The Splendid Table

In each episode of Be My Guest, Ina does what she does best - welcomes a different friend at her home to talk about life, love, and career, all while cooking an amazing meal or two. Before she was a culinary icon, Ina was an iconic host - making her guests feel comfortable just as easily as she makes a four-course meal. Who wouldn’t want to spend an evening with her?
In this episode, actress Jennifer Garner joins her very own “queen” and “kitchen fairy,” Ina. As they revamp Jennifer’s grandmother’s cornbread recipe and make pizzas, they talk about Jennifer’s childhood in West Virginia, what it was like to move to Manhattan, and what she ate on repeat while filming 13 Going on 30.
If you like the episode, be sure to follow Be My Guest with Ina Garten wherever you get your podcasts. And so, without further ado, here’s an episode of Be My Guest with Ina Garten.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora
This week, it’s the food journeys of two chefs. First, TV Star and author Carla Hall joins us to talk about her latest show, Chasing Flavor. She brings us stories about her filming and travels and the connection between people and their food. She sticks around to answer some of your cooking questions. Carla Hall hosts the MAX series, Chasing Flavor, and is the author of Carla's Soul Food: Every Day and Celebration. Then, we sat down with Atlanta chef Todd Richards to talk about the interesting and varied influences on soul food. He talks about the foods from West Africa, how they traveled across the Caribbean, and how the dishes have evolved. He left us with his recipe for Haitian Oxtail in Beef Broth with Pikliz. Todd's new book is Roots, Heart and Soul: The Story, Celebration and Recipes of Afro Cuisine in America.
Broadcast dates for this episode:

• 
  
• April 19, 2024 (originally aired)
  
  

When you shop using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you! 

Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show.

We are looking at food stories from different cultures this week. First, documentarian and journalist Von Diaz joins us to talk about her latest book, Islas: A Celebration of Tropical Cooking.  She writes about island cuisine from all over the world and talks about her academic field research, the connections she feels when she is on an island, and the unique dishes she cooked and tasted for her book research. She found commonality among the islands in their cooking techniques, from grilling to smoking and marinating, and shares a delicious, iconic island recipe for CHamoru Barbecue Chicken with Juanita’s Fina’denne’. Then, best-selling author and  Jewish food authority Joan Nathan joins us to talk about her latest book, a memoir My Life in Recipes, Food, Family and Memories. Joan chronicles her start in food, the people she met along the way, her passion for elevating the home cook and her devotion to the regular ritual of sitting down together for a meal.  
Broadcast dates for this episode:

• 
  
• April 5, 2024 (originally aired)
  
  

Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today

This week, we spend the hour with cooking columnist and internet sensation, Sohla El-Waylly. We talk about her connection to food and how she got her start as a pastry chef, writer, and recipe developer. She talks about her work in restaurants and her passion for teaching people how to cook. And she answers your cooking questions, from the best way to cook rabbit to her favorite ice cream flavor. Her latest book is Start Here, filled with recipes that teach techniques, as shown in her Bisteeya Inspired Phyllo Chicken Pie recipe.
Broadcast dates for this episode:

• 
  
• March 22, 2024 (originally aired)
  
  

Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

This week, we're all about the world of restaurants and flavor. First, we talked with Andrew Friedman about his career, writing about American food culture, chefs, and the restaurant scene. He talks to us about his latest project, spending time behind the swinging doors of a restaurant and how all the kitchen roles—from the butcher to the delivery drivers to the dishwasher make the dish you sit down to enjoy.  His latest book is The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food. Then we sit down with Flavor Scientist Arielle Johnson, who talks about the science behind flavor, from flavor perceptions to aroma and the laws of flavor. Arielle's latest book is Flavorama: A Guide to Unlocking the Art and Science of Flavor, and she leaves us with her recipes for Smoke Oil & Smoke Oil Infused Fish.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• 
  
• March 8, 2024 (originally aired)
  
  

Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show

This week, we’re bringing you a show we recorded with LAist in Orange County, CA, one of the richest food scenes in the US. We talk to award-winning journalist Gustavo Arellano about the evolution of OC’s culinary scene, the immigrant influences, and how its diverse foodways continue to be embraced by the different generations. Gustavo is the Los Angeles Times columnist and author of Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America and his latest, A People’s Guide to Orange County; then, Chefs Brenda and Daniel Castillo of Heritage Barbecue join the stage to talk about making Texas barbecue in CA and making it their own and then, Kenneth Nguyen, host of The Vietnamese Podcast and Patricia Huang, former general manager of the famous Asian 626 Night Market, talk about Orange County's Asian street food culture. 

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• 
  
• February 23, 2024 (originally aired)
  
  

Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

This week, we talk to two award-winning authors about their latest work. First, The New York Times cooking columnist Melissa Clark talks to us about her deep dive into the world of salt. From exploring salt harvesting in France to the history and revival of artisanal salts, she walks us through different types of salt and their uses in cooking. She sticks around to answer your cooking questions. Melissa Clark's latest book is Dinner in One, and for a taste of her style, check out her recipe for Roasted Cauliflower & Potatoes with Harissa, Yogurt & Toasted Almonds. Then, award-winning author Crystal Wilkinson talks to us about her new memoir, honoring her maternal ancestors, her kitchen ghosts. She talks about feeling them deeply while cooking and realizing their presence in her life. Crystal's memoir is Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks, and she leaves us with her recipe for Indian Creek Skillet Cornbread. 
Broadcast dates for this episode:

• 
  
• February 9, 2024 (originally aired)
  
  

Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today.

This week, we welcome the cold with delicious soup! Food Stylist Mariana Velásquez Villegas, author of Colombiana: A Rediscovery of Recipes and Rituals from the Soul of Colombia talks us through Colombia's biodiversity and regional identity and the unique foods it inspires like Sancocho. This hearty stew brings people together in a communal dining experience. Be sure to listen to her playlist while preparing it! Then, we talk about Haitian cuisine with award-winning chef Gregory Gourdet as he shares his childhood memories of growing up, commemorating Haitian Independence Day with Soup Joumou, a hearty squash-based soup typically served on New Year's Day. Gregory Gourdet is the chef-owner of Kann in Portland, Oregon, and the author of Everyone's Table. Then, chili sauce entrepreneur Jing Gao, author of The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp, talks about Hot Pot, a zingy broth served in a large metal pot that gets tastier as you feast.
Broadcast dates for this episode:

• 
  
• January 26, 2024 (originally aired)
  
  

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

This week, we explore some of the iconic dishes of the Midwest. First, we talked to chef Paul Fehribach about Midwestern cuisine and the history of its unique dishes as they evolved from generations of immigrants. From the evolution of Midwestern-style barbecue to Cincinnati chili, considered by Paul to be one of the oldest examples of fusion cooking. Paul Fehribach is the author of Midwestern Food, A Chef’s Guide to the Surprising History of a Great American Cuisine. Then, we take a field trip to New York City and visit Burger Scholar George Motz at his new restaurant, Hamburger America, to see what makes an epic hamburger. He walks us through some of the most iconic burgers he’s tasted, their histories, and their different cooking techniques. George Motz is a filmmaker and author. His latest book is The Great American Burger Book.

This week, we’re all about trying some new things in the kitchen. We’ve got unexpected ideas from our listeners and from pros like Milk Bar’s Christina Tosi. Food & Wine’s restaurant editor Khushbu Shah weighs in on the best way to cook rice and their wine editor Ray Isle turns to canned wine. Chef Pierre Thiam introduces us the African super grain fonio, and Ariel Dumas, adventurist cook and a head writer for The Late Show with Steven Colbert, accepts a ratatouille challenge from Francis.
Broadcast dates for this episode:

• 
  
• August 28, 2020 (originally aired)
  
• September 3, 2021 (rebroadcast)
  
• December 29, 2023 (rebroadcast)
  
  
  

Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show