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

When it comes to seafood, frozen is the new fresh. We talk to seafood industry expert, Jennifer Bushman about how technology has improved the quality of frozen fish and how to make the most of canned seafood from your local grocery store. Her latest project is Sea Pantry, how to keep your pantry stocked up with ingredients from the sea. Then, Senior Editor of New York Times Cooking, Genevieve Ko brings us her best at-home ...

This week, we’ve got suggestions to start your summer reading list. First, we sit down with bestselling author and poet  Aimee Nezhukumatathil to talk about her upbringing and the nature of her poetry. She writes about her parent’s gardens and their food, and how she carries her childhood experiences with her today.  Her latest book is Bite By Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees. Then, we learn about the life and legacy of th...

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 trav...

This week, we're joined by two comedians to talk about their connection to food. First, Ivy Le, host of the podcast Fear of Going Outside. We quote, "Most nature shows are hosted by reckless white men, but avid indoors woman Ivy Le is an Asian mom with severe allergies. Last season, Ivy conquered camping. She's back, braving the outdoors to go hunting- or die trying!" Then, comedian Dan Ahdoot, the author...

This week, we’re bringing you two guests that will get you excited about cooking and baking. First, New York Times food desk reporter Priya Krishna tells us about her food writing career, building connections through her stories and travels and her most recent book, Priya’s Kitchen Adventures: A Cookbook for Kids. In her book, she draws recipes from different cuisines worldwide and tells us what working with kids as recipe...

In each episode of Be My Guest, Ina does what she does best - welcomes a different friend at her home to talk about life, love, and career, all while cooking an amazing meal or two. Before she was a culinary icon, Ina was an iconic host - making her guests feel comfortable just as easily as she makes a four-course meal. Who wouldn’t want to spend an evening with her?

In this episode, actress Jennifer Garner joins her v...

This week, we are celebrating the spring cookbooks of 2023! First, we talk with Chef Lara Lee about her approach to flavorful meals using iconic Asian ingredients from her pantry, including recipes for her stellar Tom Yum Bloody Mary and Sambal Patatas Bravas - crispy potatoes topped with a sambal spiced tomato mixture and a bit of mayo! Addictive! Her latest book is A Splash of Soy. Then, we get deep into flavor combinati...

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This week, it’s the food journeys of two chefs. First, TV Star and author Carla Hall joins us to talk about her latest show, Chasing Flavor. She brings us stories about her filming and travels and the connection between people and their food. She sticks around to answer some of your cooking questions. Carla Hall hosts the MAX series, Chasing Fla...

This week, we promise you will get your recommended dose of fruits and vegetables! Award-winning author Abra Berens takes us on a sweet and savory journey with fruit. From best cooking methods to subtle and exotic pickling methods- think Brined Cherries + Salty Snacks, to advice on picking the best fruit to throw on the grill. She’s the author of three books, Grist, A Practical Guide to Cooking Grains, Beans, Seeds, and Le...

We are looking at food stories from different cultures this week. First, documentarian and journalist Von Diaz joins us to talk about her latest book, Islas: A Celebration of Tropical Cooking.  She writes about island cuisine from all over the world and talks about her academic field research, the connections she feels when she is on an island, and the unique dishes she cooked and tasted for her book research. She found co...

We’re all about baking today, from New York to Mexico to London by way of India. First, Pastry Chef Natasha Pickowicz talks to us about her favorite recipes and her baking process. Then, she shares her baking techniques, from bringing egg whites back to life to saving overbaked cakes by soaking them in delicious liquid. She is the author of More Than Cake: 100 Baking Recipes for Pleasure and Community, and she left us with...

This week, we spend the hour with cooking columnist and internet sensation, Sohla El-Waylly. We talk about her connection to food and how she got her start as a pastry chef, writer, and recipe developer. She talks about her work in restaurants and her passion for teaching people how to cook. And she answers your cooking questions, from the best way to cook rabbit to her favorite ice cream flavor. Her latest book is Start H...

This week, Honolulu chef Robynne Maii teams up with Francis to answer your cooking questions! First, we catch up on her connection to cooking and dancing, what she grew up eating thanks to her mom's love of faithfully following a recipe, and what she loves to eat as a Honolulu local. Then she dives right in with our listener questions, from what to do with leftover roast duck to how to make chili crisp. She leaves us w...

This week, we're all about the world of restaurants and flavor. First, we talked with Andrew Friedman about his career, writing about American food culture, chefs, and the restaurant scene. He talks to us about his latest project, spending time behind the swinging doors of a restaurant and how all the kitchen roles—from the butcher to the delivery drivers to the dishwasher make the dish you sit down to enjoy.  His late...

This week, we dive into the world of tea, its history, and traditions. First up, we visit the T Shop in New York City with East Asian tea expert Theresa Wong. Theresa leads Francis through a tea tasting, from black, thru oolong all the way to green. We learn a few brewing tips along the way as well. Then, food and culture writer Leena Trevedi-Grenier talks to us about the surprising story of Masala Chai's history and g...

This week, we’re bringing you a show we recorded with LAist in Orange County, CA, one of the richest food scenes in the US. We talk to award-winning journalist Gustavo Arellano about the evolution of OC’s culinary scene, the immigrant influences, and how its diverse foodways continue to be embraced by the different generations. Gustavo is the Los Angeles Times columnist and author of Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered...

This week, we talk about home cooking with Minneapolis chef Gavin Kaysen. He tells us how he finds a balance between cooking at home and cooking at a restaurant and writing his latest cookbook, aptly titled, At Home. He shares tips for making the cooking process less stressful and how to think about it as an enjoyment versus a task. He leaves us with one of his family's favorite recipes: Spatchcock Chicken with North A...

This week, we talk to two award-winning authors about their latest work. First, The New York Times cooking columnist Melissa Clark talks to us about her deep dive into the world of salt. From exploring salt harvesting in France to the history and revival of artisanal salts, she walks us through different types of salt and their uses in cooking. She sticks around to answer your cooking questions. Melissa Clark's latest ...

We took the show on the road for a live event at the Hawaii Theatre Center in Honolulu. First, we spoke to Hawaii Public Radio’s Culture and Arts reporter Jayna Omaye and Chef Sheldon Simeon of Tin Roof Maui about Hawaiian cuisine’s unique mix of cultures. Then, James Beard award-winning chef Robynne Maii of Fête in Chinatown, Honolulu, and chef-owner of Mud Hen Water, Ed Kenney, explained how native Hawaiian traditions in...