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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:

For the Love of Fat Mar 20, 2018

Show notes

Welcome to Splendid Table Selects, our spin-off podcast that highlights interviews and stories that we find particularly important to our larger discussions about food. This episode, we're focusing on fat. Fat is one of those ingredients that tends to get a pretty bad rap, but it really shouldn't. Fat is essentially responsible for the flavor, appearance and texture of many of the dishes we love to cook and eat. Celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern defends fat. He says it’s not an evil word; it’s a vastly overlooked and underappreciated ingredient. He joined his friend, food writer Michael Ruhlman, for a conversation about their mutual love of fat.

Thanks to our presenting sponsor Bob’s Red Mill for their support of this Splendid Table Selects podcast series.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

March 20, 2018

The Women's Pages Mar 09, 2018

Show notes

Chef Amanda Cohen is an outspoken critic of food media and sexism in the food industry. She and Francis Lam discuss the changes that need to be made in the restaurant industry to order to get more women excited about and active long-term in professional kitchens. Food writer and journalist Hanna Raskin introduces the groundbreaking women who made American food writing before anyone called it "food writing," by way of the women's pages in popular newspapers. Correspondent Abigail Leonard takes us inside a Buddhist monastery in Japan to learn how Japanese monks are teaching a new generation of chefs to use seasonal ingredients – and zen principles – to elevate their cooking. When it comes to setting it and forgetting it, not all slow cookers can be trusted to get the job done correctly. Lisa McManus from America's Test Kitchen has the results of a recent equipment review. Plus, chef Daniel Patterson talks about his relationship with vegetables -- and meat -- in his vegetable-centric restaurant Coi.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

March 9, 2018

Eating in Space Mar 06, 2018

Show notes

Welcome to Splendid Table Selects, where we pull together some of our favorite interviews -- from the past and present -- to showcase conversations that surprised us, illuminated something new in our world, or have proven to be especially useful in the kitchen. In this Selects, contributor Noelle Carter talks with Col. Chris Hadfield, an astronaut who was the first Canadian commander of the International Space Station and is the author of An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth. Hadfield has enjoyed sharing via YouTube, social media and speaking engagements all aspects of life in space, chief among them eating and handling food in zero gravity. Listen to their conversation and see videos of Hadfield cooking in space at his website. Check out dozens of shrimp recipes you can make here on Earth at The Splendid Table's Pinterest page.

Thanks to our presenting sponsor Bob’s Red Mill for their support of this Splendid Table Selects podcast series.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

March 6, 2018

All About Fondue Feb 20, 2018

Show notes

Welcome to Splendid Table Selects. This is where we pull together some of our favorite interviews -- from the past and present -- to showcase conversations that surprised us, illuminated something new in our world, or have proven to be especially useful in the kitchen. The first time that travel writer Tim Neville smelled cheese fondue, he did not even want to try it; he says the aroma was dreadful. But his first taste convinced him otherwise, and converted him into a lifelong fondue fanatic. The Splendid Table contributor David Leite talks with Neville about his early days of fondue discovery, learning from fondue masters in Switzerland, and the formula he believes will yield amazing fondue for anyone that follows the proper steps. Listen to their interview, watch our video, and read more fondue wisdom from Tim Neville by way of The Fondue Manifesto. Then you'll be ready to try Neville's suggested recipe for 007 Fondue.

Thanks to our presenting sponsor Bob’s Red Mill for their support of this Splendid Table Selects podcast series.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

February 20, 2018

The President's Kitchen Cabinet Feb 16, 2018

Show notes

Francis Lam celebrates his first full episode as the new host of The Splendid Table with the return of The Key 3 and great guest interviews. Francis visits with historian Adrian Miller, who shares stories of the influence and support that African-Americans have provided throughout American history by way of the White House kitchen. His new book is The President's Kitchen Cabinet. Pho may seem like an ancient or long-standing traditional dish from Vietnam, but that's not the case at all. Pho is actually a fairly recent dish, inspired by the cross-section of both Vietnamese and French cultures. Andrea Nguyen, author of The Pho Cookbook, brings her experience and insight on the dish to the show. For The Key 3, Francis visits chef Amanda Cohen at her NYC restaurant Dirt Candy to learn about her must-make dishes: leftovers sandwich, risotto, and her own Chickpea Tomato and Rosemary Soup. Plus, America's Test Kitchen discovers a treasure trove of premium extra virgin olive oil, and are all too happy to share their findings.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

