Sarah Hackney from The National Sustainable Agricultural Coalition (NSAC) talks to us about the Farm Bill and how it impacts American farmers, chefs and diners.  We discuss the changing face of US farming, why the bill took three years to pass in Congress, and the future of sustainable agriculture.

Larry Kass from Heaven Hill Distilleries talks to us bourbon its role in tourism for Louisville, Kentucky.   We discuss the difference between bourbon and other whiskies , how to taste bourbon, why the best bourbons are made in Kentucky, and how the bourbon industry was built.

In the episode of the Find Dining Podcast, we speak with Eric Weiner, founder of Food Trucks In, a company that enables people to discover new food trucks across the United States.

In this episode of the Find Dining Podcast, three-time James Beard Award-winning author Anya von Bremzen talks about what food was like growing up in Soviet Russia.  We discuss Russian mayonnaise, communal apartments and the black market.

In this episode of the Find Dining Podcast, Dodie Stephens of the Asheville Conventions and Visitors' Bureau tells us about the culinary scene in Asheville, North Carolina.  We discuss destination marketing, craft brewing and life in the mountains.

• Check out Asheville's Foodtopia website
• Asheville was named "BeerCity USA" in an Examiner poll 4 years in a row
• The Destination Marketing Association International is honoring the James Beard Foundation with the 2014 Spirit of Hospitality Award
• 19 craft breweries. 84,000 people. Do the math.
• There's lots of ways to explore Asheville's beer scene
• Imbibe Magazine named Asheville one of "75 Places that will Change the Way You Drink"
• Highland Brewing Company is Asheville's oldest craft brewery
• Catch some live music at the French Broad Brewery
• Get adventurous at the artsy Wedge Brewing Company
• Check out the local hard cider, moonshine and sake makers
• Explore the Western North Carolina Cheese Trail
• Chef John Fleer is known for "Foothills Cuisine," and he's opened his new restaurant Rhubarb
• Enjoy a bean-to-bar experience at the French Broad Chocolate Lounge
• Come out for the Asheville Food & Wine Festival

    Food for Thought:

• Q: What is America's most-visited winery?
• A: The Biltmore Winery.

Out of the Frying Pan:

• Restaurant with the Best View: Edison at the Grove Park Inn
• Favorite Farmer's Market: North Asheville Tailgate Market and the City Market
• Chefs to Watch: Katie Button of Curate
• Favorite Food Trucks: Gypsy Queen Cuisine and El Kimchi
• Favorite Place to go for a Craft Cocktail: Top of the Monk
• Favorite Dessert: Beer-a-misu at Chestnut

In this episode of the Find Dining Podcast, Tatiana Gana of Gastro Tours tells us how to take a culinary vacation in Spain.  We discuss Spain's virgin food tourism scene, extended lunches, and how Italy is taking credit for all of the country's olive oil.

• Check out Tatiana's tours on the Gastro Tours website
• Try the specialty foods of Spain, like Iberica ham
• Newport Storm is a beer from Newport, Rhode Island
• Ribera del Duero is a large wine region in the middle of Spain
• When in Spain, eat the suckling lamb
• Traveling within Spain using public transit in the bigger cities and rental cars within more rural areas
• Lunch is the primary meal of the day

Food for Thought:

• Q: What two food products is Spain the biggest producer of in the world?
• A:  Olive oil and air-dried cured ham.

Out of the Frying Pan:

• Best Way to Find Great Restaurants: About.com or ask a taxi driver
• Remember to Pack: An extra t-shirt or two for layers.
• Favorite Hotel: The Urban Hotel in Madrid
• Favorite Spanish Wine:  Cune, a tempranillo from the Rioja region
• Restaurant with the Best View: Parador in Toledo
• Favorite Spanish Restaurant in New York City: Still looking...

In this episode of the Find Dining Podcast, Ann Mah joins us to talk about her new book, Mastering the Art of French Eating. We discuss Julia Child, how beef got to France, and why Americans don't like tripe.

• Check out Ann's fiction book, Kitchen Chinese
• Check out Ann Mah's website
• Sichuan Provincial Government Restaurant is Ann's favorite in Beijing
• Ann received a grant from the James Beard Foundation
• Ann was inspired by Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking
• Does Ann's story remind anybody else of the movie Julie & Julia?
• Americans aren't on board with tripe, but the French are -- especially Andouillette

Food for Thought:

• Q: What was the first A.O.C. (appellation d'origine contrôlée) product in France?
• A: Roquefort Cheese (in 1411).

