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

Latest Episodes:

Judgment of Paris Sep 30, 2006

Show notes

This week it's a French moment back in 1976 that turned the tide for California wine. Our guest is former Time magazine correspondent George Taber, author of Judgment of Paris. He reports on that moment when the earth moved in the Napa Valley. The Sterns are eating at Harmon's Lunch, a monomaniacal luncheonette in Falmouth, Maine with a two-item menu; and Lynne reports on her own "Sterns' moment" at Polehna's Meat Market in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Gourmet magazine's John Willoughby has tasty ideas for that wunderkind of the Pacific - the coconut - including a recipe for Fish Masala. We'll go to Decorah, Iowa for a look at real grassroots biodiversity in practice at Seed Savers Exchange. New Orleans journalist Pableaux Johnson, author of Eating New Orleans: From French Quarter Creole Dining to the Perfect Po'Boy, talks food folks and a culinary heritage surviving Katrina.

Lynne shares the recipe her luscious Fresh Heirloom Tomato Soup with Cream and the phone lines will be open for your calls.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

September 24, 2005 (originally aired)
September 30, 2006 (rebroadcast)

Home Coffee Roasting Sep 16, 2006

Show notes

This week it's bliss and total control for coffee lovers. We're talking home coffee roasting with Kenneth Davids, author of Home Coffee Roasting: Romance and Revival. He has tips and sources for home coffee roasters for the truly java obsessed.

The Sterns report from Billings, where they're eating fabulous beef burritos at Sarah's and shopping the city's first-class saddle makers. Quince lover Sally Schneider reveals the one thing you need to know to enjoy the most sensual fruit in the market and leaves us her recipe for Sweet and Savory Quinces in White Wine and Honey.

San Francisco Chronicle food writer Olivia Wu tells us everything we need to know about buying shrimp - what to avoid and what to scoop up - and shares her recipe for Steamed Spot Prawns with Ginger & Scallions. Indian Master Chef Vikas Khanna turns food into visions of palette for the visually impaired. Learn about his book Ayurveda: The Science of Food & Life on www.vkhanna.com. We'll hear about sit-down dinners in farm fields across America from the folks at Outstanding in the Field, and Lynne takes your calls.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

September 17, 2005 (originally aired)
September 16, 2006 (rebroadcast)

Heat Sep 09, 2006

Show notes

Why would a successful New York magazine editor willingly take six months off to become a slave in a restaurant kitchen? Our guest, Bill Buford, editor of The New Yorker, answers that question in Heat: An Amateur's Adventures As Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany.

The Sterns are on Boston's north shore eating the local favorite, roast beef sandwiches, at Nick's Famous Roast Beef in Beverly. Lynne keeps to the sandwich theme by sharing her recipe for Last of the Tomatoes Commemorative Sandwich. Forget the rusty grill and a rickety table! Designer Deborah Krasner stops by with the latest in outdoor kitchens. Is this the next "must have" on foodies' wish list?

We're day tripping from Austin Texas with Gerald McLeod and his One Tank Wonders. Think pie happy hour and a German beer garden. The high priestess of Television Without Pity stops by with her take on the new season in food TV. Matt Richtel reports on McDonald's attempt to use drive-through order takers located in India; and, as always, the phone lines will be open for your calls.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

September 9, 2006

Peanut Sep 02, 2006

Show notes

This week it's an often-overlooked gem that food snobs never take seriously: the great American peanut. Our guest, food writer Wendell Brock, takes us back to his roots in Georgia's peanut country for a look at the caviar of goobers. His fiery Chile Peanuts take bar snacks to a new level.

For the Sterns it's a classic 1950's style drive-in with a California twist at Taylor's Refresher in St. Helena. Stephen Beaumont talks Belgian Trappist Ales and foods to pair with them, and the music guy who cooks, Bob Duskis, has new music to grill by.

We'll hear about New York City's efforts to wipe out trans-fats in restaurants, and Lynne takes your calls.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

August 27, 2005 (originally aired)
September 2, 2006 (rebroadcast)

Martha's Vineyard Aug 19, 2006

Show notes

This week it's the classic summer place: Martha's Vineyard. It always tempts vacationers to stay, and some move in. Our guest, Vineyard native and local chef, Tina Miller, talks what it's like to live there, the people who make the island what it is, how they live off the land and sea, and how a renaissance turn of mind is essential. The recipe for Lobster and Sweet Corn Fritters, the very essence of summer, comes from Tina's book, Vineyard Harvest: A Year of Good Food on Martha's Vineyard.

The Sterns check in from Clamp's Hamburger Stand in New Milford, where Connecticut's quintessential summer food is in full flush. Sally Schneider has ideas on how to amortize lobster, that succulent but pricey summertime treat. Her Rich Lobster Broth gets us started.

We'll check out San Francisco's Slanted Door, the first restaurant to put Vietnamese food on the city's culinary map; and the queen of televisionwithoutpity.com takes on the Food Network - the good and the so very bad.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

August 6, 2005 (originally aired)
August 19, 2006 (rebroadcast)

Street Food Aug 12, 2006

Show notes

Have you ever wondered what food pros want to eat when they travel? Gourmet magazine's John Willoughby says it's street food. He joins us this week with his picks of the cities with prime eats, along with safety tips for eating from street food carts. A recipe for Watermelon with Fennel Salt comes from the May 2005 issue of Gourmet.

