Mexican chef Pati Jinich, host of PBS's "Pati's Mexican Table," joins us with her take on authentic Cinco de Mayo celebrations. Jane and Michael Stern are at Eckl's Beef & Weck in Orchard Park, N.Y. And we talk to food activist and MacArthur Fellow (Genius Award recipient) Will Allen about his book, The Good Food Revolution.

We meet up with JJ Goode, a culinary ghostwriter, Jane and Michael Stern are back from New Orleans with fresh finds, and we talk to Wine & Spirits editor Tara Q. Thomas about Greek wines.

This week it’s a look at saliva with America’s funniest science writer, Mary Roach, author of Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Trail. The Sterns are at the Blue Scorcher Bakery Café in Astoria, Ore., and we learn which salts are really worth the money with salt merchant Mark Bitterman, author of Salted: A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral.

Greg Engert's profiling system divides beer into seven categories. Award-winning writer and cook Deborah Madison is here with the missing puzzle piece for vegetable cooking -- the plants themselves. Her book is Vegetable Literacy and we turn to the duo from The Perennial Plate, an online documentary series dedicated to socially responsible and adventurous eating .

We're talking to Smithsonian paleoanthropologist Briana Pobiner about the origins of meat-eating. Food scientist Harold McGee explains the nuances of rice wine vinegar, and we get the low-down on real southern cooking in Chicago with Garden and Gun magazine’s Julia Reed.

We're looking at legendary gourmand and politician Winston Churchill with Cita Stelzer, author of Dinner with Churchill, Policy-Making at the Dinner Table. And Jane and Michael Stern join us with tales from eating on the road; this time, it's the Stockholm Pie Company in Stockholm, Wis.

Nigella Lawson joins us this week with her new book Nigellissima, Easy Italian-Inspired Recipes. And we meet up with Joe Warwick, who has compiled a guide of chefs' favorite restaurants worldwide, Where Chefs Eat.

This week, journalist Anne Applebaum, author of The Polish Country House Kitchen, joins us with tales of food and life in Poland, and we head to Kansas City for an Austrian-Germanic take on the cocktail with the bartender from Grunauer.

This week it's a look at the sometimes scandalous world of olive oil with Tom Mueller author of Extra Virginity. Legendary vegetarian cook Anna Thomas brings us her take on steaming bowls of green soup for the winter months. Her book is Love Soup. We talk with Christian DeBenedetti about his book The Great American Ale Trail, and play another round of Stump the Cook with Modern Family's Ty Burrell.

British food writer Nigel Slater, author of Tender, joins us with his take on the holiday meal; Edward Behr has a new book, The Art of Eating Cookbook; and Andrew Schloss, author of Homemade Soda, brings some non-alcoholic suggestions for the holiday.

Childhood nostalgia comes full circle with pastry chef Christina Tosi and her new book, Momofuku Milk Bar. Food Stylist Annie Rigg joins us with her charmingly British take on homemade gifts. Her book is Gifts From the Kitchen. John Moe takes on techy food gifts. And Jane and Michael Stern have declared Los Angeles as the best city for 24-hour eating.

This week, Markus Bachmann of Sonor Wines explains how he uses music in the fermenting process. We talk to Stephanie Pierson, author of The Brisket Book; we visit a beer stock exchange in Washington, D.C.; and Jane and Michael Stern head to Lafayette, La.

Thanks again to Marcus Samuelsson, Rick Bayless, Ina Garten and Peter Sagal for joining us live on Thanksgiving morning.

In addition to the recipes featured below, several other menus were referenced.

We take a look at the specialty coffee movement with Michaele Weissman, author of God in a Cup. Britain's Diana Henry, author of Plenty: Good, uncomplicated food for the sustainable kitchen joins us with her take on where to look for flavor inspiration. And Andy Crouch, author of Great American Craft Beer: A Guide to the Nation's Finest Beers and Breweries, introduces us to "session beer."

This week, we're looking at the resurgence of cooking with lard with Charleston, S.C., chef Sean Brock. Chef Susan Feniger joins us with her new book Street Food, and The New York Times wine columnist Eric Asimov joins us with his observations from the wine world. His new book is How To Love Wine.

