Please Explain (The Leonard Lopate Show)

Tax season is here which means that it’s the best time of the year for phone scams, financial fraud and identity theft. On this week’s Please Explain, identity theft expert Steven Weisman tells us all about the most common scams and how to avoid them. He’ll also offer ways to protect yourself against identity theft. He’s the author of several books on the topic, including Identity Theft Alert, and writes the “Scamacide” blog. He’s joined by Beth Finkel, the NY State Director of AARP, who offers ways to help seniors avoid targeted scams. 

The AARP is hosting Shred Fest events from April 26 through May 1. For more information, check out their website, which will be updated as the event grows near, for more details.

Do you have questions about phone scams or identity theft? Send us your questions in a comment below, or let us know on Twitter or Facebook!

Kurt Vonnegut once gave this piece of creative writing advice: "First rule: Do not use semicolons... All they do is show you've been to college.”  

There's no question that punctuation elicits strong feelings. On today's Please Explain, linguist David Crystal teaches us how to correctly use punctuation, and gives us a history of why we punctuate the way we do. His latest book, Making a Point: The Persnickety Story of English Punctuation, completes his trilogy of books on the English language.

Do you have questions about punctuation? Write to us in a comment below, or let us know on Twitter or Facebook!

While some may cringe at the thought of eating brains, sweetbreads, also known as offal, are celebrated in many cuisines around the world. On today's Please Explain food writer Robert Sietsema and butcher Brent Young of The Meat Hook, tell you all you'll ever need to know about buying, preparing and eating offal. They'll also share the best local restaurants offering exciting offal options.

Do you have questions about offal? Send us your questions in a comment below, or let us know on Twitter or Facebook!

Check out recipes from Chef Chris Consentino of Offal Good!

Marinated Tripe, New Potatoes & ParsleyExtracted from Beginnings: My Way To Start a Meal by Chris Cosentino

-1 1/3 cups each coarsely chopped carrot, celery, and onion-2 heads garlic, split, plus 5 cloves, minced-1 bunch fresh thyme-2 bay leaves-1 tbsp fennel seeds-Kosher salt-2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise-1/2 cup dry white wine-Juice of 1 lemon-4 tbsp Champagne vinegar-2 lb honeycomb beef tripe, preferably organic and unbleached-10 fingerling potatoes-1 tbsp red pepper flakes-Finely grated zest and juice of 3 Bearss limes or Eureka lemons-1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling-3 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

In a large stockpot, combine 8 cups water, the carrot, celery, onion, split garlic heads, thyme, bay, fennel seeds, 1 tablespoon salt, the vanilla, wine, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of the vinegar. Rinse the tripe well under cold running water until the water runs clear and the tripe is free of grit. Add the tripe to the pot, place over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so that the liquid just simmers and cook uncovered, skimming any scum that rises to the surface, until the tripe is very tender, about 3 hours. Remove from the heat, let the tripe cool completely in the cooking liquid, and refrigerate the tripe in the liquid overnight.

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan with salted water to cover, bring to a simmer, and cook until just tender when pierced with a knife, 10-15 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold running water to cool completely, and then cut crosswise into slices 1/4 inch thick. Place in a bowl. Remove the tripe from the cooking liquid and discard the liquid. Using a very sharp knife, shave the tripe into thin, ribbonlike strips. Transfer to a bowl. In a small bowl, combine the minced garlic, pepper flakes, lime zest and juice, and remaining 3 tablespoons vinegar and let stand for 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and season with salt. Add just enough of the vinaigrette to the tripe to coat lightly and then toss to mix. Taste and add more vinaigrette to your liking. Add the remaining vinaigrette to the potatoes and toss gently to coat evenly. Add the potatoes to the tripe and toss together.

Transfer the tripe and potatoes to a platter and garnish with parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve right away.

