Cider is delicious and it is historic. It is America’s first popular alcoholic beverage, made from apples brought across the Atlantic from England in colonial times. And over the past fifteen or so years it has been enjoying something of a revival. To appreciate the differing tastes of cider one needs to know more about the apples and the history as “Cider embodies the best and worst of America’s history and agricultural practices.” Cider specialists and authors Dan Pucci and Craig Cavallo delve deep into the topic in their recent book, American Cider: A Modern Guide to a Historic Beverage.

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Sourdough bread has a history that goes back at least 6,000 years and the earliest cultures--or sourdough starter--were likely an accident. Professor and amateur baker Eric Pallant shares the history and his own introduction to his storied starters from his new book Sourdough Culture.

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The cooking lessons that stick with us are rarely the ones we read in books or learn through blog posts or YouTube videos. They’re the ones we pick up as we spend time with good cooks in the kitchen. Dorothy Kalins, founding editor of Saveur magazine, calls the people who pass on their cooking wisdom her Kitchen Whisperers. Consciously or not, they help make us the cooks we are—and help show the way to the kind of cooks we have the potential to become. She has put her stories into a book, The Kitchen Whisperers, a beautifully written tribute to the people who teach us to cook and guide our hands in the kitchen.

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Although there is archeological evidence and historical writings about olive oil in the ancient world, the popularity, demand, and production of olive oil as we know it today has a very recent history. The designation of Extra Virgin did not occur until 1960, which was the beginning of the modern era for olive oil. Prof. Carl Ipsen from Indiana University, who recently won the Sophie Coe award for writing in food history, shares his research and insights on this episode all about olive oil.

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While creating and producing the hit series Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, David Page dove deep into the world of American food. His new book, Food Americana, is an exploration and celebration of the foods Americans love and call their own. Page looks at the foods’ history, its evolution, and uncovers the people and stories behind the food. Tune in and "learn how Americans have formed a national cuisine from a world of flavors."

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Like the intricate pattern of intersecting lines of an ornamental Arabesque pattern, so are the roots of the Arab cuisine intertwined. Reem Kassis has researched Arabic food for many years and wrote her first book, The Palestinian Table, about the classic dishes. As her research continued she studied how the cuisine has evolved over the course of history with so many influences of the everchanging region. Her new book, The Arabesque Table, presents a more modern take on many of the dishes that are rooted in the historic origins of the food of the Arab world and still represent a national cuisine.

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World-famous artisan bread authority and author Peter Reinhart recently shifted his focus to another form of yeasty dough, Pizza. He has launched a new podcast on Heritage Radio Network all about it, called PIZZA QUEST, where he meets all of the best pizza makers. On this episode, Linda gives you an opportunity to meet Peter and learn about his obsession and how he got there.

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While it's enjoyed throughout the US, barbecue has long been recognized as southern cooking. But the originators of barbecue have not been given their culinary due. The African American culture has been largely ignored as the progenitor of the culture of barbecue as author and soul food scholar Adrian Miller is quick to point out in his new book, Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue (University of North Carolina Press, 2021.) The merits of sauces and styles can be discussed from shore to shore, but that may not be as essential as correcting the narrative itself. As Miller explains it, Barbecue is American food with southern roots from plantation slave pitmasters sharing their flavors and fire.

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There has been a resurgence in the cocktail culture of the pre-Prohibition period and the MadMen era. And whether mixing at home, cocktails-to-go (outside) from a restaurant or bar, or the new kid on the block: ready to drink cocktails in a can, there has been a definite uptick in the spirits market. Author and spirits writer Kara Newman shares her views and observations and answers Linda's questions about the origins of Pimm's.

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Gypsies, Romani, Gitano - these are all names used to identify the ethnic group of Roma throughout Europe, of which there are more than 750,00 living in Spain. Food writer Valerio Farris learned about the cuisine of the Spanish Roma and the importance of preserving their recipes and culture by cooking with Roma people in and around Barcelona.

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