All Of It with Alison Stewart

Food historian Dr. Jessica B. Harris and journalist Stephen Satterfield, the founder of Whetstone magazine, join us to discuss their new Netflix original docuseries called "High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America" which premiered on May 26. Based on one of Dr. Harris' books, the series explores African foodways in the U.S. and slavery's impact on American food as we know it today.

Joseph Cox, a journalist who writes for Motherboard, joins us to discuss his recent reporting on the app, Citizen, and its efforts to become a private security service.

Ben Yakas, arts editor for Gothamist and WNYC, joins to discuss happenings around the city.

Brigid Bergin, City Hall and politics reporter for WNYC, joins us to recap the first in-person Democratic primary debate in the race to become the Mayor of New York City.

New York Times bestselling YA novelist Mary H.K. Choi joins to discuss her new novel, Yolk, about two Korean-American sisters in NYC dealing with illness and grief. Kirkus writes, "This poignant story underscores self-sacrifices that prove to be life-sustaining in the name of sisterly love." 

[REBROADCAST FROM JUNE 18, 2020] James Beard Award-winning chef Mike Wiley, co-owner of Eventide in Portland, Maine, joins us to discuss his new cookbook Eventide: Recipes for Clambakes, Oysters, Lobster Rolls, and More from a Modern Maine Seafood Shack.

New England Clam Chowder

SERVES 4 TO 6

Kosher salt

5 pounds live chowder clams

2 pounds live steamer clams

2 (2-inch) pieces dried kombu

2 cups water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 yellow onion, diced 1 pound medium-starch potatoes (like Yukon gold or Kennebec), peeled and diced

2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon freshly cracked or ground black pepper

Leaves from 1 to 2 thyme sprigs

1⁄4 pound homemade Salt Pork store-bought bacon (optional)

2 or 3 sheets nori

Minced chives for garnish

Chive Oil (recipe follows) for garnish

Saltine Crackers for serving

Fill two separate bowls with cold, clean water that has been seasoned with kosher salt to taste like seawater. In a colander, rinse the exterior dirt from both types of clams and then submerge them separately in the bowls of water. Leave them to sit for 30 minutes to encourage them to release their grit. Drain the clams separately in a colander, rinsing them under running water, and shake them gently to drain. Rinse the pieces of kombu and set aside.

In a pot, combine the chowder clams, water, and 1 piece of kombu and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer, cover, and cook until the clams have just opened, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the clams to a bowl, keeping the liquid in the pot. Add the steamer clams and the second piece of kombu to the broth, and repeat. Transfer the steamers to a bowl and strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a separate bowl. Pick the meat from both types of clams, keeping the two types of clams in separate bowls and making sure to remove the muddy sheath from the siphon of the steamer clams. Place the clams in cold, fresh water and agitate them with your hands for a minute or so to remove any excess sand. Drain and coarsely chop the chowder clams but keep the steamer clams whole.

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. When the butter is just sizzling, add the onion and potatoes and cook until they soften and start to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the strained clam juice, cream, black pepper, and thyme and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the chopped clams and stir to incorporate and warm them.

Line a plate with paper towels. Cut the salt pork into either 1⁄4-inch slices or 1 by 1⁄4 by 1⁄4-inch cubes (also known as lardons) and cook in a hot skillet for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until nicely browned. Transfer to the paper towel–lined plate.

Holding the sheets of nori with tongs, wave them separately over a gas burner flame a few times until they become lighter in color and fragrant (or heat a large skillet on high heat and toast the nori on both sides for 30 seconds).

Ladle the finished chowder into four to six bowls, aiming for about two parts broth to one part chunky goodness. Add a couple of pieces of salt pork and a crushed half sheet of nori to each bowl. Garnish with chives and chive oil. Serve immediately with saltines.