Serves 6

Tuscan-Style Chicken Livers

Extracted from Beginnings: My Way To Start a Meal by Chris Cosentino

-1 1/2 lb chicken livers, trimmed of any sinew or green or brown patches-3 shallots, sliced-1/4 cup vin santo-2 tsp fresh thyme leaves-1 fresh bay leaf-Finely grated zest of 1 orange-Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper-Small pinch of licorice powder-4 tbsp rendered duck fat, plus more melted duck fat for sealing-3 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter-24 baguette slices

In a shallow bowl, combine the chicken livers, shallots, vin santo, thyme, bay, orange zest, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the licorice powder and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Remove and discard the bay leaf from the chicken livers. In a large sauté pan over high heat, warm the duck fat. When it is hot, working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken livers and shallots to the pan. Cook, turning as needed, until the livers are well colored on the outside and pink at the center, about 4 minutes. As each batch is ready, transfer it to a food processor. Pour the remaining marinade into the pan, stir up the browned bits, and add the contents of the pan to the food processor.

Process the liver mixture until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the butter until the mixture is emulsified. Pass the mixture through a tamis (drum sieve) into a bowl. Pack the mixture into one or more ramekins and top with a thing layer of duck fat to seal. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 4 days.

Just before serving, preheat a stove-top grill pan over medium-high heat. Place the baguette slices on the grill rack and grill, turning once, until etched with grill marks and crisp on both sides, about 2 minutes on each side.

To serve, set out the ramekin, the baguette slices, and a spoon.

Serves 6

Processed foods tend to have long lists of ingredients that add flavor, color and texture, along with preservatives to extend shelf life. On today's Please Explain, we'll take a close look at the most common food additives, from xanthan gum to MSG. Photographer Dwight Eschliman and author Steve Ettlinger created a detailed visual guide in Ingredients: A Visual Exploration of 75 Additives and 25 Food Products, and they'll help take the mystery out of the ingredients list. Charles Mueller, clinical associate professor of nutrition at NYU Steinhardt, will discuss the health effects of the common additives. 

Do you have questions about food additives? Send us your questions in a comment below, or let us know on Twitter or Facebook!

Over the past few years, tacos have risen from humble street food (and Americanized fast food) to trendy options at a growing number of restaurants. A staple of Mexican cuisine, they’ve been adopted by different cultures and are even showing up on brunch and dessert menus. On this week’s Please Explain, Chef Alex Stupak, owner of the Empellón restaurant group, and food writer Jordana Rothman, will tell us how to make fresh tortillas, salsas, moles, as well as traditional and modern fillings. They'll also share tips and recipes from their book Tacos: Recipes and Provocations.  

Do you have questions about tacos? Send us your questions in a comment below, or let us know on Twitter or Facebook!

Recipe: Tacos al Pastor (From Tacos: Recipes and Provocations by Alex Stupak & Jordana Rothman)

Short of investing in a vertical broiler, this hack is the closest you’ll get to al pastor tacos at home. We tend to think of pork shoulder as something that needs to be braised, but a well-butchered shoulder steak given a swift ride on a ripping hot grill can be a thing of beauty—the wide surface area means more of that good Maillard char you want from al pastor. Take your time when slicing the finished meat: thin, bias-cut slivers are the ideal texture here.

MAKES 12 TACOS

ADVANCE PREPARATION

1 cup Adobo (see below)

Salsa Roja (see below), for serving

Raw Salsa Verde (see below), for serving

FOR THE FILLING

Vegetable oil, for the grill

Four 1⁄2-inch-thick boneless pork shoulder steaks (2 pounds total)

Kosher salt, as needed

TO ASSEMBLE THE TACOS

1⁄4 ripe pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 24 even slices

1⁄2 medium white onion, minced

60 cilantro leaves (from about 15 sprigs), roughly chopped

2 limes, each cut into 6 wedges

1 recipe Corn or Flour Tortillas

MAKE THE FILLING:

Preheat a grill to the hottest possible setting and brush with vegetable oil. Slather about 1 cup of the Adobo all over the pork steaks and season liberally with salt.

