Every day starts with a glass of Champagne in Todd Richards’ world. Meet this Beard-nominated chef in his home kitchen for some bubbly while he makes his mom’s recipe for fried catfish and homemade hot sauce. You’ll get into a lively, deep convo about his debut cookbook, Soul. Hear his take on what soul food is, how it evolves, and how Todd uses food to challenge how black Americans are perceived. The recipes for Todd’s Mom’s Fried Catfish and homemade hot sauce are available at ForklorePodcast.co

Being in a military family is unlike any other experience you can have as an American—and that includes the food. A new cookbook, Homefront Cooking, uses stories and recipes from veterans and their families to share what military life is like. Authors Tracey Enerson Wood and Carol Van Drie make Calvados Bread Pudding while talking about military food culture, including Carol's experience tasting a soup that's literally swimming. Get their recipe for Calvados Bread Pudding on ForklorePodcast.com.

Here’s an idea for a summer road trip: A craft distillery tour in the South! The Charlotte Observer’s food editor, Kathleen Purvis, has it all mapped out for you. The six Liquor Trails she created for her new book, Distilling the South, introduce you to some of the tastiest libations you’ll ever roll across your tongue. We meet Kathleen, sip Smoked Mint Juleps, and talk about craft spirits and the people who make them. The recipe for Smoked Mint Juleps is available at ForklorePodcast.com.

Catch up with one of the most influential chefs ever: Jacques Pépin. Jacques talks about the future of cooking, his latest project to help professional kitchens and chronically unemployed people, and two cookbooks he has coming out this year: Poulets + Legumes, and Menus: A Book for Your Meals and Memories. Jacques’s recipe for Roast Stuffed Cornish Hens is available at ForklorePodcast.com.

Meet Chef Eddie Hernandez, a native of Mexico who landed in the U.S. while on tour with a rock band. Sneak into the kitchen of his restaurant Taqueria del Sol to learn about his cookbook, Turnip Greens and Tortillas, and how his recipes are an ode to both Mexican and American food, even as he departs from tried-and-true techniques in order to sprinkle in some innovation. All the while, Eddie cooks up a pot of turnip greens and teaches you his time-saving tricks. Get the recipe at ForklorePodcast.com.