March 10, 2017 (originally aired)
February 16, 2018 (rebroadcast)

Landing (and Cooking) the Perfect Fish Feb 06, 2018

Show notes

Welcome to Splendid Table Selects. This is where we pull together some of our favorite interviews -- from the past and present -- to showcase conversations that surprised us, illuminated something new in our world, or have proven to be especially useful in the kitchen. In this Selects, we talk with Michael Cimarusti, a chef considered to be the king of Southern California seafood for the last 20-plus years. He is a chef and seafood market proprietor who thinks deeply about fish; he is also willing to share some unusual observations for the home cook. Our contributor Russ Parsons and Chef Cimarusti got together in Los Angeles to talk about techniques for cooking different fish, supporting dock-to-dish sustainability, and the key elements to a perfect clam chowder.

Thanks to our presenting sponsor Bob’s Red Mill for their support of this Splendid Table Selects podcast series.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

February 6, 2018

New Eyes on the Pantry Jan 26, 2018

Show notes

For almost 30 years, Jimi Yui has designed kitchens for chefs like Eric Ripert and Masaharu Morimoto. He tells Francis Lam about one of the most important tools to successful designing -- knowing how to listen. Writer and reporter Lisa Napoli has been obsessed with the lives of Ray and Joan Kroc, and how the couple created one of the world's most recognizable restaurant brands. Contributor Russ Parsons learns more about the famous power couple. Chef Marcus Samuelsson wants you to expand your pantry and palate beyond European-American food, and embrace a larger world of flavors. He has a few suggestions for the home chef. America's Test Kitchen puts stovetop tea kettles to the test. Lisa McManus joins us to talk about what to look for in a good kettle, and the winner of their equipment review. Olia Hercules shares her passion for cooking with the flavors of the Ukraine. Megan Krigbaum, senior wine editor at Food & Wine, talks about training your palate to taste for tannin, sweetness and oak in wine. And The Washington Post's Bonnie Benwick tracks down an authentic recipe for toum, the otherworldly garlic paste from Lebanon.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

January 26, 2018

Fifth-Generation Street Vendor Jan 05, 2018

Show notes

Host Francis Lam talks with Azalina Eusope, a fifth-generation street vendor from Malaysia setting the San Francisco food scene on fire. Vegetarian food writer and filmmaker Anna Thomas explains why colorful, nutrient-rich green soups are the perfect antidote for the wintertime blues. Bridget Lancaster, host of America’s Test Kitchen, has been investigating sourdough starters in her kitchen and provides us with a primer. Contributor and New York Times columnist Melissa Clark talks to Elaine Khosrova about her fascinating book, Butter, A Rich History. Ann Taylor Pittman, food editor at Cooking Light magazine, makes the journey her mother's homeland of Korea. And we ask beer expert Greg Engert to break down the main flavor profiles of craft beer.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

January 5, 2018

Lynne's Goodbye Dec 29, 2017

Show notes

It's the end of an era here at The Splendid Table as we say goodbye to our marvelous host and wonderful friend Lynne Rossetto Kasper. Lynne is retiring after more than 22 years hosting our show, and this episode is an homage to her. Recorded during a live farewell event at The Fitzgerald Theater in her hometown of Saint Paul, Minnesota, "Lynne's Goodbye" features Lynne, Francis Lam and Managing Producer Sally Swift. The three take a look back at Lynne's fifty-plus years of curious eating, writing, teaching, traveling, and sharing her life's work and passion with millions of people around the world. You will hear a bit of a roast, some of Lynne's favorite stories from The Splendid Table, and a touching tribute to Lynne from our new host, Francis Lam. Share your favorite Lynne memories, stories, or just say "bon voyage" on social media using #LynneLove.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

December 29, 2017

The Splendid Table's Homemade Holidays with America's Test Kitchen Dec 22, 2017

Show notes

The Splendid Table partners with America's Test Kitchen for a holiday special to help with the menu, drink list, and conversation at your party.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

December 19, 2016 (originally aired)
December 22, 2017 (rebroadcast)

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