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

This week, we devote our entire show the wonderfully multifaceted food of the Philippines. Amy Besa, author of the award-winning Memories of Philippine Kitchens tells us about the unusual mix of Spanish, Chinese, Mexican, and American influences on Filipino food. Francis Lam goes into the home kitchen of chef King Phojanakong and his mother Emma for a lesson in the delicious seafood sinigang stew. We get an expert list of where to eat great Filipino food across the United States from Joanne Boston of the Filipino Food Movement. We talk to chef Chad Valencia of LASA in Los Angeles about the key ingredients for the Filipino pantry. America's Test Kitchen gives us the recipe and advice for making Filipino-style chicken adobo. And author Jessica Hagedorn reads an excerpt about enjoying the food you love most -- while there's still time -- from her book Dogeaters.Broadcast dates for this episode:September 22, 2017 (originally aired)January 19, 2018 (rebroadcast)September 14, 2018 (rebroadcast)

As the end of summer draws near, we're making our final efforts to savor the flavors of the season from our gardens and farmers market. For some help we turned to Marisa McClellan, the food preservationist extraordinaire who runs the blog Food in Jars and has written three books on preserving. She talked with our contributor Shauna Sever about some simple ways to take last days of summer produce and keep them forever. Marisa also shared her informative starters guide, Quick Introduction to Canning, as well as her recipes for Spicy Pickled Green Beans and Small Batch Spiced Blueberry Jam. Books by Marisa McClellan: Naturally Sweet Food in Jars, Preserving by the Pint, Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year-Round.Thanks to our presenting sponsor Bob’s Red Mill. With baking season around the corner, they have all of the essential ingredients any home baker needs. Visit the Bob's Red Mill website for more information.Broadcast dates for this episode:September 11, 2018

Francis Lam talks to Caleb Harper, Director of the Open Agriculture Initiative at MIT Media Lab who believes that to feed the world, we need to fully embrace indoor urban farming. Rachel Khong takes us around the world to explore how different cultures prepare and eat eggs. America’s Test Kitchen puts grill tongs to the test. Patrick Comiskey explains the wonderful wines and storied past of the American Rhône.  And we head to Miami for the latest in restaurant openings, and guess what? They’re happening in gas stations! Plus, Francis answers listener questions about foods that are fun for group preparation activities, and cooking Indian food with non-wheat flours.Broadcast dates for this episode:September 8, 2017 (originally aired)June 8, 2018 (rebroadcast)August 31, 2018 (rebroadcast)

Welcome to Splendid Table Selects, our mini-podcast where we serve up one interview that’s taught us something new, inspired us, or just made us better cooks. As we near the end of summertime, we have two things on our mind: watermelon and tomatoes. Thankfully, Vivian Howard is right there with us. Vivian is a terrific chef, author of a best-selling cookbook Deep Run Roots, and the star of the PBS show A Chef’s Life. But most importantly, she’s a Southern cook with a lot of ideas for cooking with these summer beauties. She talked with contributor Shauna Sever, and shared her recipes for BLT Dip, Watermelon Salsa and Endive, Stewed Tomatoes and Pork Shoulder Steaks in Red Curry-Braised Watermelon.Thanks to our presenting sponsor Bob's Red Mill. Visit their website for more information about all Bob's Red Mill products.Broadcast dates for this episode:August 28, 2018

Welcome to Splendid Table Selects, our bite-sized podcast and a place where we share conversations that taught us something new, really inspired us, or just made us better cooks. Ilene Rosen has been making salads professionally for decades and recently published her first cookbook on the subject, Saladish. Rosen's theory in the book is that by bringing together a wide range of ingredients that emphasize contrasting textures and flavors you can build a better salad. Contributor Russ Parsons talked with her and got the wondeful recipes for Cucumbers with Black Sesame Seeds and Sweet Lime Vinegar, Couscous with an Allium Mix and Quick Pickled Red Onions. Enjoy many of our other favorite salad recipes from our Splendid Table Pinterest page.Thanks to our presenting sponsor Bob's Red Mill. Our friends at Bob’s Red Mill are all about combining seasonal vegetables with healthy whole grains like amaranth, buckwheat, bulgur, kamut and spelt. Check out their guide for building a better grain bowl – it includes several recipes and there’s even a guide that helps you chose the best grain for your recipe.Broadcast dates for this episode:August 14, 2018

