Salt & Spine

Latest Episodes:

Taking a global acid trip with Michael Harlan Turkell Aug 14, 2018

Show notes

This week, we're excited to welcome Michael Harlan Turkell to SALT + SPINE, the podcast on stories behind cookbooks.

Michael Harlan Turkell is an award-winning photographer, podcast host, and author of Acid Trip: Travels in the World of Vinegar.

START COOKING TODAY: Bookshop | Amazon

One of Michael's first memorable run-ins with acid wasn't in the kitchen, but in the darkroom developing film in school. Years later, however, a forgotten bottle of wine turned to vinegar, which launched a global pursuit of vinegar and the people, places, and history that influence the pantry staple.

“Most chefs will tell you if a dish is missing something, it’s acid.”

—MICHAEL HARLAN TURKELL

We sat down with Michael at San Francisco's The Civic Kitchen cooking school to talk about the stories behind Acid Trip: Travels in the World of Vinegar.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltandspine.substack.com/subscribe

Blogger Gaby Dalkin on bringing California cuisine to the masses Aug 07, 2018

Show notes

This week, we're excited to welcome Gaby Dalkin to SALT + SPINE, the podcast on stories behind cookbooks.

Gaby is the force behind What’s Gaby Cooking—a popular food blog and, now, a California-inspired cookbook, What's Gaby Cooking: Everyday California Food. She is a private chef-turned food blogger who commands a sizeable following with her captivating social media presence and simple but enticing recipes.

START COOKING TODAY: Bookshop | Amazon

If you’re not a follower, you might have stumbled onto one of Gaby’s Internet-famous recipes—like her guacamole, or her uber-popular Slutty Brownies, which combine cookie dough, Oreos, and brownies into one decadent dessert.

“I think the book is probably more well-rounded than the blog. The blog is very dinner and appetizer focused, because I think people on a day-to-day basis are looking for how to get dinner on the table and then how to entertain on the weekend.”

— GABY DALKIN, ON HER BLOG VS. HER COOKBOOK

We sat down with Gaby at San Francisco's The Civic Kitchen cooking school to talk about her recipes, her path from a super picky eater to today, and the transition from food blogger to cookbook author.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltandspine.substack.com/subscribe

The four elements of great cooking with Samin Nosrat Jul 17, 2018

Show notes

This week, we're excited to welcome Samin Nosrat to SALT + SPINE, the podcast on stories behind cookbooks.

Samin Nosrat is a writer, chef, teacher and author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking. The book was born from a realization in the Chez Panisse's kitchen very early on -- that the key to good cooking could be distilled into four simple elements. It's a work that's been widely celebrated and earned her a James Beard Award.

START COOKING TODAY: Omnivore Books | Bookshop

We were fortunate to grab some time with the busy Bay Area resident, who has been on the go a lot recently. She shares her journey and the long road to turning her cooking philosophy into the simple and beautifully illustrated book. Plus, how she uses her writing to amplify the rich and diverse people in kitchens everywhere whose work and talent often aren't in the spotlight.

“I feel like whatever small power that I’m given I will use to sort of increase that representation and tell their stories.” — SAMIN NOSRAT, ON USING WRITING TO SPOTLIGHT UNDERREPRESENTED VOICES IN FOOD

We sat down with Samin at San Francisco's The Civic Kitchen cooking school to talk about the stories behind Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltandspine.substack.com/subscribe

Chronicling the food of Japan with Nancy Singleton Hachisu Jul 10, 2018

Show notes

This week, we're excited to welcome Nancy Singleton Hachisu to SALT + SPINE, the podcast on stories behind cookbooks.

Nancy Singleton Hachisu is the author of Japan: The Cookbook, a hefty volume with more than 400 recipes that explore the rich, culinary history of Japan, specifically from the 1970s and 1980s. She's a James Beard Award winner and the author of Japanese Farm Food and Preserving the Japanese Way.

START COOKING TODAY: Omnivore Books | Bookshop

In her latest book, Nancy wrote about the importance of understanding the meaning of a recipe "so not to lose the heart or soul from where it came." That shines through, both in her book and in our conversation with her about the many influences and sources she turned to while creating her recipes and building this informative collection of some of Japan's most well-known dishes.

