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

If you love to eat, cook and travel, The Splendid Table is your weekly go-to source. Our public radio program has been connecting people through the common language of food for over three decades. Hosted by award-winning food journalist Francis Lam, each week we bring you fresh voices and surprising conversations at the intersection of cooking, people and culture. We cover all things food – from recipes and restaurants to history and science, farmer’s markets and of course, the Thanksgiving feast. Our wide-ranging, freewheeling guest list includes both world-class and rookie chefs, bestselling authors, scientists, poets, musicians, and even an astronaut in orbit!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Weeknight Kitchen, to receive practical, delicious weeknight-ready recipes. Once a month, we also share a sweet treat or baking recipe. Sign up at Splendidtable.org/newsletter

Produced by American Public Media. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network

Copyright: © Copyright 2026 Minnesota Public Radio

Latest Episodes:

Thanksgiving 2017 Nov 09, 2018

Show notes

This week, The Splendid Table presents unique perspectives on Thanksgiving. We begin with Indian-inspired dishes for your holiday feast. Francis Lam talks with Chef Vikram Sunderam and David Hagedorn, co-authors of the best-selling Rasika: Flavors of India. Contributor Melissa Clark visits with Emma Christensen, author of Modern Cider. Christensen explains the simple steps for making your own hard cider at home. Looking to save time -- and stress -- this Thanksgiving? Managing Producer Sally Swift discusses a wonderful list of tips, tricks, and Thanksgiving hacks with Julia Collin Davison and Bridget Lancaster, hosts of America’s Test Kitchen. We learn about what the Thanksgiving holiday means for immigrants and cross-cultural families from Amy S. Choi and Rebecca Lehrer; they are the cohosts of The Mash-Up Americans. After all the Thanksgiving leftovers have disappeared, you may still have hungry family members at your house. Doc Willoughby shares with us his family recipe for crowd-pleasing Lazy Sunday Pot Roast. Plus, Francis talks with listeners about menu planning for a small Italian-influenced Thanksgiving dinner and a large Friendsgiving get-together.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

November 17, 2017 (originally aired)
November 9, 2018 (rebroadcast)

Unexpected Wines from Unexpected Places Nov 06, 2018

Show notes

Since the holidays are synonymous with entertaining, you may already be thinking about the wine you’ll undoubtedly need to purchase between now and the end of the year. With that in mind, we’ve called in an expert to help you choose unique wines that will impress your guests and hosts without busting your budget. Madeline Puckette is a sommelier, the author of the expansive wine guide Wine Folly: The Master Guide, and creator of the Wine Folly website. She talked with our Managing Producer Sally Swift, and shared her this list of suggestions for unexpected - and affordable - wines from unexpected places

Thanks as always to our presenting sponsor Bob’s Red Mill, who are committed to ensuring the highest quality by maintaining a close relationship with their products every step of the way. For more information about all of Bob’s Red Mill products visit their website.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

November 6, 2018

Gail Simmons's Key 3 Oct 26, 2018

Show notes

Francis Lam is in the kitchen with cookbook author and Top Chef judge Gail Simmons to learn about her Key 3, the three go-to dishes she just can't do without - including the perfect fried egg sandwich. Chef, writer and photographer Michael Harlan Turkell traveled the world in search for unique vinegars for his new book, Acid Trip. He talks with Shauna Sever about his experiences, and discusses the equipment needed to make vinegar at home. Sous vide is an easy cooking technique that involves cooking sealed food in a precisely heated water bath. Molly Birnbaum, executive director of science at America’s Test Kitchen, explains the process and tells us about the winner of a recent sous vide equipment test. And The New York Times Magazine writer Tejal Rao opens her heart to love over a well-shucked oyster. Francis takes listener phone calls to talk about braising projects - large and small - cooking zucchini noodles, and he gets a fan's recipe for a ultra-savory umami powder.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

October 20, 2017 (originally aired)
October 26, 2018 (rebroadcast)

Hard Cider Revival Oct 23, 2018

Show notes

Welcome to Splendid Table Selects, our podcast featuring interviews we find particularly interesting or helpful. This episode, we're talking about hard cider. The alcoholic beverage made from fermented apple juice was popular with early Americans because it was easy to make and was safer to drink than water. Over the years, hard cider became less popular as people began to favor beer, wine, and spirits. Today, cider is making a comeback with small batch cider makers popping up all over. Amy Traverso knows a lot about apples and hard cider; she is food editor at Yankee Magazine, co-host of WGBH's Weekends with Yankee, and author of The Apple Lover's Cookbook. She talked with contributor Rebecca Sheir about the current hard cider revival.