Place the pork steaks on the hot grill and cook for 3 minutes. Rotate 45 degrees and cook for another 3 minutes. Flip and continue to cook for 3 minutes. The finished steaks should have visible charred grill marks. Remove from the grill, transfer to a plate, and set aside to rest in a warm place.

Make one batch of tortillas and hold them warm.

Cut the pork steaks against the grain and on the bias—you want the slices to be as thin as possible, almost shaved, to achieve the right tenderness and texture for al pastor.

ASSEMBLE THE TACOS:

Lay out the warm tortillas on serving plates. Evenly distribute the grilled pork and the pineapple slices among the tortillas. Top with some of the Salsa Roja and Raw Salsa Verde, along with the minced onion

and chopped cilantro. Squeeze a couple of the lime wedges over the tacos and serve the rest on the side.

ADOBO

Masa may be the bedrock of Mexican cuisine, but adobo is what makes it sing. The dried chile paste is a component in countless dishes, slathered on robust meats like the pork for Al Pastor Tacos and the lamb for the Lamb Barbacoa Tacos. The dried chile and aromatic spice flavors in this paste are versatile, so adobo is a useful thing to have around to add instant depth—try thinning it with oil and using it to dress a hearty vegetable, like asparagus. Adobo will last 1 week in the refrigerator, and 1 month in an airtight container in the freezer.

MAKES ABOUT 2 1⁄3 CUPS

8 ancho chiles

8 guajillo chiles

1 chipotle morita chile

3 whole cloves

1⁄4 teaspoon cumin seeds

One 2-inch stick of canela (Mexican cinnamon)

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano

20 garlic cloves, skins on

1 cup cider vinegar

Remove the stems from the chiles and tear the chiles open. Shake out and discard the seeds. Tear the chiles into small pieces.

Set a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the cloves, cumin seeds, canela, black peppercorns, and oregano; toast, shaking the pan, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Remove the spices from the heat, transfer to a spice grinder, and grind to a fine powder.

Reheat the skillet over medium heat. Toast the ancho, guajillo, and chipotle morita chiles, turning from time to time until you see the first wisp of smoke, about 30 seconds. Transfer the chiles to a bowl, cover with hot tap water, and place a heavy plate over the chiles to keep them submerged. Set aside to soak for 30 minutes.

Add the garlic cloves to the skillet and roast, turning them from time to time, until softened slightly and blackened in spots, about 6 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the garlic from the skillet, and set aside to cool at room temperature. Once the cloves are cool enough to handle, peel them and discard the skins.

Drain the chiles and place in a blender along with the ground spices, roasted garlic, and vinegar, and puree to a paste. You may need to add a bit of water to the blender to help the chiles pass easily through the blades. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use.

SALSA ROJA

Salsa roja and salsa verde are the ebony and ivory of the salsa universe: Whereas verde supplies brightness and clean, sharp heat, roja offers gentle spice and dried-herb warmth. It makes sense that the two keep such close company—you’ll encounter versions of both at nearly every taqueria in Mexico.

For my salsa roja, I looked to guajillo chile, one of the workhorses of the Mexican pantry. Cheap and ubiquitous, these dried peppers impart the mild heat, distinctive berry-like aroma, and deep, rusty hue that define a good roja.

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

2 plum tomatoes

10 guajillo chiles

1 chipotle morita chile

1⁄2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano

1⁄8 teaspoon cumin seeds

5 garlic cloves, skins on

1 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Preheat the broiler. Roast the tomatoes on a baking sheet under the broiler until blackened in spots, about 7 minutes. Turn them over and continue to blacken, about another 7 minutes. Remove from the broiler and set aside to cool at room temperature. Once they are cool enough to handle, peel the tomatoes and discard the skins.

Remove the stems from the guajillo and chipotle chiles and tear them open. Shake out and discard the seeds. Remove and discard the veins.

