Happy, Stories and Recipes from a Year of Baking. Subscribe to @TheSplendidTable on YouTube for full podcast episodes and full-length video interviews! Broadcast dates for this episode: April 10, 2026 (originally aired) Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

We're back on the road to celebrate our 30th Anniversary! This week, we’re headed to Los Angeles, in partnership with LAist, to talk about the world-influencing food scene in LA and the community that brings it together. First, we dig into how LA dining influenced the country and the world with KCRW's very own Evan Kleiman, Host of Good Food, and Gab Chabrán, Associate Editor of Food and Culture at LAist. Then we talk community and the restaurants that foster those connections with chef-owners Uyên Lê, who makes delicious Vietnamese comfort food at her take-out, Bé Ù, Keith Corbin, executive chef and co-owner of Alta Adams, and bestselling author of his memoir, California Soul and Elvia and Alex Garcia, the James Beard nominated chef-owners of Evil Cooks, one of L.A.’s most lauded taqueria pop-ups now transformed into a full restaurant. Broadcast dates for this episode: April 11, 2025 (originally aired)April 3, 2026 (rebroadcast) Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today

This week, we amp up your home cooking with nostalgic dishes, perfect recipes, and pro cooking techniques. First, we talk with Chef Ham El-Waylly about his favorite dishes that were inspired by his wildly international upbringing and what draws him to comfort foods. From his mom’s cheesy empanadas to his riff on cinnamon toast cereal, he gets imaginative with recipes like his Tahini Roasted Swordfish. Ham El-Waylly is the author of Hello, Home Cooking: Do-Able Dishes for Every Day. Then we dive into the brilliant mind of food writer Ella Quittner, who shares her obsessive search for the perfect techniques to make the very best recipes. She traveled the world to learn how to make buckwheat soba noodles and find the secret to getting the best flavor in tsukune, Japanese chicken meatballs. Ella Quittner’s latest book is Obsessed with The Best, and she left us with her recipe for Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Insurance Cheese. Subscribe to @TheSplendidTable on YouTube for full podcast episodes and full-length video interviews! Broadcast dates for this episode: March 27, 2026 (originally aired) Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show When you shop using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you.

This week, we’re all about the diverse and delicious foods of Ghana and Nigeria. First, Food Network Star Eric Adjepong joins us from his childhood home to talk about the connection to food when eating with his hands, the community that happens around the Ghanain table, and his take on traditional dishes like his recipe for Roasted Banana Grits with Seasoned Shrimp. Eric is the chef and owner of Elmina in Washington DC and the author of Ghana to the World: Recipes and Stories That Look Forward While Honoring the Past. Then, geologist turned food blogger Ozoz Sokoh takes us into the world of Nigerian cuisine. From iconic Nigerian breakfasts like sweet fermented rice cakes known as Māsā̀, to corned beef sauce paired with West African Yams. We couldn’t leave without getting a recipe for her Classic Nigerian Jollof Rice. Ozoz is the author of Chop Chop: Cooking the Food of Nigeria and the blogger behind Kitchen Butterfly.  Broadcast dates for this episode: March 21, 2025 (originally aired)March 20, 2026 (rebroadcast) Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift. Subscribe to @TheSplendidTable on YouTube for full podcast episodes and full-length video interviews!

This week, we get into the history, craft, and techniques of homemade Ramen with the brilliant author, Sho Spaeth. We talk about its origins in Japan, the introduction of ramen to the US, and the recent innovation that gave rise to what we know as instant ramen. We learn about the five elements that  go into a bowl of ramen: broth, tare, fat, noodles, and toppings, and how these have been refined over the years to create endless variations, including the kind that can be enjoyed in our own homes. Sho Spaeth is the author of Homemade Ramen. He left us his recipe for Niboshi Shoyu Ramen. Head to our YouTube channel to watch our interview with Sho Spaeth. Subscribe so you don’t miss anything! Broadcast dates for this episode: March 13, 2026 (originally aired) Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today When you shop using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you.

This week, we dedicate the entire episode to answering your bread baking questions with two brilliant bakers and teachers, King Arthur’s very own Jessica Battilana, Staff Editor, and Martin Philip, King Arthur’s Baking Ambassador. While King Arthur has taught millions of people to bake through their school, website, and classic cookbooks. They only now have published a book devoted entirely to bread, The King Arthur Baking Company’s Big Book of Bread.  Francis, Jessica, and Martin take listener questions on everything from the “why” behind the flavor of English Muffins, best proofing practices, what to do with extra laminated dough (if you can imagine having that problem!), and why they consider "toast" a food group all its own. Don't miss their recipe for Masa Honey Toasting Bread. Broadcast dates for this episode: March 7, 2025 (originally aired)March 6, 2026 (rebroadcast) Subscribe to @TheSplendidTable on YouTube for full podcast episodes and full-length video interviews! Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

This week, we’re joined in the studio by food superstar and philanthropist Jamie Oliver. We talk about his start in food, growing up above a small-town pub, and finding himself at the iconic River Café with Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray, and later becoming the TV persona behind The Naked Chef. He talks about his travels, his admiration for women cooks, and the use of his platform to champion nutrition programs and job-skills training for underserved communities. Jamie Oliver is a restaurateur, TV personality, and the author of over 30 cookbooks, including the best-selling 30-Minute Meals, 5 Ingredients: Quick & Easy Food, and Veg: Easy & Delicious Meals for Everyone. His latest book is Eat Yourself Healthy: Food to Change Your Life. He left us with his recipe for Harissa Tuna Bean Parcels. Head to our YouTube channel and watch this extended cut of our interview with Jamie Oliver. Subscribe so you don’t miss anything! Broadcast dates for this episode: February 27, 2026 (originally aired) Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today When you shop using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you.

We're taking the show on the road this year to celebrate our 30th Anniversary! This week, we bring you to our first stop, Indianapolis, in partnership with WFYI. We dig into the local food scene with restaurateur Martha Hoover, founder of Cafe Patachou and the Patachou Foundation. We talk to her about her start as a prosecutor turned restaurateur and how the restaurant scene has changed over her 35-plus years running a restaurant in Indianapolis. Then, we welcome Samir Mohammad of 9th Street Bistro, Zoë Taylor of Borage, and food writer and Eater correspondent Brian Garrido to the stage to talk about the present: Indianapolis's new and booming food scene. Then, we close the show with a heartwarming story of Isaac Roman and Thomas Hayes re-opening Indy's beloved Rene's Bakery. Broadcast dates for this episode: February 21, 2025 (originally aired)February 20, 2026 (rebroadcast) Subscribe to @TheSplendidTable on YouTube for full podcast episodes and full-length video interviews! Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show

This week, we’re all about mindfulness in our kitchens. First, we explore a whole new meaning of fancy with author and recipe developer Jerrelle Guy. She shares her unusual thinking and creative recipes that can transform your everyday eating. The little extras that can make a dish a bit more celebratory. Jerrelle Guy’s latest book is We Fancy: Simple Recipes to Make the Everyday Special, and she left us with her recipe for Olive Oil Brownie Pudding. Then we talk with Bee Wilson about the surprisingly sentimental nature of kitchen objects. In Bee’s latest memoir, The Heart Shaped Tin, she dives deep into the emotional relationships many people have with their kitchen tools, from a mother’s rice cooker to learning to eat off the best china rather than saving it. She shares her personal relationship to her most cherished kitchen items with stories of people who share the connection. Bee Wilson’s latest book is The Heart-Shaped Tin: Love, Loss, and Kitchen Objects. Broadcast dates for this episode: February 13, 2026 (originally aired) Subscribe to @TheSplendidTable on YouTube for full podcast episodes and full-length video interviews! Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today When you shop using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you.

This week, food columnist for The New York Times Magazine, Lisa Donovan, joins us to talk about what she's been cooking up recently and help answer our listeners' kitchen conundrums, from making the best tomato paste despite out-of-season tomatoes to using unsweetened chocolate in baking recipes. Lisa is the author of the memoir Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger, and she leaves us with a recipe for a lovely Tarte Tatin to add to our repertoire. Then, we head over to Philadelphia, where we meet the founder and owner of Down North Pizza, Muhammad Abdul-Hadi. Muhammad tells us about his mission-driven restaurant dedicated to helping formerly incarcerated people rebuild their lives. Muhammad's new cookbook is We The Pizza: Slangin’ Pies, and Savin’ Lives and he leaves us with his signature pizza sauce recipe, Norf Sauce. Broadcast dates for this episode: February 7, 2025 (originally aired)February 6, 2026 (rebroadcast) Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora | Amazon Music | YouTube.  This week, we explore flavors and techniques with two incredible guests. First, James Beard award-winning author Henrietta Lovell, aka the Tea Lady, takes us on her tea journey. From discovering the art of tea in China and countries beyond, to teaching us how to taste the nuanced flavor profiles and appreciate the craftsmanship. She left us with a recipe for Cold Brew Iced Teas that can be enjoyed like a fine wine.  Henrietta is the author of Infused – Adventures in Tea and founder of the Rare Tea Company. Then, we talk to our favorite food scientist, Nik Sharma, about his latest video series, Flavor Forward with America’s Test Kitchen. He shares tips and tricks for the home cook on elevating your dinners. Like the Tandoori Salmon, Braised Lemon Chicken with Couscous, and Calabrian Chile White Beans with Almond Romesco. Nik Sharma is the author of Veg Table, The Flavor Equation, and the forthcoming Fundamentals of Flavor (Sept. 2026) Broadcast dates for this episode: January 30, 2026 (originally aired) Subscribe to @TheSplendidTable on YouTube for full podcast episodes and full-length video interviews! Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show. When you shop using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you.

We took the show on the road for a live event at the Hawaii Theatre Center in Honolulu. First, we spoke to Hawaii Public Radio’s Culture and Arts reporter Jayna Omaye and Chef Sheldon Simeon of Tin Roof Maui about Hawaiian cuisine’s unique mix of cultures. Then, James Beard award-winning chef Robynne Maii of Fête in Chinatown, Honolulu, and chef-owner of Mud Hen Water, Ed Kenney, explained how native Hawaiian traditions influence their cooking. And then, we talked to three legacy business owners about the importance of beloved local institutions in the food scene: Chris Kanemura, co-owner of Fujiya Hawai’i, Emma Bello, goat and dairy farmer at Sweet Land Farm, and Kevin Yim of Zippy’s.  The live event at Hawaii Theatre was co-presented by Hawai‘i Public Radio and the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Kapi‘olani Community College and sponsored by Hawaiian Airlines, Alohilani Resorts, and FarmLovers Markets. Broadcast dates for this episode: February 3, 2023 (originally aired)February 2, 2024 (rebroadcast)January 23, 2026 (rebroadcast) Subscribe to @TheSplendidTable on YouTube for full podcast episodes and full-length video interviews!

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora | Amazon Music | YouTube This week, it's the final show of our 30th anniversary celebration, recorded from the stage of The Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, MN, where it all began. Francis is joined onstage by some of the best chefs in Minnesota, including American Oglala Lakota Sioux chef, Sean Sherman, Somali-American chef, Jamal Hashi, Karyn Tomlinson of Myriel the winner of the 2025 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Midwest and 6-time James Beard Nominee, Diana Moua of Diane's Place to talk about their culinary journeys and the importance of community and culture in food. We’re then joined on stage by a very special guest, Lynne Rossetto Kasper.  Head to our YouTube channel and watch this extended cut of our Live Show. Subscribe so you don’t miss anything! Broadcast dates for this episode: January 16, 2026 (originally aired) Subscribe to @TheSplendidTable on YouTube for full podcast episodes and full-length video interviews! Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show. When you shop using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you.

This week, we’re spending the hour with the charming and beloved Irish cooking teacher and writer Darina Allen.  It’s a spirited conversation about growing up in a country kitchen, her love of eating, and the single moment she decided to pursue her career in cooking. She tells us about her organic farm at the Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland,  shares her unusual and brilliant teaching style,  and explains why learning to cook and connect to nature is one of the greatest life skills anyone can achieve. She leaves us with a recipe for an Irish classic, Spotted Dog Railway Cake. Darina is the author of many best-selling books, including The Forgotten Skills of Cooking: 700 Recipes Showing You Why the Time-Honored Ways Are the Best. Broadcast dates for this episode: January 10, 2025 (originally aired) Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

We’ve got the most exciting cookbooks to gift this holiday season. Chef Chris Scott talks to us about his latest, Amish Soul Food and pays homage to the food of his Pennsylvanian German ancestors, and talks us through traditional recipes like chow chow, biscuits, and scrapple. He leaves us with his recipe for Okra Chow-Chow. Cynthia Shanmugalingam takes us on a deep dive into the seductive, cuisine of Sri Lanka. Her book is Rambutan: Recipes from Sri Lanka. Then, Ben Mervis, author of The British Cookbook, talks about the many food regions of Britain and the influences that have inspired them. His Yorkshire Parkin recipe is a must-try for this holiday season. Then, we get a lesson in home-made vinegar making with Pascal Baudar, author of Wildcrafted Vinegars. He leaves with a lot of inspiration and a recipe for Seaweed-Infused Vinegar. Broadcast dates for this episode: December 16, 2022 (originally aired)December 15, 2023 (rebroadcast) When you shop using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you! Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

This week, we’re all about community and coming together for the holidays. First, we talk to Lisa Kyung Gross, founder of The League of Kitchens, a unique cooking school where women from all over the world,  welcome you into their homes and teach you how to make one of their family recipes. She talks about the delicious recipes she has collected in her new book, The League of Kitchens Cookbook: Brilliant Tips, Secret Methods & Favorite Family Recipes from Around the World.  She leaves us with an Afghan recipe for Cake Jawari, a delicious yellow cake with rosewater and cardamom. Then, The New Yorker’s food writer Helen Rosner stops by the studio with treats and ideas for your last-minute gifts. Broadcast dates for this episode: December 20, 2024 (originally aired) Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show.

This week, we’re celebrating the holidays by looking beyond, into global stories that shape the season. First, we talk with Hetty Lui McKinnon about her new book, Linger: Salads, Sweets and Stories to Savor, and what the holidays look like in Australia, where Christmas is hot and the seafood markets buzz at midnight. Hetty reflects on the vegetable forward meals that defined her Chinese Australian upbringing and leaves us with her recipe for Coronation Cauliflower and Chickpeas. Then, we turn to writer Yasmin Khan for a deeper look at Yalda Night, the Persian winter solstice celebration that reminds us of the return of the sun, after the longest night of the year. Her latest cookbook, Sabzi: Vibrant Vegetarian Recipes, explores vibrant vegetarian cooking rooted in Persian culture. Yasmin shares how Yalda brings people together through poetry, pomegranates, and seasonal comforts, and leaves us with her recipe for Eggplant Fesenjan. Broadcast dates for this episode:  December 19, 2025 (originally aired) Subscribe to @TheSplendidTable on YouTube for full podcast episodes and full-length video interviews! Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show.