This week, chef John Besh teaches us how to fry an egg in The Key 3. We take an adventure in sustainable eating with the duo from The Perennial Plate, and we look at the spread of Japanese food in America with Daisuke Utagawa of Washington D.C.'s oldest sushi restaurant.

This week is a road trip to New Orleans. Guests include Leah Chase of the legendary Dooky Chase Restaurant; journalist Lolis Eric Elie; WWNO's Poppy Tooker, host of Louisiana Eats!; and mixologist Chris McMillian. Plus, Jane and Michael Stern escort us around the annual Roadfood Festival.

Award-winning writer Dorie Greenspan, author of Around My French Table, teaches us the French way with beef stews and Lynne shares her favorite tomatoes. Janet Hurst brings her take on homemade cheese, Jane and Michael Stern are eating famous Rhode Island chicken dinners, and we turn to pasta with Domenica Marchetti, author of The Glorious Pasta of Italy.

Jay McInerney joins us with his new wine book, The Juice. Tracie McMillan has gone undercover in the American food industry, and we look at the vegetarian traditions in Morocco with Jeff Koehler.

We celebrate Julia Child's birthday this week, listening to some early Splendid Table interviews with the grand lady. Ted Allen joins us as our celebrity stumpmaster in another round of Stump the Cook, and David Leite returns with a fresh look at a European favorite, Nutella. Chinese chef and scholar Ken Hom gives us a culinary tour of China.

We're back with another episode of our Key 3 series, interviews with chefs and good cooks about the three recipes they think other good cooks should know. This week it's Sally Schneider of The Improvised Life. The Sterns are in Michigan eating boozy cakes made by monks at The Jampot, and John Schlimm has some recipes for the vegan griller.

This week, we're looking at home brewing with William Bostwick. Also: Japanese grilling with Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat, grilling wines with Ray Isle, and we go into the world of a flavor scientist.

This week, we're hunting and gathering at water's edge with Hank Shaw, author of Hunt, Gather, Cook. Also, wine entrepreneur Joshua Wesson brings us his favorite bottles to sip with hot dogs, and Sally Schneider of The Improvised Life tells us how to get the most from the season's fresh cherries.

Food writer Melissa Clark has some ideas about what to pack for a picnic. Singer Sheryl Crow brings her new book, If It Makes You Healthy. Jane and Michael Stern collect their timeless roadfood finds, and we check in with the boys behind The Dinner Party.

This week, Lynne plays Stump the Cook with chef Mario Batali. Authors Mike Faverman and Pat Mac take on dining in the great outdoors with their book Ultimate Camp Cooking. And Jane and Michael Stern have tracked down the very best in corned beef hash.

We have another installment in our series The Key 3, interviews with chefs and good cooks about the three recipes other good cooks should know. This week it's award-winning chef Andrea Reusing of Lantern in Chapel Hill, N.C. Jane and Michael Stern are at The Blue Bonnet Cafe in Marble Falls, Texas, and we hear about the Vietnamese tradition of monthly rice from journalist Claudia Kolker.

Mexican chef Pati Jinich, host of PBS's "Pati's Mexican Table," joins us with her take on authentic Cinco de Mayo celebrations. Jane and Michael Stern are at Eckl's Beef & Weck in Orchard Park, N.Y. And we talk to food activist and MacArthur Fellow (Genius Award recipient) Will Allen about his book, The Good Food Revolution.

We meet up with JJ Goode, a culinary ghostwriter, Jane and Michael Stern are back from New Orleans with fresh finds, and we talk to Wine & Spirits editor Tara Q. Thomas about Greek wines.

This week, we go into the kitchen of Somali chef Jamal Hashi. John Moe, host of the Marketplace Tech Report, looks at the world of culinary apps. And Jane and Michael Stern take us to New Jersey for pork rolls.

This week, Ruth Reichl takes a look back at Britain's culinary groundbreaker Elizabeth David. Jane and Michael Stern are at The Southern Kitchen in New Market, Va., and our wine guy Joshua Wesson brings his short list of wines that are sure to become your BFFs.

