This week, we spend the hour with Deborah Madison, one of the trailblazers in popularizing vegetarian cooking in America — even though she’s not a full-time vegetarian herself. We chat with her about how she came to be the founding chef of Greens, likely America's first high-end vegetarian restaurant, at a time when fine dining meant meat at the center of the plate, and her study of Buddhism and the food path it opened up for her. Then she helps us answer your cooking questions. Deborah is the author of the classic Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, The Greens Cookbook, The Savory Way, and her latest, memoir — An Onion in My Pocket: My Life with Vegetables.
Broadcast dates for this episode:
- March 5, 2021 (originally aired)
- March 11, 2022 (rebroadcast)
- May 16, 2025 (rebroadcast)
The Splendid Table: Conversations & Recipes For Curious Cooks & Eaters