Thanks to our presenting sponsor Bob’s Red Mill. As we get into the thick of apple season - with all of the delicious pies, crisps, cakes, and buckles - Bob’s Red Mill is a great source or all of your baking needs. Visit their website for more information about all of their products and to check out their recipes.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

October 23, 2018

Iconic Desserts Oct 12, 2018

Show notes

Pastry chef Stella Parks, best-selling author of BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts, talks with Francis Lam about the origins of our favorite classic desserts. She shares the history of and her decadent recipe for red velvet cake. (Spoiler alert: there's red wine in it!) SAVEUR writer Leslie Pariseau takes us to India for a grand religious pilgrimage centered around a sweetened rice dish as devotional offering. Biographer Adam Federman shares his thoughts on the life of Patience Gray, one of the most important food writers you have probably never heard of; his book is Fasting and Feasting. America’s Test Kitchen shows us how to perfect a wicked good Boston cream pie at home. And expert halva maker Lisa Mendelson explores modern twists on the traditional treat.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

October 6, 2017 (originally aired)
October 12, 2018 (rebroadcast)

Beer Hacks Oct 09, 2018

Show notes

Here's the situation. You’ve got friends coming over for beers after work. You get home, and there it is. Your beer. On the floor of the garage, not in your fridge. And you can’t find your bottle opener. Have no fear; the King of Beer Hacks is here! Ben Robinson is the author of Beer Hacks: 101 Tips, Tricks, and Projects. He shared a handful of his favorite hacks with Managing Producer Sally Swift including three ways of cooling your beer down quickly -- one of which is quite mind-blowing -- creative workarounds for when you can't find a legit bottle opener, and his advice for the best glassware for beers with specific serving temperatures. Robinson also shared his recipes for the beer cocktails Black Velvet and Amaro and Beer Cocktail. And if you're looking for something fun to pair with your beer or beer cocktail, try Andrea Slonecker’s Pennsylvania Dutch Hard Pretzel recipe.

Our presenting sponsor is Bob's Red Mill, an employee-owned company that offers organic and stone-ground products. As we jump back into baking season, remember that Bob’s Red Mill is a great source for all of your baking needs, from whole grains and flours to foolproof gluten-free baking mixes. For more information about all of their products, visit the Bob’s Red Mill website.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

October 9, 2018

Food From Faraway Places Sep 28, 2018

Show notes

In this episode of The Splendid Table, we are looking at food from faraway places with host Francis Lam. Top Chef contender chef Sheldon Simeon talks cooking the home food of Hawaii. Francis recalls a trip to the remote Faroe Islands and the efforts of chef Leif Sørensen to bring fine dining to an area known traditionally for a subsistence diet. Contributor Melissa Clark explores the rise of British food with Aleksandra Crapanzano author of The London Cookbook. And we find unexpected hospitality in a refugee camp in Calais, France with journalist Shane Mitchell, author of Far Afield: Rare Food Encounters from Around the World. Plus, America's Test Kitchen is serving up the perfect poached egg.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

April 7, 2017 (originally aired)
March 23, 2018 (rebroadcast)
September 28, 2018 (rebroadcast)

Wine Headaches Sep 25, 2018

Show notes

Splendid Table Selects is our sister podcast that features interviews that focus on intriguing topics. This episode, we look at the science behind wine headaches. If you're a person that doesn't get wine headaches, count yourself lucky. For those that do suffer them, some of us at The Splendid Table feel your pain - literally. Dr. Nadia Berenstein is a researcher who writes about science, technology and culture in the context of food for many publications and on her blog Flavor Added. She talked to our friend Russ Parsons about what causes a wine headache, why it only affects some people, and what some people in the wine industry are doing to decrease the effects.

Our presenting sponsor is Bob’s Red Mill. They’re an employee-owned company that, for decades, has offered organic, gluten-free, stone-ground products. Check out the Bob's Red Mill recipe page for main dishes, desserts, and snacks.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

September 25, 2018

Filipino Food Sep 14, 2018

Show notes

This week, we devote our entire show the wonderfully multifaceted food of the Philippines. Amy Besa, author of the award-winning Memories of Philippine Kitchens tells us about the unusual mix of Spanish, Chinese, Mexican, and American influences on Filipino food. Francis Lam goes into the home kitchen of chef King Phojanakong and his mother Emma for a lesson in the delicious seafood sinigang stew. We get an expert list of where to eat great Filipino food across the United States from Joanne Boston of the Filipino Food Movement. We talk to chef Chad Valencia of LASA in Los Angeles about the key ingredients for the Filipino pantry. America's Test Kitchen gives us the recipe and advice for making Filipino-style chicken adobo. And author Jessica Hagedorn reads an excerpt about enjoying the food you love most -- while there's still time -- from her book Dogeaters.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

September 22, 2017 (originally aired)
January 19, 2018 (rebroadcast)
September 14, 2018 (rebroadcast)

Preserving the Taste of Summer Sep 11, 2018

Show notes

As the end of summer draws near, we're making our final efforts to savor the flavors of the season from our gardens and farmers market. For some help we turned to Marisa McClellan, the food preservationist extraordinaire who runs the blog Food in Jars and has written three books on preserving. She talked with our contributor Shauna Sever about some simple ways to take last days of summer produce and keep them forever. Marisa also shared her informative starters guide, Quick Introduction to Canning, as well as her recipes for Spicy Pickled Green Beans and Small Batch Spiced Blueberry Jam. Books by Marisa McClellan: Naturally Sweet Food in Jars, Preserving by the Pint, Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year-Round.

Thanks to our presenting sponsor Bob’s Red Mill. With baking season around the corner, they have all of the essential ingredients any home baker needs. Visit the Bob's Red Mill website for more information.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

September 11, 2018

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