This week, New York Times columnist Matt Gross explains why he has fallen in love with schnapps. We're talking to Hal Herzog, author of Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat, about our sometimes puzzling relationship with meat. And Diana Henry, author of Plenty, brings us a decidedly British take on leftovers.

This week, we meet up with chef Gabrielle Hamilton, author of Blood, Bones & Butter. Jane and Michael Stern are eating at Flip's BBQ in Wilmington, N.C. We learn to corn our own beef, just in time for St. Patrick's Day, with John Kowalski of the Culinary Institute of America. And veterinarian Gary Weitzman, author of The Art Of Charcuterie and animal adviser for WAMU's The Animal House, tells us what we really need to be feeding our pets.

We look at the food life of Thailand with David Thompson, author of Thai Street Food. Then, it's the mysterious eel with James Prosek, author of Eels, An Exploration, From New Zealand To The Saragasso, of the World's Most Mysterious Fish. And Gilt Taste's Francis Lam teaches us to make Ginger Milk Pudding.

This week, we meet Nordic chef Rene Redzepi, author of Noma, Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine. The Sterns are at Hathaway's Coffee Shop in Cincinnati, and Jenna Woginrich gives advice on raising egg-laying chickens in the city.

Chinese chef Ming Tsai joins us with his Asian-influenced take on one-pot cooking. His new book is Simply Ming, One Pot Meals. The Sterns are in Atlanta at Mary Mac's Tea Room, and Tom Owen of the coffee lovers website Sweet Maria's joins us with a guide to home roasting.

This week we're looking at why we find things pleasurable with Paul Bloom, author of How Pleasure Works, The New Science of Why We Like What We Like. Jane and Michael Stern are at The Orange Inn in Laguna Beach, CA, and tea authority Bill Waddington introduces to the first brand-new strain of tea ever developed, Ruby 18.

Childhood nostalgia comes full circle with pastry chef Christina Tosi and her new book, Momofuku Milk Bar. Food Stylist Annie Rigg joins us with her charmingly British take on homemade gifts. Her book is Gifts From the Kitchen. John Moe takes on techy food gifts. And Jane and Michael Stern have declared Los Angeles as the best city for 24-hour eating.

Amy Sedaris is stopping by with some gift-giving help from her hilarious new book, Simple Times, Crafts For Poor People. Jane and Michael Stern are at Hartley's Pork Pies in Fall River, MA, and Mexican cook Fany Gerson introduces us to the unusual sweets of Mexico with her book My Sweet Mexico.

It is time for our annual "get ready for the feast" broadcast with chef Richard Hetzler of The Smithsonian's Mitsitam Café in the National Museum of the American Indian. Wine writer, Heather John Fogarty gives us a little guidance on wine for the holiday table and Jennifer McLagan author of Odd Bits, brings us advice on giblets and other parts of our turkey. Jane and Michael Stern are at The Farmer's Kitchen in Atlantic, Iowa.

We're meeting up with Smithsonian Curator of Botany, John Kress, a man devoted to the study of ginger. Jane and Michael Stern are eating low country pizza at The Old Firehouse Restaurant in Hollywood, South Carolina and Joan Nathan, author of Quiches, Kugels and Couscous, brings us a look at Jewish food in France.

This week we're taking a food lovers tour of Vietnam with Peter Jon Lindberg, Editor-at-Large of Travel & Leisure Magazine. Jane and Michael Stern are at Metompkin Seafood in Mappsville, Virginia, and Dorie Greenspan, author of Around My French Table, joins us with a very French take on the side dish. Also on the show, food in a war zone, a cake for every state in the nation, and Lynne's answers to your kitchen questions.

This week we talk with Mark Bitterman author of Salted, A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes. We get a look at the world of a wine importer—with boutique importer Terry Theise—author of Reading Between the Wines and the Sterns are back in Santa Fe at Bobcat Bite.

This week we're looking at the last of the world's wild food — fish — with Paul Greenberg author of Four Fish. We'll get some outside-of-the-box thinking on how to deal with small kitchen and dining spaces from Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, author of Apartment Therapy's Big Book of Small Cool Spaces. And Jane and Michael Stern have found first-rate baked goods at Waves of Grain Bakery in Canon Beach, Oregon.

