Author Rick Bass toured the country and made dinner for the literary giants who inspired him throughout his career. There was pistachio-encrusted salmon for the late Denis Johnson, elk burgers for Zen poet Gary Snyder, paella for short-fiction genius Lorrie Moore, and ginger ice cream sandwiches for Terry Tempest Williams. Shopping for quail with essayist David Sedaris in rural England proved awkward and anxiety-inducing. Hear Rick talk about these meals and more. Then, MoJo fellow Kari Sonde interviews author Naben Ruthnum about the complicated connotations of the word curry—and how our search for authenticity sometimes leads us astray. Episode includes the song "Deliberation" by Seth Augustus.