I don’t keep a gratitude journal of all of the wonderful and joyous things I experience every day. Tamar Adler does. And her new book, Feast on Your Life: Kitchen Meditations for Every Day, reveals her moments of awe and gratitude in the kitchen. Tamar is the award-winning author of An Everlasting Meal. (She was awarded by both the James Beard Foundation and the International Association of Culinary Professionals.)

She has cooked at Chez Panisse, Farm 255, and Prune. Formerly she was a New York Times Magazine columnist and a contributing editor at Vogue Magazine.

Her newsletter, The Kitchen Shrink, is on Substack.

Worried about the high price of food these days? Many people are feeling the pinch of grocery store prices these days. Carol Ann Kates has written a book , Grocery Shopping Secrets, filled with tips on buying and storing and using that food. The book covers fruits and vegetables and meats and fish and cheese. Everything in the grocery.

I am thrilled that the book has a wonderful index which makes it easy to find the answers to your questions. Listen. It’s on Tip of the Tongue.

This is a reference book that covers so many different foods. It covers seasonal foods all year round.

This is the first episode of an intermittent series about the birth and the development of a new project in Evergreen, Colorado, The Hummingbird Club. The project is the brainchild of Sarah and Josh Hess.

Their project is a new restaurant that serves brunch every day. It will have a lagniappe hour after the brunch service ends and become a refuge for children after school. You can read the creed of The Hummingbird Club below.

Our Creed

We practice the sacred arts of brunch, kindness, and lagniappe. Food that hugs back, a space that says “stay,” and a promise to show up for our kids and creatives.

This episode will introduce Sarah and Josh, allowing them to introduce themselves and their plans. After The Hummingbird Club opens, we’ll revisit them for an update on how their plans are unfolding and how they are adapting.

A work in progress.

Listen. It’s on Tip of the Tongue.

Although many modern bartenders find the Ramos Gin Fizz to be a nuisance at best. and more work than it is worth at worst. But that famous drink, invented by Charles Ramos, continues to fascinate us. John Shelton Reed, storyteller, author, and historian of the south, tells the tale of the Ramos Gin Fizz in his new book by that name.

John Shelton Reed

Want to know more? Listen. It’s on Tip of the Tongue.

The list of writings by John Shelton Reed is a long one. Notable among them and apropos of this book is his book entitled Dixie Bohemia: A French Quarter Circle in the 1920s, Louisiana State University Press, 2012).

Product development, sales, marketing, and kitchen design all factor into Gaye Sandoz’ career. From an education as a dietician to her work with companies and her mentoring of those who dream of making a living making food, she has stories to tell. I love the one about packing a frozen brisket in her luggage, much to the confusion of airport security.

There is lots to learn from Gaye Sandoz. Listen. It’s on Tip of the Tongue.

Many people work in stressful environments. It can take its toll on you, leading to unhealthy attempts to find relief from that stress. Drugs and alcohol are high on the list of the types of self-medication that might be pursued.. Southern Smoke, a nonprofit organization that supports people in the hospitality industry from the stress of financial insecurity to mental heath issues.

We talk to Cat Bill is the Chief Mission Officer of Southern Smoke. She walks us through their programs like the Emergency Relief Fund, Behind You - the no-cost counseling, and the Crisis Toolkit. These are all available to F & B workers.

A symposium is coming up in November in New Orleans. Check out the line-up. I’ll be there. Listen. It’s on Tip of the Tongue.

Do you consider a restaurant to be a business? Is the chef an artist or a craftsperson turning out identical versions of the same thing? What is your expectation from a restaurant? Adam Reiser has been a part of the wait staff in many high-end restaurants. He has seen many catastrophes happen. And he shares his experiences and his ideas about guests and guest comportment in his new book, The New Rules of DIning Out: An Insider’s Guide to Enjoying Restaurants. Listen to our conversation. It’s on Tip of the Tongue.

Adam Reiner is a James Beard Foundation award-winning writer. Calling on his previous experience as part of the wait-staff at restaurants, he now writes about food for many publications.

When you are looking for a quick way to perk up your cooking, just grab Milk Street Shorts: Recipes That Pack a Punch , a new book from Milk Street. We talk to J.M.Hirsch, James Beard Foundation award-winning writer and Editorial Director at Milk Street about the book and its recipes, with ideas inspired by the library of recipes developed from 10 years of Milk Street. We talk about shortcuts, quick fixes, and my favorite tip from the interview - using an overturned sheet pan on top of cauliflower steaks to cook both sides at once.

You’ll find lots of ideas and inspiration in the book. J.M.’s enthusiasm for deep flavor is contagious. Listen. It’s on Tip of the Tongue.

Dedra Faine is a hospitality maven. But hospitality to her includes love and connection. And when she plans for a public event, these same elements are present. Even if you don’t need her services you can learn abouth her attitudes and priorities from her books.

Her new book is A Breath of Grace: Embracing the Spiritual Gift of Hospitality. We talked about this and more. Listen. It’s on Tip of the Tongue.

Even thinking about the name - The Obituary Cocktail - carries a touch of romance and a touch of the macabre. That is a tantalizing combination. We speak to Sue Strachan, the author of The Obituary Cocktail, for her authoritative take on the cocktail and other things tinged with absinthe.

Sue is also the author of another drinks book, Café Brûlot, about that legendary flaming drink.

We discuss the fine points of the Obituary Cocktail, vermouth and its fragile nature, what kind of gin is best in the drink, and how much absinthe is just right. I put in my plug for Death in the Afternoon. Listen. It’s on Tip of the Tongue.