This week we get some modern day wine truths from Matt Kramer author of Matt Kramer on Wine. We'll look at some of the world's most bizarrely set restaurants with JD Rinne of Budgettravel.com, we deconstruct and reinvent ratatouille with Gilt Taste's Francis Lam, a botanist breeds a tomato for Lynne, and the Sterns are eating hotdogs at Texas Lunch & Hubba in Port Chester, NY.

We're taking a look at the world of extreme tourism with Chuck Thompson, author of To Hellholes and Back. We also dive into the world of self-publishing with the creators of Canal House Cooking; and Lukas Volger, author of Veggie Burgers Every Which Way shares a few alternatives to processed frozen veggie burgers.

Evan Goldstein author of Daring Pairings joins us with a fresh take on pairing food and wine. Also on the show, a new cooking technique for getting the most from summer vegetables, the trivia challenge, and Lynne's answers to your kitchen questions.

This week, we're looking at home brewing with William Bostwick. Also: Japanese grilling with Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat, grilling wines with Ray Isle, and we go into the world of a flavor scientist.

We meet up with Tom Owens, the founder of the cult-status coffee website Sweet Maria's, journalist John Willoughby introduces us to the allure of dried Persian limes; and the Sterns are eating whitefish livers at Maggie's in Bayfield, WI.

This week, we're hunting and gathering at water's edge with Hank Shaw, author of Hunt, Gather, Cook. Also, wine entrepreneur Joshua Wesson brings us his favorite bottles to sip with hot dogs, and Sally Schneider of The Improvised Life tells us how to get the most from the season's fresh cherries.

We're getting an international take on the grill from the unstoppable Steve Raichlen author of Planet Barbecue, Jane and Michael Stern are at a Seattle classic, 13 Coins, and we learn which beers stole the show with Robin Goldstein author of The Beer Trials.

This week, Lynne guides us through the world of food styling with one of the masters, Delores Custer, author of Food Styling: The Art of Preparing Food for the Camera. Jane and Michael Stern are eating Polish Boys in Cleveland, Food & Wine magazine's Ray Isle has some wine suggestions for summer sipping, Susan Loomis tells us about "pistachio music," Sheila Bowman tells us which seafood to avoid, and as always, Lynne answers your kitchen questions.

Chef Roberto Santibañez, author of Truly Mexican, introduces us to the Mexican world of pipianes. Sally Schneider discusses her short list of favorite blogs, and Jane and Michael Stern have found first-rate Mexican food at a gas station in Dallas.

This week, we meet Britain's latest culinary phenomenon, columnist and restaurateur Yotam Ottolenghi, author of the vegetarian best-seller Plenty: Vibrant Dishes from London's Ottolenghi. Jane and Michael Stern are taking on a classic: a fish boil in Door County, Wis. Food & Wine Magazine's Ray Isle explains the beauty of wine blends, and we meet a historian who has put together the first African-American heritage seed collection.

Dan Buettner author of Thrive, Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way tells us about the significance of the shared meal among world's happiest people. Jane and Michael Stern are tracking down the very best in deli rye and we talk to Saveur's executive editor Dana Bowen about celebrating Easter in Sicily.

This week, we go into the kitchen of Somali chef Jamal Hashi. John Moe, host of the Marketplace Tech Report, looks at the world of culinary apps. And Jane and Michael Stern take us to New Jersey for pork rolls.

This week, Ruth Reichl takes a look back at Britain's culinary groundbreaker Elizabeth David. Jane and Michael Stern are at The Southern Kitchen in New Market, Va., and our wine guy Joshua Wesson brings his short list of wines that are sure to become your BFFs.

Chef Scott Peacock joins us this week with his series The Alabama Project, conversations with some of Alabama's oldest residents. Jane and Michael Stern are at Du-par's in Los Angeles, Fred Plotkin reports on the 150th anniversary of the Republic of Italy and we get a quick primer on sugaring from Tim Herd, author of Maple Sugar from Sap to Syrup.

This week, we meet up with chef Gabrielle Hamilton, author of Blood, Bones & Butter. Jane and Michael Stern are eating at Flip's BBQ in Wilmington, N.C. We learn to corn our own beef, just in time for St. Patrick's Day, with John Kowalski of the Culinary Institute of America. And veterinarian Gary Weitzman, author of The Art Of Charcuterie and animal adviser for WAMU's The Animal House, tells us what we really need to be feeding our pets.

