The Splendid Table

This week it's class warfare in the California wine country. We'll take a look at growth and development versus local culture as new money from the Silicon Valley threatens what's left of the rural lifestyle in the Napa and Sonoma valleys. Our guest is Alan Deutschman, author of A Tale of Two Valleys: Wine, Wealth and the Battle for the Good Life in Napa and Sonoma. Avoiding the fray, Jane and Mic...

It seems that salt has taken on a life of its own these days, now that we can choose the sea we want it from and even the color. We'll take a look at this "white gold" and its relationship to power in America with our guest, Professor Pierre Laszlo, author of Salt: Grain of Life. The Sterns are eating classic regional fare at Harry Caray's, the funky Chicago restaurant founded by the renowned broa...

This week it's a guide to easy summer entertaining with Ruth Reichl, editor-in-chief of Gourmetmagazine. Ruth is an expert hostess and former caterer who believes it's all about beginnings and endings. She leaves us with the only menu we'll need for a season of successful parties: A Lazy Front Porch Supper. Jim's B-B-Q Chicken in Candor, New York, is one of the Sterns' latest finds. They say it's...

This week it's the story behind Greens, the first eatery to turn vegetables into serious, fabulous eating. Today, some twenty years later, the San Francisco restaurant founded by a group of Buddhists is still going strong. Lynne talks with Chef Annie Somerville, the guiding force behind this American classic and author of Everyday Greens: Home Cooking from Greens, the Celebrated Vegetarian Restaur...

"We're taking a look at the groundbreaking culinary revolution that blasted onto the scene in the 1970's, sending foodies of that era into fits of rapture. It was called California Cuisine and it was so new, so hot, and so chic. Our guest, California chef Jeremiah Tower, was front and center in the movement that put fresh-from-the-field, locally grown food onto restaurant dinner plates and, ultima...

This week we'll hear how Buddhism and karma shape the most sophisticated cooking in Southeast Asia. Our guest, David Thompson, calls it "the cuisine that takes no prisoners." He shares a recipe for Thai Grilled Chicken from his book, Thai Food. Jane and Michael Stern are eating Frito Pie from the Five & Dime General Store while strolling the mall in Santa Fe. David Rosengarten reveals some ext...

Food historian Patrick Faas, author of Around the Roman Table: Food and Feasting in Ancient Rome, takes us back to a time when flamingo tongues were finger food and boiling water signaled a decline in your morals. Patrick leaves us with an unusual recipe for Soft-Boiled Eggs in Pine Nut Sauce. It's decadence road food style for the Sterns as they indulge in sub sandwiches at the White House Sub Sh...

"We're fat, we're sick, and it's all your fault!" was the essence of a lawsuit brought by two teenagers against McDonald's. They denied it. Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock set out to find the truth by eating three meals a day for a month at the Golden Arches and documenting the process in his movie Supersize Me. He tells us what he learned.   The Sterns visit D.Z. Akins in San Diego to find out if there...

Broadcast dates for this episode: May 8, 2004

We're taking a look at fungi, organisms that can feed you, make you crazy, take down your house, devour flesh, and save your life. Our guest is Nicholas Money, author of Mr. Bloomfield's Orchard: The Mysterious World of Mushrooms, Molds and Mycologists and an expert on fungus growth and development. In keeping with the theme, Lynne shares her recipe for Portobello "Steaks" with Holy Oil. Jane and...

Lynne talks with Chuck Williams, the creator and vice chairman of the Williams-Sonoma retail empire. Back in the 1950s, when the pressure cooker was sophisticated cookware, Chuck was promoting French copper, couscous pots, and kitchen equipment from Europe. It was all so exciting and new. Nowadays, high-quality professional gear is virtually mainstream and cooks can thank Mr. Williams for his visi...

The gin craze in eighteenth-century London was a 30-year reign that both elevated and devastated an era. We'll hear the story from Jessica Warner, author of Craze: Gin and Debauchery in an Age of Reason. The Sterns are traveling New Mexico's Turquoise Highway and dining among peahens, wild turkeys, and peacocks at the San Marcos Café in Cerrillos. John Willoughby of Gourmet magazine thinks a bottl...

We're taking a look at vegetarian meat substitutes—things with names like tempeh, seitan, and textured soy protein—that make cutting back on animal products easier for beginning vegetarians. Our guest, Crescent Dragonwagon, author of The Passionate Vegetarian, is a long-time vegan and expert chef. Her Deep December Ragoût of Seitan, Shiitakes, and Winter Vegetables is rich and hearty. Who needs be...