Set a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the oregano and cumin seeds and toast briefly, shaking the pan, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Remove from the heat, transfer to a spice grinder, and grind to a fine powder.

Reheat the skillet over medium heat. Toast the guajillo and chipotle chiles, turning them from time to time until you see the first wisp of smoke, about 45 seconds.

Remove pan from heat, and transfer the chiles to a bowl. Cover them with hot tap water and place a heavy plate over the chiles to keep them submerged. Set aside to soak for 30 minutes.

Add the garlic cloves to the skillet and roast, turning them from time to time until softened slightly and blackened in spots, about 6 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the garlic from the skillet, and set aside to cool at room temperature. Once they are cool enough to handle, peel the garlic cloves and discard the skins.

Drain the soaked chiles and discard the liquid. Place them in a blender along with the ground spices and roasted garlic, the salt, sugar, cider vinegar, and ¼ cup water. Puree on high speed until completely smooth, working in batches if necessary. Set up a medium-mesh sieve over a bowl and pass the puree through the strainer. Transfer to a container or refrigerate until ready to use. The salsa will keep for up to 3 days.

RAW SALSA VERDE

Raw ingredients speak (shout, actually) for themselves in this purist salsa verde. It’s all about the green apple acidity of ripe tomatillo, the heat of untreated chiles, and the garlicky sting right up front.

MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP

1 garlic clove, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 serrano chiles, stemmed and roughly chopped

1⁄2 medium white onion, minced 3–4 medium tomatillos (about 5 ounces total), husked, rinsed, patted dry, and diced

1 teaspoon honey

40 cilantro leaves (from about 10 sprigs), roughly chopped

EQUIPMENT: Molcajete*

Place the garlic in the molcajete with the salt and crush to a paste using the tejolote.

Add the chiles and minced onion to the paste and crush to a coarse texture. Add the tomatillos and continue crushing with the tejolote until pulpy. Season with the honey and stir with a spoon. Add the chopped cilantro and stir to combine. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use. The finished salsa is best eaten the day it is made; if you want to work ahead, don’t add the cilantro to the salsa until the day you plan to serve it.

*If you don’t have a molcajete, prep all the ingredients as instructed and add them, minus the cilantro, at once to the jar of a blender. Pulse to combine then stir in the chopped cilantro.

“Recipe reprinted from TACOS: RECIPES AND PROVOCATIONS by Alex Stupak and Jordana Rothman. Copyright ©2015 by Empellon Holdings LLC. Photos by Evan Sung. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.”

The depths of winter make this the peak of sauce season. Whether you love the classic comfort of tomato sauce or a rich, fragrant curry, on today's Please Explain we're sharing the secrets of sauce and answering your questions!

Chef James Peterson, author of the award-winning book Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making, will take us through all the sauces, from traditional French hollandaise and béchamel, to Italian Osso Buco and North African Harissa sauce.  

Do you have questions about sauces and sauce-making? Send us your questions in a comment below, or let us know on Twitter or Facebook!

Cast iron cookware has been around for centuries, but many modern cooks are intimidated by it. How do you clean it? What can (and can't) you cook in it? Should you season it? 

In this week's Please Explain, Julia Collin Davison, the executive food editor at America’s Test Kitchen and author of the forthcoming book Cook it in Cast Iron: Kitchen-Tested Recipes for the One Pan That Does It All (Cook's Country), and J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, Managing Culinary Director of Serious Eats and author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science, answer all your burning cast iron questions and dispel the many myths surrounding the classic cookware.

Do you have questions about cast iron cookware? Send us your questions in a comment below, or let us know on Twitter or Facebook!