We get a clear-eyed view of the wine world this week with Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl author of Drink This: Wine Made Simple. Chef Patrice Olivon introduces us to the gentle art of the soufflé, and Indian food authority Monica Bhide, author of Modern Spice explains the Indian art of spice blends.

This week, we meet Nordic chef Rene Redzepi, author of Noma, Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine. The Sterns are at Hathaway's Coffee Shop in Cincinnati, and Jenna Woginrich gives advice on raising egg-laying chickens in the city.

Chinese chef Ming Tsai joins us with his Asian-influenced take on one-pot cooking. His new book is Simply Ming, One Pot Meals. The Sterns are in Atlanta at Mary Mac's Tea Room, and Tom Owen of the coffee lovers website Sweet Maria's joins us with a guide to home roasting.

We have some advice for the home cook from chef Thomas Keller—his new book is Ad Hoc at Home. We get advice for throwing a party Southern style from Matt and Ted Lee, authors of Simple, Fresh Southern. Master baker Rose Levy Beranbaum gives us a primer on keeping cakes—her newest book is Rose's Heavenly Cakes. Jane and Michael Stern are at Pico de Gallo in Tucson, AZ.

This week Nigella Lawson is stopping by with her new book, Nigella Kitchen, Recipes From the Heart of Home. Food & Wine Magazine's Anthony Giglio introduces us to the bubbly wines of Italy. Sally Schneider, creator of The Improvisational Cook is back with her annual list of homemade food gifts and the Sterns are at Garcia's Kitchen in Albuquerque, NM.

This week it's a look at the Russian tradition of zakuski with Diana Henry, author of Roast Figs, Sugar Snow, Winter Food to Warm the Soul. Iconoclast chef David Chang of Momofuku fame joins us with the method behind the madness of his inspired fusion cuisine. Jane and Michael Stern are eating sweets in Salt Lake City's The Lamb, and Food & Wine Magazine's Ray Isle joins us with his short list of the bottles every wine lover should taste.

This week we'll get you ready for the Thanksgiving feast with chef Eric Ripert, author of Avec Eric. Grace Young brings us the very American story of Chinese immigrants in the Mississippi Delta. Her latest book is Stir-Frying To the Sky's Edge. And we get stuffing strategy from the New York Time's Melissa Clark, author of In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite.

This week we talk with Mark Bitterman author of Salted, A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes. We get a look at the world of a wine importer—with boutique importer Terry Theise—author of Reading Between the Wines and the Sterns are back in Santa Fe at Bobcat Bite.

We're meeting up with Smithsonian Curator of Botany, John Kress, a man devoted to the study of ginger. Jane and Michael Stern are eating low country pizza at The Old Firehouse Restaurant in Hollywood, South Carolina and Joan Nathan, author of Quiches, Kugels and Couscous, brings us a look at Jewish food in France.

This week we're taking a food lovers tour of Vietnam with Peter Jon Lindberg, Editor-at-Large of Travel & Leisure Magazine. Jane and Michael Stern are at Metompkin Seafood in Mappsville, Virginia, and Dorie Greenspan, author of Around My French Table, joins us with a very French take on the side dish. Also on the show, food in a war zone, a cake for every state in the nation, and Lynne's answers to your kitchen questions.

This week we're talking with Ken Albala author of The Lost Art of Real Cooking. Jane and Michael Stern are eating at Menches Brothers in Uniontown, OH. And Melissa Clark, author of In The Kitchen With a Good Appetite brings us her take on autumn pie-making; plus we'll hear the latest on international tipping from Travel & Leisure's Mark Orwoll.

This week we get some modern day wine truths from Matt Kramer author of Matt Kramer on Wine. We'll look at some of the world's most bizarrely set restaurants with JD Rinne of Budgettravel.com, we deconstruct and reinvent ratatouille with Salon.com's Francis Lam, a botanist breeds a tomato for Lynne, and the Sterns are eating hotdogs at Texas Lunch & Hubba in Port Chester, NY.