The Sterns are in summer Nirvana, tucking into lobster rolls at Red's Eats in Wiscasset, Maine. Wine guy Josh Wesson talks Hungarian wines. He thinks they're the next big thing. A chef for the Tour de France takes us into the kitchen mid-race for a look at what's involved in feeding the bodies and the psyches of fierce world-class competitors.

We have the story behind an award-winning new Web site about Crying While Eating, and, as always, Lynne takes your calls.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

July 23, 2005 (originally aired)
August 12, 2006 (rebroadcast)

On Rue Tatin Jul 29, 2006

Show notes

This week it's a look at one woman's dream job: buy a French farmhouse, renovate, and pay for it by opening a cooking school. Our guest, Susan Herrmann Loomis, is living the dream and the reality. Susan's recipe for Melon and Lime Parfait is just right for summer. It's from her latest book, Cooking at Home on Rue Tatin.

For the Sterns it's classic Jewish fare a little west of the Hudson. They report from DZ Atkin's Deli in San Diego.

New York Times columnist Marian Burros talks whole-wheat pastas. The good news is they're actually edible!

Reputed pizza maven Ed Levine, author of Pizza: A Slice of Heaven: The Ultimate Guide and Companion, reveals the results of his frozen pizza taste tests.

Chef Bob Perry tells the story behind the extraordinary food served in the dining rooms of the Kentucky Department of Parks, and Lynne takes your calls.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

July 16, 2005 (originally aired)
July 29, 2006 (rebroadcast)

A History of the World in 6 Glasses Jul 15, 2006

Show notes

We're looking at six mind-altering potables and their impact on human evolution with our guest Tom Standage, author of A History of the World in Six Glasses. For the Sterns, it's homemade root beer and hints of frivolity at Mug 'n' Bun in Indianapolis.

"Molto" Mario Batali joins us for at look at the Italian way with vegetables. His recipe for Pan-Roasted Turnips is from his latest book, Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home.

Gourmet magazine executive editor John Willoughby, co-author of How to Cook Meat, talks cuts of lamb kindest to our wallets and shares his recipe for Grilled Lamb Shoulder Chops Greek Style. Michael McGarry, co-author and editor of the Scoops guides from Fancy Pants Press, reveals where you'll find the country's best ice cream, gelato, and frozen custard shops.

Lynne says brining, that culinary lifesaver, has gone astray. She puts it back on track with her Brine Time Guide. And, as always, she'll be taking your calls.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

July 9, 2005 (originally aired)
July 15, 2006 (rebroadcast)

The Perfectionist Jul 01, 2006

Show notes

This week it's a look at life and death in haute cuisine. Guest Rudolph Chelminski takes us into the world of French restaurant culture, where one star can literally change lives. His book, The Perfectionist: Life and Death in Haute Cuisine, tracks the life and suicide of master chef Bernard Loiseau, who committed suicide in 2003 when he heard rumors that his restaurant would lose its ranking in a leading dining guide.

For the Sterns it's the best Lemon Ice Box Pie in the country and excellent people watching at Silver Skillet in Atlanta. Keeping to the theme, Lynne shares her recipe for Stirred Lemon Ice Cream.

Steve Jenkins thinks female cheesemakers are the best, especially when it comes to goat and sheep cheeses. He reveals his favorites.

Dave Lieberman, the new kid at the Food Network, talks being young and hungry and on a budget. His recipe for Potato-Chip-Crusted Salmon is from his book, Young and Hungry: More Than 100 Recipes for Cooking Fresh and Affordable Food for Everyone.

Salvage Sister Kathleen Hackett recycles junk into the kitchen and encourages us to do the same. She is a co-author of The Salvage Sisters: Guide to Finding Style in the Street and Inspiration in the Attic. We have the scoop on the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, and the phone lines will be open for your calls.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

June 11, 2005 (originally aired)
July 1, 2006 (rebroadcast)

Eating Korean Jun 17, 2006

Show notes

We're talking Korean food this week with Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee, author of Eating Korean, From Barbecue to Kimchi, Recipes from My Home. Korean cuisine is bold and spicy, and served in a way that lets you play with all kinds of flavor combinations. Cecilia gives us the essentials. Her recipe for Spicy Pork Ribs gets us grilling.

It's classic hot beef sandwiches and sour cream raisin pie for the Sterns at Lange's Café in Pipestone, Minnesota. Chris Kimball of Cook's Illustrated magazine shares tricks for freezing summer's bounty. It's all about knowing your freezer. He shares a recipe for Blueberry Cobbler from The New Best Recipe with a variation using frozen blueberries. Lynne continues the theme with her Hungry Woman's Simple Sorbet.

Francine Maroukian, author of Chef's Secrets: Insider Techniques from Today's Culinary Masters reveals tips and tricks from the best in the business. Mike Colamecco, our go-to guy for advice on good eats in the Big Apple, says you'll find some of the city's best food, at bargain prices, at wine bars. A Peabody Award-winning documentarian looks at the truth behind Tupperware, and Lynne takes your calls.

Broadcast dates for this episode: