The Splendid Table

This week, we get into the history, craft, and techniques of homemade Ramen with the brilliant author, Sho Spaeth. We talk about its origins in Japan, the introduction of ramen to the US, and the recent innovation that gave rise to what we know as instant ramen. We learn about the five elements that  go into a bowl of ramen: broth, tare, fat, noodles, and toppings, and how these have been refined...

This week, we’re joined in the studio by food superstar and philanthropist Jamie Oliver. We talk about his start in food, growing up above a small-town pub, and finding himself at the iconic River Café with Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray, and later becoming the TV persona behind The Naked Chef. He talks about his travels, his admiration for women cooks, and the use of his platform to champion nutrition...

Listen on:  Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  Pandora  |  Amazon Music  |  YouTube .  This week, we’re all about mindfulness in our kitchens. First, we explore a whole new meaning of fancy with author and recipe developer Jerrelle Guy. She shares her unusual thinking and creative recipes that can transform your everyday eating. The little extras that can make a dish a bit more celebratory. Jerrelle G...

Listen on:  Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  Pandora  |  Amazon Music  |  YouTube .  This week, we explore flavors and techniques with two incredible guests. First, James Beard award-winning author Henrietta Lovell, aka the Tea Lady, takes us on her tea journey. From discovering the art of tea in China and countries beyond, to teaching us how to taste the nuanced flavor profiles and appreciate the c...

Listen on:  Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  Pandora  |  Amazon Music  |  YouTube This week, it's the final show of our 30th anniversary celebration, recorded from the stage of The Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, MN, where it all began. Francis is joined onstage by some of the best chefs in Minnesota, including American Oglala Lakota Sioux chef, Sean Sherman, Somali-American chef, Jamal Hashi, Karyn...

This week, we’re celebrating the holidays by looking beyond, into global stories that shape the season. First, we talk with Hetty Lui McKinnon about her new book, Linger: Salads, Sweets and Stories to Savor, and what the holidays look like in Australia, where Christmas is hot and the seafood markets buzz at midnight. Hetty reflects on the vegetable forward meals that defined her Chinese Australian...

This week, we’re taking a trip through the South and its food – how it tells the story of a region shaped by migration, memory, and culture. First, we talk with scholar and writer Michael W. Twitty about his new book, Recipes from the American South, a sweeping look at the many communities – Black, white, Indigenous, immigrant – whose traditions built Southern cooking as we know it. Michael reflec...

Today we have a bonus episode for you from Happier with Gretchen Rubin, featuring our very own Francis Lam.  Gretchen Rubin is HAPPIER, and she wants you to be happier too. The #1 bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before gets more personal than ever as she brings her practical, manageable advice about happiness and good habits to this lively, thought-provoking podcast. Gr...

Join us for Turkey Confidential, our must-listen-to annual Thanksgiving Day broadcast! This year’s guests are Samin Nosrat, author of bestseller Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat and Good Things; Brooklyn-based recipe developer Yossy Arefi, author of Snacking Bakes and Snacking Cakes; Vivian Howard, author, TV personality, and chef, known for This Will Make It Taste Good and Deep Run Roots; Evan Kleiman, chef...

This week, we’re celebrating Thanksgiving and looking at the way this American holiday and its food tell our stories. First, we talk with Padma Lakshmi about her new cookbook, Padma’s All American, a celebration of the immigrant dishes and regional traditions that make up our country’s culinary landscape. Padma talks about what she’s learned from years of traveling for Taste the Nation and leaves...

This week, we’re breaking bread in every sense of the phrase. First, beloved actor Tony Shalhoub joins us to talk about his new CNN series, Breaking Bread , where he travels the world to explore the meaning of bread and how it connects us across cultures and tables. Growing up in a large Lebanese American family in Wisconsin, Tony shares memories of food as a bridge between worlds, from kibbeh and...

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...

This week, we’re diving into Italian cooking, from the Pacific Northwest to the Bronx. First, chef and author Joshua McFadden joins us to talk about Six Seasons of Pasta, his love letter to everyone’s favorite food. Known for his hit cookbook Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables, Joshua brings that same seasonal sensibility to pasta, pairing local produce with traditional Italian technique, and...

