Mouthful

Mouthful welcomes Anne Zimmerman, author of "An Extravagant Hunger," a narrative exploration of M. F. K. Fisher's passionate years. At a time when Fisher is misunderstood by the current community of so-called foodies, along comes Zimmerman's beautiful book to reveal the true power of Fisher's prose and life to a new generation.

Paula Downing, the manager of both the Santa Rosa and the Sebastopol farmers markets, is wearing two hats on this episode. In addition to talking about the markets, she discusses a new venture, SONOMA ALLIANCE FOR VEGIE OUTREACH REVOLUTION, aka SAVOR, a group of local individuals working to reach out to individual who use the CalFresh program, as the state's food stamp program is now know. Several of Downing's SAVOR colleagues join in the discussion.

A very special episode of Mouthful: this week, as Traverso's market celebrates what would have been Rico Traverso's hundredth birthday, Mouthful joins in, with a rebroadcast of a 1998 interview with Rico, his son George and his grandson Michael. Rico recalls traveling from Italy with his mother to join his brother Louis and their father, who had settled in Santa Rosa five years earlier.

Kim Fallon of Cook's Spices talks about your spice cupboard, how to stock it, how to restock it and why you should probably toss out that 20 year old jar of cumin. It's everything you always wanted to know about spices!

Award-winning journalist Robert Camuto takes listeners on a Sicilian odyssey as he discusses his latest book, Palmento. See Mouthful's facebook page for the author's upcoming appearances in the Bay Area.

It's a full house as Mouthful explores both Sonoma County Restaurant Week and the Chinese New Year Celebration, taking place at the Santa Rosa Veterans Building next Saturday.

Mouthful welcome Joel Peterson, king of all-things zinfandel. A highly entertaining storyteller as well as a phenomenal winemaker, Joel will talk about the history and future of this classic California varietal and also will tease listeners with some yummy suggestions for Valentine's Day.

Mouthful shines its spotlight on Argento Wines of Mendozo, Argentina, with head winemaker Nick Goldschmidt. Argento specializes in Malbec and also produces both familiar and unfamiliar varietal wines.

Mouthful welcomes Carl Brandhorst and Dave Barber of the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association. This is the third year that Mouthful has explored wines from the other coast, which has a thriving industry, dozens of wineries and both familiar varietals and wines unknown in California. The hour will include a tasting of six East Coast wines.

Adam Parks talks about the history and future of Sebastopol's Victorian Farmstead, his family's long-time Christmas Tree Farm that now offers pastured eggs and chicken, grass-fed lamb, pork and beef, signature sausages and more.