The Splendid Table

Host Francis Lam chats with Osayi Endolyn about her introduction to Hoppin' John, and how it led her to explore both her personal background and the influence of African cuisine on the American South. Later, he discusses the intricacies of preparing chicken with Chef Jacques Pépin and building the Impossible Burger with Kurt Soller from Bon Appétit. Also, Melissa Clark talks with the Sporkful's Da...

Zhug, a Yemenite hot sauce, might be the next Sriracha. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt tells Lynne Rossetto Kasper all about it and the simple tools you need to make it. Anya Fernald swears by those same tools in her kitchen, and she chats with Russ Parsons about them and her rules for hosting a good party. In addition, Molly Birnbaum from America's Test Kitchen goes to college for frozen yogurt, Robin Ha dra...

Polar explorer and adventurer Ann Bancroft's latest journey took her to the Ganges River in search of fresh water. She tells Lynne Rossetto Kasper all about it. Plus, Sabrina Ghayour chats with Russ Parsons about simplifying Persian and Middle Eastern cooking traditions, Holly De Ruyter shares the history of Wisconsin supper clubs with Shauna Sever, and No. 7 Sub's Tyler Kord stands up for vegetab...

In an extended interview with host Francis Lam, chef Zoe Adjonyoh recalls her childhood fascination with the food from her father's home country - Ghana. She and Francis also discuss her personal travels to the West African nation in search of more experience with the methods and unique ingredients used in Ghanaian cuisine, and how it all comes together in her debut cookbook Zoe's Ghana Kitchen ....

Magnus Nilsson wrote what may be the definitive book on Nordic cooking, and he tells guest host Melissa Clark that there's more to it than pickled herring. Melissa also talks with John Wurdeman about preserving an 8,000-year-old Georgian wine tradition. Tucker Shaw, from America's Test Kitchen, gives the recipe for making perfect steak frites at home. And managing producer Sally Swift gets the low...

Krishnendu Ray talks with Von Diaz about the history of immigrant foods and their (eventual) acceptance in America. In addition, Molly Birnbaum from America's Test Kitchen examines the challenges of eggs, Steve Sando tells Lynne Rossetto Kasper about what it's like being an heirloom bean entrepreneur, and Marisa Huff explains northern Italy's "aperitivo" time to Shauna Sever. Plus, "Queen of Herbs...

This week it’s a celebration of the Fourth of July with a collection of classic interviews. We listen to an interview with Julia Child from our first national broadcast 20 years ago, Mario Batali shares the Italian way with vegetables and Sally Schneider of Improvised Life joins us with a primer in cooking with fresh cherries. Mediterranean food scholar Claudia Roden brings us ideas for exceptiona...

Lynne Rossetto Kasper chats with Caroline Eden and Eleanor Ford about their new book, Samarkand , a collection of essays, photos, and recipes from central Asia. Culinary historian Michael Twitty tells Joe Yonan about his deeply personal look at the African-American/Southern food tradition in The Cooking Gene , and Molly Birnbaum from America's Test Kitchen checks in with Sally Swift about the very...

In an extended conversation with host Francis Lam, Southern food historian John T. Edge ( The Potlikker Papers ) discusses the different influences that two southern icons, Colonel Harland Sanders and Mahalia Jackson, had on the popular fast food of the region – fried chicken. Read more about Mahalia Jackson’s fried chicken legacy at Southern Foodways Alliance website.   Broadcast dates for this e...

Host Francis Lam talks to Will Guidara about what defines great service, Joe Yonan finds meatless smoking options with Project Smoke author Steve Raichlen, and Corey Lee tells Francis about his new "covers" restaurant. Plus, Melissa Clark gets a refresher on low-alcohol summer drinks from Spritz co-author Talia Baiocchi. And Lisa McManus from America's Test Kitchen talks about their recent review...

Every once in a while, we like to share something extra with our fans and listeners. Our friend at Bon Appétit , Adam Rapoport, recently interviewed host Francis Lam for the Bon Appétit Foodcast podcast. Adam and Francis talk about Francis's early experiences with his new host duties at The Splendid Table, the difficulty of putting words to the page, eating Chrissy Teigen's scalloped potatoes, and...

This week we talk to hunger activist Robert Egger of L.A. Kitchen about his work feeding seniors, one of the fastest growing underfed populations. Molly Birnbaum, executive editor of Cook's Science at America’s Test Kitchen, is back with her monthly check-in. This time it’s goat's versus cow's milk. Plus Spring chef Skye Gyngell chats with contributor Noelle Carter about seasonal cooking, Taste of...