CHIVE OIL

MAKES 2 CUPS

1 large bunch chives (or any

vibrant green herb like scallions,

parsley, oregano, or basil),

coarsely chopped

2 cups canola oil

Set up a large bowl of ice water. In a blender, puree the chives with the oil for 1 to 2 minutes to really extract all the chlorophyll from the herb. Pour the puree into a small pot and bring it up to 216°F over medium-high heat. Pour into a heatproof container and place the container in the ice water to chill it completely. Use immediately or strain the oil through a fine-mesh strainer and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Note: When we want an herb oil, most of the time we’re after that vivid green color to provide some visual appeal to a dish. But since the oils retain quite a bit of the flavor of the herb, we’re also careful to make sure the herb oil makes sense with the profile of the dish. Think complementarity. For example, if a dish is anise-heavy, use tarragon oil. If it’s allium-heavy, use chive oil. And so on.

Reprinted from Eventide. Copyright © 2020 by Arlin Smith, Andrew Taylor, and Mike Wiley

James Beard Award-winning pitmaster Rodney Scott brings joins us to discuss his debut cookbook Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ: Every Day Is a Good Day. Rodney shares the story of his culinary journey, beginning at age 11 when he cooked his first whole hog, a specialty of South Carolina barbecue. Today, he owns one of the country's most awarded barbecue joints, Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ in Charleston.

Smoked Chicken Recipe 

We raised chickens for their eggs when I was a boy.The difference between fresh-laid eggs and store-bought eggs is huge. Yard eggs are richer in flavor, and when you beat them, they even seem thicker in texture. We would buy chicken at the market to eat, rather than slaughter our laying hens. My mother used to make what we called “barbecue chicken” in the oven. It was basically baked chicken with commercial barbecue sauce. I don’t want to knock it. I enjoyed that baked chicken, but I wouldn’t call it barbecue. It wasn’t until later, when we added chicken to the menu at the family restaurant that I got into true smoked chicken. The oven and the pit are very different, obviously. When you taste this chicken, you’ll have a hard time going back to your oven.

2 whole chickens (3 to 4 pounds each), spatchcocked and halved through the breastplate(a total of 4 halves)

3 tablespoons Rib Rub

4 cups Rodney’s Sauce

Fire up your grill to between 225°F and 250°F.

Sprinkle the chickens on all sides with the rib rub.

Place the chicken onto the hot grill, bone-side down.

Close and cook until the bone sides are nicely browned, about 1 hour and 30 minutes, being careful to maintain a steady grilling temperature between 225°F and 250°F.

Mop the skin side with the sauce, then flip the chickens and mop the bone side with sauce as well. Close and cook until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F, about 1 hour.

Mop the chickens once more. Take them off the grill and allow them to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Reprinted with permission from Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ: Every Day is a Good Dayby Rodney Scott and Lolis Eric Elie Copyright © 2021 by Rodney Scott’s BBQ, LLC, a South Carolina limited liability company. Photographs copyright © 2021 by Jerrelle Guy. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

Two stars of indie rock, Ellen Kempner (who performs as Palehound) and Melina Duterte (who performs as Jay Som), have joined forces as Bachelor. Their debut album, Doomin’ Sun, was recorded over two weeks in January 2020. Kempner and Duterte join us for a Listening Party.

On June 10, the duo will present and perform at their first concert, Doomin’ Sun Fest, a livestream whose line-up includes Tegan & Sara, Benjamin Gibbard, Adrianne Lenker, Jeff Tweedy, Courtney Barnett, Tune-Yards, Soccery Mommy, and more.

 [REBROADCAST FROM JULY 29, 2020] Director Brett Rapkin and eight-time Olympic skating medalist Apolo Ohno join us to discuss the documentary “The Weight of Gold,” which dives into the mental health issues many elite athletes grapple with. The film is available to stream now on HBO Max. 

Caitlin Thompson, co-founder of Racquet Magazine, joins us to discuss tennis player Naomi Osaka's recent decision to step away from the French Open after citing mental health concerns.