Seasoned

Next time you swat at a fly, think of this: certain flies, and other insects, make the food you love possible: chocolate, apples, almonds, and berries. Insects play a role in the production of ice cream! This hour on Seasoned, we talk with journalist and author Oliver Milman about his book, The Insect Crisis . It’s a fascinating look at our interconnected fates and how the decline in the insect po...

Bridget Lancaster, co-host of America’s Test Kitchen on PBS joins us live to answer your cooking questions and share lots of tips from the last 22 seasons of the show. Bridget is a master at talking about what makes a recipe work. Together, we’ll tackle your grilling questions and we’ll help you troubleshoot your baking. We'll find out what Bridget has in her gadget drawer and her pantry. Plus, ge...

We start this hour of Seasoned talking with journalist and author, John Holl, about the evolution of craft beer and the joys of pairing beer with food. His book is The Craft Brewery Cookbook . And, change is in the air! We also speak with Jamal Robinson and Judi Young. Jamal is the co-founder of the Change In the Air Festival , happening Saturday, June 18 at Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ in New Have...

Ali Slagle is a home cook’s home cook. Her recipes call for simple ingredients, no special kitchen equipment, one or two pots, and can be made in under an hour. We talk with Ali about the philosophy behind her first cookbook, I Dream of Dinner So You Don’t Have To: Low-Effort, High-Reward Recipes . If you’re a busy cook, or you just value efficiency and creativity in the kitchen,...

We talk with recipe developer and cookbook author Jake Cohen about how practicing the ritual of Shabbat affirms his connection to both the gay and Jewish communities he’s passionate about celebrating. Jake is famous for his challah braiding videos ; he shares his challah recipe with us, as well as expert tips for making the bread. He also shares recipes for the always-comforting Roast Chicke...

We’re exploring the food of Puerto Rico with chef María Mercedes Grubb joining from San Juan and writer and professor of food studies, Von Diaz. Von’s cookbook,  Coconuts & Collards , is a beautiful expression of the island. Maria and Von help us understand the context behind a cuisine that endures despite a legacy of colonialism and a very complex food system. Also thi...

We talk with Liz Wluka, Director of Sports Nutrition at UConn, about how athletes fuel their performance—both on the field and in the classroom—with food. She also dispels several nutrition myths bound to help us all make better informed food choices. Plus, former NFL safety-turned-personal trainer Stevie Brown describes his diet as a professional athlete vs. how he eats today. His adv...

If you watch PBS cooking shows, you likely know– and love –Pati Jinich. This hour on Seasoned, we talk with Pati about her latest cookbook and what she considers the double blessing and responsibility of being Mexican-American. Pati is the host of Pati’s Mexican Table on PBS and the PBS primetime docuseries La Frontera . She’s also the resident chef at the Mexican Cultural...

In 2018, the EPA estimated that more food made its way to landfills and incinerators than any other type of trash. This hour, we’re talking with people who help us understand food waste and its impacts. How much food are we wasting and how might we turn food waste into opportunities to reduce food insecurity and generate energy? We talk with Katy Hart, an expert from ReFED, a national non-pr...

You’ll need a glass of water and lots of extra napkins for our hour dedicated to chicken wings—classic Buffalo and beyond. From mild to wild, we talk sauce flavors and more with chicken wing expert and festival judge, Matthew Kourie. Plus, we feature two local restaurants known for their wings. Rino Ouellet, manager at J. Timothy’s in Plainville joins to talk about the tavern's f...

We talk with James Beard Award-winning cookbook author Dorie Greenspan about the influence of her friend, Julia Child; how she tinkers with recipes during development; and that feeling home cooks get when they bake something from scratch. Plus, Dorie shares the backstory for her beloved World Peace Cookies, along with the updated version she created for her latest book, Baking with Dorie .  G...

If you’re a fan of cookbooks and the New York Times food coverage over the years, you won’t want to miss this hour of Seasoned. Amanda Hesser, food writer and founder of Food52, is our guest. Amanda describes her culinary journey, starting with her early travels baking bread in Europe, the very first book that launched her food writing career, and the process of curating “the rec...

Joan Nathan, the authority on Jewish cooking, explains some of the history behind the symbolic food on your Seder plate. Plus, Liz Alpern and Jeffrey Yoskowitz are revitalizing gefilte fish for a new generation of eaters. Liz describes exactly what gefilte fish is and why it’s central to Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine. Finally, Chef Plum sits down with Russell DeBella, general manager and partner...