It’s the holiday season, and we’re kicking it off this week with some sweet treats. First, food editor and recipe developer Ben Mims joins us with his latest project, covering over 300 cookie recipes from Asia to the Levant to Scandinavia to the Caribbean. The varieties are astonishing.  We get into cookie styles, the fascinating ingredients in regional cookies, and the hundreds of flavor combinations. Ben is the author of Crumbs: Cookies and Sweets from Around the World. And he left us with a recipe for Guava-Filled Butter Cookies from Brazil. Then, we step into the world of wild chocolate with Rowan Jacobsen. We hear about the new breed of cacao farmers and the amazing flavor profiles found in wild chocolate and meet some of the farmers who are making it. Rowan is the author of Wild Chocolate: Across the Americas in Search of Cacao’s Soul. Broadcast dates for this episode: December 6, 2024 (originally aired)December 12, 2025 (rebroadcast) Subscribe to @TheSplendidTable on YouTube for full podcast episodes and full-length video interviews! Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today.

This week, we’re taking a trip through the South and its food – how it tells the story of a region shaped by migration, memory, and culture. First, we talk with scholar and writer Michael W. Twitty about his new book, Recipes from the American South, a sweeping look at the many communities – Black, white, Indigenous, immigrant – whose traditions built Southern cooking as we know it. Michael reflects on the histories that define the region and leaves us with his recipe for Maque Choux, the Louisiana classic made of corn and peppers. Then, we turn to writer and filmmaker Deb Freeman for a deeper look at one of the South’s most influential voices: Edna Lewis. Her new PBS documentary, Finding Edna Lewis, traces how Miss Lewis’s rural Virginia roots shaped her cooking and her revolutionary impact on American food. Deb shares why Lewis remains essential today and what we can still learn from her. Our annual cookbook giveaway is live!  To enter for free, visit splendidtable.org/cookbook Broadcast dates for this episode:  December 5, 2025 (originally aired) Subscribe to @TheSplendidTable on YouTube for full podcast episodes and full-length video interviews! Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

Today we have a bonus episode for you from Happier with Gretchen Rubin, featuring our very own Francis Lam.  Gretchen Rubin is HAPPIER, and she wants you to be happier too. The #1 bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before gets more personal than ever as she brings her practical, manageable advice about happiness and good habits to this lively, thought-provoking podcast. Gretchen’s cohost and guinea pig is her younger sister, Elizabeth Craft, a TV writer and producer living in Los Angeles, who (lovingly) refers to Gretchen as her happiness bully. On this episode of More Happier: It’s easy to get swept up in a cycle of holidays that feels more like a relentless to-do list than a source of joy. In this Celebration Roundtable, we talk about how to embrace the holidays as opportunities for intentional connection and meaning.

This week, we welcome the cold with delicious soup! Food Stylist Mariana Velásquez Villegas, author of Colombiana: A Rediscovery of Recipes and Rituals from the Soul of Colombia talks us through Colombia's biodiversity and regional identity and the unique foods it inspires like Sancocho. This hearty stew brings people together in a communal dining experience. Be sure to listen to her playlist while preparing it! Then, we talk about Haitian cuisine with award-winning chef Gregory Gourdet as he shares his childhood memories of growing up, commemorating Haitian Independence Day with Soup Joumou, a hearty squash-based soup typically served on New Year's Day. Gregory Gourdet is the chef-owner of Kann in Portland, Oregon, and the author of Everyone's Table. Then, chili sauce entrepreneur Jing Gao, author of The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp, talks about Hot Pot, a zingy broth served in a large metal pot that gets tastier as you feast. Broadcast dates for this episode: January 26, 2024 (originally aired)January 17, 2025 (rebroadcast)November 28, 2025 (rebroadcast) Subscribe to @TheSplendidTable on YouTube for full podcast episodes and full-length video interviews! Our annual cookbook giveaway is live!  To enter for free, visit splendidtable.org/cookbook Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

Join us for Turkey Confidential, our must-listen-to annual Thanksgiving Day broadcast! This year’s guests are Samin Nosrat, author of bestseller Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat and Good Things; Brooklyn-based recipe developer Yossy Arefi, author of Snacking Bakes and Snacking Cakes; Vivian Howard, author, TV personality, and chef, known for This Will Make It Taste Good and Deep Run Roots; Evan Kleiman, chef, cookbook author, and host of KCRW’s Good Food. And, of course, Francis! Broadcast dates for this episode: November 27, 2025 Subscribe to @TheSplendidTable on YouTube for full podcast episodes and full-length video interviews! Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show.

We are a week away from Thanksgiving, and this week, Award-winning authors J. Kenji Lopez-Alt and Deb Perelman give us the best advice on making the perfect Thanksgiving spread. From gravy hot takes to best brining practices and the ideal way to cook a perfect turkey we have you covered. J. Kenji López-Alt and Deb Perelman are co-hosts of "The Recipe with Kenji and Deb" podcast. Deb left us her recipe for delicious dinner rolls, Sour Cream & Chive Fantails. Then, we move on to delicious Indian-inspired desserts with cookbook author Hetal Vasavada. Her flavor combinations will transform your typical bars, cookies, and pies into deliciously nutty and sometimes spicy desserts. Hetal is the author of Desi Bakes, and she left us her recipe for Pistachio & Cardamom Muddy Buddies. Broadcast dates for this episode: November 22, 2024 (originally aired)November 21, 2025 (rebroadcast) Subscribe to @TheSplendidTable on YouTube for full podcast episodes and full-length video interviews! Our annual cookbook giveaway is live!  To enter for free, visit splendidtable.org/cookbook Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

This week, we’re celebrating Thanksgiving and looking at the way this American holiday and its food tell our stories. First, we talk with Padma Lakshmi about her new cookbook, Padma’s All American, a celebration of the immigrant dishes and regional traditions that make up our country’s culinary landscape. Padma talks about what she’s learned from years of traveling for Taste the Nation and leaves us with a delicious Thanksgiving alternative for mashed potatoes: Podimas (Potatoes with Turmeric and Fried Lentils). Then, we turn to baker extraordinaire Dorie Greenspan for a sweet addition to the holiday dessert table. Her new book, Dorie’s Anytime Cakes, is filled with unfussy, comforting cakes meant to live on your counter — the kind you slice into whenever the craving strikes. Dorie talks about why simple cakes feel right for the season and leaves us with her Cocoa-Swirled Pumpkin Bundt. Head to our YouTube channel and watch our interview with Padma Lakshmi. Subscribe so you don’t miss anything! Our annual cookbook giveaway is live!  To enter for free, visit splendidtable.org/cookbook Broadcast dates for this episode:  November 14, 2025 (originally aired) Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora | Amazon Music | YouTube This week, we talk about comfort food around the world. First, Yotam Ottolenghi tells us about his latest book, which is filled with recipes for his favorite comfort foods. He talks about what it is about specific dishes that evoke emotional reactions, from taste to texture to memory like his recipe for “Thousand” Hole Pancake. Yotam’s latest book is Ottolenghi Comfort written with his collaborators Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller, and Tara Wigley. Then, Luisa Weiss joins us to talk about her deep connection to German food. Growing up between Berlin and the US, she tells us about her favorite hot school lunches, (which are famous in German culture!), “low key dinners” known as abendbrot, and the influences German dishes have gleaned from other countries. Luisa is the author of Classic German Cooking, and she leaves us with her recipe for Käsespätzle, Swabian Noodles with Mountain Cheese and Caramelized Onions. Broadcast dates for this episode: November 8, 2024 (originally aired)November 7, 2025 (rebroadcast) Subscribe to @TheSplendidTable on YouTube for full podcast episodes and full-length video interviews! Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

This week, we’re breaking bread in every sense of the phrase. First, beloved actor Tony Shalhoub joins us to talk about his new CNN series, Breaking Bread, where he travels the world to explore the meaning of bread and how it connects us across cultures and tables. Growing up in a large Lebanese American family in Wisconsin, Tony shares memories of food as a bridge between worlds, from kibbeh and hummus to bratwurst and grilled cheese. Then, we meet Maureen Abood, author of Lebanese Baking, who brings us into the heart of the Lebanese kitchen with recipes and stories that honor tradition and community. She leaves us with her recipe for Za’atar Manakeesh, a beloved flatbread that captures the heart of Lebanese baking: simple, fragrant, and made to share. Head to our YouTube channel and watch this extended cut of our interview with Tony Shalhoub. Subscribe so you don’t miss anything! Broadcast dates for this episode:  October 31, 2025 (originally aired) Our annual cookbook giveaway is live!  To enter for free, visit splendidtable.org/cookbook Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show.

Today we have a bonus episode for you, featuring our very own Francis Lam.  How We Survive is an award-winning podcast from Marketplace about the messy business of climate solutions. From the glitz and glam of Miami, to the punishing Arizona desert, to a sinking island that our national security depends on, every season takes listeners on an adventure. We’re finding the innovative, surprising and occasionally disturbing ways that people are navigating solutions to a changing climate. In this episode of “How We Survive,” host Amy Scott is joined by “The Splendid Table” host Francis Lam for a cultivated meat taste test. Plus, Francis shares his go-to recipes for climate-friendly proteins. Deep in the halls of the engineering school at Columbia University, professor Hod Lipson and his former student Jonathan Blutinger are reimagining how meat is made. In 2022, they developed a device that maps the texture of meat. “It's a machine that can poke steak at a bunch of different points and create these high-fidelity texture maps and see more clearly, you know, the toughness of different parts,” explains Blutinger. Lipson adds, “we tried to capture quantitatively, how hard is it to cut it with a knife? How hard is it to poke it with a fork? How hard is it to chew?” They sold that device to a fake meat company, ReDefine Meat, which 3D prints steak. It was during this time that Blutinger came up with a framework for thinking about meat: The uncanny valley of meat. “The uncanny valley is, a thought that a Japanese researcher came up with years ago, where the closer we get to mimicking human likeness with robots, the more we tend to be irked by them,” explained Blutinger. He said the same phenomenon happens when we eat fake meat that’s trying to look, taste and feel like the real thing. “People who are meat eaters are used to the texture, the feeling, the flavor, all the sensory aspects of any meat they've had from the hundreds of thousands of times they've tried it. So as soon as they try something that's trying to mimic that, they're extra cautious,” said Blutinger. We hear all the time that one of the best things we can do for the climate as individuals is eat less meat. But 3D printed meat alternatives are not on the market in the U.S. yet. So the “How We Survive” team got our hands on another new food tech that some argue could allow people to have their steak and eat it too: Cell cultivated meat (which is real meat grown from cells instead of living, breathing animals). Does cell cultivated meat pass the uncanny valley?

Cookbook season is back, and we talk to the authors of some of our favorite picks. We're joined by Carolina Gelen, who talks to us about learning how to cook, her favorite Romanian dishes, and how she comes up with her signature recipes like Butter Beans alla Vodka, a fast, one-pot dish inspired by the famous vodka pasta sauce. Carolina is the author of Pass the Plate: 100 Delicious, Highly Sharable, Everyday Recipes. Then, Sonoko Sakai tells us how to “wafu” our food! Wafu means Japanese in style, and Sonoko takes familiar dishes and adds a little Japanese flair. Check out her recipe for her Pasta with Miso Bolognese Sauce. Sonoko is the author of Wafu Cooking: Everyday Recipes with Japanese Style. Then, Jody Eddy talks to us about the incredible food she found and cooked in religious communities around the world. She walks us through some of her favorite recipes, from condiments and Chicken soup in Tibet to a recipe she learned from a Minnesotan monastery, Honey Glazed Turkey Tinga. Jody's book is Elysian Kitchens: Recipes Inspired by the Traditions and Tastes of the World's Sacred Space. Broadcast dates for this episode: October 25, 2024 (originally aired)October 24, 2025 (rebroadcast) Our annual cookbook giveaway is live!  To enter for free, visit splendidtable.org/cookbook Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

This week, we’re diving into Italian cooking, from the Pacific Northwest to the Bronx. First, chef and author Joshua McFadden joins us to talk about Six Seasons of Pasta, his love letter to everyone’s favorite food. Known for his hit cookbook Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables, Joshua brings that same seasonal sensibility to pasta, pairing local produce with traditional Italian technique, and shares his recipe for Nut Ragu. Then, Bronx-born chef Christian Petroni takes us into the heart of Italian American cooking with his debut cookbook, Parm to Table. From chicken cutlets to clams casino, he celebrates the cozy red-sauce dishes that define Sunday dinners across America and leaves us with his Chicken Scarpariello recipe. Broadcast dates for this episode:  October 17, 2025 (originally aired) Our annual cookbook giveaway is live!  To enter for free, visit splendidtable.org/cookbook Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

This week, we sit down with two chefs at the top of their craft. First, we talk to legendary baker Richard Hart about the inspiration behind his new book, Richard Hart Bread: Intuitive Sourdough Baking. He fills us in on why he thinks that humble bakers are the best bakers, how he really is just a simple “yeast farmer” and he shares his realistic thoughts on how to keep a sourdough starter. Check out his amazing recipe for Rye Wrapped in Fig Leaves. Then, we talk with chef Ashleigh Shanti about her connection to Southern food, from its complex regional histories to the culinary traditions of her beloved Appalachia. She leaves us with her take on a classic green bean recipe, Leather Britches. Ashleigh is the author of Our South: Black Food Through My Lens and owns Asheville’s Good Hot Fish.  Broadcast dates for this episode: October 11, 2024 (originally aired)October 10, 2025 (rebroadcast) Our annual cookbook giveaway is live!  To enter for free, visit splendidtable.org/cookbook Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

This week, we’re celebrating new fall cookbooks that belong on your kitchen counter. First, Aleksandra Crapanzano, author of Chocolat: Parisian Desserts and Other Delights, takes us from Marie Antoinette’s early “truffle” to the French art of baking at home. She leaves us with her Chocolate Ganache Tart with Raspberries. Then, Anna Ansari explores the delicious connections across cuisines in Silk Roads: A Flavor Odyssey, tracing flavors from Baku to Beijing and shares her recipe for Shivit Oshi (Khivan green noodles with beef stew). Finally, creator and Next Level Chef alum Cassie Yeung brings big, weeknight-friendly energy from Bad B*tch in the Kitch, including her 30-minute Beef & Broccoli.  Broadcast dates for this episode:  October 3, 2025 (originally aired) Our annual cookbook giveaway is live!  To enter for free, visit splendidtable.org/cookbook Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

This week, we sit down with Evie McGee Colbert to talk about her latest book, co-authored with her husband, Stephen Colbert. She tells us about the dynamics in her family’s kitchen, the joys and challenges of cooking together during the pandemic, Charleston food traditions, and we take a listener question from one special caller! Evie’s latest book with her husband, Stephen Colbert, is Does This Taste Funny?: Recipes our Family Loves. She leaves us with her recipe for Salt and Pepper Wings. Then, we hit the road with musicians Alex Bleeker and Luke Pyenson to talk about their latest book, a collection of essays and interviews with musicians about life and eating on the road. They talk about their most memorable meals while on tour and the deep connection between musicians and food. Alex and Luke are the authors of Taste in Music: Eating on Tour with Indie Musicians.  Broadcast dates for this episode: September 27, 2024 (originally aired)September 26, 2025 (rebroadcast) Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show

This week, we’re diving into fall cooking and the beauty of bitter flavors. First, Genevieve Ko, deputy editor at New York Times Cooking, joins Francis to take your fall cooking questions. From freezing smart to cabbage makeovers, Genevieve shares practical advice for making the most of fresh produce and tackling leftovers. She also shares the NYT Cooking piece 15 Ways to Make a Head of Cabbage Dinner and her Pumpkin Meringue Pie recipe. And check out her Cinnamon-Toast Graham Crackers from the last time she joined us to talk about Better Baking. Then, London-based cookbook author Alexina Anatole shares the inspiration behind her debut book, Bitter. She makes the case for bitterness as an essential flavor, one that brings depth, intrigue, and balance to our cooking. Alexina reminds us how bitterness touches so many of our favorite foods and she leaves us with her recipe for Stout Sticky Toffee Pudding, a perfect example of sweet meeting bitter in harmony. Broadcast dates for this episode: September 19, 2025 (originally aired) Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today.

