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

Latest Episodes:

Domesticating Goat Cheese Jan 29, 2005

Show notes

This week Miles Cahn, creator of Coach handbags and, ultimately, Coach Farm Goat Cheese, tells the story of trading big-city life for dairy farming in the Hudson Valley. It's a tale of one man's journey from successful businessman to being held hostage by 1,000 goats. His book is The Perils and Pleasures of Domesticating Goat Cheese.

Jane and Michael Stern are eating pancakes at Dot's Diner in Wilmington, Vermont. Josh Wesson addresses the thorny issue of the disappearing wine cork, and shares his picks of wines with screw tops.

Boston Globe food editor Sheryl Julian talks the real world of cooking today, and shares a recipe forPortuguese Chicken and Rice from her book The Way We Cook. We'll have an intriguing restaurant report from Ann Marie Ruff, and Andrea Wilson introduces us tobiodegradable utensils for take-out food.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

January 24, 2004 (originally aired)
January 29, 2005 (rebroadcast)

Food Fight Jan 15, 2005

Show notes

Did you know that one quarter of all vegetables eaten in America are french fries? Our guest, Dr. Kelly Brownell, Director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders and author of Food Fight, thinks huge advertising budgets have more to do with this frightening statistic than our lack of will power. But Dr. Brownell says there's hope on the horizon. He joins us for a look at some of the victories in our battle with obesity.

With much of the country in a deep freeze, we think a bowl of steaming chili is in order. The Sterns found a fabulous one at Porubsky's Grocery in Topeka, Kansas, and Lynne shares her recipe forWinter Veggie Chili. Sally Schneider talks healthy ways to cook with bacon, as in her recipe for Roasted Root Vegetable Hash. Cooper Gillespie, a charming pooch of discriminating taste, inspired his human, Susan Orlean, to penThrow Me a Bone, a collection of his favorite recipes. Susan joins us to talk the merits of cooking nutritious, tasty food, like Goldie's Meatloaf Cup Cakes, for your best friend.

We'll hear of a student's year abroad and lessons in culinary patriotism, and we get the latest from Vogue magazine—are you ready for status mints?

Broadcast dates for this episode:

January 17, 2004 (originally aired)
January 15, 2005 (rebroadcast)

Raw Jan 01, 2005

Show notes

We're cooking in the raw, vegan style, with renowned Chicago chef Charlie Trotter, co-author of a new book aptly titled Raw. It's stunning food using new techniques like those in his recipe for Cauliflower Soup with Balsamic Red Onions and Wilted Lettuce.

The Sterns are nibbling succulent shrimp while basking on the sunny deck at the Anchor Line in South Carolina's James Island.

David Rosengarten has hot chocolates that "will likely improve your winter by geometric proportions!"

Kitchen detective Christopher Kimball's reveals how ordinary carrots and turnips became "ravishing roots" in his recipe for Ten-Minute Root Vegetables.

Maria Bakkalupa takes us to Bali for its quintessential celebration of babies, gods and food, and New York's Mr. Cutlets, author of Meat Me in Manhattan, has advice for carnivores and Dr. Atkins' fans looking for their next meal in the Big Apple.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

January 10, 2004 (originally aired)
January 1, 2005 (rebroadcast)

Slow Food New York Dec 25, 2004

Show notes

We're off to Manhattan's Lower East Side, one of the Big Apple's great culinary neighborhoods with our guide Ben Watson, co-author of The Slow Food Guide to New York City. From street pickles and lox to bialys and gelato, it's all about small businesses making exceptional foods in old-fashioned ways.

On the opposite coast, the Sterns are dining with Tinsel Town's power brokers and celebs at Musso and Frank Grill. Sally Schneider comes to the rescue with recipes for homemade gifts with lots of style for little work. We'll hear the story of one family's great Jell-O debacle that became a loving tradition, then we'll check in with Ralene Snow of Snow's Citrus Court for a first-hand report on California's citrus season.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

December 13, 2003 (originally aired)
December 25, 2004 (rebroadcast)

Christmas with Nigella Dec 18, 2004

Show notes

This week it's Christmas with England's Nigella Lawson, the lustiest, yet pragmatic, cook we know. She'll talk the feast, with ideas for taking the pressure off and having some fun. She leaves us her recipes for Bread Sauce and Easy-Action Christmas Cake from her latest book, Feast.

The Sterns feast at El Farolito, an adobe hut in the middle of nowhere about 40 minutes from Santa Fe.

Andrea Immer talks dessert wines and shares her recipe for Bittersweet Chocolate-Cassis Truffles from her latest book, Everyday Dining with Wine. What could be better than nibbling truffles while sipping a late bottled vintage Port by the fire? For stuffing stockings, Chris Kimball suggests some Cook's Illustrated favorite kitchen gadgets, all mercilessly tested, of course.