“Japanese food is very insertable...into any menu and very democratic in that way.” — NANCY SINGLETON HACHISU

We sat down with Nancy at San Francisco's The Civic Kitchen cooking school to talk about the stories behind Japan: The Cookbook.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltandspine.substack.com/subscribe

Building menus that evoke memories with Diana Henry Jul 03, 2018

Show notes

This week, we're excited to welcome Diana Henry to SALT + SPINE, the podcast on stories behind cookbooks.

Diana Henry is a poignant and beloved food writer whose 11 enchanting cookbooks explore the diverse flavors and textures of food – from Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes in Crazy Water, Pickled Lemonsto the cuisines of colder climates in Roast Figs, Sugar Snow. In her latest work, How to Eat a Peach, Diana explore menus, stories and the places special to her.

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And much to our delight, Diana is even more obsessed with cookbooks than the Salt + Spine team! So it comes as no surprise that we enjoyed chatting about her enviable collection of more than 4,000 cookbooks.

“You know how smells can remind you of your childhood? Even pictures in cookbooks kind of take me back.” — DIANA HENRY

We sat down with Diana at San Francisco's The Civic Kitchen cooking school to talk about the stories behind How to Eat a Peach.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltandspine.substack.com/subscribe

Jacques Pépin on passing on his culinary lessons to generations Jun 26, 2018

Show notes

This week, we're excited to welcome Jacques Pépin to SALT + SPINE, the podcast on stories behind cookbooks.

Jacques is an award-winning chef, cookbook author, host of several television cooking shows and much more. He's also a grandfather, showcased in his latest work, A Grandfather's Lessons: In the Kitchen with Shorey. The book features simple, fun, and elegant recipes for all ages.

START COOKING TODAY: Omnivore Books | Bookshop*

Jacques has authored more than 30 cookbooks, including notable classical La Technique and La Methode, The Apprentice, Essential Pépin, and others.

“Establishing communication, cooking together, having fun. It’s important.” — JACQUES PEPIN

We sat down with Jacques at San Francisco's The Civic Kitchen cooking school to talk about the stories behind A Grandfather's Lessons: In the Kitchen with Shorey.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltandspine.substack.com/subscribe

A new canon of home cooking recipes with Jessica Battilana Jun 19, 2018

Show notes

This week, we're excited to welcome Jessica Battilana to SALT + SPINE, the podcast on stories behind cookbooks.

Jessica is the author of Repertoire: All the Recipes You Need, which features 75 "real recipes, from real life, that really work."

START COOKING TODAY: Omnivore Books | Bookshop

Previously, Jessica wrote Corn (Short Stack), and co-authored six cookbooks, including Home Grown: Cooking From My New England Rootswith Matt Jennings, Vietnamese Home Foodwith Charles Phan, and Tartine Book 3 with Tartine owner Chad Robertson.

“There is so much power and opportunity in food and cooking for others… and so many interesting ways to like use that skill and kind of harness that.”

We sat down with Jessica at San Francisco's The Civic Kitchen cooking school to talk about the stories behind Repertoire.

* Jessica is the author of Repertoire: All the Recipes You Need, and co-author of six other cookbooks.

* The joy of building a cooking repertoire, by Jessica Battilana // San Francisco Chronicle

* A Green Goddess Dressing for When Speed Matters, by Samin Nosrat // New York Times

* Chained to the Stove: What It's Really Like to Write a Cookbook, by Jessica Battilana // Serious Eats

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltandspine.substack.com/subscribe

Championing immigrant cooking across America with chef Edward Lee Jun 11, 2018

Show notes

In this episode, we pause to remember the legacy of Anthony Bourdain.

This week, we're excited to welcome Edward Lee to SALT + SPINE, the podcast on stories behind cookbooks.

Edward is the author of Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef’s Journey to Discover America’s New Melting-Pot Cuisine, which tells sixteen compelling stories of people redefining culinary traditions across the country. Previously, Edward authored Smoke & Pickles: Recipes and Stories from a New Southern Kitchen.

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In the book, Edward road trips across the United States to uncover the stories of what he calls “America’s new melting pot cuisine.” From beignets in New Orleans to recreating the flavors of Cambodia, Edward doesn’t just explore the roots of these foods, but the people and their unique impact—and he brings us 40 new recipes based on these stories.