This week, we talk with two incredible chefs about their culinary connections to their homes. First, chef Nini Nguyen talks about growing up in New Orleans and her connection to her tight-knit Vietnamese community. She shares the delicious Vietnamese foods she grew up eating and talks about how that upbringing shapes her cooking today, Nini is the author of Đặc Biệt: An Extra-Special Vietnamese Cookbook, and she leaves with her recipe for Grilled Rice Paper. Then, we head to Ukraine with chef Yevhen Klopotenko to talk about his work rediscovering traditional Ukrainian dishes that were once suppressed under Soviet rule. He tells us about his work, providing recipes online that have reached thousands of schools and getting traditional recipes like Borsch, finally recognized as Ukrainian. Yevhen is the author of The Authentic Ukrainian Kitchen, and he left us with his recipe for Syrnyky, delicious Farmer cheese pancakes. Broadcast dates for this episode: September 13, 2024 (originally aired)September 12, 2025 (rebroadcast) Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora | Amazon Music This week, we’re turning peak-season produce into bold, flavorful dishes. First, we talk with Rick Martínez, author of Salsa Daddy: Dip Your Way into Mexican Cooking, about transforming simple ingredients – think tomatoes, onions, garlic, and chilis – into salsas that sing. Rick explains why salsa is its own food group and leaves us with his family-inspired peach-and-pecan Salsa Tejana recipe. Then, we visit New York chef Sunny Lee of Sunn’s, a restaurant devoted to banchan, Korea’s iconic side dishes. Sunny teaches Francis how to elevate fresh vegetables into inventive, season-forward sides, including her recipe for Tahini Pickled Mushroom banchan.  Broadcast dates for this episode:  September 5, 2025 (originally aired) Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today. When you shop using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you.

This week, we're talking about summer cooking and how to stay cool in the heat. Carla Lalli Music joins us to talk about her favorite indoor cooking tips for ribs and takes your cooking questions. Carla is the host of Carla's Cooking Show on Patreon, and her most recent book is Where Cooking Begins. Then, we check in with Khushbu Shah, Food & Wine's restaurant editor, about the refreshers you need this summer, cold dessert drinks from all over Asia. From basil seeds and colorful tapioca to adding a savory element to your shaved ice, there's something here for everyone. Broadcast dates for this episode: June 25, 2021 (originally aired)June 24, 2022 (rebroadcast)June 23, 2023 (rebroadcast)August 29, 2025 (rebroadcast) Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

This week, we’re taking the stress out of back-to-school cooking with food that’s fast, fun, and full of flavor. First, we talk with Peter J. Kim, author of Instant Ramen Kitchen, about transforming those humble packets you associate with college kids into surprisingly elegant meals. Peter shares why instant ramen deserves a spot in your pantry and leaves us with his recipe for Aglio e Olio. Then, we catch up with chef David Nayfeld and his approach to quick, comforting meals. Known for his acclaimed restaurant Che Fico in San Francisco, David opens up about learning to cook for (and with) his daughter as a single dad. His new book, Dad, What’s for Dinner?, features kid-friendly recipes like the one he shared with us: Zucchini Parmigiana.  Broadcast dates for this episode:  August 22, 2025 (originally aired) Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show. 

This week, we talk about cuisines from opposite ends of the world. We start by diving into the first, traditionally-published cookbook about Salvadorian cuisine with Karla T. Vasquez. She collected traditional recipes and techniques while documenting stories from the hands that made the dishes. Karla is the author of The SalviSoul Cookbook: Salvadoran Recipes and the Women Who Preserve Them. She left us with her recipe for a delicious Salvadoran Quesadilla. Then, we explore Southern Thai regional cuisine with author Austin Bush. Austin researched the diverse and unique cuisine of Southern Thailand through travel and cooking alongside local cooks He’s the author of The Food of Southern Thailand and he leaves us with a recipe for Simple Thai-Style Rice Salad - Khaao Yam. Broadcast dates for this episode: August 30, 2024 (originally aired)August 15, 2025 (rebroadcast) Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

This week, we turn up the ovens and test our baking skills with two incredible bakers. First, we talk to LA-based cookbook author and star baker, Nicole Rucker, on why summer is peak pie season, the fruit and flavor combinations that elevate her pies (imagine toasted fig leaves!) and making the best out of her leftover cookies for pie crusts. Nicole's latest book is Fat and Flour: The Art of the Simple Bake, and she left us with her Strawberry White Chocolate Cream Pie recipe. Then, Iowa's champion baker Eileen Gannon, talks to us about her surprising baking techniques for cakes, from making moister cakes, fillings vs frostings, and her buttercream preferences. Eileen is the winner of over 600 state and national baking awards and the founder of Sunday Night Foods Sauces. Broadcast dates for this episode:  August 8, 2025 (originally aired) Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show.

This week, we’ve got delicious cooking ideas to brighten your summer. First, author Jess Damuck talks to us about her vegetable-forward food inspired by the 1970s health-food culture. She talks about revamping 1970’s health-food classics and re-working recipes with a modern eye to make them taste great. She leaves us with her recipe for Lentil Loaf. Jess Damuck’s latest book is Health Nut: A Feel-Good Cookbook. Then, we head to North Carolina to catch up with Chef Ashley Christensen.  She takes on listener questions with Francis and shares some mind-blowing thinking around working with seasonal produce, including an idea a delicious, simple corn cob stock. Ashley is the chef at Poole’s Diner and Death & Taxes in Raleigh, NC, and author of the cookbooks Poole’s and It’s Always Freezer Season. She left us with a delicious recipe for Charred Summer Squash. Broadcast dates for this episode: August 16, 2024 (originally aired)August 1, 2025 (rebroadcast) When you shop using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you!  Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

This week we’re sharing an episode from our friends at This Old House Radio: Episode 19: Make Your Home Allergy Free + Fix Squeaky Wood Floors This week on This Old House Radio Hour, we’re talking about something you can’t see but definitely feel: the air inside your home. Kenneth Mendez, president of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, shares the smartest, science-backed ways to improve indoor air quality—from high-heat laundry to HEPA vacuums—and explains why your bedroom might be the most important place to start.  Then, The Splendid Table’s Francis Lam takes us back to the New Jersey home of his childhood. With vivid stories of birthday parties, incense-filled kitchens, and Hardy Boys books read in a mirror-covered living room, Francis reflects on how homes carry our deepest identities and contradictions. We also help callers tackle squeaky floors, stubborn drafts, mismatched temperatures, and that infamous 1970s gold bathtub. Plus, a fresh edition of House Rules and a real estate segment from Cheap Old Houses featuring a tiny Gothic summer cottage and a quirky Kansas gem for under $55,000.  All this, plus a “Simple Fix” from Tom Silva that will stop your window drafts cold. In This Episode, You Will Learn: How to reduce indoor allergens room-by-room  (0:55)Where to place air purifiers for maximum impact (3:56)Tips for dealing with uneven heating in split-level homes (17:13)How to fix squeaky wood floors with a DIY plug-and-glue method (22:49)When that faint stain on your drywall means trouble—and when it doesn’t (27:53)

This week, we've got a show full of great ideas and terrific recipes for guesting…and hosting! First, Casey Elsass sits down with us to talk about how to guest like a pro, from tips on arriving prepared to great recipe ideas for sides, salads, appetizers, and desserts like his Mosaic Jell-O. Casey is the author of What Can I Bring: Recipes to Help You Live Your Guest Life. Then, renowned fashion designer and cookbook writer Peter Som guides us in hosting your parties in style. He lets us in on his inspiration for his creative dishes, from tea eggs to lemon chicken, and leaves us his recipe for Potsticker Frittata. Peter is the author of Family Style: Elegant Every Day Recipes Inspired by Home and Heritage. Broadcast dates for this episode: July 25, 2025 (originally aired) Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora This week, we talk about life and food in Southern France. First, we sit down with Steve Hoffman to talk about his latest memoir, A Season for That, about his journey from Minnesota to the South of France with his entire family to live a romanticized French life.  It turned out to be a complete culinary and culture shock that ended up inspiring his appreciation for the local food culture and its winemaking traditions. Steve Hoffman's latest book is A Season for That: Lost and Found in the Other Southern France. Then, we talk with author Rebekah Peppler about her connection to the South of France and its Provencal cuisine, which is the inspiration for her cookbook, Le Sud: Recipes from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. She walks us through Provencal dishes from tapenades to bouillabaisse, and she leaves us with her recipe for Mussels in Aioli.  Broadcast dates for this episode: July 19, 2024 (originally aired)July 18, 2025 (rebroadcast)

This week, it's all about keeping cool and carrying on in the kitchen. First up , chef, farmer, and cookbook author Abra Berens joins Francis to take your calls about how to best use our summer produce. She’s full of ideas for all that zucchini, btw! Abra is the author of three wonderful cookbooks, Ruffage, Grist, and Pulp, and you can find the recipe for the Summer Squash Escabeche she talked about here. Then, we head into NYC to visit chef Jiho Kim at his restaurant, Joomak where he teaches us how to make a refreshing summertime dish: a Summer Salad with Cured Fish and White Kimchi. Broadcast dates for this episode: July 11, 2025 (originally aired) Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

This week, we're all about two summer traditions. First, we meet photojournalist and documentarian Kate Medley to talk about her decade-long project documenting gas stations all across the South.  She has stories about the amazing cast of characters, their diverse selection of foods, and their impact on their communities across the South. Kate Medley is the author of Thank You Please Come Again: How Gas Stations Feed & Fuel the American South. Then, we talk to the chefs behind Kismet, an award-winning vegetable-forward restaurant in Los Angeles. Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson bring us fresh ideas for your summer cookout, including their modern must-haves for your grill, like their Springtime Chicken Skewers. Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson's latest book is Kismet: Bright, Fresh, Vegetable-Loving Recipes. Broadcast dates for this episode: July 5, 2024 (originally aired)July 4, 2025 (rebroadcast) Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora This week, we make our 30th anniversary tour stop in Tampa in partnership with WUSF, where we learn about what makes the food of South Florida so unique. First up, Dalia Colón, host of The Zest podcast and author of The Florida Vegetarian Cookbook, gives us an overview of the rich Tampa food scene. From its diverse cuisines to its old-school Southern charm. Then, we talk about Tampa’s cultural and culinary history and legacy with Andrea Gonzmart Williams, fifth-generation owner of Columbia Restaurant, a landmark in the Cuban American community, and Megan Sorby, co-founder and CEO of Pine Island Redfish, a startup land-based fish farm with an environmental restoration focus. And finally, we meet up with community leader Anthony Gilbert, better known as “Call Anthony,” for his video reviews of Tampa Bay’s under-the-radar- eateries.   Broadcast dates for this episode: June 27, 2025 (originally aired) Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show

This week, we look at modern food and culture from two popular cuisines. First, we sit down with acclaimed food writer Khushbu Shah to talk about her debut cookbook, which is all about Indian home-cooked dishes. She shares ingenious hacks and delicious Indian-inspired recipes that can come together in a pinch using everyday pantry items, and teaches Francis how to make her Chili Cheese Toast.  Khushbu Shah is the author of Amrikan: 125 Recipes from the Indian American Diaspora. Then, we are off to Korea with Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard. We talk about why Korean cuisine has taken the world by storm, their travels to Korea to document modern Korean cooking, and how regional Korean dishes are showing up in many parts of Korea. Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard’s latest book is Koreaworld: A Cookbook. They left us with their recipe for Sauteed Rice Cakes with Gochujang & Cream. Broadcast dates for this episode: June 21, 2024 (originally aired)June 20, 2025 (rebroadcast) Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

This week, we talk to two longtime restaurant critics from different parts of the country about what makes their work so interesting and what they're excited to eat. First, Bill Addison, restaurant critic for The Los Angeles Times, talks about his approach to critical writing, his favorite restaurant experiences, and the evolution of California cuisine. He just wrapped up one of the most ambitious projects of his career, the list of the One Hundred and One Best Restaurants in California for The Los Angeles Times. Then, we turn to the Midwest to join Wini Moranville, a restaurant critic based in Des Moines, Iowa. She tells us about her first job as a restaurant server and how that influenced her current work reviewing restaurants, and how restaurant criticism in smaller cities often have very different considerations. Wini is the author of the memoir "Love is My Favorite Flavor: A Midwestern Dining Critic Tells All," and you can check out her Substack, Dining Well in DSM. Broadcast dates for this episode: June 13, 2025 (originally aired) Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today