What makes man, man and an ape an ape? According to Richard Wrangham it is not one's ability to fashion tool, but rather the ability to cook. He is the author of Catching Fire, How Cooking Made Us Human. The Sterns are in LA eating a French Dip at its origin, Philippe's French Dip Restaurant, and there is a new movement sweeping across America — group canning sessions.

This week, we are reintroduced to one of America's greatest tastemakers: Mark Twain. Andrew Beahrs, author of Twain's Feast, joins us. We'll figure out something to do with all that zucchini your friends have been bringing over, and Jane and Michael Stern have found freshly shucked clam pizza at Zuppardi's Apizza in West Haven, Conn.

What does a chef consider the most important tool in the kitchen? Chef and writer Daniel Patterson has a surprising answer for all of those who love to cook. He is the author of Aroma. Jane and Michael Stern are looking at the phenomenon of the "slider" and Elizabeth Karmel author of Soaked, Slathered and Seasonings, fills us in on the latest developments in outdoor grilling.

Evan Goldstein author of Daring Pairings joins us with a fresh take on pairing food and wine. Also on the show, a new cooking technique for getting the most from summer vegetables, the trivia challenge, and Lynne's answers to your kitchen questions.

This week we meet up with the irascible Anthony Bourdain, author of Medium Raw, A Bloody Valentine To The World of Food and The People Who Cook. Jane and Michael Stern are eating boudin sausage at T Boy's Slaughterhouse in Mamon, Louisiana and Indian food authority Julie Sahni brings us the Indian art of the marinade.

We're talking to food activist Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food about the intersection between sustainable foods, and our real life pocketbooks. Jane and Michael Stern have been researching the green chile cheeseburger in New Mexico and we look at the origins of the American potato chip with Dirk Burhans author of Crunch, A History of the Great American Potato Chip.

Lynne guides us on a tour of resourcefulness of all kinds. British food writer Tamasin Day-Lewis, author of Supper for a Song, shares her rather militant stand on how and why to cook at home, an adoring newlywed finds a cheaper alternative for his bride's breakfast, and we hear the story Remembering Smell —how Bonnie Blodgett's loss of smell changed everything she knew about food and taste. Also on the show, a roundup of indoor composters, the trivia challenge, and Lynne's expert advice on your kitchen conundrums.

This week, Lynne guides us through the world of food styling with one of the masters, Delores Custer, author of Food Styling: The Art of Preparing Food for the Camera. Jane and Michael Stern are eating Polish Boys in Cleveland, Food & Wine magazine's Ray Isle has some wine suggestions for summer sipping, Susan Loomis tells us about "pistachio music," Sheila Bowman tells us which seafood to avoid, and as always, Lynne answers your kitchen questions.

This week, Lynne talks with Ethnobiologist, conservationist and farmer Gary Nabhan about the story of a profound visionary who set out to end famine, and the price he paid. Gary's latest book is Where Our Food Comes From: Retracing Nikolay Vavilov's Quest to End Famine. James Villas, the southern gentleman of the food world, stops by to talk about his new book, Pig: King of the Southern Table, Ian Cheney talks about truck farming, the Sterns tell us about Sacramento's Squeeze Inn, and Lynne answers your kitchen questions.

This week we've a modern wine mystery with Benjamin Wallace author of The Billionaire's Vinegar: The Mystery of the World's Most Expensive Bottle of Wine. Jane and Michael Stern are noshing donuts at Round Rock Donuts in Round Rock, TX, Sally Schneider author of The Improvised Life website introduces us to the allure of Orange Flower Water, and David Rosengarten, the man behind the opinionated Rosengarten Report talks about how gazpacho is made on its home turf of Spain.

This week, we're talking tradition with one of the last remaining limburger cheese producers; and how to keep Asian culinary traditions at home as well as in the restaurants. Interior designer and author of American Modern, Thomas O'Brien walks us through his vision of what a kitchen should be. Also on the show, The Dinner Party Download guys bring back the ice breaker, The Sterns go back to Milwaukee for some hoppel poppel, and we'll check in with Daniel Delaney, who is discovering the world's best street food, one bite at a time.

