The Splendid Table

This week it’s a celebration of the Fourth of July with a collection of classic interviews. We listen to an interview with Julia Child from our first national broadcast 20 years ago, Mario Batali shares the Italian way with vegetables and Sally Schneider of Improvised Life joins us with a primer in cooking with fresh cherries. Mediterranean food scholar Claudia Roden brings us ideas for exceptional grilling from the Middle East, wine expert Joshua Wesson pairs wine with sweet corn and TeaSource’s Bill Waddington explains how to make iced tea using the cold-brew method. When it comes to barbecue sauce, Kansas City-style sauces have become the national norm. America’s Test Kitchen reveals the results of a bottled sauce taste test and shares off-kilter, but surprisingly delicious, uses for barbecue sauce at your next party.
Broadcast dates for this episode:

• July 3, 2015 (originally aired)
• June 30, 2017 (rebroadcast)

Lynne Rossetto Kasper chats with Caroline Eden and Eleanor Ford about their new book, Samarkand, a collection of essays, photos, and recipes from central Asia. Culinary historian Michael Twitty tells Joe Yonan about his deeply personal look at the African-American/Southern food tradition in The Cooking Gene, and Molly Birnbaum from America's Test Kitchen checks in with Sally Swift about the very best part of Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Broadcast dates for this episode:

• June 24, 2016 (originally aired)
• June 23, 2017 (rebroadcast)

In an extended conversation with host Francis Lam, Southern food historian John T. Edge (The Potlikker Papers) discusses the different influences that two southern icons, Colonel Harland Sanders and Mahalia Jackson, had on the popular fast food of the region – fried chicken. Read more about Mahalia Jackson’s fried chicken legacy at Southern Foodways Alliance website.

 

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• June 20, 2017

Host Francis Lam talks to Will Guidara about what defines great service, Joe Yonan finds meatless smoking options with Project Smoke author Steve Raichlen, and Corey Lee tells Francis about his new "covers" restaurant. Plus, Melissa Clark gets a refresher on low-alcohol summer drinks from Spritz co-author Talia Baiocchi. And Lisa McManus from America's Test Kitchen talks about their recent review of espresso machines; she tells us about the winners and gives some advice for marking the perfect espresso drink at home.
Broadcast dates for this episode:

• May 27, 2016 (originally aired)
• June 9, 2017 (rebroadcast)

Every once in a while, we like to share something extra with our fans and listeners. Our friend at Bon Appétit, Adam Rapoport, recently interviewed host Francis Lam for the Bon Appétit Foodcast podcast. Adam and Francis talk about Francis's early experiences with his new host duties at The Splendid Table, the difficulty of putting words to the page, eating Chrissy Teigen's scalloped potatoes, and how he hosts friends at home. Plus, some football talk for good measure. We hope you enjoy learning a bit more about Francis and why we're so happy to have him hosting The Splendid Table. You can subscribe to Bon Appétit's Foodcast podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast service.

 

 

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• June 6, 2017

This week we talk to hunger activist Robert Egger of L.A. Kitchen about his work feeding seniors, one of the fastest growing underfed populations. Molly Birnbaum, executive editor of Cook's Science at America’s Test Kitchen, is back with her monthly check-in. This time it’s goat's versus cow's milk. Plus Spring chef Skye Gyngell chats with contributor Noelle Carter about seasonal cooking, Taste of Home's Mark Hagen explains rhubarb and we visit the shop True Treats Candy with Susan Benjamin, author of Sweet as Sin.
Broadcast dates for this episode:

• May 13, 2016 (originally aired)
• May 26, 2017 (rebroadcast)

This week we talk to chef Lenny Russo about the realities of committing to local and sustainable in a Midwestern restaurant. He is the author of Heartland. Tucker Shaw of Cook's Science shares the glamourous origin of fettuccine Alfredo in the U.S. and the secret to perfecting the dish at home. We look into the heart of Basque cooking with Alexandra Raij, co-author of The Basque Book, and we get a lesson in how to make nut milks with Dina Cheney, author of The New Milks. Plus, we hear about restaurant regulars and Paris' meat vending machines.
Broadcast dates for this episode:

• April 29, 2016 (originally aired)
• May 12, 2017 (rebroadcast)

Samin Nosrat is the author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. Host Francis Lam recently interviewed her for Episode 630: Recipes - the Good, the Bad & the Ugly. [Ed. Note: find their interview here.] Francis had such a good time talking with Samin that their conversation ended up going long while talking about acid balance, and it was edited out of the main episode. Luckily for you, we set it aside for a bonus podcast. In this Splendid Table Sides segment, Nosrat talks about one of her favorite dishes Pasta alle Vongole (Pasta with Clams), and how she makes it with a technique of layering in wine, lemon, and different acids.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• May 5, 2017

Chris Schonberger, editor in chief of First We Feast, joins us with an insider’s view of the problems surrounding modern food journalism. We learn how the "Vietnamese Madonna" opened a California sandwich shop, and we look at the newest rage in greens -- sea greens -- with Barton Seaver, author of Superfood Seagreens. America's Test Kitchen shares the technique for making perfect, super-fluffy baked potatoes. Plus Lucky Peach's Chris Ying explains how to cook sausage, and Floyd Cardoz shares a curry perfect for weeknights.
Broadcast dates for this episode:

• April 15, 2016 (originally aired)
• April 28, 2017 (rebroadcast)

Guest host David Leite talks to Dr. Drew Ramsey about the connection between food and mental health, journalist Lisa Morehouse reports on Chinese food at the Mexican border, and we dig into the freshly fermented gherkins, dill and fragrant sunflower oil of Olia Hercules' childhood in Ukraine. Her new book is Mamushka. America's Test Kitchen doubles the crunch with North Carolina Dipped Fried Chicken. Plus, why musician Kelis Rogers, author of My Life on a Plate, attended culinary school.
Broadcast dates for this episode:

• March 11, 2016 (originally aired)
• April 14, 2017 (rebroadcast)