Finally!

After a hiatus, The Kitchen Hour Podcast is back. In the intro to today’s episode I gave a little explanation of my “break” – and a peep at the exciting things ahead. So glad to be back!

Today’s guest is Candace Walsh, author of Licking the Spoon: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Identity.

Candace and I chatted about everything from love and marriage to kids with finicky palates, and especially her book, which tells the tale of a young woman coming of age via the cookbooks she most identified with at different stages of her life.

Please click the “play” button at the bottom of the post to listen in your browser, or you can download on iTunes.

Here are some links to some books and authors Candace and I discussed during the podcast:

(note: all Amazon links are affiliates. If you make a purchase, I will receive a commission.)

* Candace mentions Daniel Boulud having an influence on her cooking as a young married woman. His most recent book is Daniel: My French Cuisine.

* When we chatted, Candace was enjoying the friendship through diversity represented in Jerusalem: A Cookbook

As promised, here is “that” picture of Candace that was, um, defaced at a Trader Joe’s. (Followed by one of her eight years older, but looking years younger!)

And here’s a link to the essay Candace wrote about her Trader Joe’s photo (the essay ended up on the Huffington Post, after all.)

An excerpt:

“Until I was waiting in line for the restroom at Trader Joe’s. On the wall: a bulletin board with photographs of happy customers. One: a vaguely familiar mother with a baby in a sling, wearing an ugly calico nursing shirt. The baby was pulling her hair. Her toddler was doing her best to fall out of the wagon, as she reached for a glass jar. The woman looked run-down and frumpy, but she was smiling gamely for the camera.

Oh. My. God.

That woman was me.”

 Here are some other places you can find Candace online:

* Twitter: @CandaceWalsh

* Like Candace’s Facebook page

* Follow Candace on Pinterest

And last but not least, one of Candace’s favorite recipes – a super-fresh salad featuring lots of textures and flavors, with a homemade vinaigrette.

Kimber’s Vinaigrette and Salad

Yield: 6–8 servings Salad

About 6 cups mixed greens

1 avocado, sliced

1 ruby red grapefruit, halved, pieces segmented out from the membranes (do this step over the bowl of greens so that the juices drip in)

Vinaigrette Dressing

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 ∕3 cup balsamic vinegar

1–2 tablespoons tamari