This week we talk to chef Lenny Russo about the realities of committing to local and sustainable in a Midwestern restaurant. He is the author of Heartland. Tucker Shaw of Cook's Science shares the glamourous origin of fettuccine Alfredo in the U.S. and the secret to perfecting the dish at home. We look into the heart of Basque cooking with Alexandra Raij, co-author of The Basque Book, and we get a...

Samin Nosrat is the author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. Host Francis Lam recently interviewed her for Episode 630: Recipes - the Good, the Bad & the Ugly . [Ed. Note: find their interview here .] Francis had such a good time talking with Samin that their conversation ended up going long while talking about acid balance, and it was edited out of the main episode. Luckily for you, we set it aside f...

Chris Schonberger, editor in chief of First We Feast, joins us with an insider’s view of the problems surrounding modern food journalism. We learn how the "Vietnamese Madonna" opened a California sandwich shop, and we look at the newest rage in greens -- sea greens -- with Barton Seaver, author of Superfood Seagreens. America's Test Kitchen shares the technique for making perfect, super-fluffy bak...

Guest host David Leite talks to Dr. Drew Ramsey about the connection between food and mental health, journalist Lisa Morehouse reports on Chinese food at the Mexican border, and we dig into the freshly fermented gherkins, dill and fragrant sunflower oil of Olia Hercules' childhood in Ukraine. Her new book is Mamushka. America's Test Kitchen doubles the crunch with North Carolina Dipped Fried Chick...

This Splendid Table Sides bonus podcast features an extended interview with Shane Mitchell, author of Far Afield . Contributor Shauna Sever talks with Mitchell about her global travels with photographer James Fisher to document stories of hospitality for the book. The discussion includes more details of their visit to a refugee camp known as The Jungle in Calais, France. Shane Mitchell also gave u...

Mexican chef Enrique Olvera joins us this week with a conversation about modern Mexican food. His new book is Mexico from the Inside Out. Melissa Clark talks to Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard, authors of Koreatown: A Cookbook, and Molly Birnbaum, executive editor of Cook’s Science at America’s Test Kitchen, gives us a primer on scallops. Plus Gary Nabhan explains Tucson's new UNESCO designation: City...

What do we talk about when we talk about food? We talk about life, the fuel that keeps us alive and the spirit that makes our cultures live and breathe. We talk about what we want, what we long for, or sometimes, just what we need to get by. In this episode: conversations about the appetites of the legendary writer Jim Harrison, about the women who made American food writing before anyone called i...

We talk to Dr. Maya Shetreat-Klein about her intriguing book, The Dirt Cure. Molly Birnbaum, executive editor of Cook’s Science at America’s Test Kitchen, explains why lamb tastes like lamb, and Bee Wilson has come to believe that changing what we like to eat is the real key to tackling the obesity crisis. Her book is First Bite. Plus Katie Parla, co-author of Tasting Rome, on Rome's changing cuis...

Managing Producer Sally Swift guest hosts this week’s show. Nopi's Yotam Ottolenghi explains his latest cookbook. Food critic Tom Sietsema of the Washington Post talks about selecting the top 10 food cities in the U.S. We get a primer in making yogurt with Cheryl Sternman Rule, author of Yogurt Culture. Lynne talks with rapper/poet Dessa about taking her food convictions with her on the road. Amer...

Writer Rowan Jacobsen goes deep undercover to discover the otherworldly powers of tea while visiting a group of tea connoisseurs in Montreal. Longtime Hawaii resident and The Poke Cookbook author Martha Cheng discusses the history and evolution of her state's classic raw fish salad dish. Chef and Food Network host Simon Majumdar decides to become an American citizen, but not before visiting every...

Lynne Rossetto Kasper shares her retirement announcement with The Splendid Table listeners and welcomes new show host Francis Lam. Writer Lisa Napoli investigates Ray and Joan Kroc, the power couple behind the beginning of the McDonald's empire. Daniel Klein and Mirra Fine take their wonderful online food show The Perennial Plate to Ireland, where they learn about turf-smoked salmon and find thems...

Guest host Melissa Clark of The New York Times heads up a big show this week when we launch a new monthly partnership with America’s Test Kitchen. The premise? Good cooks are not born, they are made. Molly Birnbaum, executive editor of Cook’s Science at America’s Test Kitchen, gives us our first lesson: how to cut an onion. Grocery stores are full of choices, or are they? Journalist Simran Sethi,...

There is a wonderful wide world of potatoes out there, and nearly limitless ways to cook with them. Ragavhan Iyer explores them all in his new book Smashed, Mashed, Boiled, and Baked - and Fried Too! Food writer Joe Yonan considers the hippest, new meat substitute - jackfruit - and says cooking with it doesn't come without difficulties. Although some home chefs are intimidated by sourdough starter...