The Splendid Table: Conversations & Recipes For Curious Cooks & Eaters

Latest Episodes:

787: Apples and Agave with Diane Flynt, David Suro Piñera, and Gary Paul Nabhan Sep 06, 2024

Show notes

This week, we dive into the world of apples and agave. First, we talk with apple historian Diane Flynt, author of Wild, Tamed, Lost, Revived: The Surprising Story of Apples in the South, about what makes apples so magical and the connection apples have to people. She also teaches us the history of apples in the South and tips on what makes a good cider. Then, we turn to the world of Agave spirits with authors Gary Paul Nabhan and David Suro Piñera, where we get an understanding of agave as not just an entity but a “whole rainbow of flavors and fragrance” as well as the fascinating craftsmanship behind mezcal and tequilas. Their latest book is Agave Spirits: The Past, Present, and Future of Mezcals.

September 8, 2023 (originally aired)
September 6, 2024 (rebroadcast)

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741: Pizza: Origin, Culture and Making It with Nathan Myhrvold Aug 23, 2024

Show notes

This week, we take a deep dive into pizza with the co-author of the voluminous Modernist Pizza, Nathan Myhrvold. We get into the history, culture, and techniques behind great pizza. We hear stories from his worldwide travels and deep dives into pizza cultures and traditions. Plus, we hear about the culinary lab research devoted to making the best pizza ever, and he sticks around to answer your pizza-making questions. He is the founder of the Modernist Cuisine Lab. Then, we tune into our Family Kitchen series and hear from Journalist Liana Aghajanian about her childhood visits to Chuck E. Cheese and how she felt it was a magical food portal to America.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

September 24, 2021 (originally aired)
September 30, 2022 (rebroadcast)
August 23, 2024 (rebroadcast)

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786: Food and Family with Michaele Weissman, Barkha Cardoz and Chef Pierre Thiam Aug 09, 2024

Show notes

This week, we have stories centered around food, love, and legacy. First, we talk with author Michaele Weissman about meeting her husband's family for the first time, tasting his mother's bread, and later learning its significance and how it represented her husband's life. Her latest book is The Rye Bread Marriage: How I Found Happiness with a Partner I'll Never Understand. Then, we sit with Barkha Cardoz to remember her husband, the late Chef Floyd Cardoz. We talk about their meeting in culinary school in India to admiring how he would add flavor to everything he cooked. In his honor, she is releasing the masala spice blends they created together to continue his legacy. Then, we feature a segment from our sister podcast, The One Recipe, where Chef Pierre Thiam, author of the latest book, Simply West African, talks to host Jesse Sparks about the first time he introduced the love of his life to his aunt and the one recipe that ultimately passed the test, Sauce Feuille.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

August 18, 2023 (originally aired)
August 9, 2024 (rebroadcast)

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785: What Is a National Dish With Anya von Bremzen and Argentina’s National Drink, Mate Aug 02, 2024

Show notes

This week, we take a close look into what makes a national cuisine. Anya von Bremzen talks about her most recent book, National Dish: Around the World in Search of Food, History, and the Meaning of Home. We get into the history, culture, and theories behind the popularization of dishes, from researching the “correct” way to make pot-au-feu in France to looking at the “pizza effect” and the role of borsch in her family’s history. She shares her mom’s recipe for Super-Quick Vegetarian Borsch. Then we get into what may be the Argentinian National drink – mate with Mate & Co.’ssommelier, Tomás Martín Sanchez. He explains the production process, its unique flavor, and the community it brings together with its communal drinking ritual.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

August 4, 2023 (originally aired)
August 2, 2024 (rebroadcast)

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784: All American Summer with Stacey Mei Yan Fong, Jamie Loftus, and Bricia Lopez Jul 26, 2024

Show notes

This week we have everything you need for summer. First up, it’s Stacey Mei Yan Fong with her new book, 50 Pies, 50 States. Stacey decided to commemorate all 50 states in the most American way she could imagine-through their pies! Everything from fruity to savory to salty pies, and she left us with her take on the Minnesota state pie, a Corn Dog-Hotdish Pie with Savory Funnel-Cake Topping. Then we talk to comedian and writer Jamie Loftus about her cross-country hot dog adventure. She takes a deep dive intoits culture and history and ranks her top three hotdogs nationwide. Her latest book is Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hotdogs.Then, we head to an asada, a Mexican-American cookout, with Bricia Lopez. She talks about the must-haves for your bbq party this summer, from salsa spreads to beer cocktails and her favorite cuts of meat to grill. She leaves us her recipe for Citrus and Oregano Pollo Asado. Her latest book is Asada: The Art of Mexican- Style Grilling.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

