The Splendid Table

This week we’re sharing an episode of Food Network Obsessed, the official podcast of Food Network. Join host Jaymee Sire and guest Esther Choi - Challenger chef, judge and the owner of Mŏkbar - as they discuss Esther’s introduction to the culinary world and her mission to celebrate Korean culture through her craft. Chef Esther also reflects on her initial introduction to Food Network and the memories she made while cooking with her grandmother. 
On every episode of Food Network Obsessed, host Jaymee Sire sits down with your favorite chefs, food influencers and Food Network personalities to dish on all things delicious in the food world. With guests like James Beard Award semi-finalist, and social justice advocate, Paola Velez and chef and restaurateur Lee Anne Wong, you’ll hear about what inspires them and how cooking and food has shaped their lives and careers. Food Network Obsessed is back with all new episodes. Listen to Food Network Obsessed wherever you get your podcasts.

This week, we dedicate the hour to rest and rice. First, we talk to Adeena Sussman about her Shabbat rituals, from cooking with a sense of spirituality, taking the time to unplug, and connecting with family and friends. She talks about iconic dishes she enjoys making and sharing during Shabbat, like her Jachnun Rolled Yemenite Sabbath Bread, and she sticks around to answer your cooking questions. Her latest book is Shabbat: Recipes and Rituals from My Table to Yours. Then, we enter the world of rice with Chef JJ Johnson, author of The Simple Art of Rice: Recipes from Around the World for the Heart of Your Table. He talks to us about the rice he grew up eating, his research in West African culture, and cooking rice professionally and making it the center of the table, and he sticks around to answer your rice cooking questions. He left us his recipe for Crispy Rice Salad with Quick Pickled Onion.

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• September 22, 2023 (originally aired)
  
  

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This week, we're exploring the history of women and beermaking. First, Theresa McCulla, curator of The Smithsonian's American Brewing History Initiative, explains why beer is a great lens to examine American history and shares the story of Patsy Young, an early American brewer and fugitive from slavery. Then, Atinuke Akintola Diver talks about her feature-length documentary This Belongs to Us, which follows Black women brewers in the American south and finally, beer Journalist Stephanie Grant of Good Beer Hunting shares her favorite beer and food pairings. You can find her newsletter, The Share, here and on Substack. 
Broadcast dates for this episode:

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• September 9, 2022 (originally aired)
  
• September 15, 2023 (rebroadcast)
  
  

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This week, we dive into the world of apples and agave. First, we talk with apple historian Diane Flynt, author of Wild, Tamed, Lost, Revived: The Surprising Story of Apples in the South, about what makes apples so magical and the connection apples have to people. She also teaches us the history of apples in the South and tips on what makes a good cider. Then, we turn to the world of Agave spirits with authors Gary Paul Nabhan and David Suro Piñeda, where we get an understanding of agave as not just an entity but a “whole rainbow of flavors and fragrance” as well as the fascinating craftsmanship behind mezcal and tequilas. Their latest book is Agave Spirits: The Past, Present, and Future of Mezcals.

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• September 8, 2023 (originally aired)
  
  

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This week, we hear from three papa bears who take on the challenge of making mealtime just right. J. Kenji López-Alt of The Food Lab answers your questions about getting kids excited about food and clues us in on techniques and the research behind them. His new book is  Every Night is Pizza Night. Then Momofuku chef and Ugly Delicious star, David Chang and writer Chris Ying join Francis to share their own experiences of fatherhood and how they’ve taken on the toddler mealtime battle. David Chang’s new book is  Eat a Peach, A Memoir. Chris Ying’s latest with Ivan Orkin is Gaijin Cookbook: Japanese Recipes From a Chef, Father, Eater and Lifelong Outsider.
Broadcast dates for this episode:

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• October 2, 2020 (originally aired)
  
• October 1, 2021 (rebroadcast)
  
• September 1, 2023 (rebroadcast)
  
  

Thanks to the farmers and gardeners who are keeping us well-fed this summer. This week, we talk to farmer/activist Leah Penniman of Soul Fire Farm, and chef/farmer Abra Berens.

This week we have stories centered around food, love, and legacy. First, we talk with author Michaele Weissman about meeting her husband's family for the first time, tasting his mother's bread, and later learning its significance and how it represented her husband's life. Her latest book is The Rye Bread Marriage: How I Found Happiness with a Partner I'll Never Understand. Then, we sit with Barkha Cardoz to remember her husband, the late Chef Floyd Cardoz. We talk about their meeting in culinary school in India to admiring how he would add flavor to everything he cooked. In his honor, she is releasing the masala spice blends they created together to continue his legacy. Then, we feature a segment from our sister podcast, The One Recipe, where Chef Pierre Thiam, author of the latest book, Simply West African, talks to host Jesse Sparks about the first time he introduced the love of his life to his aunt and the one recipe that ultimately passed the test, Sauce Feuille. 
Broadcast dates for this episode:

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• August 18, 2023 (originally aired)
  
  

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This week, we’re talking to award-winning Chef Vishwesh Bhatt author of I Am From Here: Stories and Recipes from a Southern Chef. He talks about how he creates dishes with both the flavors of India and those of the American South. He leaves us with his unusual and delicious recipe for Whole Grilled Okra. Then, we sit down with professional chefs’ go-to person when they want to get serious about tortillas, Jorge Gaviria. We dive deep into the modern history of masa (corn dough), the famous food ingredient used to produce sopes, tamales, tortillas, and other dishes. Jorge is the Founder of Masienda and the author of Masa: Techniques, Recipes, and Reflections on a Timeless Staple. He left us with his recipe for Tlacoyo, an oval-shaped masa pocket filled with puréed beans and topped with crema and salsa.
Broadcast dates for this episode:

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• August 26, 2022 (originally aired)
  
• August 11, 2023 (rebroadcast)
  
  

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This week, we take a close look into what makes a national cuisine. Anya von Bremzen talks about her most recent book, National Dish: Around the World in Search of Food, History, and the Meaning of Home. We get into the history, culture, and theories behind the popularization of dishes, from researching the “correct” way to make pot-au-feu in France to looking at the “pizza effect” and the role of borsch in her family’s history. She shares her mom’s recipe for Super-Quick Vegetarian Borsch. Then we get into what may be the Argentinian National drink – mate with Mate & Co.’s sommelier, Tomás Martín Sanchez. He explains the production process, its unique flavor, and the community it brings together with its communal drinking ritual.
Broadcast dates for this episode:

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• August 4, 2023 (originally aired)
  
  

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This week we’re joined by some unusual thinkers on the art of the cookout. First, we get a lesson on barbecue etiquette (who knew) with our favorite duo, Nick Leighton and Leah Bonnema, Hosts of the podcast Were You Raised by Wolves? We get all kinds of tips, from the right way to ask for a family recipe to taking a house tour only if offered by your host. Then, Chefs Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich share their techniques and ideas for cooking over live fire. Their latest book is Chasing Smoke, Cooking Over Fire Around the Levant, and they left us with their recipe for Grilled Peaches with Almond Tahini and Charred Endive. Then, it’s pitmaster Pat Martin talking about the whole hog barbecue culture in West Tennessee and how that whole hog style and tradition of BBQ may be on the path to extinction. His latest book is Life of Fire: Mastering the Arts of Pit Cooked Barbecue, the Grill, and the Smokehouse. You can find his recipe for Grilled Green Beans with Memphis Dry Rub.
Broadcast dates for this episode:

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• July 29, 2022 (originally aired)
  
• July 28, 2023 (rebroadcast)
  
  

Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.