Out of the Frying Pan Picks:

• Favorite Hotel in Paris: Hotel Le Six
• Favorite Place to go for Wine: Beaune (for Burgundy)
• Favorite Farm: Delbouis Les Bessades (ask for Cathy)
• Restaurant with the Best View: Michel et Sébastien Bras

In this episode of the Find Dining Podcast, Erik Wolf, the Founder of the World Food Travel Association, joins us to talk about the upcoming Foodworx Conferencein Portland, Oregon. We discuss  the state of the food tourism industry, the difference between diners and cooks, and psycho-culinary profiles.

• Check out the Foodworx Conference on February 4, 2014
• The WFTA also hosted the 2013 World Food Travel Summit in Sweden
• Mmmmm...Vegemite!
• Chipotle is one of the big business sourcing ingredients locally
• Foodworx is held at the Gerding Theater at the Armory in Portland's Pearl District
• Deirdre Campbell from the Tartan Group will introduce the conference
• Dana Gunders from the Natural Resources Defense Council will speak
• Tommy Habetz of Bunk's Sandwiches will speak
• See talks from last year's Foodworx Conference
• David Howitt of the Meriweather Group will speak
• Everybody loves Chef Lisa Schroeder of Mother's Bistro & Bar

Food for Thought:

• Q: What percentage of foodies identify themselves as "gourmet"?
• A: 8.1%

Out of the Frying Pan Picks:

• Neighborhoods Foodies Should Try: The Food Truck Pod Downtown
• Favorite Food Trucks: Nong's Khao Man Gai and Whiffies Fried Pies
• Favorite Farmer's Market: Portland's Farmers Market
• Restaurants with the Best View: The Portland City Grill, the Avalon Bar & Grill, Timberline Lodge
• Latest Trend: Vegetarian and Vegan Cuisine
• Favorite Place to Get Coffee: Water Avenue, Portland Roasting Coffee,  Stumptown Coffee Roasters

In this episode of the Find Dining Podcast, James Beard Award-winning chef John Currence of the City Grocery Group restaurants  discusses his new cookbook, Pickles, Pigs and Whiskey: Recipes From my Three Favorite Food Groups and Then Some. We talk about Tabasco sauce, the rise of the celebrity chef and the impact of Hurricane Katrina on his hometown.

• Visit the CIty Grocery website
• Buy John's cookbook
• Commander's Palace is a New Orleans culinary legend
• Early on, John worked at Crook's Corner in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• John was the sous chef at Gautreau's in New Orleans
• John helped the Brennan family open Bacco in New Orleans
• John read Art Culinaire magazine voraciously
• Cochon is the definitive Southern Cajun restaurant in New Orleans
• John set his sights on Zuni Cafe's roasted chicken
• The Picayune's Creole Cook Book is the classic Creole cookbook
• John is on the Board of Directors of the Southern Foodways Alliance
• Comeback Sauce hails from Jackson, Mississippi
• John was so proud of the vegetarian he prepared at Husk in Charleston, South Carolina, it brought him to tears
• John appeared on Season 3 of Top Chef Masters
• John's father's favorite Hungarian restaurant in London is Gay Hussar
• John was inspired by his friend John Besh's cookbook
• After Hurricane Katrina, John helped rebuild Willie Mae's Scotch House in New Orleans

Food for Thought:

• Q: What makes Avery Island, the home of Tabasco Sauce, a unique geological feature?
• A: Avery Island is a salt dome.

Out of the Frying Pan Picks:

• Dish to Order at City Grocery: Shrimp and Grits
• Dish to Order at Boure: The Reuben
• Dish to Order at Lamar Lounge: The Whole Hog Barbecue Plate
• Dish to Order at Snackbar: The vegetarian special
• Dish to Order at Big Bad Breakfast: The Pylon
• Recommended Wines at City Grocery: Venge Scout's Honor Zinfandel, any Dan Costa Pinot, Arista's Pinot

In this episode of the Find Dining Podcast, director David Barrow discusses two of his documentary films: Farm City-State and True Beef. We discuss and the demise of Home Ec.

• Visit the Farm City-State website
• Visit the True Beef website
• Johnson's Backyard Garden is the largest CSA in Austin
• The Boggy Creek Farm was a pioneer in Austin farming
• Wheatsville Food Co-op is an Austin grocery store that features local produce
• Urban Roots is an urban farm for Austin youth
• Ten Acre Organics and Agua Dulce are aquaponics farms
• Cooking with Connally is a high school culinary education program

Food for Thought:

• Q: How many different lean cuts of beef are in a cow?
• A: 29.

Out of the Frying Pan Picks:

• Best Beef Dish: Burnt Ends at Franklin Barbecue
• Where to Buy Beef: Bastrop Cattle Company and Central Market
• Favorite Documentary about Food: A Place at the Table