Are farm-fresh eggs really best? And how can we test for freshness anyway? Calling all egg lovers. . .this week’s episode of Seasoned is for you. Do you have strong opinions about how runny a yolk should be? Do you make the absolute best scrambled eggs on the planet? We invite you to call in with your questions about eggs and chickens , excluding that age-old one. Farmer Julie Christensen, o...

Jamie McDonald of Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ, describes his experiences on the Ukraine/Poland border, where he is volunteering with World Central Kitchen. And, for much of his life, chef Michael Symon has been living with not one, but two autoimmune diseases. This hour on Seasoned, Michael shares his approach to creating recipes that amp up the joy of eating without triggering inflammation or dis...

What are you making for St. Patrick’s Day? Let our conversation with Darina Allen inspire you. Darina has been called “The Julia Child of Ireland,” and she’s a passionate evangelist for Irish food and the traditional ways of cooking. We talk with Darina about her mother’s Irish soda bread and so much more in the reissue of her classic book, Forgotten Skills of Cooking...

You probably know James Beard-award winning chef Scott Conant from Food Network, but did you know he was born and raised in Connecticut? This week on Seasoned, we talk with Scott about how his Waterbury roots shaped his approach to cooking and how he cooks at home. His new cookbook is Peace, Love, and Pasta . Plus, we had "a session" with a nutritional psychiatrist from Harvard. She’s a chef...

We revisit our conversation with one of the creators of the documentary Pizza, A Love Story-- New Haven pizza historian, Colin Caplan. The indie film is a deep dive into the history and the families behind the holy trinity of pizzerias that made New Haven famous: Sally’s, Pepe’s, and Modern. The documentary is airing on CPTV March 3 through March 11 . This episode includes an extended...

Sometimes, the simplest ingredients make the most glorious food. Bread definitely falls into that category. Essentially, we’re talking about flour, yeast, water and salt. You work it into a dough, some magic happens, and you’ve got one of the world’s most perfect foods. This week on Seasoned, we’re talking about that magic with expert bread makers. Carrie Brisson, head brea...

We’re celebrating the craft of pasta making this week on Seasoned. We talk with chef Missy Robbins about her new book, Pasta: The Spirit and Craft of Italy’s Greatest Food with Recipes . And, we visit the New England Pasta Company in Avon, an inclusive workplace where the motto is “everyone belongs.” Plus, we talk with the chef who became famous on TikTok for making fresh p...

When you think of Valentine’s Day, you think of cows, right? You will after our conversation with chocolatier Kimberly Thorn, co-owner of Thorncrest Farm in Goshen. We talk with Kimberly about her very pampered cows and her amazing palate. Plus, we share a few favorite romantic restaurants, take you to one of the state’s newest vineyards, and talk to Southington chocolate maker Rosie M...

We spend the hour with Michelle Tam, the cook and content creator behind Nom Nom Paleo. Michelle has degrees in nutrition and food science, and even though she has a doctorate in pharmacy, you won’t find strict prescriptions in her approach to paleo cooking and eating. She and her husband Henry Fong just published their third cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo Let’s Go! Simple Feasts + Healthy Ea...

We’re in the mood for love this week on Seasoned. Ned and Ariel Fulmer, the husband-and-wife team behind The Date Night Cookbook , join us for this live episode. They talk us through recipes for every stage of a relationship from spicy cocktails to their Netflix and Chili recipe. And, listeners shout out their favorite romantic restaurants in the state. This show was produced by Robyn Doyon-...

The  Sun Wine & Food Fest , held at Mohegan Sun, is just around the corner. This week on Seasoned, we preview the foodie event with two featured chefs: Rocco DiSpirito and Adam Young of Sift Bake Shop in Mystic. We talk with Rocco about the 20th anniversary of his first cookbook, why cooking for yourself is an act of kindness, and reminisce about his earliest cooking influences. Then...

We talk with a food scientist Julian McClements about what we might eat in the future. Think: tastier, healthier versions of plant-based eggs, seafood, and meat. And fun stuff too, like 3-D printed meat. Plus, we learn about meat grown from the cells of animals still mooing and clucking at the farm. COO Amy Chen of Upside Foods in California joins us. We also talk with Chase Purdy, author of Billi...