Thomas Matthews recommends bottles from The Wine Spectator's Top 100 list. The good news is they're affordable! Poet Maya Angelou tells of a boy's first dish for his mom and shares the recipe for Bread Pudding from her new book, Hallelujah! The Welcome Table. And Lynne gives us the recipe for the Apple Citron Turnover that often appears on her holiday table.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

December 18, 2004

On Food and Cooking Dec 04, 2004

Show notes

Lynne talks with Harold McGee, the man who took food science from the laboratory into home kitchens. He recently updated his classic tome from twenty years ago: On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. He fills us in on the discoveries contained in the 21st century edition.vIt's crawfish and zydeco in the back woods of Louisiana for the Sterns. They're partying at D.I.'s in Basile.

New York Times columnist Marian Burros has holiday gift ideas from her famous annual list of the best in mail order. She leaves us her recipe for that ultimate comfort food: Macaroni and Cheese from her book Cooking for Comfort: More Than 100 Wonderful Recipes That Are as Satisfying to Cook as They Are to Eat.

Lisë Stern explains the origins of keeping kosher and shares her recipe for Perfect Potato Latkes from her book How to Keep Kosher: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Jewish Dietary Laws. Our intrepid reporter Scott Haas reports on the black market for Swiss night milk. Scott's new book is Are We There Yet?: Perfect Family Vacations and Other Fantasies. We have the backstory on this year's blockbuster food book: The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, and Lynne takes your calls.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

December 4, 2004

Diana Kennedy's Tamale Tour Nov 27, 2004

Show notes

Diana Kennedy, one of the food world's great trailblazers, takes us on a tamale tour of Mexico. Ms. Kennedy has spent her career tracking every nuance of regional Mexican food and her books are in-depth explorations of that country's fascinating cuisine. She shares her recipe for Tamales Filled with Poblanos and Cheese from her latest book, From My Mexican Kitchen: Techniques and Ingredients.

The Sterns blazed a trail to Oregon where they're eating southern-style ribs at Reo's in Aloha. Kitchen designer Deborah Krasner talks everything about the kitchen sink. Reporter Scott Haas is stomping grapes at Sterling Vineyards while examining the psychology of California wine. We'll dig into the story behind mache—it's the newest bagged salad, it's pricey, and few have a clue about what it is; and Lynne tells of a recent visit to Restaurant Amma in New York City.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

November 8, 2003 (originally aired)
November 27, 2004 (rebroadcast)

Thanksgiving '04 Nov 20, 2004

Show notes

It's our annual Thanksgiving show and we're doing the big bird, big time. Famed San Francisco chef Judy Rodgers, author of The Zuni Café Cookbook, shares a Thanksgiving Menu that's at once modern and homey. For those who prefer reservations on Thanksgiving, the Sterns have turkey three ways, in three states!

Josh Wesson suggests bubblies and after-dinner sippers to take along when you're a guest, then Lynne has ideas for the vegetarians at your table, including her Golden Celebration Pie of Winter Vegetables.

Julie Hauserman takes us to Florida for Thanksgiving in potluck nation. We'll hear the remarkable story of Lilla Eckford from her great-granddaughter Frances Osborne, author of Lilla's Feast: A True Story of Food, Love, and War in the Orient. And Southern novelist Pat Conroy talks about his life at the stove and shares the recipe for Cocktail Pecans from his new book The Pat Conroy Cookbook: Recipes of My Life.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

November 20, 2004

The Not So Big House Nov 13, 2004

Show notes

Renowned architect Sarah Susanka, whose latest book is Not So Big Solutions for Your Home, believes houses should be designed for how we really live, not how we think we should live. She joins us this week with practical ideas for putting this philosophy to work in our kitchens.

Jane and Michael Stern are "pig pickin" at Sweatman's BBQ in Holly Hill, South Carolina. After tasting his way through hundreds of American artisanal cheeses, David Rosengarten thinks we're finally on an "exhilarating path from Cheez Whiz to cheese wizardry." He reports on some of his top picks. In keeping with the theme, Lynne came up with a recipe for 21st Century Mac and Cheesethat takes the beloved American classic to new heights.

Christopher Kimball has the secret to foolproof Braised Short Ribs and other slow-cooked goodies, all from his latest book, The Kitchen Detective. We'll hear how rookie restaurateurs made it big with hot dogs at Sparky's American Food in Brooklyn, and novelist Jim Crace romances steamy foods on a cold autumn night.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

October 4, 2003 (originally aired)
November 13, 2004 (rebroadcast)

Gourmet Institute Oct 30, 2004

Show notes

We're bringing you the show we recorded live on stage at the Museum of Television and Radio in New York City to kick off the second annual Gourmet Institute weekend. Our guests include John Willoughby, executive editor of Gourmet, and Chef David Pasternak of Esca talking The Big Apple's food scene.

Bad boy Chef Anthony Bourdain and the consummate perfectionist Chef Thomas Keller team up to tell how they got started in the business. Gael Green and Ruth Reichl, two of the lustiest and smartest people in the business, talk about life as a restaurant critic, and we'll hear from Ihsan Gurdal, the man who pioneered the new craze for impeccably aged cheeses.

Broadcast dates for this episode: