The Splendid Table

This episode is all about the oyster. We meet two cousins -- Ryan and Travis Croxton -- who have reimagined their family oyster business, The Rappahannock Oyster Company on the Chesapeake Bay, and reinvigorated the industry through their innovative oyster farming techniques. Thomas "Uptown T" Stewart is an oyster-shucking fixture in New Orleans; he teaches us how to shuck with swagger. We talk to Joanne Hyppolite, curator at Smithsonian Institution National Museum of African American History and Culture, about the amazing story of Thomas Downing aka The Oyster King of New York City. Dan Souza from America's Test Kitchen shares his expert advice on selecting, grilling and serving oysters. Chef Brandon Jew of San Francisco’s Mister Jiu’s cuts no corners when it comes to handmade oyster sauce. And writer Alicia Kennedy finds solace in a half shell following a family tragedy.
Broadcast dates for this episode:

• March 16, 2018 (originally aired)
• March 15, 2019 (rebroadcast)
• November 8, 2019 (rebroadcast)

Francis Lam spends a fascinating hour with René Redzepi, the groundbreaking chef of Copenhagen’s Noma. His book, The Noma Guide to Fermentation, is a master tome on the technique that he believes is the future of the way we cook.  Francis and René talk about Noma’s influence on the global palate, where Redzepi finds inspiration, and how he achieves an enjoyable work/life balance. America’s Test Kitchen’s Dan Souza (no slouch in the fermentation world either!) brings us an amazingly simple recipe for cultured butter to make at home. We also have clips from a video interview with René Redzepi and David Zilber, the director of Noma's fermentation lab, in which they two do more in-depth on the role of fermentation at the restaurant and suggest a few projects for beginners.
Broadcast dates for this episode:

• November 2, 2018 (originally aired)
• October 25, 2019 (rebroadcast)

As we move into fall, our pull to the oven grows stronger. Cooking in the oven is not only soul-warming, but it happens to be a real time-saver. Food writer Diana Henry has spent nearly two decades traveling across the globe for culinary inspiration. However, inspiration for the recipes for her latest book, From the Oven to the Table, began much closer to home -- with her oven. Diana spoke with contributor Shauna Sever and shared two of her favorite recipes for chicken thighs: Chicken with Prunes, Potatoes, Cauliflower & Harissa and Chicken with Feta Cheese, Dill, Lemon & Harissa Yogurt.
Broadcast dates for this episode:

• October 8, 2019

When you think about Whoopi Goldberg, you likely think of her as an actor, entertainer and television host. But what you probably don’t know about Whoopi is that she is a passionate hostess who takes the art of setting the table and entertaining very serious. Her new book, Whoopi Goldberg: The Unqualified Hostess, is full of creative tablescapes and suggestions for making people feel welcome in your home. Managing Producer Sally Swift talks with Whoopi about how to set a marvelous table and about some of her favorite tabletop collectibles and decor.
 
Broadcast dates for this episode:

• September 24, 2019

Francis inherited a chunk of pu'er tea from his grandfather years ago and has never tasted it. This week he learns the story of that inheritance and tastes it for the first time with tea master, Tim Hsu. Cecile Richards is a national leader for women’s rights and economic justice, and she finds that cooking with her family is exactly what she needs to take care of herself in these turbulent pre-election months. And what does she love to cook? Pie! Her new book is Make Trouble. Food writer Ruth Reichl tells us about an eye-opening experience she had at The Center for Discovery while on the hunt for prosciutto. Tucker Shaw, of America's Test Kitchen, talks about taking care in the kitchen. Plus, Francis talks with a listener about and shares his thoughts on feeding a picky toddler.
Broadcast dates for this episode:

• September 21, 2018 (originally aired)
• September 13, 2019 (rebroadcast)

Melissa comes home to an empty refrigerator save for eggs, scallions and some sad sage and ends up showing us an amazing recipe and technique for Olive Oil Fried Eggs with Scallions, Sage and Turkish Red Pepper. She also has a surefire way to tell if your eggs are fresh, explains how to make the creamiest of scrambled eggs, and how to get those addictive hard-cooked eggs with the perfect jammy center that are all over Instagram.
 
Broadcast dates for this episode:

• September 11, 2019

Adeena Sussman is one of those food writers who immerses themselves into a subject. To say she is enamored of Middle Eastern food, flavors and culture may be an understatement. An American who visited Israel regularly throughout her life, Adeena decided to make Tel Aviv her home in 2015. She has a great gift for teaching others how to embrace the flavors of Israeli cuisine by using border-crossing kitchen staples like tahini, sumac, silan, harissa and za’ater. Her newest cookbook, Sababa: Fresh Sunny Flavors from My Israeli Kitchen, focus solely on Israeli food. Our contributor Melissa Clark recently spoke to Adeena about putting her personal touch on a traditional cuisine.
Broadcast dates for this episode:

• September 10, 2019

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• September 4, 2019

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora
The summer is flying by. And while we can’t slow down time, we can take full advantage of summer vegetables in their full glory. Hetty McKinnon is a Chinese Australian cook and food writer with a passion for vegetables. She’s written a new book on the subject; it’s called Family: New Vegetarian Comfort Food to Nourish Every Day. Our lovely contributor Melissa Clark recently met up with Hetty to talk about some new ways we can incorporate all of those fresh seasonal vegetables into our weeknight cooking routines.
Broadcast dates for this episode:

• August 13, 2019

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora
Welcome to Splendid Table Selects, where we often take a deeper look at the ingredients that change the way we cook. One such ingredient is miso, the fermented bean paste that packs a major umami punch. A lot of us think of miso as an ingredient that makes a soup base, but it’s so much more interesting and complex than that. Kristen Shockey teaches the art of fermentation around the world and at her homestead in Oregon. She and her husband, Christopher, have co-authored a number of books on the subject including their latest Miso, Tempeh, Natto and Other Tasty Ferments. (They also run a fermentation blog Ferment Works.) Kirsten talked with our Managing Producer Sally Swift about the huge difference miso can make to a variety of dishes; she also shared these insightful step-by-step instructions for making miso at home.
Broadcast dates for this episode:

• July 30, 2019