The Splendid Table: Conversations & Recipes For Curious Cooks & Eaters

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)January 17, 2025 (rebroadcast)November 28, 2025 (rebroadcast)Subscribe to @TheSplendidTable on YouTube for full podcast episodes and full-length video interviews!Our annual cookbook giveaway is live!  To enter for free, visit splendidtable.org/cookbookCelebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

Join culinary stars Samin Nosrat, Yossy Arefi, Vivian Howard, and Evan Kleiman for a feast of Thanksgiving wisdom! Samin shares tips on making fluffy mashed potatoes and balancing hosting with cooking. Yossy discusses her easy baking philosophy and no-bake dessert ideas to save the day. Vivian offers thoughts on modernizing traditional dishes and creating comfort food for diverse gatherings. Evan tackles turkey emergencies and reveals secrets for delicious gravy. Prepare for an unforgettable holiday with expert advice and warm insights!

We are a week away from Thanksgiving, and this week, Award-winning authors J. Kenji Lopez-Alt and Deb Perelman give us the best advice on making the perfect Thanksgiving spread. From gravy hot takes to best brining practices and the ideal way to cook a perfect turkey we have you covered. J. Kenji López-Alt and Deb Perelman are co-hosts of "The Recipe with Kenji and Deb" podcast. Deb left us her recipe for delicious dinner rolls, Sour Cream & Chive Fantails. Then, we move on to delicious Indian-inspired desserts with cookbook author Hetal Vasavada. Her flavor combinations will transform your typical bars, cookies, and pies into deliciously nutty and sometimes spicy desserts. Hetal is the author of Desi Bakes, and she left us her recipe for Pistachio & Cardamom Muddy Buddies.Broadcast dates for this episode:November 22, 2024 (originally aired)November 21, 2025 (rebroadcast)Subscribe to @TheSplendidTable on YouTube for full podcast episodes and full-length video interviews!Our annual cookbook giveaway is live!  To enter for free, visit splendidtable.org/cookbookDonate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

Join acclaimed food writer and television host Padma Lakshmi as she explores the immigrant roots of Thanksgiving and shares her alternative to mashed potatoes: podimas. She reflects on traveling for Taste the Nation and the importance of preserving culinary traditions. Meanwhile, prolific baker Dorie Greenspan discusses her new book on simple cakes, offering a delightful sweet potato loaf for the holiday. She reveals the magic of grated vegetables in baking and shares her cocoa-swirled pumpkin bundt recipe, perfect for any festive table.

Yotam Ottolenghi, beloved for his Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, shares insights from his latest book, discussing how dishes like 'Thousand Hole Pancakes' connect us to memories and emotions through texture and taste. Luisa Weiss, author of 'Classic German Cooking,' reflects on her childhood favorites, such as hearty school lunches and the comfort of ‘abendrot’ dinners. Together, they explore the cultural significance and global diversity of comfort food, challenging stereotypes while celebrating the richness of traditional German dishes like Käsespätzle.

Join acclaimed actor Tony Shalhoub, known for his role in Breaking Bread, as he shares tasty Lebanese-American food memories blending cultures from kibbeh to grilled cheese. He discusses how bread connects people and his family's immigration journey. Joining him is Maureen Abood, a cookbook author who specializes in Lebanese baking. She reveals mouthwatering recipes like za'atar manakeesh and explores the art behind these beloved flatbreads. Together, they celebrate the delicious ways food brings us together.

