Proof

In a matter of months, Kelli Nevarez went from first-grade music teacher to pitmaster of the Texas Monthly Top 50 barbecue joint La Vaca Barbecue. Reporter Eliza Rothstein shares the story of how Nevarez is reshaping the future of barbecue.

Craving more barbecue tips? Join our grilling expert, Morgan Bolling, as she takes a deep dive into smoke rings.

This podcast miniseries is an audio companion to a forthcoming book from America's Test Kitchen called When Southern Women Cook: History, Lore, and 300 Recipes from Every Corner of the American South. You can preorder the book where books are sold:

Special thanks to our intern Jonny Leonidas who helped make this series a success.

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Transporting a Southern tradition to the North might seem like a tall order, but Cook's Country grilling expert Morgan Bolling knows just how to do it with her annual whole hog roast. Producer Alex Curran-Cardarelli shares the history of whole-hog roasts and Morgan's own story of growth and resilience.

Try a taste of Morgan's home state with her recipe for North Carolina Barbecue Pork. 

This podcast miniseries is an audio companion to a forthcoming book from America's Test Kitchen called When Southern Women Cook: History, Lore, and 300 Recipes from Every Corner of the American South. You can preorder the book where books are sold:

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Ninfa Laurenzo, or Mama Ninfa as many called her, was a trailblazer and an icon in the city of Houston, Texas. She helped introduce a Tex-Mex classic to the United States with her business savvy, food knowledge, and understanding of people. In this episode, we learn about the life that made Ninfa Laurenzo into the legend she's known as today. Reported by Eliza Rothstein.

Make your own Tacos al Carbon with our tried and tested recipe.

This podcast miniseries is an audio companion to a forthcoming book from America's Test Kitchen called When Southern Women Cook: History, Lore, and 300 Recipes from Every Corner of the American South. You can preorder the book where books are sold:

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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In a world where barbecuing is considered "dude food" and men's work, Helen Turner is an institution. She's steadily nurtured her style of Tennessee barbecue the traditional way; by using only smoke to flavor her meats over a fire pit. But this style of barbecue is back-breaking work, and Helen may consider retiring. But is she ready to let go? And who would she pass Helen's Bar BQ down to? Find out on the first episode of our miniseries: When Southern Women Cook: The Barbecue Trailblazers. This episode was reported by Maya Kroth.

This podcast miniseries is an audio companion to a forthcoming book from America's Test Kitchen called When Southern Women Cook: History, Lore, and 300 Recipes from Every Corner of the American South. You can preorder the book where books are sold:

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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For far too long, the art of barbecue and grilling have been considered “men’s work.” But women were cooking with fire since the earliest days of American history, too. In our next miniseries on Proof, hosted by Cook's Country magazine's Toni Tipton-Martin and Morgan Bolling, we profile four women who have been stoking embers and bringing the heat to Southern cuisine. The first episode drops Thursday, August 1!

This series is also an audio companion to a forthcoming book from America’s Test Kitchen called Women Southern Women Cook: History, Lore, and 300 Recipes from Every Corner of the American South. You can preorder the book where books are sold:

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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The cocktail emerges from the dark ages and enters the modern era. In this episode: We meet more innovative mixologists pushing the bounds of what a cocktail can be. And we'll explore the latest installment in the cocktail's long evolution: the zero proof movement.

What should you be looking for when buying non-alcoholic beverages and cocktails? Check out our review of Non-Alcoholic Spirits and Cocktails.

Further Reading:

"After DUI, she quit drinking and opened a bar" by Alexa Juliana Ard, Washington Post

"AN INTERVIEW WITH AQXYL STORMS, OWNER OF MINUS MOONSHINE" by Sam Bail, Third Place Bar blog

A Proper Drink by Robert Simonson

The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails (Edited by David Wondrich & Noah Rothbaum)

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The 1950s to the 1990s are often dubbed as the cocktail's Dark Ages where drinks like Long Island Iced Teas and Midori Sours reined supreme. The drinks from this time are often reviled or ridiculed, but they made important contributions to cocktail history, too. In this episode: How TGI Fridays, Madonna, and the Cosmopolitan helped define this era of the American cocktail.

Further Reading:

A Proper Drink by Robert Simonson

"1970s Ockctails & Disco Drinks" Difford's Guide

"History of the Nightclub" American Nightlife Association

"How TGI Fridays Has Influenced Modern Craft Cocktail Culture" in The Thrillist by Kevin Alexander

Spirits, Sugar, Water, Bitters by Derek Brown with Robert Yule

Straight Up or on the Rocks: The story of the American cocktail by William Grimes

"TGI Fridays Was Once The Hottest Bar In America—What Happened?" in Delish by Hannah Selinger

"The Legacy of Joe Baum" in Edible Manhattan by Nancy Matsumoto

The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails (Edited by David Wondrich & Noah Rothbaum)

"The Soviet Union Paid Pepsi With Vodka and Warships in Decades-Long Barter" in Vinepair by Ashlie Hughes (Illustrated by Gerry Selian)

"This is the Story of the Rainbow Room" in Punch by Joshua David Stein

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Was Prohibition really the Gilded Age utopia that it's made out to be? In this episode: Cocktail innovation happening in unlikely places under unlikely circumstances. We feature the Bees Knees and the Bloody Mary.

Further Reading:

A Spiritous Journey by Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller

"A Study of the Great Immoralities: Saloons in Chicago Before WWI" Ohio State University

"Bootleggers and Bathtub Gin" The Mob Museum

Lost Recipes of Prohibition: Notes From a Bootlegger's Manual by Matthew Rowley

Prohibition's Greatest Myths: The Distilled Truth About America's Anti-Alcohol Crusade, Edited by Michael Lewis & Richard F. Hamm

Smashing the Liquor Machine: A Global History of Prohibition by Mark Lawrence Schrad

"The Dangers of Common Ownership in an Uncommon Industry" by Jessica Starns Attorney At Law, LLC

"The FBI and the American Gangster, 1924-1938" The Federal Bureau of Investigation

"The Man in the Green Hat" The United States Senate

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How did the Industrial Revolution, immigration--and maybe Winston Churchill's mother--give rise to the Golden Age of cocktails in America? We explore the story of the Martini, the Manhattan, and the Daiquiri.

Make yourself a cool Gin Martini with our customizable recipe.

Further Reading:

A Spirituous Journey: A History of Drink by Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller

Difford's Guide for Discerning Drinkers

Imbibe! by David Wondrich

Rise of Industrial America, 1876 to 1900, Library of Congress

SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY DIGITAL EXHIBITS

Spirits, Sugar, Water,Bitters: How the Cocktail Conquered the World by Derek Brown with Robert Yule

"The First American Hotels," JSTOR by Livia Gershon

The Manhattan: The Story of the First Modern Cocktail with Recipes by Philip Greene

The New Craft of the Cocktail by Dale DeGroff

The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails edited by David Wondrich & Noah Rothbaum

"This influential Cuban bartender wants to preserve the elegant tradition of the island’s cantineros" Washington Post by M. Carrie Allan

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The Cricket World Cup started this week, and fans in New York are celebrating the wickets, the fast bowlers, and biryani. How did the rice dish become the meal of the match? Journalist Kunwar Khuldune Shahid reports. (100 Proof will be back on June 20.)

Make Biryani at home with our tested recipe. 

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