The Dirty Spoon Radio Hour

Jon takes a look at some of the highlights from the more than 300 artists playing at this weekends' AVL Fest in Asheville.

Joe Baumann looks at two important tables in his family history. Henry Boyd asks you to take some chances the next time you eat out. And Tricia Stearns resolves a rivalry with brownies.

Gwen Francis-Williams recalls a powerful story of her mother being brave enough to ask for help. Emily Brisse finds encouragement in tough times from a hearty vegetable. And Pat Tompkins explores the wonder of an old cookbook.

Jon talks with Karalyne Winegarner, lead singer and keyboardist for the Nashville Avant-Pop band Flight Attendant. They talk about the band's album, their background in the service industry, and their upcoming show at the Grey Eagle.

Mike Howard recalls the wisdom of the ages for inflation proof foods. And Rachel Odinak remembers her mother and grandmother, the women who caught the fish for the family fish fry.

Sabina Stark recalls the ups and downs of a particular seder night from her youth. Jean Feldeisen recalls the horror of tasting margarin for the first time. And Jon talks with Chef William Dissen about his James Beard nomination and his upcoming book Thoughtful Cooking: Recipes Rooted in the New South.

Molly Grossman finds cooking as a love language. Henry Boyd explores baking as an act of self improvement. And David Hangman curates a menu inspired by those with whom we are forced to dine.

Janelle Carlson takes a look at the mighty maples of Canada. Sumitra Mattai recalls her husband's first attempt at baking. And Jamie Burke digs into her culinary heritage.

Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Tyler Ramsey joins Jon to dig into his music, discuss his time with Band of Horses, and talk about his forthcoming album, New Lost Ages.

Juanita Mantz tries to make tortillas from scratch for the first time. Debi Lewis sorts through her child's diagnosis and resulting restrictive diet. And Carolyn Cohen helps prepare former inmates for job interviews in the culinary workforce.

Chris Carbaugh reflects on his mother's love through the humble foods he grew up eating. Christine Venzon feels a warm embrace in the form of cold cake and Lori Barrett connects at the drive through.

Patricia Smith discovers and grapples with her mother's dementia through her recipes. Nathan Crawford discovers his love for fresh pasta after locking himself out of his apartment. And we revisit Jon's exploration of what it means to be Appalachian through a simple mantra.

Ellen Scolnic calls a hotline about tater tots. Rachel Gray recalls the evolution of her grandmother's cooking. And Ryan Wells remembers bartending in the UK. All far more exciting than they sound!

Season 6 of Dirty Spoon starts next month! To tide you over, we've got a collection of some of our favorite stories from the past five years. While in transition, Andy Winder learns about masculinity from reflecting on their father's behavior in the kitchen. Tricia Stearns learns to love her enemies -- and that they can often become your greatest teachers -- through brownie pie. We venture into th...

Smitha Murthy recalls the wonders of her mother's kitchen in Bangalore. Laura Brennan finds respite in home made soups while on tour. And Rebecca Brothers makes her peace with pie.

Sumitra Mattai explores the joy and sorrow of Pirate's Booty. Lydia Kwateng Eppic explores the deep story behind recipes. And Jeanine DeHoney recalls her father's red eye gravy and all that jazz.

Jon explores the strange and storied saga of the worlds most controversial seasoning, Mono Sodium Glutamate, chatting with Chef Chris Koetke, and Dr. Tia Rains of Ajinomoto.

Our annual rebroadcast of our Holiday Special is an ever growing project. Each year we hear some of the same stories and music, while sprinkling in a few new ones. Happy Holidays!

Erica Goss recalls life lessons from learning to make zucchini bread as a child in a commune in San Francisco. Mackenzie Jackson looks back on the ever-evolving family dinners in her family. And Rachel Bucci pays tribute to the often overlooked British staple -- beans on toast.

Christine Venzon explores the roots of comfort food. Jon talks with Chef Steven Goff about the legacy and future of the Tastee Diner, a restaurant with nearly eighty years of history in Asheville, and just why the hell anyone would take on the responsibility of a legacy restaurant?

Lucy Zhang explores language and food minutes before a menudo shop closes. Elana Rabinowitz learns some valuable lessons from two different tea parties; one imaginary and one very real. Vanessa David dives into the world of the school cafeteria in a chapter from her book "The Lunch Teacher." And author Carol Ungar explores the deeper culture behind a simple Jewish dish of root vegetables.

For the second year, Jon has been invited to host the Food Stories dinner at this year's Chow Chow gathering. This special dinner pairs storytellers with chefs who attempt to communicate their stories through food and serves as a fantastic look at how food can be a vessel for story. This episode teases some of the stories from the event's guests, Allison Scott, Ponkho Bermejo, and Stu Helm. The di...

Server Michael Parker hilariously recalls his most trying customers. Journalist Kate Oczypok shares the inspiration of an annual culinary tradition. And travel writer Nikita Ephanov finds a culinary commonality that transports him through both time and across oceans.

Nate Crawford draws a lesson on the curse of bureaucracy from his time at a donut shop in a Philadelphia grocery store, Jeremy Fredricks explores the oldest farmers market in America, and Gina Cornejo walks the Camino de Santiago in Spain.

Haley Fohr is the artist known as Circuit des Yeux. Since 2007 she has released 7 albums under that name while also releasing Americana inspired songs under the moniker Jakie Lynn. Her latest album entitled "-io" is a stark and dark work of modern compositional rock that wrestles with the emotional upheaval of the untimely passing of close friends. She plays in Asheville Sunday, June 5th at the Gr...