The Splendid Table

We're talking American cheeses this week but we won't be including those ubiquitous, shrink-wrapped, orange blocks seen in every supermarket dairy case. There's a new breed of artisan cheesemakers now turning out luscious, award-winning, handmade varieties and Laura Werlin, author of The New American Cheese , introduces us to the folks who started this renaissance. Think California Teleme so ripe...

We're dropping in at diverse locales this week as we prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July. Southern food historian John Martin Taylor, author of the newly reissued Hoppin' John's Lowcountry Cooking, takes us to South Carolina's coastal plain for boiled peanuts, Pimiento Cheese and Frogmore Stew. We'll go down east with Jane and Michael Stern for that epitome of summer, boiled Maine lobster righ...

If you tune in regularly to The Splendid Table you know that tofu doesn't appear on Lynne's table often. In fact, it never appears. But Deborah Madison's new book, This Can't Be Tofu, inspired us to take another shot at making Lynne a fan of this latest wonder food. Will we succeed? Stay tuned. In the meantime, try Deborah's tantalizing recipe for Lacquered Tofu Triangles with Green Beans and Cash...

Best-selling author Diane Ackerman, of A Natural History of the Senses fame, joins us to talk about our sense of taste; the Sterns take us to Chicago for great steak; tea merchant Bill Waddington discusses the merits of bag vs. loose teas; minimalist cook Mark Bittman introduces us to the easiest of sauces, roasted red pepper puree; and John Willoughby, coauthor of License to Grill, has an eater's...

New York Times restaurant reviewer Ruth Reichl joins us with a conversation about her hilarious new memoir, Tender at the Bone, Growing Up at the Table. Jane and Michael Stern take us to Tea, South Dakota, cheesemonger Steve Jenkins shares his list of the great stinky cheeses,and, Lynne samples jam with grocery guru Al Sicherman in their monthly tasting. Broadcast dates for this episode: April 3,...

We're taking a look at the cultural history of alcoholic beverages in the United States with Andrew Barr, author of Drink: A Social History of America. Jane and Michael Stern take us to Duarte's in the heart of California artichoke country, wine maverick Joshua Wesson advises us on wines to grill by, cheesemonger Steve Jenkins talks cheeses from Auvergne, and legendary cooking teacher, Marion Cunn...

Did you know that graham crackers were named for a preacher and that lobster newburg got its name as the result of a drunken brawl? We've a look at how foods got their names with Martha Barnett, author of Ladyfingers and Nun's Tummies . The Sterns talk gooey butter cake, minimalist cook Mark Bittman has the last word on sun-dried tomatoes, Joshua Wesson is back with wines to drink with the "proble...

This week we're talking with maverick winemaker Randall Graham of California's Bonny Doon Vineyard. Forget the usual Cabernet and Chardonnay ­ Randall says they aren't even compatible with California's climate. Instead, he grows grapes from France's Rhone River Valley to produce his award-winning wines with zany names like "Il Fiasco," "Old Telegram," and "Wine of the Ice Box." Jane and Michael St...