Have you ever wondered how June looks and tastes in different parts of the country? This week, we visit three different corners of the country to hear about their Junes. Gullah Geechee Chef-Farmer, Matthew Raiford in Coastal Georgia describes this time of year as “where the wild things are”. He tells us how his decision to come back to the south to become a farmer came to be and paints a picture of his favorite low country boil. Matthew's latest book is Bress ‘N’ Nyam: Gullah Geechee Recipes from a Sixth-Generation Farmer. Then, we take a trip to Alaska to hear from Native Alaskan fisherwoman, Melanie Brown as she takes us into a radiantly green scene with sloughs and creeks and paints a vivid picture of millions of sockeye Salmon rolling into Bristol Bay. And then, we sit in with Ronni Lundy, author of the award-winning Victuals: An Appalachian Journey, with Recipes to talk about June in the mountains and summer preserves. Broadcast dates for this episode: June 11, 2021 (originally aired)June 10, 2022 (rebroadcast)June 6, 2025 (rebroadcast) Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | PandoraWe're celebrating our 30th Anniversary on the road, and this week, we make our fourth stop in Iowa City in partnership with IPR. We talk to bakers, chefs, restaurateurs, and farmers about the food of the heartland. First up, Shae and Anna Pesek of Over the Moon Farm and T.D. Holub of The Garden Oasis Farm talk about their personal experiences with farm life, from agricultural challenges to sustainability and the community and passion that contribute to the success and drive of a farm. Then, we talk to Jamie Powers, owner and executive chef of Deluxe Bakery, and Carrie and Andy Schumacher, owners of the restaurant Cobble Hill, about opening their restaurants in Iowa and how building community is the most important part of their businesses. Broadcast dates for this episode: May 30, 2025 (originally aired) Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

When it comes to seafood, frozen is the new fresh. We talk to seafood industry expert, Jennifer Bushman about how technology has improved the quality of frozen fish and how to make the most of canned seafood from your local grocery store. Her latest project is Sea Pantry, how to keep your pantry stocked up with ingredients from the sea. Then, Senior Editor of New York Times Cooking, Genevieve Ko brings us her best at-home seafood cooking tips and recipes. Broadcast dates for this episode: April 9, 2021 (originally aired)April 8, 2022 (rebroadcast)May 31, 2024 (rebroadcast)May 23, 2025 (rebroadcast) Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show

This week, we spend the hour with Deborah Madison, one of the trailblazers in popularizing vegetarian cooking in America — even though she’s not a full-time vegetarian herself. We chat with her about how she came to be the founding chef of Greens, likely America's first high-end vegetarian restaurant, at a time when fine dining meant meat at the center of the plate, and her study of Buddhism and the food path it opened up for her. Then she helps us answer your cooking questions. Deborah is the author of the classic Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, The Greens Cookbook, The Savory Way, and her latest, memoir — An Onion in My Pocket: My Life with Vegetables. Broadcast dates for this episode: March 5, 2021 (originally aired)March 11, 2022 (rebroadcast)May 16, 2025 (rebroadcast)

We're on the road celebrating our 30th Anniversary and this week, we bring you an eventful night in Seattle in partnership with KUOW. First up, Valerie Segrest, cofounder of Tahoma Peak Solutions, and Jeremy Thunderbird, owner of Native Soul Cuisine, about the diversity of indigenous food, carrying on traditional recipes, and food sovereignty. Then, Tan Vinh, host of KUOW's Seattle Eats podcast, and Melissa Miranda, chef-owner of Musang and Kilig, talk about the rich Asian community food scene and then, Yasuaki Saito, owner of Saint Bread bakery, a semifinalist for the James Beard award for the best bakery in the country, and Janet Becerra, chef and founder of Pancita, and a semifinalist this year for Best Chef: Northwest, talk about how their local eateries reflect and serve their communities. Broadcast dates for this episode: May 9, 2025 (originally aired) Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show

This week, we’ve got suggestions to start your summer reading list. First, we sit down with bestselling author and poet  Aimee Nezhukumatathil to talk about her upbringing and the nature of her poetry. She writes about her parent’s gardens and their food, and how she carries her childhood experiences with her today.  Her latest book is Bite By Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees. Then, we learn about the life and legacy of the iconic book editor Judith Jones through her biographer Sara B. Franklin. Sara documented Judith’s amazing journey from her first job at a publishing house to transforming the cookbook industry at large. Plus, we hear from Judith herself from an interview we did several years ago with our former host, Lynne Rossetto Kasper. Sara B. Franklin’s book is The Editor: How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America. Broadcast dates for this episode: May 24, 2024 (originally aired)May 2, 2025 (rebroadcast) Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today

This week, we’re bringing you two guests that will get you excited about cooking and baking. First, New York Times food desk reporter Priya Krishna tells us about her food writing career, building connections through her stories and travels and her most recent book, Priya’s Kitchen Adventures: A Cookbook for Kids. In her book, she draws recipes from different cuisines worldwide and tells us what working with kids as recipe testers was like. She leaves us with a recipe for Life Changing Udon. Then, Baker Yossy Arefi talks us through what it takes to make delicious and simple baking recipes. She talks about making desserts without occasion and finding freedom in combining flavors in her recipes, like her delicious Pink Cookie Bars with cardamom and almond cream cheese frosting. Plus, she sticks around to answer your baking questions. Yossy Arefi’s latest book is Snacking Bakes, Simple Recipes for Cookies, Bars, Brownies, Cakes, and More.   Broadcast dates for this episode: May 3, 2024 (originally aired)April 25, 2025 (rebroadcast) Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

This week, we’re shining a light on the absolutely magical, life-changing, the world-changing thing that you already have in your kitchen. The refrigerator. Maybe nothing in your home has changed the world more. Historian Jonathan Rees author of Refrigeration Nation: A History of Ice, Appliances, and Enterprise in America talks about its origins and influence on cultures worldwide. Then, Editor in Chief of Cooks Illustrated, Dan Souza, teaches us how to get the most out of the fridge we already have - from what to keep in your fridge door to why you might reconsider where you are storing your milk, and then Philadelphia Chef Shola Olunloyo of Studio Kitchen tells us how to think of the fridge as a tool to becoming a better cook. Think crispier chicken and root vegetables so delicious you will have no problem moving them to the center of your plate. Broadcast dates for this episode: March 18 2022 (originally aired)March 24, 2023 (rebroadcast)April 18, 2025 (rebroadcast) Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift

This week, it’s the food journeys of two chefs. First, TV Star and author Carla Hall joins us to talk about her latest show, Chasing Flavor. She brings us stories about her filming and travels and the connection between people and their food. She sticks around to answer some of your cooking questions. Carla Hall hosts the MAX series, Chasing Flavor, and is the author of Carla's Soul Food: Every Day and Celebration. Then, we sat down with Atlanta chef Todd Richards to talk about the interesting and varied influences on soul food. He talks about the foods from West Africa, how they traveled across the Caribbean, and how the dishes have evolved. He left us with his recipe for Haitian Oxtail in Beef Broth with Pikliz. Todd's new book is Roots, Heart and Soul: The Story, Celebration and Recipes of Afro Cuisine in America. Broadcast dates for this episode: April 19, 2024 (originally aired)April 4, 2025 (rebroadcast) When you shop using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you!  Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show.

We are looking at food stories from different cultures this week. First, documentarian and journalist Von Diaz joins us to talk about her latest book, Islas: A Celebration of Tropical Cooking.  She writes about island cuisine from all over the world and talks about her academic field research, the connections she feels when she is on an island, and the unique dishes she cooked and tasted for her book research. She found commonality among the islands in their cooking techniques, from grilling to smoking and marinating, and shares a delicious, iconic island recipe for CHamoru Barbecue Chicken with Juanita’s Fina’denne’. Then, best-selling author and  Jewish food authority Joan Nathan joins us to talk about her latest book, a memoir My Life in Recipes, Food, Family and Memories. Joan chronicles her start in food, the people she met along the way, her passion for elevating the home cook and her devotion to the regular ritual of sitting down together for a meal.   Broadcast dates for this episode: April 5, 2024 (originally aired)March 28, 2025 (rebroadcast) Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today

This week, we spend the hour with cooking columnist and internet sensation, Sohla El-Waylly. We talk about her connection to food and how she got her start as a pastry chef, writer, and recipe developer. She talks about her work in restaurants and her passion for teaching people how to cook. And she answers your cooking questions, from the best way to cook rabbit to her favorite ice cream flavor. Her latest book is Start Here, filled with recipes that teach techniques, as shown in her Bisteeya Inspired Phyllo Chicken Pie recipe. Broadcast dates for this episode: March 22, 2024 (originally aired)March 14, 2025 (rebroadcast) Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

This week, we're all about the world of restaurants and flavor. First, we talked with Andrew Friedman about his career, writing about American food culture, chefs, and the restaurant scene. He talks to us about his latest project, spending time behind the swinging doors of a restaurant and how all the kitchen roles—from the butcher to the delivery drivers to the dishwasher make the dish you sit down to enjoy.  His latest book is The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food. Then we sit down with Flavor Scientist Arielle Johnson, who talks about the science behind flavor, from flavor perceptions to aroma and the laws of flavor. Arielle's latest book is Flavorama: A Guide to Unlocking the Art and Science of Flavor, and she leaves us with her recipes for Smoke Oil & Smoke Oil Infused Fish. Broadcast dates for this episode: March 8, 2024 (originally aired)February 28, 2025 (rebroadcast) Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show

This week, we talk to two award-winning authors about their latest work. First, The New York Times cooking columnist Melissa Clark talks to us about her deep dive into the world of salt. From exploring salt harvesting in France to the history and revival of artisanal salts, she walks us through different types of salt and their uses in cooking. She sticks around to answer your cooking questions. Melissa Clark's latest book is Dinner in One, and for a taste of her style, check out her recipe for Roasted Cauliflower & Potatoes with Harissa, Yogurt & Toasted Almonds. Then, award-winning author Crystal Wilkinson talks to us about her new memoir, honoring her maternal ancestors, her kitchen ghosts. She talks about feeling them deeply while cooking and realizing their presence in her life. Crystal's memoir is Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks, and she leaves us with her recipe for Indian Creek Skillet Cornbread.  Broadcast dates for this episode: February 9, 2024 (originally aired)February 14, 2025 (rebroadcast) Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today.

This week it’s a look at the different Lunar New Year celebrations in China, Vietnam, and Korea. First, Sarah and Kaitlin Leung talk about their Chinese New Year traditions and the symbolism behind the dishes they serve at their new year table. Sarah and Kaitlin, along with their parents, Judy and Bill, are the family behind The Woks of Life blog and cookbook, and they shared their family recipe for Poached “White Cut” Chicken. Then, Andrea Nguyen, author of Vietnamese Food Any Day, talks about celebrating Tet, the Vietnamese new year tradition that focuses on simple foods like rice, meat, beans, and vegetables. Her forthcoming book is, Ever Green Vietnamese, and she left us with her Braised Pork Ribs in Caramel Sauce (SUON KHO) recipe. Then Chef Hooni Kim, author of My Korea; Traditional Flavors, Modern Recipes remembers Lunar New Year celebrations spent with his family and leaves us a recipe for a classic accompaniment, Simple Zucchini Jeon, a delicious pan-fried fritter with your choice of meats or vegetables. Broadcast dates for this episode: January 20, 2023 (originally aired)January 19, 2024 (rebroadcast)January 31, 2025 (rebroadcast) When you shop using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you!

This week, we’re all about the Mediterranean dish. First, we sit down with New York Times bestselling author Suzy Karadsheh. Suzy talks about “eating the Mediterranean way,” growing up in a region with a plant-forward cuisine, Levantine cooking, using dried fruits in savory recipes, and making simplified Mediterranean recipes at home like her Flaky Veggie Phyllo “Pizza.” Suzy is the founder of The Mediterranean Dish.com and the author of The Mediterranean Dish: Simply Dinners. Then, we step into the world of olive oil with olive oil sommelier Claudia Hanna. Claudia tells us how olive oil has become central to Mediterranean culture, and how it’s made, and walks us through a tasting of different olive oils and their uses. She hosts the podcast If This Food Could Talk. Broadcast dates for this episode: January 24, 2025 (originally aired) Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

This week, we explore some of the iconic dishes of the Midwest. First, we talked to chef Paul Fehribach about Midwestern cuisine and the history of its unique dishes as they evolved from generations of immigrants. From the evolution of Midwestern-style barbecue to Cincinnati chili, considered by Paul to be one of the oldest examples of fusion cooking. Paul Fehribach is the author of Midwestern Food, A Chef’s Guide to the Surprising History of a Great American Cuisine. Then, we take a field trip to New York City and visit Burger Scholar George Motz at his new restaurant, Hamburger America, to see what makes an epic hamburger. He walks us through some of the most iconic burgers he’s tasted, their histories, and their different cooking techniques. George Motz is a filmmaker and author. His latest book is The Great American Burger Book. Broadcast dates for this episode: January 12, 2024 (originally aired)January 3, 2025 (rebroadcast)

This week, we have just what you need to prepare for this holiday season. First, award-winning author and food scientist Nik Sharma shares his favorite holiday traditions and food pairings that will make your vegetables shine at the table. He is the author of Veg-Table, Recipes, Techniques and Plant Science for Big-Flavored, Vegetable-Focused Meals, and he left us with his recipe for Stuffed Cabbage Rolls. Then, the internet’s most beloved cooking star, Claire Saffitz, brings us her top holiday dessert ideas. She covers everything from citrus desserts, like her Souffleed Lemon Bread Pudding, to her holiday cookies, like the Chewy Molasses Spice Cookie, and what to make for New Year's. Her latest book is What’s for Dessert, Simple Recipes for Dessert People. Then, award-winning author Toni Tipton–Martin, talks about historical cocktail recipes and their modern interpretations. Her latest book is Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs and Juice: Cocktails From Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks. And she left us with her recipe for Pomegranate Demerara Rum Punch. Broadcast dates for this episode: December 22, 2023 (originally aired)December 27, 2024 (rebroadcast) Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today

This week, we’re all about discovering the secret of cooking—and exploring an iconic French Dish. First, Award-winning food historian Bee Wilson talks to us about her latest book, The Secret of Cooking: Recipes for an Easier Life in the Kitchen. She talks about how to find the joy in cooking with real-world advice, from embracing your favorite kitchen tool to considering cooking as a remedy. She left us with her recipe for Magic Pasta with Mushrooms, Garlic Cream, and Wine. Then, food writer Sylvie Bigar takes us through an amazing culinary journey, exploring the history and culture of cassoulet and why she became so obsessed with the iconic French dish. Her book is Cassoulet Confessions: Food, France, Family and the Stew That Saved My Soul, and she left us with her recipe for Gateway Cassoulet. Broadcast dates for this episode: December 8, 2023 (originally aired)December 13, 2024 (rebroadcast) Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

