Author Ed Southern remembers Granny's Crowded Kitchen Counter and discovers the deeper meaning behind our Holiday gluttony, Heather Newton talks about her family's tradition of eating out for Christmas, and Jon talks about the gift of forgiveness.

Jon talks with an authority on Appalachian cuisine, Chef Travis Milton, Trisha Kostis looks at the tricky family dynamics of the restaurant kitchen, and Tricia Stearns explores motherhood through comfort food.

Jon talks with the founder and cohost of the Skillet podcast, Jen Nathan Orris. An accomplished and career radio journalist, Jen Nathan Orris has spent her career reporting for print and radio, capturing other people's stories. Her remarkably well produced podcast Skillet goes into people's home kitchens to learn how to make a dish that means something to them. But when people show you how they provide for those they love, it tells you a lot more than just how to make a dish. Jon talks to her about how she makes such a tear jerking, nuanced, and rich show about cooking.

Montreal journalist Anna Nguyen explores Birdman and talks to Top Chef's Chris Scott about the new venture. Skillet host Jen Nathan Orris talks about what makes the show so different from other food shows. And Andy Winder explores what he learned about masculinity from the kitchen as a transgender man.

Asheville's new food festival Chow Chow was this weekend, which brought up Jon's skepticism of the relevance of food festivals these days. So the Dirty Spoon crew hit the ground for the 4 day festival to talk to chefs and pioneers in the food world to get their perspectives. Guest interviews feature Sam Jones (Skylight Inn BBQ, Sam Jones BBQ), Kaley Laird (Rhubarb, Benne on Eagle, formerly of Thomas Keller's Bouchon), and Colleen Minton, the founder of Terra Vita Festival in Chapel Hill.

Jon and Catherine visit Chow Chow, a new food festival in Asheville with insight from chef Katie Button and author Ronni Lundy, and, much to Jon's surprise (he kind of hates food festivals, if you remember), he's pretty much on board.

Catherine explores the largest hand made cookie company in the country and digs into the heritage of Moravian culture in the American south. Jon talks about the joys of eating alone.

Author and Journalist Mackensy Lunsford has documented the history of Asheville's burgeoning food scene since the beginning of it's upward trajectory. In the process she has become an award winning journalist and writer. Jon's conversation with her touches on the dwindling of the local news room, living with the label of "fake news", and the future -- or lack thereof -- of a trendy city like Asheville.

Jon talks to Asheville Citizen-Times Journalist Mackensy Lunsford about the importance of food journalism and the state of Asheville's media scene, Deona Kelli Sayed recalls raising her Afghani born son in America, and Ann Hillesland remembers the intimacy of feeding her father during his hospice care.

Jon's conversation with Meredith Leigh, author of the Ethical Meat Handbook, which goes beyond the basics of home butchery, and into the nitty gritty details of what it means to eat meat in a conscious way. This episode opens with Jon's conversation with Meredith, and closes with her reading the intro to the second edition of her book.