We spend an afternoon with the illustrious and iconic Indian cookbook author and food writer Madhur Jaffrey.

This week, it’s all about surprising stories behind the little tools in your kitchen.

It’s the food of Persia with conversations about fresh herbs, tahdig, a classic fish stew, modern Iranian cuisine, and the Persian pantry.

Chef Kwame Onwuachi & his mom on their culinary origins, Melissa Clark & her unusual Mother’s Day tradition plus her thoughts on what to cook this spring & the Korean tradition of birthday soup.

We delve into Eastern Mediterranean border cuisine with Yasmin Khan and talk to Reem Kassis about her work with modern Arab food.

The aquacultural benefits of eating purple sea urchins. Making rice salad and savory breakfast. America’s Test Kitchen on perfect home-cooked falafel.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

Jorge Gaviria on tortillas, Steve Alvarez on Mexington, ATK on chilaquiles, Wesley Avila on tacos, Fany Gerson on flan, the importance of Mitla Cafe

Broadcast dates for this episode:

Jorge Gaviria on tortillas, Steve Alvarez on Mexington, ATK on chilaquiles, Wesley Avila on tacos, Fany Gerson on flan, the importance of Mitla Cafe

Broadcast dates for this episode:

We are all in on pasta this week!  Francis joins Evan Kleiman, host of Good Food on KCRW, and Dan Pashman of The Sporkful to debate the merits of different pasta shapes in front of a live audience. Then, we talk to Dan about his years-long quest to create his very own pasta shape, cascatelli. And then a true pasta obsessive, Chef Douglass Williams of MIDA in Boston, is in-house to help Francis take your pasta questions.