Chef Jenn Louis joins Francis Lam with her latest work, The Book of Greens, to talk about the wide range of flavor and uses for greens in the kitchen. Sally Swift talks with Omar Allibhoy about making Spanish sauces to spice up your meals. Sally also asked Allibhoy about the secret to amazing Spanish paella. He was happy to share some advice, as well as a recipe and instructional video. Francis gets a lesson in harvesting and eating daylilies from writer and forager Hank Shaw, the mind behind the blog Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook. America's Test Kitchen teaches us about sonker, a silly-named, but seriously delicious treat made with stewed fruit and/or berries. Francis also talks with listeners about grilling fruit and making French onion soup in a slow cooker.Broadcast dates for this episode:August 25, 2017 (originally aired)August 3, 2018 (rebroadcast)

Welcome to Splendid Table Selects, our mini podcast where we share the interviews that inspired us, or just made us more curious eaters. In this Selects, we look at the global phenomenon of Thai rolled ice cream, also known as stir-fried ice cream. This style of ice cream is not simply pulled from frozen buckets by the scoop, instead its liquid base is poured onto a frozen pan and then chopped, mixed, spread and rolled right in front of you. Our contributor Melissa Clark talked with Pheng Vang, who owns two Thai rolled ice cream parlors called Sota Hot & Cold, to learn more about it. We also stopped by Sota Hot & Cold to capture the fast-paced action of making Thai rolled ice cream in a fun video. Watch the video on our story page.Thanks to our presenting sponsor Bob's Red Mill.Broadcast dates for this episode:July 24, 2018

Host Francis Lam looks at one of the relatively unexplored cuisines -- Ghanaian -- with Zoe Adjonyoh, author of Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen. Doc Willoughby from America’s Test Kitchen shares some new thoughts on charcoal grilling. Contributor Joe Yonan has a guide to homemade ice cream with pastry chef Dana Cree; her new book is Hello, My Name is Ice Cream. Field reporter Daniella Cheslow takes us to a unique small game dinner party, where the dishes includes food and drink made with animals that were caught by trappers in the forests of upstate New York.Broadcast dates for this episode:July 21, 2017 (originally aired)July 20, 2018 (rebroadcast)

In the United States, many people choose ‘happy hour’ as a way to unwind after a hectic day at work. A routine that involves heading to a lively bar with pals, and ordering cheap drinks and food within a small window of time.  However, in Italy this end of day ritual is called aperitivo, and no offense to all of the happy hour frolickers, but it tends to be a bit more civilized. Our contributor Shauna Sever spoke with Marisa Huff, the author of Aperitivo: The Cocktail Culture of Italy, to understand the spirit of aperitivo.Our presenting sponsor is Bob's Red Mill, provider of Organic Farro. It's got a great, chewy texture and nutty flavor, and it's perfect in salads, as the base for a dish, or in stews. Find more recipes at the Bob's Red Mill website.Broadcast dates for this episode:July 10, 2018

Host Francis Lam meets up with restaurateur and activist Andy Shallal to talk about how he makes choices, from the decor to the menu, to make a restaurant that appeals to both black and white diners. We meet Jorge Muñoz Zapata, aka The Angel of Queens; since 2004, he has been feeding people on the same corner in Queens every night, funded only by food donations and money from his own pocket. Step inside the glorious Peacock Room with Lee Glazer of the Smithsonian Institution to learn the story behind one of the world's most elegant and adorned dining rooms. And Lisa McManus of America’s Test Kitchen takes on picnic food with a review of the best in pie and cake carriers. Francis talks with listeners about how to cook with the outer leaves and stalks of vegetables like cauliflower and cabbage - and how to use the scraps of lemon - instead of composting them.Broadcast dates for this episode:July 7, 2017 (originally aired)March 30, 2018 (rebroadcast)July 6, 2018 (rebroadcast)