Pastry chef Stella Parks, best-selling author of BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts, talks with Francis Lam about the origins of our favorite classic desserts. She shares the history of and her decadent recipe for red velvet cake. (Spoiler alert: there's red wine in it!) SAVEUR writer Leslie Pariseau takes us to India for a grand religious pilgrimage centered around a sweetened rice dish as devotional offering. Biographer Adam Federman shares his thoughts on the life of Patience Gray, one of the most important food writers you have probably never heard of; his book is Fasting and Feasting. America’s Test Kitchen shows us how to perfect a wicked good Boston cream pie at home. And expert halva maker Lisa Mendelson explores modern twists on the traditional treat.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• October 6, 2017 (originally aired)
• October 12, 2018 (rebroadcast)