“I love food made by immigrants. Not only is it delicious but it often has all the elements I look for in the recipe: simplicity, resourcefulness, frugality. More important to me though: it is often made by those whose voices have been overlooked.”

As a boy growing up in Brooklyn, a Korean-American, and the son of immigrant parents, Edward has always been surrounded by a patchwork of cultural and culinary influences. He’s always been drawn to exploring cultures: in book form, through his restaurants, through TV shows like "Mind of a Chef," through documentaries, and more.

We sat down with Edward at San Francisco's The Civic Kitchen cooking school to talk about the stories behind Buttermilk Graffiti.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltandspine.substack.com/subscribe

Paying homage to legendary cookbook author Paula Wolfert Jun 04, 2018

Show notes

This week, we're excited to welcome Emily Kaiser Thelin to SALT + SPINE, the podcast on stories behind cookbooks.

Thelin is the author of Unforgettable: The Bold Flavors of Paula Wolfert's Renegade Life, a culinary biography of renowned cookbook author Paula Wolfert, featuring more than 50 recipes.

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Wolfert, who spent five decades writing about food and producing nine groundbreaking and hugely influential cookbooks, is credited for introducing couscous, preserved lemons, chicken tagine and countless other Mediterranean ingredients and recipes to American home cooks. In recent years, Paula’s relationship with food has taken on new meaning, as she adapts to living with Alzheimer’s.

“There’s a real craving now for cookbooks and life stories of real weight and [Paula’s] story is so renegade, and she’s such a self-made woman. I think it resonates on a lot of levels.”

Emily’s deep friendship with Paula was the framework for this truly unforgettable work, a deep dive into the story of Paula Wolfert’s life, the global cuisines she so lovingly and expertly adopted, and the lessons we can learn from her renegade life. From more than 50 interviews with Paula—as well as with those who she influenced, from Alice Waters and Thomas Keller to Diana Kennedy and Jacques Pépin—the cookbook and biography came together via crowdfunding on Kickstarter, and was photographed by Eric Wolfinger and edited by Andrea Nguyen.

We sat down with Emily at San Francisco's The Civic Kitchen cooking school to talk about the stories behind Unforgettable.

* Emily is the author of Unforgettable: The Bold Flavors of Paula Wolfert's Renegade Life.

* Who Is Paula Wolfert? A New Biography Gives an Answer, by Mayukh Sen // Food52

* Her Memory Fading, Paula Wolfert Fights Back With Food, by Kim Severson // New York Times

* Paula Wolfert on Her Inspiring New Biography-Cookbook, by Elyssa Goldberg // Bon Appetit

From the Vault with Celia Sack:

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltandspine.substack.com/subscribe

James Syhabout on growing up a refugee and embracing Lao food May 29, 2018

Show notes

This week, we're excited to welcome chef James Syhabout to SALT + SPINE, the podcast on stories behind cookbooks.

Syhabout is the author of Hawker Fare: Stories & Recipes from a Refugee Chef's Isan Thai & Lao Roots, and the chef behind Oakland restaurants Commis, his two-Michelin star restaurant, and Hawking Bird, as well as the San Francisco restaurant Hawker Fare. (The original location of Hawker Fare in Oakland closed last year.)

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Syhabout came to the U.S. as a 2-year-old, his family refugees from Laos fleeing after the Vietnam War, and settled in Oakland. After culinary school, Shyabout moved to Europe and trained in classical French techniques before returning to his roots: both his culinary roots and his Oakland roots.

“It was very important for me to write this book to pass on to my two kids, and have them have Lao food, and have them say, ‘Hey, yeah, our food is a little bit different… we eat from our hands… sticky rice is fantastic.’ You know, don’t shy away from it, like I did.”

Syhabout's first cookbook, Hawker Fare, features nearly 100 Lao and Thai recipes, including some from Hawker Fare the restaurant—from steamed bamboo-shoot casserole with pork belly and coconut milk cooked in banana leaf (Mok naw mai) to Lao green papaya salad (Tum som mak hoong).

We sat down with James at San Francisco's The Civic Kitchen cooking school to talk about the stories behind his first cookbook, Hawker Fare.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltandspine.substack.com/subscribe

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