All Of It with Alison Stewart

Today, exactly 25 years after releasing his debut album, Rufus Wainwright surprised fans by dropping an anniversary reissue of the record. And in less than a month, on June 2, he will release a new album of cover songs, titled Folkocracy, which features David Byrne, Brandi Carlile, Chaka Khan, John Legend and many others. He stops by to perform live in our studio, in the midst of a residency at Café Carlyle exploring the music of Kurt Weill. He is also hosting a 50th birthday benefit concert with friends in Montauk on July 13.

Today is the release day of Marty Stuart's new album, Altitude, his first album in six years. The Grammy winning artist and Country Music Hall of Famer wrote the album while touring with The Byrds, who inspired him to dig back into his roots after fifty years of working in the Nashville music scene. Stuart joins us for a release day Listening Party.

Dr. Abraham Verghese made headlines for writing the bestselling novel, Cutting For Stone, all the while remaining in practice as a doctor. Over a decade later Verghese returns with his second novel, The Covenant of Water, which follows a family in India with a strange curse: one member of each generation seems destined to die by drowning. Verghese joins us to discuss.

The latest cookbook from Milk Street founder Christopher Kimball is all about noodles! He joins us to discuss Milk Street Noodles: Secrets to the World’s Best Noodles, from Fettuccine Alfredo to Pad Thai to Miso Ramen, and take your calls.

Pearl Couscous Pilaf with Artichokes, Green Olives and Dill

Start to finish: 55 minutes (30 minutes active)

Servings: 4

Despite being cooked like a grain, pearl couscous, which also goes by the names Israeli couscous and ptitim, actually is a small, round pasta made from semolina. In this pilaf it gets a brief toast, bringing out sweet, nutty notes. We love the convenience of frozen artichoke hearts. Canned artichoke work, too; a 14-ounze can contains a little less than the amount called for here, but works fine. Pomegranate molasses, a thick syrup-like condiment made of concentrated pomegranate juice, provides sweet-tart notes that pair perfectly with warm allspice and briny olive. For added pops of color and fresh, tangy flavor, sprinkle a few tablespoons of pomegranate seeds over the dish just before serving.

1 ½ cups pearl couscous

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

½ cup sliced almonds

1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

2 cups thawed frozen artichoke hearts, chopped (see headnote)

½ teaspoon ground allspice

½ cup pitted green olives, chopped

1 cup lightly packed fresh dill, chopped

2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses, plus more to serve

In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, toast the couscous, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; set aside. In the same skillet over medium, add 2 tablespoon oil and the almonds. Cook, stirring often, until the almonds are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to another small bowl and set aside.

In the same skillet over medium-high, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Return the couscous to the skillet and add the artichokes, stirring the coat. Stir in 3 cups water, the allspice, 1 ½ teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer, then cover, reduce to a low and cook, undisturbed, until the couscous has absorbed most of the liquid, about 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Stir in the olives, half the dill and the pomegranate molasses. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish a top with the toasted almonds, the remaining dill, and additional drizzle of pomegranate molasses and a sprinkle of black pepper.

Tropical Standard: Cocktail Techniques and Reinvented Recipes, a new cocktail book, features over 84 recipes. It gives vintage cocktails a modern reworking and introduces new takes like the Beachcomber Negroni. We speak to the book's authors Garret Richard and Ben Schaffer.

The hit new musical, "Shucked," about a crisis in the corn economy of the fictional Cobb County, earned more Drama Desk nominations for the season than any other show, and tied for second-most Tony nominations. One of them, for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, went to Alex Newell, a screen and stage actor also known for their roles in "Glee" and "Zoe's Extraordinary Playlist." Newell joins us to talk about playing Lulu in "Shucked."

Grammy-nominated country singer-songwriter Brandy Clark is now also a Tony nominee. Clark is a co-writer of the music and lyrics to the hit new Broadway musical, "Shucked." And on Friday, she's releasing a new self-titled solo album, produced by Brandi Carlile. She joins us live in the studio to perform some songs from the album and talk about her work.

Angel Ortiz, aka LA II, is a New York City-based artist known for his style of densely packed graffiti made up of glyghs and geometric symbols. Through the 1980s, he frequently collaborated with the artist Keith Haring, after meeting when Ortiz was only 13. New work by Ortiz is on display starting today at Chase Contemporary, in the exhibition, LA II: ODE 2 NYC. Ortiz joins us along with curator Christopher Pusey to talk about the show and his career.

James Beard-nominated New York City pastry chef Natasha Pickowicz returns to the show to continue our conversation about her debut cookbook, More Than Cake: 100 Baking Recipes Built for Pleasure and Community. Pickowicz combines her Chinese cultural heritage with her pastry chef expertise to create unique and show stopping recipes. Pickowicz will also take more of your baking questions!

In the late 1970's and early 80's there was no escaping the hits of Donna Summer. A new documentary shows a more personal side to the star, who often struggled to reconcile her religious beliefs with her public persona. We speak to co-directors Roger Ross Williams and Brooklyn Sudano about their film, "Love to Love You: Donna Summer," which premieres on HBO Max on May 20.