It’s our favorite time of year – Fall Cookbook season! We’re joined by baker Samantha Seneviratne, author of Bake Smart, who tells us about her favorite baking techniques, including a butter trick that creates the creamy texture in her Gooey Cranberry Crumb Cake. Then, chef and content creator Jon Kung talks about his debut cookbook, Kung Food: Chinese American Recipes from a Third-Culture Kitchen. He tells us about his cultural identity as a “third-culture kid,” how he experienced multiple cultures at once while growing up, and how he applies that experience to his fusion cooking. He shares a recipe for reimagined Hong Kong Style Chicken and Waffles. Then, Rose Previte, author of the new book Maydan: Recipes from Lebanon and Beyond, talks about travels and her cultural background that influenced her award-winning restaurant and her interest in dishes cooked over fire like Omani Grilled Shrimp Kebabs. Broadcast dates for this episode: November 3, 2023 (originally aired)November 29, 2024 (rebroadcast) Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

Join us for Turkey Confidential, our must-listen-to annual Thanksgiving Day broadcast! This year’s guests are Andrea Nguyen author of Ever Green Vietnamese, Super Fresh Recipes Starring Plants from Land and Sea, Dallas-based chef Tiffany Derry of  Roots Southern Table and The Great American Recipe on PBS, Washington Post Food Editor and author of Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking, Joe Yonan and pastry chef Paola Velez author of Bodega Bakes, Recipes for Sweets and Treats Inspired by My Corner Store. And, of course, our charming Francis!  Broadcast dates for this episode: November 28, 2024

This week, we are all about getting you ready for your Thanksgiving feast! First, cookbook author Amy Thielen sets us up with tips on keeping the holiday stress-free and enjoyable. She shares her remarkable thinking around “turkey secrets,” talks us through some of her favorite techniques for stuffing and starters, and leaves us with her amazing alternative to mashed potatoes, Fun House Baked Potatoes. Her latest book is Company: The Radically Casual Art of Cooking for Others. Then, Chef Eric Ripert talks us through simple seafood dishes to stand -in or accompany your turkey, like his Salmon Rillettes, a signature dish from Le Bernardin. His latest book is Seafood Simple. Then Chef Pierre Thiam brings West African flavors to the table with reimagined sidedish options like his Coconut Collard Greens with Butternut Squash. His latest book is Simply West African, Easy Joyful Recipes for Every Kitchen.   Broadcast dates for this episode: November 17, 2023 (originally aired)November 15, 2024 (rebroadcast) Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

When it comes to cooking, do you follow a recipe to a T, or do you do a little improv? This week, we learn a lot about cooking by feel with the star of the Peabody and Emmy-award-winning show A Chef’s Life, Vivian Howard. She talks to Francis about how she “deprogrammed’ herself from precision cooking and started thinking outside of a written recipe. Plus, she sticks around to help answer your cooking questions. Vivian’s latest book is This Will Make It Taste Good. Then, we take advice from the scientist-turned-cook Nik Sharma, author of The Flavor Equation, on how to be intuitive with our food.   Broadcast dates for this episode: January 22, 2021 (originally aired)January 28, 2022 (rebroadcast)November 1, 2024 (rebroadcast) When you shop using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you! Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

This week, we dedicate the hour to the fabulous Dorie Greenspan. We talk about her start in food, from burning her kitchen down when she was a pre-teen to her love for project baking early in her career and becoming the iconic writer and cookbook author we know today. She shares stories about meeting Julia Child, working alongside high-level pastry chefs, including France’s Pierre Hermé, and her highly- creative process for writing recipes. Dorie is the author of 14 Cookbooks, including the best-selling Baking with Dorie, Everyday Dorie, Dorie’s Cookies, and Around My French Table. Check out our collection of Dorie interviews and recipes here. Broadcast dates for this episode: October 20, 2023 (originally aired)October 18, 2024 (rebroadcast) Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today

This week, we dive into the new spice trade, its history, and two specific companies' commitment to their farmers and direct trade. First, we talk to Sana Javeri Kadri, founder of Diaspora Co. She talks about her research on what the spice trade should look like today and what inspired her to base her business on the stories of spice farmers worldwide. Check out this recipe for Almond Turmeric Potatoes to put your turmeric to work. Then, we talked to Ethan Frisch, Co-Founder of the direct trade spice company Burlap & Barrel. He walks us through a spice tasting of peppercorns, cinnamon, and cumin for a lesson in evaluating aroma and flavor and a gentle reminder of the qualities we should be thinking about when we buy spices. After hearing the conversation about cinnamon, you'll want to give it a go with this recipe for Cinnamon-Toast Graham Crackers. Broadcast dates for this episode: October 6, 2023 (originally aired)October 4, 2024 (rebroadcast) Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

This week we’re sharing an episode of Food Network Obsessed, the official podcast of Food Network. On each episode, host Jaymee Sire welcomes your favorite chefs, food influencers and Food Network personalities to talk about how they started their food careers, who inspires them and what it’s like to cook on Food Network. On this episode, Jaymee is joined by Food Network Star winner and Outrageous Pumpkins personality, Damaris Phillips. She talks about her Kentucky upbringing in a family of home-chefs, the labor-of-love attitude at the heart of Southern hospitality, and introduces us to the iconic food and fanfare of the Kentucky Derby: the masks, the bourbon, everything! Plus, get inside details about how she developed her close friendship with her Food Network Star mentor, Bobby Flay and hear about the new challenges that will spice up this season of Outrageous Pumpkins. 

We sit down with Dorie Greenspan to talk about her newest book, Baking with Dorie. She tells us about her "sweetheart" recipe collection, how she stays inspired after publishing 14 books, and how she dared makeover her famous World Peace Cookies. She left us with a delicious Caramel Apple Crisp recipe, perfect for the season and sticks around to answer your cooking questions. Later, our dear friend Abra Berens joins us to talk about her new book Grist: A Practical Guide to Cooking Grains, Beans, Seeds and Legumes. Soak or not to soak? Water or stock? And the last word on how to cook rice! Broadcast dates for this episode: October 22, 2021 (originally aired)October 28, 2022 (rebroadcast)September 20, 2024 (rebroadcast) Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show

This week, we dive into the world of apples and agave. First, we talk with apple historian Diane Flynt, author of Wild, Tamed, Lost, Revived: The Surprising Story of Apples in the South, about what makes apples so magical and the connection apples have to people. She also teaches us the history of apples in the South and tips on what makes a good cider. Then, we turn to the world of Agave spirits with authors Gary Paul Nabhan and David Suro Piñera, where we get an understanding of agave as not just an entity but a “whole rainbow of flavors and fragrance” as well as the fascinating craftsmanship behind mezcal and tequilas. Their latest book is Agave Spirits: The Past, Present, and Future of Mezcals. September 8, 2023 (originally aired)September 6, 2024 (rebroadcast) Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today

This week, we take a deep dive into pizza with the co-author of the voluminous Modernist Pizza, Nathan Myhrvold. We get into the history, culture, and techniques behind great pizza. We hear stories from his worldwide travels and deep dives into pizza cultures and traditions. Plus, we hear about the culinary lab research devoted to making the best pizza ever, and he sticks around to answer your pizza-making questions. He is the founder of the Modernist Cuisine Lab. Then, we tune into our Family Kitchen series and hear from Journalist Liana Aghajanian about her childhood visits to Chuck E. Cheese and how she felt it was a magical food portal to America. Broadcast dates for this episode: September 24, 2021 (originally aired)September 30, 2022 (rebroadcast)August 23, 2024 (rebroadcast) Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today

This week, we have stories centered around food, love, and legacy. First, we talk with author Michaele Weissman about meeting her husband's family for the first time, tasting his mother's bread, and later learning its significance and how it represented her husband's life. Her latest book is The Rye Bread Marriage: How I Found Happiness with a Partner I'll Never Understand. Then, we sit with Barkha Cardoz to remember her husband, the late Chef Floyd Cardoz. We talk about their meeting in culinary school in India to admiring how he would add flavor to everything he cooked. In his honor, she is releasing the masala spice blends they created together to continue his legacy. Then, we feature a segment from our sister podcast, The One Recipe, where Chef Pierre Thiam, author of the latest book, Simply West African, talks to host Jesse Sparks about the first time he introduced the love of his life to his aunt and the one recipe that ultimately passed the test, Sauce Feuille.  Broadcast dates for this episode: August 18, 2023 (originally aired)August 9, 2024 (rebroadcast) When you shop using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you! Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

This week, we take a close look into what makes a national cuisine. Anya von Bremzen talks about her most recent book, National Dish: Around the World in Search of Food, History, and the Meaning of Home. We get into the history, culture, and theories behind the popularization of dishes, from researching the “correct” way to make pot-au-feu in France to looking at the “pizza effect” and the role of borsch in her family’s history. She shares her mom’s recipe for Super-Quick Vegetarian Borsch. Then we get into what may be the Argentinian National drink – mate with Mate & Co.’s sommelier, Tomás Martín Sanchez. He explains the production process, its unique flavor, and the community it brings together with its communal drinking ritual. Broadcast dates for this episode: August 4, 2023 (originally aired)August 2, 2024 (rebroadcast) Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show

This week we have everything you need for summer. First up, it’s Stacey Mei Yan Fong with her new book, 50 Pies, 50 States. Stacey decided to commemorate all 50 states in the most American way she could imagine-through their pies! Everything from fruity to savory to salty pies, and she left us with her take on the Minnesota state pie, a Corn Dog-Hotdish Pie with Savory Funnel-Cake Topping. Then we talk to comedian and writer Jamie Loftus about her cross-country hot dog adventure. She takes a deep dive into its culture and history and ranks her top three hotdogs nationwide. Her latest book is Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hotdogs. Then, we head to an asada, a Mexican-American cookout, with Bricia Lopez. She talks about the must-haves for your bbq party this summer, from salsa spreads to beer cocktails and her favorite cuts of meat to grill. She leaves us her recipe for Citrus and Oregano Pollo Asado. Her latest book is Asada: The Art of Mexican- Style Grilling. Broadcast dates for this episode: July 21, 2023 (originally aired)July 26, 2024 (rebroadcast) Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

This week, we're talking about the unique cuisine of Greece. Diane Kochilas, author and star of the public television show, My Greek Table joins us from Athens to talk about Greek regional cooking and explore the history and cuisine of the Greek American community. She also lets us in on her favorite dishes to prepare from her garden. Then, we sit with Tara Q. Thomas, who tells us all we need to know about Greek wine, from her favorite producers to the evolution of the pine resin in retsina wines. Then, we head to Queens to listen in on a Greek American family as they prepare their favorite stuffed cabbage, sarmades. Broadcast dates for this episode: July 9, 2021 (originally aired)July 8, 2022 (rebroadcast)July 12, 2024 (rebroadcast)

This week, we're exploring the history of women and beermaking. First, Theresa McCulla, curator of The Smithsonian's American Brewing History Initiative, explains why beer is a great lens to examine American history and shares the story of Patsy Young, an early American brewer and fugitive from slavery. Then, Atinuke Akintola Diver talks about her feature-length documentary This Belongs to Us, which follows Black women brewers in the American south and finally, beer Journalist Stephanie Grant of Good Beer Hunting shares her favorite beer and food pairings. You can find her newsletter, The Share, here and on Substack.  Broadcast dates for this episode: September 9, 2022 (originally aired)September 15, 2023 (rebroadcast)June 28, 2024 (rebroadcast) Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

This week, we talk to two award-winning food writers about how to make the most of your vegetables and leftovers this summer. First up, award-winning vegetarian writer Hetty Lui McKinnon joins us to talk about her latest book Tenderheart, A Cookbook About Vegetables and Unbreakable Family Bonds. She talks to us about her father’s influence on her early life and how it inspired her vegetarian cooking career. She walks us through some of her favorite Chinese-inspired dishes made with a vegetarian twist, like her Sesame Mushroom Toast and Eggplant Char Siu and she sticks around to answer your cooking questions. Then, Tamar Adler, author of The Everlasting Meal Cookbook, brings fresh eyes to leftovers, from super quick ideas to elevate your cooking, like adding coconut water to your rice, and even ideas on what to do with your overcooked fish and those Cheeto crumbs at the bottom of the bag. Broadcast dates for this episode: June 9, 2023 (originally aired)June 14, 2024 (rebroadcast) Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show

This week, we spend an hour with one of Francis’ heroes, Chef Martin Yan. He talks about growing up in China, the time he spent working in the legendary wet markets, and how helping his mom in the kitchen gave him a lifelong lesson in seasonal cooking. From his journey to Hong Kong where he famously learned how to bone-out a chicken in 18 seconds, to his move to attend college in the US, to becoming a trailblazing culinary food show host of Yan Can Cook, his is a story full of determination, achievement, and his trademark humor. He is the author of over twenty cookbooks and is currently the host of Martin Yan, Quick and Easy Broadcast dates for this episode: August 27, 2021 (originally aired)September 2, 2022 (rebroadcast)June 7, 2024 (rebroadcast) Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

This week, we’re spending an hour with Culinary Historian Dr. Jessica B. Harris. We talk about her start in food writing, how she started making connections between what she ate in Africa and what she ate in America, learn about one of her greatest influences, her mother who she calls her “culinary secret weapon”, and hear the many different ways she studied food, from reading Columbus’ journal to her experiences as a travel editor. She is the author of twelve books including, Iron Pots and Wooden Spoon: Africa’s Gifts to New World Cooking, her memoir, My Soul Looks Back, and High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America. Broadcast dates for this episode: January 7, 2022 (originally aired)January 27, 2023 (rebroadcast)May 17, 2024 (rebroadcast)

This week, we're joined by two comedians to talk about their connection to food. First, Ivy Le, host of the podcast Fear of Going Outside. We quote, "Most nature shows are hosted by reckless white men, but avid indoors woman Ivy Le is an Asian mom with severe allergies. Last season, Ivy conquered camping. She's back, braving the outdoors to go hunting- or die trying!" Then, comedian Dan Ahdoot, the author of the new book Undercooked: How I Let Food Become My Life Navigator and How Maybe That's a Dumb Way to Live, talks to us about his connection to food and his family, his theories on relationships, and the journeys he's taken for a great meal. Broadcast dates for this episode: May 26, 2023 (originally aired)May 10, 2024 (rebroadcast) Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today.

In each episode of Be My Guest, Ina does what she does best - welcomes a different friend at her home to talk about life, love, and career, all while cooking an amazing meal or two. Before she was a culinary icon, Ina was an iconic host - making her guests feel comfortable just as easily as she makes a four-course meal. Who wouldn’t want to spend an evening with her? In this episode, actress Jennifer Garner joins her very own “queen” and “kitchen fairy,” Ina. As they revamp Jennifer’s grandmother’s cornbread recipe and make pizzas, they talk about Jennifer’s childhood in West Virginia, what it was like to move to Manhattan, and what she ate on repeat while filming 13 Going on 30. If you like the episode, be sure to follow Be My Guest with Ina Garten wherever you get your podcasts. And so, without further ado, here’s an episode of Be My Guest with Ina Garten. 