Dust off the TV trays. We're partying with Oscar and the stars! Movie buff and food historian Francine Segan shares "Best Picture Menus" to pair with this year's nominees. Penne with Saffron Cream Sauce, Three P's Salad andLemon Cake from Francine's book Movie Menus add culinary drama to Oscar night. It's a blast from the past for The Sterns. They're eating chicken croquettes at Hob Nob Hill in Sa...

This week it's an eater's guide to the port city of Marseille with Daniel Young, author of Made in Marseille: Food and Flavors from France's Mediterranean Seaport. Calamari, the great Marseille passion when it comes to food, is featured in Chez Etienne's Pan-Fried Calamari with Parsley and Garlic. The Sterns are eating lobster bisque and dainty pastries at the Wenham Tea House on Boston's North Sh...

This week it's global politics at the grocery store when our guests Anne Marie Ruff and Kevin Knox examine two sides of the controversial fair trade coffee issue. The Sterns will make vegetarians happy with sensational Southern veggies at Café Atchafalaya in New Orleans and a recipe for Shockingly Sweet Stewed Tomatoes. Wine wizard Joshua Wesson talks bargain Port-style wines. And techno-musician...

When your career involves chowing down on things like fries cooked in bacon fat with a steak chaser, what do you do when your health hits the wall? John Hodgman, food and drinks columnist for Men's Journal, found out. He stops by to tell the funny story of how he navigated the bumpy road to healthy eating. The Sterns, ever faithful to fats, have a bologna find in Pella, Iowa. And, to get us back o...

This week it’s primal cooking at its most seductive—over an open fire. Our guest is William Rubel, author of The Magic of Fire. He leaves us with a recipe for Lamb Kabobs to get us started. The Sterns have found a beautiful woman who makes beautiful food at Café Poca Cosa in Tucson, Arizona. Cheesemonger Steve Jenkins names the best cheese shops in the City of Lights. Sally Schneider, author of A...

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanza, we're here to help with guest Paula Wolfert, author of The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen: Recipes for the Passionate Cook. Paula has fabulous and imaginative do-ahead recipes that will please everyone at your holiday table. The Sterns have escaped it all and are savoring New England hospitality atVermont's Dorset Inn. Josh Wesson talks "grower cha...

The baking season is here, the oven is cranked and we have recipes for you from the great bakers of Paris via Dorie Greenspan. Dorie's book, Paris Sweets: Great Desserts from the City's Best Pastry Shops brings together her best recipe finds, including Korova Cookies and the extravaganza called Opera Cake. The Sterns take the "Mega-Bob Challenge" (and lose) at Bob's Drive-In in Sioux Falls, South...

This week we'll explore the practice of geophagy, the eating of substances like soil, chalk, and clay as a cultural custom or for dietary or subsistence reasons, with our guest Susan Allport, author of The Primal Feast: Food, Sex, Foraging and Love. Evidence of geophagy has been found at archaeological sites and still occurs in much of the world (including the United States) today. Listen in on a...

David Rosengarten, whose new book, It's All American Food, joins us this year for our annual Thanksgiving show. David is a gifted cook who's always looking for great flavors from little work. TheThanksgiving dinner menu he shares with us has an interesting twist and it's all very doable. The Sterns are eating soul food amidst politicos and locals at Florida Avenue Grill in Washington, DC. Food for...

This week we'll explore the often-confusing world of olive oil with Deborah Krasner. With extra-virgin oils going for $37 dollars a quart and higher, we want to know what the oil tastes like before shelling out such an outrageous sum. For her new book, The Flavors of Olive Oil: A Tasting Guide and Cookbook, Deborah taste tested 150 different oils. She'll tell us about three oils she keeps in her p...

This week we’re bringing you a show we recorded live at The Gourmet Institute in New York City. Guests include, Ruth Reichl, editor in chief of Gourmet magazine; Gael Greene, former restaurant critic of New York Magazine; Daniel Boulud, chef/owner, Café Boulud; and the newest television star, Rocco DiSpirito, chef/owner of Union Pacific and Rocco's 22nd Street. Broadcast dates for this episode: No...

Rolling Stone magazine calls Jamie Oliver, known by Food Network devotees as The Naked Chef, a "hot foodie." But there's another side to this tousled British charmer that viewers rarely see, and it's related to his new mission in life. Tune in to hear Jamie give us the scoop, then try his outrageous recipe for the World's Best Baked Onions from his new book, Happy Days with the Naked Chef. Jane an...