In this episode of The Splendid Table, host Francis Lam takes a look at what it means to feed your family. Molly Wizenberg and Matthew Amster-Burton, from the podcast Spilled Milk, muse about why we take what our kids will eat so very personally. We talk to Pableaux Johnson, a man who has been cooking red beans and rice in his house for guests every Monday night for more than 15 years. Self-confessed cork dork Bianca Bosker delivers a commentary on the family she found within the deeply-obsessed world of sommeliers. And David Leite joins us to discuss his struggles and triumphs with food and family from his new book, Notes on a Banana: A Memoir of Food, Love and Manic Depression. Francis also answers listener questions about using raw and cooked asparagus in the kitchen, and he gives suggestions on how to use saffron.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• April 21, 2017 (originally aired)
• April 13, 2018 (rebroadcast)