This week, we are celebrating the spring cookbooks of 2023! First, we talk with Chef Lara Lee about her approach to flavorful meals using iconic Asian ingredients from her pantry, including recipes for her stellar Tom Yum Bloody Mary and Sambal Patatas Bravas - crispy potatoes topped with a sambal spiced tomato mixture and a bit of mayo! Addictive! Her latest book is A Splash of Soy. Then, we get deep into flavor combinations with Niki Segnit, author of The Flavor Thesaurus. She talks us through surprising flavor combinations that will inspire and expand your home cooking adventures. Then, we talk African home cooking with Lerato Umah-Shaylor, author of Africana, and her delicious recipes filled with traditional and modern flavors of African cuisine. From yassa butter to bejeweled aromatic fried rice and her delicious Akàrà; deep fried bean fritters with ginger & spring onions. Broadcast dates for this episode: May 12, 2023 (originally aired)April 26, 2024 (rebroadcast) Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

This week, we promise you will get your recommended dose of fruits and vegetables! Award-winning author Abra Berens takes us on a sweet and savory journey with fruit. From best cooking methods to subtle and exotic pickling methods- think Brined Cherries + Salty Snacks, to advice on picking the best fruit to throw on the grill. She’s the author of three books, Grist, A Practical Guide to Cooking Grains, Beans, Seeds, and Legumes, Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables, and her latest, Pulp: A Practical Guide to Cooking with Fruit. Then, we turn to vegetables with food editor and author Sheela Prakash. Her new book is Salad Seasons: Vegetable-Forward Dishes All Year. The book is chockfull of imaginative uses for fresh veggies, including an amazing recipe for Spring Carrots with Burnt Butter and Labneh. Broadcast dates for this episode: April 21, 2023 (originally aired)April 12, 2024 (rebroadcast) Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift

We’re all about baking today, from New York to Mexico to London by way of India. First, Pastry Chef Natasha Pickowicz talks to us about her favorite recipes and her baking process. Then, she shares her baking techniques, from bringing egg whites back to life to saving overbaked cakes by soaking them in delicious liquid. She is the author of More Than Cake: 100 Baking Recipes for Pleasure and Community, and she left us with her Fennel, Chocolate, and Hazelnut Spears. Then, Chicano Eats Food Blogger Esteban Castillo gives us a rundown of his favorite Mexican pastries and all the goodness Mexican panaderias have to offer, from cakes to jellos and even savory treats. He is the author of Chicano Bakes: Recipes for Mexican Pan Dulce, Tamales, and My Favorite Desserts. He left us with his recipe for Pan de Elote. And you can find more recipes on his site, Chicano Eats. Then, one of the most beloved contestants on the Great British Baking Show, Chetna Makan, talks about her love of baking and the ways she incorporates Indian spices and flavors into her sweets. Her latest book is Chetna’s Easy Baking with a Twist of Spice, and she left us with her recipe for Chocolate and Coconut Spiced 
Self-Saucing Pudding. Broadcast dates for this episode: April 7, 2023 (originally aired)March 29, 2024 (rebroadcast) Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today

This week, Honolulu chef Robynne Maii teams up with Francis to answer your cooking questions! First, we catch up on her connection to cooking and dancing, what she grew up eating thanks to her mom's love of faithfully following a recipe, and what she loves to eat as a Honolulu local. Then she dives right in with our listener questions, from what to do with leftover roast duck to how to make chili crisp. She leaves us with a recipe for Simple Smoked Fish Dip. After answering that listener's question about chili crisps, we thought it would be perfect to talk to the master of food science, award-winning writer Nik Sharma, about his favorite crispy things. He left us with a great oven technique for crispy shallots and a Chicken Kanji recipe. Broadcast dates for this episode: March 17, 2023 (originally aired)March 15, 2024 (rebroadcast) Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

This week, we dive into the world of tea, its history, and traditions. First up, we visit the T Shop in New York City with East Asian tea expert Theresa Wong. Theresa leads Francis through a tea tasting, from black, thru oolong all the way to green. We learn a few brewing tips along the way as well. Then, food and culture writer Leena Trevedi-Grenier talks to us about the surprising story of Masala Chai's history and gives us an in-depth guide to spicing and techniques for making the perfect cup. You can find her recipe for Fresh Ginger Masala Tea here. Broadcast dates for this episode: March 3, 2023 (originally aired)March 1, 2024 (rebroadcast) Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today

This week, we’re bringing you a show we recorded with LAist in Orange County, CA, one of the richest food scenes in the US. We talk to award-winning journalist Gustavo Arellano about the evolution of OC’s culinary scene, the immigrant influences, and how its diverse foodways continue to be embraced by the different generations. Gustavo is the Los Angeles Times columnist and author of Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America and his latest, A People’s Guide to Orange County; then, Chefs Brenda and Daniel Castillo of Heritage Barbecue join the stage to talk about making Texas barbecue in CA and making it their own and then, Kenneth Nguyen, host of The Vietnamese Podcast and Patricia Huang, former general manager of the famous Asian 626 Night Market, talk about Orange County's Asian street food culture.  Broadcast dates for this episode: February 23, 2024 (originally aired) Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

This week, we talk about home cooking with Minneapolis chef Gavin Kaysen. He tells us how he finds a balance between cooking at home and cooking at a restaurant and writing his latest cookbook, aptly titled, At Home. He shares tips for making the cooking process less stressful and how to think about it as an enjoyment versus a task. He leaves us with one of his family's favorite recipes: Spatchcock Chicken with North African Spices, Sweet Potato Hash, and Broccolini. Plus, he sticks around to answer your cooking questions.  Broadcast dates for this episode: February 17, 2023 (originally aired)February 2016, (rebroadcast)

Have you ever wondered why things in the world have the smells that they do? Food science writer Harold McGee, long a fan of flavor, explored the world of smell to find out. He joins Francis to talk about his discoveries, explaining how he “listens” to smells, and what it can teach us about our lives. He’s one of the legends of food science writing and is the author of On Food and Cooking, the beloved, best-selling, game-changing culinary guide. His latest book is Nose Dive: A Field Guide to The Smells of the World.  Broadcast dates for this episode: December 4, 2020 (originally aired)December 10, 2021 (rebroadcast)January 5, 2024 (rebroadcast)

This week, we’re all about trying some new things in the kitchen. We’ve got unexpected ideas from our listeners and from pros like Milk Bar’s Christina Tosi. Food & Wine’s restaurant editor Khushbu Shah weighs in on the best way to cook rice and their wine editor Ray Isle turns to canned wine. Chef Pierre Thiam introduces us the African super grain fonio, and Ariel Dumas, adventurist cook and a head writer for The Late Show with Steven Colbert, accepts a ratatouille challenge from Francis. Broadcast dates for this episode: August 28, 2020 (originally aired)September 3, 2021 (rebroadcast)December 29, 2023 (rebroadcast) Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show

We’re dropping a bonus episode in our feed this week from our Sister Podcast, The One Recipe. Join host Jesse Sparks for a holiday edition of The Splendid Table’s sister podcast, The One Recipe. In this hour-long episode, Jesse talks to culinary superstars about their family traditions and their “One,” the recipe that signals the holidays have officially begun! Our guests bring us their family food traditions from all over the globe. Chetna Makan, Britain’s queen of Indian home cooking, gives us a recipe for a seriously delicious nibble for cocktails, Chetna’s Cheesy Potato Balls, beloved Texan chef of Roots Chicken Shack in Dallas, Tiffany Derry, has amazing stories from her family’s truly enormous holiday feast and talks us through a recipe for her Mother’s Gumbo and Matt Adlard, influencer, author of the best-selling Bake it Better and the son of a Michelin starred chef, talks about his family’s sometimes competitive holiday cooking and leaves us with a perfect recipe for his Chocolate Yule Log. If you like our show, don’t forget to hit like and subscribe and leave us a review! Help support The One Recipe with a donation of any amount today.

This week, we’ve got two legendary British cooks in the house. First, Prue Leith joins us to talk about her fascinating background in food as a restaurateur and cook, growing up in South Africa, and judging The Great British Bake-Off show. Her new book is, Bliss on Toast, and she leaves us with her recipe for Tomatoes with English Pesto on Toasted Focaccia. Then, the iconic Nigella Lawson joins Francis in the studio to talk about her love of simple ingredients, dinners, and the importance of having a reliable recipe. Plus, she leaves us with her Smoky Squid and Beans recipe from her latest, Cook, Eat, Repeat.  Broadcast dates for this episode: December 2, 2022 (originally aired)December 1, 2023 (rebroadcast) Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show

This week we’re sharing an episode of Dishing on Julia, the official companion podcast to the Max original series, Julia. Hosted by Kerry Diamond of Cherry Bombe, each episode of Dishing on Julia takes you behind the scenes with the show's producers, creators, and crew to unpack each episode and explore the making of the series. For the inaugural episode of Season 2 of Dishing On Julia, host Kerry Diamond talks to Julia creator and executive producer Daniel Goldfarb about historicizing Julia and taking the French Chef to France. In the show's second half, it’s world-renowned Chef Eric Ripert of New York’s Le Bernardin. Eric shares his own origin story and reflects on his memorable interactions with Julia over the years. Listen to Dishing on Julia, the Official Julia Companion Podcast on Max, or wherever you get your podcasts. And stream new episodes of Julia Thursdays on Max.

This week’s show was recorded live at the Hot Docs Podcast Festival in Toronto. Francis and his team of intrepid eaters tackle a tantalizing question: what makes Canada so delicious? Guests include Matty “The Flavor Lord” Matheson (Just a Dash); Greater Toronto Area food, drink and travel writer Suresh Doss; and New York Times food columnist and host of our Weeknight Kitchen podcast Melissa Clark, who impresses everyone with her quick thinking in a game of Stump the Cook. Broadcast dates for this episode: January 24, 2020 (originally aired)January 29, 2021 (rebroadcast)November 24, 2023 (rebroadcast)

Francis Lam hosts the 2023 pre-recorded edition of our popular Thanksgiving show. Francis is joined by special guests chef Kristen Kish, Top Chef’s newest judge, Dan Pelosi aka “Grossy Pelosi” the exuberant author of Let’s Eat, 101 Recipes to Fill Your Heart and Home, Michigan chef and award-winning writer Abra Berens author of Pulp, A Practical Guide to Cooking with Fruit, and Jocelyn Delk Adams of Grandbaby Cakes Broadcast dates for this episode: November 23, 2023

This week, we have the dynamic duo, Sohla and Ham El-Waylly, hosts of the New York Times Cooking show Mystery Menu joining us to talk about working together, overcoming differences in their cooking styles, and the key to their success as a team. They stick around to answer your cooking questions. Then, restaurateur Will Guidara joins us with advice on how to be a great host. From the importance of “unreasonable” hospitality in the restaurant industry to being intentional in the home and turning thoughtfulness into practice. His new book is Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect Broadcast dates for this episode: November 4, 2022 (originally aired)November 10. 2023 (rebroadcast) Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

This week, we talk about the delicious and varied world of Asian vegan cooking. First, we talk to Hannah Che, author of The Vegan Chinese Kitchen, about becoming vegan and navigating her family’s eating traditions. She talks about exploring the history of plant-based eating in China and her process for creating vegan recipes inspired by everyday dishes using Chinese seasonings. She leaves us with her recipes for Braised Winter Squash with Fermented Black Beans and Fragrant Dressed Tofu with Garlic and Basil. Then, Chef Danny Bowien, author of Mission Vegan, tells us the charming story of why he started cooking vegan in his former restaurant Mission Chinese and walks us through his version of Mapo Tofu, and leaves us a recipe for Cold Buckwheat Noodles with Dragon Fruit Ice that captures the book’s spirit of rediscovering his Korean heritage. Broadcast dates for this episode: October 21, 2022 (originally aired)Ocotber 27, 2023 (rebroadcast) Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show

This week, we have the iconic musician Linda Ronstadt and her collaborator Lawrence Downes talking about her love of the culture and food of the Sonoran Desert. We hear about the different Sonoran foods and stories from their travels, and she leaves us with her grandmother’s albondigas recipe. Their book is Feels Like Home A Song for the Sonoran Borderlands. Then we talk to MacArthur Fellow, Professor Natalia Molina about the restaurant her grandmother ran in the 1950s in Los Angeles, El Nayarit, and how a restaurant can be the heart of a community. Her book is A Place at the Nayarit, How a Mexican Restaurant Nourished a Community.  Broadcast dates for this episode: October 7, 2022 (originally aired)October 13, 2023 (rebroadcast) Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

This week, we visit the legendary Jacques Pépin at home to talk about one of his favorite subjects, chicken! First, we dive into some of the French chicken classics and talk about his latest book, Art of the Chicken. Then we move over to his kitchen, where he invites us to taste his mother's egg specialty dish, Eggs Jeannette, a pan-crisped deviled egg. Then, we turn to French homebaking with Aleksandra Crapanzano, author of Gateau: The Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes. She talks about how to elevate À la Français a basic cake recipe by using the spirits and pantry items in your cabinet, and leaves us with her delicious recipe for Almond Yogurt Cake, a cake the French teach in preschool!  Broadcast dates for this episode: September 23, 2022 (originally aired)September 29, 2023 (rebroadcast) Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

This week, we dedicate the hour to rest and rice. First, we talk to Adeena Sussman about her Shabbat rituals, from cooking with a sense of spirituality, taking the time to unplug, and connecting with family and friends. She talks about iconic dishes she enjoys making and sharing during Shabbat, like her Jachnun Rolled Yemenite Sabbath Bread, and she sticks around to answer your cooking questions. Her latest book is Shabbat: Recipes and Rituals from My Table to Yours. Then, we enter the world of rice with Chef JJ Johnson, author of The Simple Art of Rice: Recipes from Around the World for the Heart of Your Table. He talks to us about the rice he grew up eating, his research in West African culture, and cooking rice professionally and making it the center of the table, and he sticks around to answer your rice cooking questions. He left us his recipe for Crispy Rice Salad with Quick Pickled Onion. September 22, 2023 (originally aired) Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show

This week, we hear from three papa bears who take on the challenge of making mealtime just right. J. Kenji López-Alt of The Food Lab answers your questions about getting kids excited about food and clues us in on techniques and the research behind them. His new book is  Every Night is Pizza Night. Then Momofuku chef and Ugly Delicious star, David Chang and writer Chris Ying join Francis to share their own experiences of fatherhood and how they’ve taken on the toddler mealtime battle. David Chang’s new book is  Eat a Peach, A Memoir. Chris Ying’s latest with Ivan Orkin is Gaijin Cookbook: Japanese Recipes From a Chef, Father, Eater and Lifelong Outsider. Broadcast dates for this episode: October 2, 2020 (originally aired)October 1, 2021 (rebroadcast)September 1, 2023 (rebroadcast)

Thanks to the farmers and gardeners who are keeping us well-fed this summer. This week, we talk to farmer/activist Leah Penniman of Soul Fire Farm, and chef/farmer Abra Berens.

