All Of It with Alison Stewart

Following our Listening Party with Maren Morris, we take a deep dive into the recent history of women in country music with Marissa R. Moss, author of the forthcoming book, Her Country: How the Women of Country Music Became the Success They Were Never Supposed to Be. Subjects of the book include Morris, along with Mickey Guyton, Kacey Musgraves, Brandi Carlile, and the Chicks. Her Country will be published on May 10.

Maren Morris has dominated pop charts and been a member of the country supergroup The Highwomen. Pitchfork describes her latest solo album, Humble Quest, as "matter-of-factly masterful." Morris joins us for a Listening Party.

In addition to releasing music under their own name, the band Lucius has been a prolific collaborator, lending their voices to songs from Jeff Tweedy, John Legend, Roger Waters, Harry Styles, Ozzy Osborne, and Brandi Carlile. Their new album of their own music, Second Nature, was produced by Carlile and country/Americana heavyweight Dave Cobb. Band members Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig join us for a Listening Party.

Pulitzer Prize finalist Chloe Cooper Jones was born with sacral agenesis, a rare congenital condition which has affected both her experience of the world and the way people treat and consider her. In her memoir, Easy Beauty, she grapples with the struggles of living with her disability, but also the triumphs: the joys of motherhood, her travels around the world, and her quest to reconsider what we think of as "beautiful." 

A recent Fast Company article shares "10 signs you shouldn't take the job." As a part of our 'Taking Care of You in 2022' series, Rob Barnett, headhunter and author of Next Job, Best Job: A Headhunter's 11 Strategies to Get Hired Now joins us to talk about red flags for jobs that might not be the best fit. Plus we'll take listener calls.

After hearing stories about her ancestors, Maud Newton uses genealogy to expose their secrets and contradictions in her new memoir, Ancestor Trouble: A Reckoning and a Reconciliation. From thirteen marriages, to murder, to witchcraft, Newton uncovers it all. She joins us to talk about her new book.

This segment is guest-hosted by Kerry Nolan. 

Miriam Leslie was a trailblazer for women in the Gilded Age, running her husband's company Frank Leslie Publishing for twenty years and advocating for women's suffrage. But she was also the subject of scandal and gossip, openly taking lovers, marrying four times, and generally rejecting traditions. Author Betsy Prioleau joins us to discuss her new biography of Leslie, Diamonds and Deadlines: A Tale of Greed, Deceit, and a Female Tycoon in the Gilded Age.

This segment was guest-hosted by Kerry Nolan. 

Spring streaming season is here and TV critic and friend of the show Kathryn VanArendonk joins to give us her picks of the best shows to check out right now, as well as what to look forward to.

This segment is guest-hosted by Kerry Nolan. 

"Top Chef" finalist and chef Adrienne Cheatham's debut cookbook, Sunday Best: Cooking Up the Weekend Everyday, is inspired by her southern heritage alongside technique she's learned while working in professional kitchens, like Red Rooster Harlem. The book's title is a nod to the Sunday family meal, as well as the custom of, especially in black communities, wearing one's "Sunday best" outfit for church, or going into town. Cheatham joins us to discuss the book, her SundayBest pop-up series, and take your calls.

This segment was guest-hosted by Kerry Nolan. 

RECIPE: 

Tater Tot Waffles wit­h Candied Bacon

Potatoes might just be my favorite food. I love them in all forms, especially made into crispy hash browns (or rösti, if you want to be European about it). My mom used to keep a big sleeve of hash browns in the freezer when I was growing up, so my sister and I could just pop them in the toaster oven, wrap them in a paper towel, and eat them on the way to school (we sometimes even used them as “bread” for breakfast sandwiches!).

This recipe combines my love for hash browns—represented by one of the world’s greatest inventions, the Tater Tot—and my obsession with crispy things and sticking everything I can into the waffle iron. You can even use those crinkle-cut French fries! As long as it’s a potato, anything goes.

SERVES 2 TO 4

CANDIED BACON

1 pound sliced applewoodsmoked bacon

¼ cup (packed; 55g) dark brown sugar

¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

TATER TOT WAFFLES

Nonstick cooking spray

1 package frozen Tater Tots, thawed (you can use your favorite brand, as well as any size bag to make as many waffles as you like)

TIMING TIP

If you’re planning ahead, let your tots thaw overnight in the refrigerator. If it’s a game-time decision, no worries. Take your tots straight out of the freezer, spread them on a plate or baking sheet, and let them thaw at room temp for 20 minutes before proceeding.

SUNDAY BEST FINESSE

Although Tater Tot Waffles are amazing on their own (served with or without Candied Bacon), they’re even better with all manner of toppings. Think smoked salmon and crème fraîche, or Sausage Gravy (page 23) and sautéed peppers. In fact, when entertaining, I often like to cut them into small squares to use as the base of elegant hors d’oeuvres.

Reprinted from Sunday Best. Copyright © 2022 Adrienne Cheatham with Sarah Zorn.

[ORIGINALLY BROADCAST AS "The Early Life of Constance Baker Motley" ON MARCH 28, 2022] We launch the March installment of our Full Bio series with historian Tomiko Brown-Nagin, who joins us to discuss her biography, Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality, about the civil rights lawyer, New York politician, and first Black woman to serve as a federal judge. Today, we discuss Motley's early life and education.

[The version of this segment that ran on air contained a section that was meant to be edited out. This is the edited version.]