Today we have a bonus episode for you, featuring our very own Francis Lam. How We Survive is an award-winning podcast from Marketplace about the messy business of climate solutions. From the glitz and glam of Miami, to the punishing Arizona desert, to a sinking island that our national security depends on, every season takes listeners on an adventure. We’re finding the innovative, surprising and occasionally disturbing ways that people are navigating solutions to a changing climate.In this episode of “How We Survive,” host Amy Scott is joined by “The Splendid Table” host Francis Lam for a cultivated meat taste test. Plus, Francis shares his go-to recipes for climate-friendly proteins.Deep in the halls of the engineering school at Columbia University, professor Hod Lipson and his former student Jonathan Blutinger are reimagining how meat is made. In 2022, they developed a device that maps the texture of meat.“It's a machine that can poke steak at a bunch of different points and create these high-fidelity texture maps and see more clearly, you know, the toughness of different parts,” explains Blutinger. Lipson adds, “we tried to capture quantitatively, how hard is it to cut it with a knife? How hard is it to poke it with a fork? How hard is it to chew?” They sold that device to a fake meat company, ReDefine Meat, which 3D prints steak.It was during this time that Blutinger came up with a framework for thinking about meat: The uncanny valley of meat. “The uncanny valley is, a thought that a Japanese researcher came up with years ago, where the closer we get to mimicking human likeness with robots, the more we tend to be irked by them,” explained Blutinger. He said the same phenomenon happens when we eat fake meat that’s trying to look, taste and feel like the real thing.“People who are meat eaters are used to the texture, the feeling, the flavor, all the sensory aspects of any meat they've had from the hundreds of thousands of times they've tried it. So as soon as they try something that's trying to mimic that, they're extra cautious,” said Blutinger.We hear all the time that one of the best things we can do for the climate as individuals is eat less meat. But 3D printed meat alternatives are not on the market in the U.S. yet. So the “How We Survive” team got our hands on another new food tech that some argue could allow people to have their steak and eat it too: Cell cultivated meat (which is real meat grown from cells instead of living, breathing animals).Does cell cultivated meat pass the uncanny valley?

Cookbook season is back, and we talk to the authors of some of our favorite picks. We're joined by Carolina Gelen, who talks to us about learning how to cook, her favorite Romanian dishes, and how she comes up with her signature recipes like Butter Beans alla Vodka, a fast, one-pot dish inspired by the famous vodka pasta sauce. Carolina is the author of Pass the Plate: 100 Delicious, Highly Sharable, Everyday Recipes. Then, Sonoko Sakai tells us how to “wafu” our food! Wafu means Japanese in style, and Sonoko takes familiar dishes and adds a little Japanese flair. Check out her recipe for her Pasta with Miso Bolognese Sauce. Sonoko is the author of Wafu Cooking: Everyday Recipes with Japanese Style. Then, Jody Eddy talks to us about the incredible food she found and cooked in religious communities around the world. She walks us through some of her favorite recipes, from condiments and Chicken soup in Tibet to a recipe she learned from a Minnesotan monastery, Honey Glazed Turkey Tinga. Jody's book is Elysian Kitchens: Recipes Inspired by the Traditions and Tastes of the World's Sacred Space.Broadcast dates for this episode:October 25, 2024 (originally aired)October 24, 2025 (rebroadcast)Our annual cookbook giveaway is live!  To enter for free, visit splendidtable.org/cookbookDonate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

Chefs Joshua McFadden and Christian Petroni share their unique takes on Italian cuisine. McFadden, celebrated for his seasonal vegetable pasta, introduces his Nut Ragu, a game-changer for texture in sauces. He also discusses innovative uses for kale in classic dishes. Petroni brings the flavors of the Bronx, showcasing Italian-American comfort food. He dives into the nostalgia of Chicken Scarpariello and the evolution of eggplant parmesan, revealing how authentic recipes fuel his restaurant's success.

Join legendary baker Richard Hart, former head baker at Tartine Bakery, as he shares insights from his book on intuitive sourdough baking. He discusses the art of being a 'yeast farmer' and offers practical tips on maintaining a sourdough starter. Then, explore Southern culinary traditions with chef Ashleigh Shanti, owner of Good Hot Fish, who delves into the rich history of Appalachian cuisine. She also provides a fresh take on classic recipes, bringing warmth and personal stories to the plate.