This week, we’re celebrating new fall cookbooks that belong on your kitchen counter. First, Aleksandra Crapanzano, author of Chocolat: Parisian Desserts and Other Delights, takes us from Marie Antoinette’s early “truffle” to the French art of baking at home. She leaves us with her Chocolate Ganache Tart with Raspberries . Then, Anna Ansari explores the delicious connections across cuisines in Silk...

This week, we’re diving into fall cooking and the beauty of bitter flavors. First, Genevieve Ko, deputy editor at New York Times Cooking, joins Francis to take your fall cooking questions. From freezing smart to cabbage makeovers, Genevieve shares practical advice for making the most of fresh produce and tackling leftovers. She also shares the NYT Cooking piece 15 Ways to Make a Head of Cabbage Di...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora This week, we’re turning peak-season produce into bold, flavorful dishes. First, we talk with Rick Martínez, author of Salsa Daddy: Dip Your Way into Mexican Cooking , about transforming simple ingredients – think tomatoes, onions, garlic, and chilis – into salsas that sing. Rick explains why salsa is its own food group and...

This week, we’re taking the stress out of back-to-school cooking with food that’s fast, fun, and full of flavor. First, we talk with Peter J. Kim, author of Instant Ramen Kitchen, about transforming those humble packets you associate with college kids into surprisingly elegant meals. Peter shares why instant ramen deserves a spot in your pantry and leaves us with his recipe for Aglio e Olio . Then...

This week, we turn up the ovens and test our baking skills with two incredible bakers. First, we talk to LA-based cookbook author and star baker, Nicole Rucker, on why summer is peak pie season, the fruit and flavor combinations that elevate her pies (imagine toasted fig leaves!) and making the best out of her leftover cookies for pie crusts. Nicole's latest book is Fat and Flour: The Art of the S...

This week we’re sharing an episode from our friends at This Old House Radio : Episode 19: Make Your Home Allergy Free + Fix Squeaky Wood Floors This week on  This Old House Radio Hour , we’re talking about something you can’t see but definitely feel: the air inside your home. Kenneth Mendez, president of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, shares the smartest, science-backed ways to impr...

This week, we've got a show full of great ideas and terrific recipes for guesting…and hosting! First, Casey Elsass sits down with us to talk about how to guest like a pro, from tips on arriving prepared to great recipe ideas for sides, salads, appetizers, and desserts like his Mosaic Jell-O . Casey is the author of What Can I Bring: Recipes to Help You Live Your Guest Life. Then, renowned fashion...

This week, it's all about keeping cool and carrying on in the kitchen. First up , chef, farmer, and cookbook author Abra Berens joins Francis to take you calls about  how to best  use  our summer produce.  She’s full of ideas for all that zucchini, btw! Abra is the author of three wonderful cookbooks, Ruffage, Grist, and Pulp, and you can find the recipe for the Summer Squash Escabeche she talked...

Listen on:  Apple Podcasts  |  Stitcher  |  Google Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  Pandora This week, we make our 30th anniversary tour stop in Tampa in partnership with WUSF, where we learn about what makes the food of South Florida so unique. First up, Dalia Colón, host of The Zest  podcast and author of The Florida Vegetarian Cookbook, gives us an overview of the rich Tampa food scene. From its divers...

This week, we talk to two longtime restaurant critics from different parts of the country about what makes their work so interesting and what they're excited to eat. First, Bill Addison, restaurant critic for The Los Angeles Times, talks about his approach to critical writing, his favorite restaurant experiences, and the evolution of California cuisine. He just wrapped up one of the most ambitious...

Have you ever wondered how June looks and tastes in different parts of the country? This week, we visit three different corners of the country to hear about their Junes. Gullah Geechee Chef-Farmer, Matthew Raiford in Coastal Georgia describes this time of year as “where the wild things are”. He tells us how his decision to come back to the south to become a farmer came to be and paints a picture o...

Listen on:  Apple Podcasts  |  Stitcher  |  Google Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  Pandora We're celebrating our 30th Anniversary on the road, and this week, we make our fourth stop in Iowa City in partnership with IPR. We talk to bakers, chefs, restaurateurs, and farmers about the food of the heartland. First up, Shae and Anna Pesek of Over the Moon Farm and T.D. Holub of The Garden Oasis Farm talk abou...