This week, we’re talking to award-winning Chef Vishwesh Bhatt author of I Am From Here: Stories and Recipes from a Southern Chef. He talks about how he creates dishes with both the flavors of India and those of the American South. He leaves us with his unusual and delicious recipe for Whole Grilled Okra. Then, we sit down with professional chefs’ go-to person when they want to get serious about tortillas, Jorge Gaviria. We dive deep into the modern history of masa (corn dough), the famous food ingredient used to produce sopes, tamales, tortillas, and other dishes. Jorge is the Founder of Masienda and the author of Masa: Techniques, Recipes, and Reflections on a Timeless Staple. He left us with his recipe for Tlacoyo, an oval-shaped masa pocket filled with puréed beans and topped with crema and salsa. Broadcast dates for this episode: August 26, 2022 (originally aired)August 11, 2023 (rebroadcast) Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today

Subscribe Free: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Amazon Music | RSS | iHeartRadio | TuneIn We’re dropping a bonus episode in our feed this week from our Sister Podcast, The One Recipe. Join Host, Jesse Sparks, for an episode all about fun, food, and family summer celebrations. First, we raise a glass to summer with the bar consultant and author Natasha David and talk about some of her favorite summer traditions and low-alcohol cocktails to keep in your back pocket, like her No Bad Days punch and Adult Supervision. Her latest book is called Drink Lightly. Esteban Castillo, the author of Chicano Eats, talks about the asadas he throws down with his family and the must-have dishes at the cookout, like his Michelada ribs. Then we head to Houston to talk with the city’s newest food columnist Bao Ong about ideas for summer party take-out and we spend some time on the patio with Houston chef and restaurant owner Chris Williams and talk about the food and family tradition that inspires his restaurant, the Houston classic Lucille’s. If you like our show, don’t forget to hit like and subscribe and leave us a review! Help support The One Recipe with a donation of any amount today.

This week we’re joined by some unusual thinkers on the art of the cookout. First, we get a lesson on barbecue etiquette (who knew) with our favorite duo, Nick Leighton and Leah Bonnema, Hosts of the podcast Were You Raised by Wolves? We get all kinds of tips, from the right way to ask for a family recipe to taking a house tour only if offered by your host. Then, Chefs Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich share their techniques and ideas for cooking over live fire. Their latest book is Chasing Smoke, Cooking Over Fire Around the Levant, and they left us with their recipe for Grilled Peaches with Almond Tahini and Charred Endive. Then, it’s pitmaster Pat Martin talking about the whole hog barbecue culture in West Tennessee and how that whole hog style and tradition of BBQ may be on the path to extinction. His latest book is Life of Fire: Mastering the Arts of Pit Cooked Barbecue, the Grill, and the Smokehouse. You can find his recipe for Grilled Green Beans with Memphis Dry Rub. Broadcast dates for this episode: July 29, 2022 (originally aired)July 28, 2023 (rebroadcast) Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

We took the show on the road and recorded a live event with KUOW about Seattle’s legendary culinary scene. We met up with some of the people who make the city a vibrant place to eat and cook. We spoke to KUOW’s reporter Ruby DeLuna and bestselling cookbook author Kenji Lopez Alt about where to eat. Kara Martin, Program Director of the Food Innovation Network talks to us about Spice Bridge, a food hall dedicated to refugee and immigrant chefs. Also joining us was one of those chefs, Theary Ngeth, the chef of Theary Cambodian Foods, and Angela Dunleavy and Carlin Llorente of FareStart, an organization that helps people break the cycle of poverty with job and life skills training. Broadcast dates for this episode: July 15, 2022 (originally aired)July 14, 2023 (repeat) Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today

We took the show on the road for Food & Wine's Classic in Aspen, CO at the Wheeler Opera House. First, we welcomed Restaurant Editor Khushbu Shah to talk about restaurant industry trends starting with chefs reclaiming their craft by building systems that allow them to run a restaurant on their schedules and practice "unapologetic cooking." Then Associate Food Editorial Director Chandra Ram joins the conversation to talk about what she's seen in home cooking trends, from translating restaurant-level experiences into a recipe and the lasting change Covid has made in home cooking. Then we talk Southern food with Chef Tiffany Derry of Southern Table and Roots Chicken Shack in Texas. She looks at her relationship to Southern cuisine and how important it is to represent her roots authentically and showcased with a spin. And then, the East Coast editor of The Somm Journal and founder of winewithwanda.com, Wanda Mann, talks to us about the trends in the wine world (hello rosé!) and how people's drink tastes have changed over the last few years. Broadcast dates for this episode: July 7, 2023 (originally aired) Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show

We’re celebrating 4th of July with stellar cookbook author, Andy Baraghani to talk about fresh and light recipes that will have you spending time with guests and not stuck at the grill. He leaves us with his Juicy Tomato w/ Italian Chile Crisp & Glossy Barbecued Eggplant w/Peanut Salad recipes and sticks around to answer your cooking questions. Then, we sit with Samantha Seneviratne, author of The Joys of Baking to talk us through delicious desserts to serve up this summer. From taking advantage of those seasonal fruits to fun and effortless ideas for your store bought poundcake—the desserts will be the talk of the summer. She left us with her for Nectarine Galette with Sour Cherry Jam and be sure to check out her Fresh Strawberry Pie. Broadcast dates for this episode: July 1, 2022 (originally aired)June 30, 2023 (rebroadcast) Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

We’re celebrating Father’s Day with Kitty and Al Tait, the dad-and-daughter duo behind Britain’s Orange Bakery and the authors of Breadsong. They talk to Francis about how learning to bake together changed their lives and what inspires them to create their own recipes. They left us with their delicious Fika Buns recipe. Then, we hear the story behind how Kevin Pang, host of the podcast Proof, discovered that his father Jeffrey Pang, had become a viral internet cooking star and how their conversations around food brought them closer. Be sure to check out, How to Make Fried Rice at home and Jeffrey Pang’s Portuguese Coconut Chicken Recipe. Broadcast dates for this episode: June 17, 2022 (originally aired)June 16, 2023 (rebroadcast) Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today

This week, it’s party season with food writer Nicole A. Taylor, bartender Natasha David, and Laundry Evangelist, Patric Richardson Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

This week, we spend the hour with the pioneering food radio personality, Evan Kleiman. We talk about her life and all the places food has taken her. She tells us about her travels across Europe fresh out of high school, learning to cook alongside her Italian host family, and falling in love with the cuisine. She went on to open one of the most respected Italian restaurants in the country, Angeli Caffe, in Los Angeles and eventually became the host of the award-winning radio food show Good Food. Broadcast dates for this episode: May 6, 2022 (originally aired)May 5, 2023 (rebroadcast) Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today

This week, we talk about different umami-packed sauces that belong in every cook's kitchen. First, we sit with René Redzepi of Copenhagen's Noma to talk about the delicious ancient sauce, garum. Originally it's a fermented fish sauce, but his fermentation lab team has developed modern versions, including vegan ones. We chat with Diep Tran, coauthor of the Red Boat Fish Sauce cookbook, to talk about ways to use the Southeast Asian fish sauce we know today. She left us with a delicious recipe for Seared Pork Chops with Broken Rice. Then, we sit with restaurant editor at Food & Wine magazine, Khushbu Shah, to talk about the greatness that is Maggi. Whether you know Maggi as a sauce, instant noodles, or bouillon cubes, it's beloved across the entire world.  Broadcast dates for this episode: April 22, 2022 (originally aired)April 28, 2023 (rebroadcast) Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today.

This week, we’re celebrating the cookbooks of Spring 2022! We talk with British chef Asma Khan about her latest book, Ammu. The book is an homage to her mother and she walks us through her childhood eating, imagine the aroma of pakoras (onion fritters) frying during monsoon season in India! Then, we chat with Rick Martinez about his latest book, Mi Cocina and his decision to move to Mexico City to connect with his culture. He leaves us with a delicious recipe for Ceviche de Camarón y Leche de Coco (Raw shrimp and watermelon tossed with coconut milk and lime juice). We talk to Reem Assil, author of the book Arabiyya, Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora about Arab bread and why she considers it the foundation of Arab cuisine. Then, Jess Damuck gives us tips to ensure the perfect salad every time, her latest book is Salad Freak. Broadcast dates for this episode: April 1, 2022 (originally aired)April 14, 2023 (rebroadcast) Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show.

This week, the legendary food writer Claudia Roden joins us from her home in London to talk about her career and her journey as a food writer. We learn about the first time she started exchanging written recipes, how she traveled and worked her way into kitchens all across the Mediterranean and how she created a singular style of food writing. She is the author of many groundbreaking books, including A Book of Middle Eastern Food, and her newest, coming out this fall in 2021, Claudia Roden’s Mediterranean: Treasured Recipes from a Lifetime of Travel. We also talk to one her biggest fans, chef Yotam Ottolenghi about his admiration for Claudia’s unique approach to food writing and historical knowledge of food and background. Plus, he shares one of his favorite recipes from his book, Plenty More inspired by one of her dishes. Photo Credit: Jamie Lau Waitrose & Partners Food Broadcast dates for this episode: July 23, 2021 (originally aired)July 22, 2022 (rebroadcast)March 31, 2023 (rebroadcast) Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today

This week we’re sharing an episode from the upcoming third season of Be My Guest with Ina Garten, Ina’s official podcast from Food Network. Join the party as Ina invites friends old and new to her East Hampton home for good food and great conversation. In each episode, Ina and a guest will chat about life, love, and career all while making a delicious meal. Guests this season include superstar ballerina Misty Copeland, actor-director-TV presenter-author Stanley Tucci, singer and award-winning stage and screen actress Laura Linney, and singer-songwriter Norah Jones. Check out Be My Guest with Ina Garten wherever you get your podcasts.

Chef Maneet Chauhan and cookbook author Dawn Perry talk hands-on cooking and we introduce our new podcast, The One Recipe & its host, Jesse Sparks ' Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today

This week, we talk to BBC Food journalist Dan Saladino about how saving endangered foods might save the world and indigenous foods activist Karlos Baca

This week, we get into cooking with winter vegetables with Hetty McKinnon, author of To Asia, With Love and Chef Amanda Cohen of Dirt Candy 

This week, we get into the beauty of mushrooms with wild foods expert Eugenia Bone and Anna L. Tsing, author of The Mushroom at the End of the World

This week, it's an hour-long special featuring the iconic writer and teacher Raghavan Iyer, author of the forthcoming book, On The Curry Trail

Jenn Louis stops by to talk about the essentials for a great soup and takes on your questions. Plus, the Splendid team holds a taste-off of store-bought chicken stock.

We’re gearing up for the holidays with Von Diaz's Puerto Rican Christmas, great baking with Vallery Lomas, and a little slowdown poetry with Ada Limón

A holiday guide with The New Yorker’s Helen Rosner, Serious Eats' Daniel Gritzer, & Leah Bonnema & Nick Leighton of the Were You Raised by Wolves show

We’re getting you all set up for Thanksgiving this week with our friends, Rodney Scott, Nik Sharma, Genevieve Ko, and Eric Wareheim

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora Francis Lam hosts the 2022 pre-recorded edition of our popular Thanksgiving show. Francis is joined by special guests Claire Saffitz, author of Dessert Person, Rick Martinez author of Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture from My Kitchen in Mexico, Chef, and Chopped judge Maneet Chauhan, and our very own Jesse Sparks, host of The One Recipe podcast to answer Thanksgiving questions. Broadcast dates for this episode: November 24, 2022

This week, we’re getting ready for Thanksgiving with Star of A Chef’s Life, Vivian Howard, and the expert on gatherings, Priya Parker.

This week, we’ve surprisingly simple desserts with amazing bakers & chefs, Anne Byrn, Dave Beran, Aran Goyoaga, & Paola Velez

We talk with the authors of some of our favorite fall cookbooks: Mooncakes & Milk Bread, Gastro Obscura, Flavors of the Sun, and Sandor Katz’s Fermentation Journeys.

We’re back in the kitchen and getting cooking inspiration from VICE’s Farideh Sadeghin and we talk to SF Chronicle’s restaurant critic Soleil Ho about the future of restaurants

Things get spicy when we look at the wide world of chili peppers and how they're enjoyed raw, cooked, powdered, and blended into sauces.

Go beyond the pipe and drape, deep into the intense world of catering with Matt and Ted Lee, Michael Twitty, Kwame Onwuachi, and America’s Test Kitchen.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora This week, we introduce you to two amazing culinary organizations as we bring you real-world stories of street vendors and other low-income food entrepreneurs starting their businesses. First, we visit alums of La Cocina, a groundbreaking kitchen incubator in San Francisco. Then, we look at culinary empowerment from an entirely different angle as we head to NYC for a lesson in chiles rellenos from an instructor from The League of Kitchens, an organization of women from around the world who welcome you into their homes and teach you their family recipes.   Broadcast dates for this episode: August 9, 2019 (originally aired)August 5, 2022 (rebroadcast)

We’re dropping a bonus episode in our feed this week of our newest pod baby. It’s called The One Recipe and it’s all about that ONE magic, indispensable recipe that you simply can’t live without! This week, Stephen Satterfield talks to Jesse about why it’s important to know what you like, for instance, room temperature butter, which brings us to his One: Toast. Stephen Satterfield is the host of Netflix’s critically acclaimed docuseries High on the Hog, as well as the founder of Whetstone Magazine and Whetstone Radio Collective. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram @isawstephen.  Help support The One Recipe, and shows from APM Studios that bring people together, with a donation of any amount today.