Recipe: Classic Roast Chicken with Lemon-Thyme Pan Sauce from Cook It in Cast Iron from America’s Test Kitchen

Classic Roast Chicken with Lemon-Thyme Pan Sauce from "Cook It in Cast Iron" from America’s Test Kitchen

Serves 4

Why This Recipe Works: Roast chicken is often described as a simple dish, but the actual process–brining or salting, trussing, and turning–is anything but easy. We wanted a truly simple way to get roast chicken on the table in just an hour without sacrificing flavor. We quickly realized that trussing was unnecessary; we could simply tie the legs together and tuck the wings underneath the bird. We also found we could skip flipping the chicken during cooking by taking advantage of the great heat retention of cast iron. We cooked the chicken breast side up in a preheated skillet to give the thighs a head start and allow the skin to crisp up. Starting in a 450-degree oven and then turning the oven off while the chicken finished cooking slowed the evaporation of juices, ensuring moist, tender meat, even without brining or salting. A traditional pan sauce pairing lemon and thyme was the perfect complement, and it took just minutes to make while the chicken rested. Pan drippings contributed meatiness, and finishing the sauce with butter gave it the perfect velvety texture. We prefer to use a 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken for this recipe. If roasting a larger bird, increase the time when the oven is on in step 2 to 30 to 40 minutes.

1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded

1          tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

            Salt and pepper

1          lemon, quartered

1          shallot, minced

1          cup chicken broth

2          teaspoons Dijon mustard

2          tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2  teaspoons minced fresh thyme

 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position, place 12-inch cast-iron skillet on rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Meanwhile, pat chicken dry with paper towels, rub with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Tie legs together with kitchen twine and tuck wingtips behind back.

2. When oven reaches 450 degrees, place chicken breast side up in hot skillet. Roast chicken until breast registers 120 degrees and thighs register 135 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes.

3. Arrange lemon quarters cut side down around chicken. Turn off oven and leave chicken in oven until breast registers 160 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Using potholders, remove skillet from oven. Transfer chicken to carving board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. Let roasted lemon cool slightly, then squeeze into fine-mesh strainer set over bowl, extracting as much juice and pulp as possible; press firmly on solids to yield 2 teaspoons juice.

5. While chicken rests, pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet, being careful of hot skillet handle. Add shallot and cook over medium heat until softened, about 30 seconds. Whisk in broth and mustard, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to simmer and cook until mixture is reduced to 3⁄4 cup, about 3 minutes. Stir in any accumulated chicken juices. Off heat, whisk in butter, lemon juice, and thyme. Season with pepper to taste; cover to keep warm. Carve chicken and serve with sauce.

 To secure wings while roasting whole chicken and prevent them from burning, fold them firmly behind neck. They should hold themselves in place.

With the rise of independent distilleries and specialty cocktail bars, it's safe to say that whiskey is having a moment. But for many curious tasters and adventurous drinkers, there’s still a lot of mystery surrounding whiskey and its incarnations.

In our latest Please Explain, Heather Greene, whiskey sommelier and author of Whiskey Distilled: A Populist Guide to the Water of Life, talks about the history, and the many cultural variations of whiskey, along with tips on tasting, pairing and serving suggestions. Dr. Renee Hernandez, owner of Tirado Distillery in the Bronx, will also be joining us to talk about all that’s involved in making his "NY Corn Whiskey.” 

Do you have questions about whiskey, bourbon or other grain spirits? Send us your questions in a comment below, or let us know Twitter or Facebook!

There are trillions of microbes inside of you. They can make you sick, but many of them keep you alive.

Everyone gets a little paranoid sometimes, but with politicians and presidential candidates lobbing warnings about the threat of terrorism left and right, it can be hard to know when to stop worrying. But as psychologist and author David J. LaPorte explains in his book, Paranoid: Exploring Suspicion from the Dubious to the Delusional paranoia can take on many forms and wriggle its way into even the most trusting minds. On this edition of Please Explain, LaPorte answers your questions on the psychology and neuroscience of paranoia and how the uncertainty of the post-9/11 world makes it easy for paranoia to set down roots.

Send us your questions by writing a comment below, or let us know on Twitter or Facebook!