July 21, 2023 (originally aired)
July 26, 2024 (rebroadcast)

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737: Eating Greek Jul 12, 2024

Show notes

This week, we're talking about the unique cuisine of Greece. Diane Kochilas, author and star of the public television show, My Greek Table joins us from Athens to talk about Greek regional cooking and explore the history and cuisine of the Greek American community. She also lets us in on her favorite dishes to prepare from her garden. Then, we sit with Tara Q. Thomas, who tells us all we need to know about Greek wine, from her favorite producers to the evolution of the pine resin in retsina wines. Then, we head to Queens to listen in on a Greek American family as they prepare their favorite stuffed cabbage, sarmades.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

July 9, 2021 (originally aired)
July 8, 2022 (rebroadcast)
July 12, 2024 (rebroadcast)

764: Women Brewers Jun 28, 2024

Show notes

This week, we're exploring the history of women and beermaking. First, Theresa McCulla, curator of The Smithsonian's American Brewing History Initiative, explains why beer is a great lens to examine American history and shares the story of Patsy Young, an early American brewer and fugitive from slavery. Then, Atinuke Akintola Diver talks about her feature-length documentary This Belongs to Us, which follows Black women brewers in the American south and finally, beer Journalist Stephanie Grant of Good Beer Hunting shares her favorite beer and food pairings. You can find her newsletter, The Share, here and on Substack.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

September 9, 2022 (originally aired)
September 15, 2023 (rebroadcast)
June 28, 2024 (rebroadcast)

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782: Vegetarian Summer Cooking with Hetty Lui McKinnon and the Art of Leftovers with Tamar Adler Jun 14, 2024

Show notes

This week, we talk to two award-winning food writers about how to make the most of your vegetables and leftovers this summer. First up, award-winning vegetarian writer Hetty Lui McKinnon joins us to talk about her latest book Tenderheart, A Cookbook About Vegetables and Unbreakable Family Bonds. She talks to us about her father’s influence on her early life and how it inspired her vegetarian cooking career. She walks us through some of her favorite Chinese-inspired dishes made with a vegetarian twist, like her Sesame Mushroom Toast and Eggplant Char Siu and she sticks around to answer your cooking questions. Then, Tamar Adler, author of The Everlasting Meal Cookbook, brings fresh eyes to leftovers, from super quick ideas to elevate your cooking, like adding coconut water to your rice, and even ideas on what to do with your overcooked fish and those Cheeto crumbs at the bottom of the bag.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

June 9, 2023 (originally aired)
June 14, 2024 (rebroadcast)

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739: Chef Martin Yan’s Culinary Journey Jun 07, 2024

Show notes

This week, we spend an hour with one of Francis’ heroes, Chef Martin Yan. He talks about growing up in China, the time he spent working in the legendary wet markets, and how helping his mom in the kitchen gave him a lifelong lesson in seasonal cooking. From his journey to Hong Kong where he famously learned how to bone-out a chicken in 18 seconds, to his move to attend college in the US, to becoming a trailblazing culinary food show host of Yan Can Cook, his is a story full of determination, achievement, and his trademark humor. He is the author of over twenty cookbooks and is currently the host of Martin Yan, Quick and Easy

Broadcast dates for this episode:

August 27, 2021 (originally aired)
September 2, 2022 (rebroadcast)
June 7, 2024 (rebroadcast)

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748: Dr. Jessica B. Harris May 17, 2024

Show notes

This week, we’re spending an hour with Culinary Historian Dr. Jessica B. Harris. We talk about her start in food writing, how she started making connections between what she ate in Africa and what she ate in America, learn about one of her greatest influences, her mother who she calls her “culinary secret weapon”, and hear the many different ways she studied food, from reading Columbus’ journal to her experiences as a travel editor. She is the author of twelve books including, Iron Pots and Wooden Spoon: Africa’s Gifts to New World Cooking, her memoir, My Soul Looks Back, and High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

January 7, 2022 (originally aired)
January 27, 2023 (rebroadcast)
May 17, 2024 (rebroadcast)

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