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

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | PandoraSummertime means it’s farmers' market season, where you might find yourself surrounded by all sorts of gorgeous and inspiring produce. Andy Schloss has a different idea for what to do with overflowing bags of strawberries, bell peppers, fennel, and fresh herbs – head to the liquor cabinet! He is the author of Homemade Liqueurs and Infused Spirits, and he talked to Noelle Carter about transforming vegetables and fruits into delicious liqueurs. You too can make DIY liqueurs; check out Andy's recipes for Sweet-Pepper Surprise, In Praise of Fraise, and Blueberry Cinnamon.Broadcast dates for this episode:July 2, 2019

In this episode, we look at three amazingly versatile ingredients: peppers, onions and butter. Host Francis Lam visits the home kitchen of Latin food scholar and chef Maricel Presilla. Her latest book is Peppers of the Americas: The Remarkable Capsicums that Forever Changed Flavor. She shows Francis how she makes a few essential pepper-rich sauces and dishes. Speaking of peppers, can't find Hatch green chiles for your chili? Have no fear; America’s Test Kitchen found a fantastic pepper workaround for their Colorado Green Chile recipe. Francis talks about the search for world-class butter with writer Alex Halberstadt. And contributor Joe Yonan talks to Kate Winslow, co-author of Onions, Etcetera, about one of the most underappreciated vegetables of all time. Plus, Francis talks with listeners about cooking anchovy filets, and getting the best out of your cast iron skillet. Splendid Table Video: Francis Lam on how to chop onions.Broadcast dates for this episode:August 11, 2017 (originally aired)August 17, 2018 (rebroadcast)June 21, 2019 (rebroadcast)

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | PandoraAhhh, cake! That sweet four-lettered word that conjures images of comfort and celebration. But for non-bakers, the thought of making a cake usually ends up with a trip to the bakery or supermarket to pick up a store-bought version. That’s where Odette Williams comes in. She has written a book called Simple Cake. The premise is that cake making doesn’t have to be a laborious, complicated and overly fussy thing – in fact, it can be quite simple. Contributor Melissa Clark recently met up with Odette Williams in New York - to talk cake. Odette kindly shared her recipes for Versatile Coconut Cake and Madeleines.Broadcast dates for this episode:June 18, 2019

This week we talk to chef Martin Morales about his book Andina: The Heart of Peruvian Food. While many people know Peruvian cuisine for its seafood and coastal influence, Morales says to get to the soul of the country's food, you need to head for the mountains. We also visit with Keith Dresser from Cook's Illustrated and America’s Test Kitchen to learn how to make Peruvian fish ceviche. Francis Lam goes to El Compadre in Philadelphia, a restaurant famous for its barbacoa and its immigrant rights driven chef Cristina Martinez. And our friend Doc Willoughby tells about cooking with boniatos, one the most popular potatoes in the Caribbean and South America. Plus, Francis talks with listeners about using plantains and jícama in the kitchen, how to make tough goat meat more tender, and he takes a Twitter question about deep-frying at home.Broadcast dates for this episode:June 15, 2018 (originally aired)June 7, 2019 (rebroadcast)

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | PandoraDo you scroll through your Instagram feed, looking all of these gorgeous, perfect food photos, and instead of feeling inspired, you start to feel bad? Like what you're eating that day doesn't quite stack up? Take comfort! You are not alone. The British food writer, journalist and historian Bee Wilson says one of life’s greatest joys –- food and eating -- have become fraught with anxiety and confusion.  She has a new book called, The Way We Eat Now: How the Food Revolution Has Transformed Our Lives, Our Bodies and our World. Contributor Shauna Sever recently talked with her from London.Broadcast dates for this episode:June 4, 2019

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | PandoraWe’re looking at trash from all different angles. Chef Abra Berens, author of Ruffage, rifles through Francis's kitchen to show him the missed opportunities. Visit with Homa Dashtaki of The White Moustache, a yogurt company based in Brooklyn. Homa is determined to turn her yogurt-making waste, whey, into the next kombucha. We discover why the French can’t quite grasp the doggie bag. And, America’s Test Kitchen recommends their favorite reusable items including storage bags, kitchen wrap, and more.Broadcast dates for this episode:May 31, 2019

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | PandoraMaple syrup is not just for pancakes and French toast. More and more people turn to it when they want to sweeten something without using refined white sugar. Beth Dooley and Mette Nielsen cowrote the book, Sweet Nature:  A Cook’s Guide to Using Honey and Maple Syrup, in which they revel in maple syrup’s magical way of completely transforming a dish. Our contributor Shauna Sever talked with them about simple ways we can all get a little bit of that magic. Broadcast dates for this episode:May 21, 2019

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | PandoraMay is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this week we’re devoting the entire hour to personal stories about how food and the food industry can impact our mental health. Restaurateur David McMillan, of Joe Beef in Montreal, talks candidly about his challenge with sobriety in the restaurant world and how it changed the way his restaurants function. Playwright and screenwriter Stephanie Covington Armstrong, author of Not All Black Girls Know How to Eat, tells us her powerful story about eating disorders and the dissonance it has as a black woman. And, body image activist Virgie Tovar talks about the mental health implications of fatphobia, fat discrimination, and the diet culture; her latest book is You Have the Right to Remain Fat.If you are in need of mental health resources or help, see the links on our page splendidtable.org/mentalhealth.Broadcast dates for this episode:May 17, 2019

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | PandoraSo often, conversations regarding healthy eating go straight to health matters below the neck - things like weight management, heart health, managing cholesterol and diabetes.  But some doctors believe that we should be focused on feeding what’s above the neck – our brains.  Dr. Drew Ramsey calls himself a nutritional psychiatrist. He’s an avid researcher of the connection between food, brain function, and mental health at Columbia University – and, he’s a farmer. Contributor Shauna Sever spoke to Dr. Ramsey about his work and how we can work more brain-boosting foods into our diet.This story is part of a larger collaborative partnership with our colleagues at Call To Mind, an initiative from American Public Media to foster new conversations about mental health, for Mental Health Awareness Month. Listen to our full episode Food & Mental Health, in which we spend the entire hour exploring issues around food and mental health. The show features a conversation with Chef David McMillan about substance use disorder and recovery in the restaurant world.  Activist Virgie Tovar talks to us about fat discrimination, shame and body image. And, we hear from playwright and screenwriter Stephanie Covington Armstrong about her very personal experience with an eating disorder.Broadcast dates for this episode:May 7, 2019

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | PandoraThe food scene in Philadelphia is booming and we’re taking you there for an event recorded live at WHYY. Francis Lam talks to three of the people at the forefront of the culinary scene in Philly: award-winning chef and writer Michael Solomonov of Zahav, chef Eli Kulp from Fork and High Street on Market, and Malaysian chef Ange Branca of the James Beard Award-nominated Saté Kampar. And, because who can resist a controversy? America’s Test Kitchen takes a stand on what sandwich is really the sandwich of Philadelphia!Broadcast dates for this episode:May 4, 2018 (originally aired)April 26, 2019 (rebroadcast)