We’re dropping a bonus episode in our feed this week of our newest pod baby. It’s called The One Recipe and it’s all about that ONE magic, indispensable recipe that you simply can’t live without! This week we’re talking to Jaya Saxena about what crystal you should be keeping in your kitchen, how she developed more confidence cooking Indian Food at home, and her One: a matar paneer from Julie Sahni’s iconic cookbook, Classic Indian Cooking. Jaya is the senior writer at Eater, and the author of several books, including Basic Witches and Crystal Clear: Extraordinary Talismans for Everyday Life. You can followher on Instagram or Twitter @jayasa

We’re dropping a bonus episode in our feed this week of our newest pod baby. It’s called The One Recipe and it’s all about that ONE magic, indispensable recipe that you simply can’t live without! This week, Host Jesse Sparks talks to Bettina Makalintal about bike love, thriller novels, and her One, a recipe for Crispy Glazed Tofu. Bettina is a food and culture writer, and currently a Senior Reporter at Eater. You can find her recipe on Instagram @the.one.recipe or at theonerecipe.org. You can find more from Bettina on home cooking on Twitter and TikTok @bettinamak, and on Instagram @crispyegg420

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora This episode is all about food... and marriage. We’ve an international love story built around Bosnian food with the couple behind Balkan Treat Box. We get dumpling and relationship advice from a long-married Uzbek couple, Damira Inatullaeva and Sahib Aminov. We’ve a story from writer Michaele Weissman about discovering that the key to understanding her husband is in the rye bread he loves. And, we sit down with Washington Post Food and Dining Editor Joe Yonan (author of Cool Beans) and his husband Carl Mason to get the real story behind what it’s like to be married to a cookbook author. Broadcast dates for this episode: February 28, 2020 (originally aired)February 26, 2021 (rebroadcast)May 27, 2022 (rebroadcast) When you shop using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you

Francis meets up with Chef Jacques Pépin in his home kitchen to talk career, life, and the magic of instant-cured gravlax.

We are talking about Japanese home cooking this week, and not ramen or sushi! Think curry, omelets, and quick fried noodles. Tomoko Imade Dyen, culinary director of Japan House in Los Angeles, shares the everyday foods enjoyed by Japanese families. Sonoko Sakai, author of Japanese Home Cooking, tells us about the origins of the Japanese curry everyone makes at home. Ivan Orkin and Chris Ying (The Gaijin Cookbook) give us a lesson in Japanese kid-food, and chef Shintaro Okuda, of NYC's Bar Moga, teaches us how to make the delicious fried rice omelet, omurice. Broadcast dates for this episode: October 18, 2019 (originally aired)November 13, 2020 (rebroadcast)

This week, we're sharing a trailer for Borderline Salty, a new weekly call-in food podcast from Pineapple Street Studios, hosted by two of our friends, Carla Lalli Music, and Rick Martinez. They'll share their latest ingredient obsessions, give you their hot takes on the latest food trends, and bring you their kitchen nightmare stories. Whether you’re still finding your way in the kitchen or have been cooking for years, this show has something for everyone. New episodes come out weekly — wherever you get your podcasts. 

We delve into Eastern Mediterranean border cuisine with Yasmin Khan and talk to Reem Kassis about her work with modern Arab food.

We are all in on pasta this week!  Francis joins Evan Kleiman, host of Good Food on KCRW, and Dan Pashman of The Sporkful to debate the merits of different pasta shapes in front of a live audience. Then, we talk to Dan about his years-long quest to create his very own pasta shape, cascatelli. And then a true pasta obsessive, Chef Douglass Williams of MIDA in Boston, is in-house to help Francis take your pasta questions.

This week we sit down with Grace Young, one of the greatest culinary historians of Chinese American food to talk about her career and her mission to save Chinese restaurants in the age of Covid. Broadcast dates for this episode: February 19, 2021 (originally aired)February 25, 2022 (rebroadcast)

Senior Editor at Eater, Jesse Sparks, talks to chefs and cooks from all over the world about their one go-to recipe and the story behind it. The team at APM Studios’ The Splendid Table proudly presents The One Recipe which premieres March 8!

Award-winning baker, Cheryl Day brings us advice on breakfast baking and Nick Cho of Wrecking Ball Coffee & Your Korean Dad fame gives us the lowdown on brewing a perfect cup

Francis Lam and renowned chef Michael Solomonov get to the soul of Israeli food, swap disaster stories and tag team calls from listeners. Broadcast dates for this episode: December 28, 2018 (originally aired)January 3, 2020 (rebroadcast)December 31, 2021 (rebroadcast)

We close this rollercoaster of a year with the wonderful Ina Garten and answer some of your cooking questions. Plus, Kristen Miglore brings in some of her favorite Genius recipes of the year.

We’re working on connecting this week with advice from Sam Sanders on making real conversation, food gifting with Deb Perelman, and the art of gathering with Priya Parker.

Francis Lam hosts the 2021 pre-recorded edition of our popular Thanksgiving show. Francis is joined by special guests Cheryl Day, Pati Jinich, J.Kenji Lopez-Alt, David Chang, and Priya Krishna to answer your pre-recorded questions. Broadcast dates for this episode: November 25, 2021

This week, we’ve stories of how Thanksgiving looks for Americans from all over the world - Vietnam, Mexico, and Somalia. And America’s Test Kitchen helps us downsize this years menu.

On family farms, in restaurants, and in food writing, what happens when one generation passes the work to the next?

Chef Lucas Sin talks about the evolution of Chinese food & we meet the Ng family, beloved restaurateurs of Kansas City's Bo Lings.  

Here’s hoping that the heat of summer is behind us as we fire up our ovens with baking experts from the American South and the Middle East 

Who do you admire? Preston Clark on Patrick Clark, Shauna Sever on Maida Heatter, Melissa Clark on Marcella Hazan, and Pati Jinich on Joan Nathan.

We talk cooking cool (or not cooking at all) with The New Yorker’s Helen Rosner and learn about the literal summer kitchens of Ukraine.

Enjoy the foods of summer: grilled meats and seafood, no-cook meals, ice cream sandwiches, and alcohol-optional beverages.

Padma Lakshmi of Top Chef & Hulu’s Taste the Nation, talks about meeting cooks across our land, raising bicultural kids, and growing up in Queens.

Who better to bring us fresh ideas for cooking through the long weekend than the delightful Carla Hall?

Get grilling with Hmong Chef Yia Vang, vegetable whisperer Chef Ashley Christensen and best-selling grilling author John "Doc" Willoughby.

We spend an afternoon with the illustrious and iconic Indian cookbook author and food writer Madhur Jaffrey.

This week, it’s all about surprising stories behind the little tools in your kitchen.

It’s the food of Persia with conversations about fresh herbs, tahdig, a classic fish stew, modern Iranian cuisine, and the Persian pantry.

We step behind the scenes at The Cheesemonger Invitational, then go deep into the world of cheese with experts Greselda Powell and Tia Keenan.

Chef Kwame Onwuachi & his mom on their culinary origins, Melissa Clark & her unusual Mother’s Day tradition plus her thoughts on what to cook this spring & the Korean tradition of birthday soup.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora In this episode, we take on serious culinary projects. Beard Award-winning Charleston pitmaster Rodney Scott shares with us the ethos of whole hog barbecue. We learn to make paella on the grill with America’s Test Kitchen. The builder of a community oven in Johnson, Vermont tells us about how oven is becoming a centerpiece for the town. And Francis joins Chef Justin Smillie for a lesson in making one of his most unforgettable dishes, tomato panade, a fresh tomato bread pudding brimming with garlic, fresh herbs and olive oil. Francis talks with listeners about using the fat and rich gelatin left over from shredded pork, and cooking with artichoke leaf pasta. Broadcast dates for this episode: August 10, 2018 (originally aired)July 19, 2019 (rebroadcast)April 30, 2021 (rebroadcast)

The aquacultural benefits of eating purple sea urchins. Making rice salad and savory breakfast. America’s Test Kitchen on perfect home-cooked falafel. Broadcast dates for this episode: July 27, 2018 (originally aired)August 2, 2019 (rebroadcast)April 16, 2021 (rebroadcast)

Jorge Gaviria on tortillas, Steve Alvarez on Mexington, ATK on chilaquiles, Wesley Avila on tacos, Fany Gerson on flan, the importance of Mitla Cafe Broadcast dates for this episode: January 12, 2018 (originally aired)January 4, 2019 (rebroadcast)March 26, 2021 (rebroadcast)

From baking and Cajun cuisine to vegetarian and historically inspired Mughal dishes, we talk with the authors of four wonderful new cookbooks. Broadcast dates for this episode: March 13, 2020 (originally aired)March 12, 2021 (rebroadcast)

We look at the world of drinking with a secret barrel room, the spiritual side of mezcal, the language of wine, and the trend of being sober curious. Broadcast dates for this episode: February 14, 2020 (originally aired)February 12, 2021 (rebroadcast)

Cold weather cooking to carry us through the winter from Alissa Timoshkina, Maangchi, Tyler Kord, Andy Baraghani and Paul Kahan.

We spend an hour with one of the great champions of Southern foodways, award-winning chef Sean Brock. Raised in rural Virginia, Sean has spent 20 years highlighting the unique culinary characteristics of the South. He is the author of the best-selling book, Heritage, and the newly published, South. Francis talks with Sean about microregional cuisines of the South, the importance of curiosity in the kitchen, and how he survived workaholism. Broadcast dates for this episode: November 1, 2019 (originally aired)January 1, 2021 (rebroadcast) When you shop using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you!

Festive discussions of celebration, community, and cooking with Questlove, Toni Tipton-Martin, Raquel Pelzel, and Claudia Fleming. Broadcast dates for this episode: December 20, 2019 (originally aired)December 25, 2020 (rebroadcast)

Carla Capalbo traveled extensively throughout the nation of Georgia gathering stories and recipes for her gorgeous new book, Tasting Georgia. She explains to Francis Lam the many dishes you're likely to find on a Georgian feast table, and some of the rituals you can expect to take part in. The French dish of pot au feu is an easy, homey one-pot dish that can be made while hosting a party or doing other chores around the house. Justin Spring is the author of The Gourmands' Way; he talks with contributor Melissa Clark about the homey dish, and how it can be stretched into a full week of meals. Rev. Bill Golderer expounds upon the life-affirming power of an invitation. Lisa McManus is the head of ingredient and equipment testing for America's Test Kitchen; she tells us about some of her favorite kitchen tools for home cooks taking a cue from restaurant kitchens. Plus, in this week's new video, Lynne Rossetto Kasper discusses the five foods that define her as a cook and curious eater. Broadcast dates for this episode: December 8, 2017 (originally aired)December 21, 2018 (rebroadcast)December 11, 2020 (rebroadcast)

This year’s Thanksgiving show celebrates with some of America’s great foreign-born chefs: Ann Kim, Hugo Ortega, Miroslav Uskokovic and Maneet Chauhan. All four chefs have their stories and recipes included in the wonderful new book, A Place at the Table: New American Recipes from the Nation's Top Foreign-Born Chefs, from the Vilcek Foundation, a group dedicated to raising awareness of immigrant contributions in American and fostering appreciation of the arts and sciences. Broadcast dates for this episode: November 15, 2019 (originally aired)November 27, 2020 (rebroadcast) When you shop using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you!

Francis Lam hosts the 2020 pre-recorded edition of our popular Thanksgiving show. Francis is joined by special guests Samin Nosrat, Chef Michael Solomonov, Jacques Pépin, Nora McInerny, and Sohla El-Waylly to answer your pre-recorded questions. Broadcast dates for this episode: November 26, 2020

This week we’re all about the new fall cookbook releases and we talk to some of our favorite authors who wrote them: Danny Mena (Made in Mexico), Evan Funke (American Sfoglino), Joanne Chang (Pastry Love), Chris Shepherd, (Cook Like a Local), and T.J. Smith and Kami Ahrens (editors of the newest edition of The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Cookery). Broadcast dates for this episode: October 4, 2019 (originally aired)October 30, 2020 (rebroadcast)

2018 Julia Child Award winners Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken talk about their partnership and the changing face of the American food world. Broadcast dates for this episode: October 19, 2018 (originally aired)October 11, 2019 (rebroadcast)October 23, 2020 (rebroadcast)

Francis Lam and guests explore the cuisines of the Black Sea, Thailand, Haiti, Milwaukee, and beyond.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora This week are celebrating mothers and daughters in all kinds of ways. We eavesdrop in the kitchen with Priya and Ritu Krishna, authors of Indian (-ish). Chef Asma Khan shows us the real edges of her own family and the family she’s made at her London restaurant Darjeeling Express. Chef Bonnie Frumkin Morales, author of Kachka: A Return to Russian Cooking, talks about the influence her mother still wields in her kitchen. And, Molly Birnbaum of America’s Test Kitchen Kids brings us her magical ways with small cooks and eaters in training. Broadcast dates for this episode: May 3, 2019 (originally aired)August 21, 2020 (rebroadcast)

This week is all about bees. We talk to Thor Hanson, author of Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees, about the importance of bees to our food supply, as well as their connection to the evolution of plants and humans. Francis Lam gets the story of Brooklyn’s red bees and other urban tales of beekeeping from Andrew Coté. Bridget Lancaster, host of America’s Test Kitchen, has flavorful tips for cooking with honey. And bee researcher Bernardo Niño discusses what makes a healthy bee colony and takes us inside the mysterious of colony collapse disorder. Francis also talks with listeners about using and preserving habanero peppers, and why cocoa powder is often included in Sicilian caponata recipes. Broadcast dates for this episode: August 24, 2018 (originally aired)August 16, 2019 (rebroadcast)August 07, 2020 (rebroadcast)

Light up and get your grill on with inspired sauces and sides, and foolproof techniques for both your fire and your food.

The cultural (and family) politics of vegetarianism, new techniques and better planning for cooking veggies, and essential vegan dishes from Vedge.

We honor chef, writer, and activist Edna Lewis, who was born in a village of freed slaves and helped change the course of American cuisine.

Cookbook phenomenon Yotam Ottolenghi takes on your calls and talks tahini, feeding kids, and collaboration.

San Francisco Chronicle’s Soleil Ho and chef Hugh Acheson talk about what's happening on the ground in restaurants, both the bad and the good.

Francis Lam takes on tofu, unsalted butter, jam pies, and more with Carla Lalli Music (Bon Appétit) and Andrea Nguyen (Vietnamese Food Any Day).

The founding host of The Splendid Table joins Francis Lam to talk about what she’s been up to since retiring and answer some great listener questions.

Best-selling author Alison Roman and James Beard award-winning chef Kwame Onwuachi join Francis Lam to take your calls.

Baking expert Christina Tosi (Milk Bar) and veggie whisperer Bryant Terry (Vegetable Kingdom) join Francis Lam to take your calls.

Melissa Clark (The New York Times) and Pati Jinich (Pati's Mexican Table) join Francis Lam to consider your quarantine cooking questions.

Samin Nosrat (Salt Fat Acid Heat) joins Francis Lam to answer some of your self-isolation cooking questions.

Slow cookers aren't just for large cuts of meat and chili. Faith Durand uses hers to cook all sorts of vegetarian dishes, from breakfast to dessert.

Food science writer J. Kenji López-Alt on safe grocery shopping and how to handle take-out in the time of the coronavirus.

In this podcast extra we revisit making a sourdough starter with a couple of ingredients and the power of fermentation.