This week it's Bryant Terry, author of Vegan Soul Kitchen, Jane and Michael Stern are at M & M Cigar Store in Butte, MT, Michael Ruhlman explains the culinary codes behind every successful recipe. He is the author of Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking, and we hear a story of grieving and revival at the farmer's market with Suzanne Pirret, author of The Pleasure is All Mine.

This week we're meeting up with one of the world's master blade smiths, Bob Kramer, the Sterns are at Pizzeria Lauretano in Bethel, CT, and we look at the new world of edible landscapes with Rosalind Creasy, author of Rosalind Creasy's Recipes from the Garden.

It's a look at America's soul food with Frederick Opie, author of Hog and Hominy, Jane and Michael Stern are getting a two-for-one deal on corned beef at McBob's in Milwaukee, WI, and Food & Wine Magazine's Ray Isle tells us where to look for the best global wine values.

This week we're getting advice for lubricating the family dinner conversation from Daniel Menaker author of A Good Talk; The Story and Skill of Conversation. Jane and Michael Stern have found Orson Welles sized pies at Royer's Round Top in Texas and we look at the up and coming cheesemakers with James Norton author of The Master Cheesemakers of Wisconsin.

How do restaurateurs get us to eat what they want us eat? We'll find out with William Poundstone author of Pricesless: The Myth of Fair Value (and How to Take Advantage of it). We'll check-in with the Sterns, who are at The Cove in Crisfield, MD; and we look at the lure of ice fishing with Greg Breining author of A Hard Water World: Ice-Fishing and Why We Do It.

This week we're looking at how other countries deal with their obesity issues with Barry Popkin author of The World is Fat. Jane and Michael Stern are at B & W Bakery in Hackensack, NJ, and we learn about the link between a Korean soap opera and the rise of Korean court food in Asia with Debra Samuels, author of The Korean Table.

This week we learn the art of cupping with Portland's legendary Stumptown Coffee; Joshua Wesson introduces us to the world's iconic grapes, and we play a round of "Stump the Cook" with Stumpmaster Christopher Kimball of Cook's Illustrated.

We get a clear-eyed view of the wine world this week with Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl author of Drink This: Wine Made Simple. Chef Patrice Olivon introduces us to the gentle art of the soufflé, and Indian food authority Monica Bhide, author of Modern Spice explains the Indian art of spice blends.

What does a world-class chef cook for the family Christmas? This week we meet up with Grant Aschatz of Chicago's famed Alinea, Jane and Michael Stern are at the Silvermine Tavern in Norwalk, CT, Sally Schnieder author of The Improvisational Cook, teaches us the easy way to make homemade chocolates, Martha Holmberg, author of Puff introduces us to simplest of fancy ingredients, puff pastry and mixologist Dale De Groff, author of The Essential Cocktail joins us with his take on holiday imbibing.

We've some advice for the home cook from chef Thomas Keller. His new book is Ad Hoc at Home, we get advice for throwing a party Southern style from Matt and Ted Lee, authors of Simple, Fresh Southern, master baker Rose Levy Beranbaum gives us a primer on “keeping cakes.” Her new book is Rose's Heavenly Cakes, Jane and Michael Stern are at Pico de Gallo in Tuscon, and Sally Schneider of The Improvised Life gives a us a quick list of inspired homemade gifts.

This week we're joined by British chef Heston Blumenthal, author of Further Adventures in Search of Perfection. Jane and Michael Stern authors of Road Food, are at Singleton's Seafood Shack in Mayport, FL, plus we'll talk with Chef Vitaly Paley author of The Paley's Place Cookbook. And Jenn Garbee shares notes from her latest book, Secret Suppers: Rogue Chefs and Underground Restaurants in Warehouses, Townhouses, Open Fields and Everywhere in Between.

We talk to Paul Roberts author of The End of Food, about global food prices. Jane and Michael Stern authors of 500 Things To Eat Before It's Too Late, are at Famous Fourth Street Delicatessen in Philadelphia, PA, and Shirley Corriher, author of BakeWise, The Hows and Whys of Successful Baking, brings us some practical baking advice as we head into high baking season.

This week, we talk about feeding a bunch of guys with Lucinda Scala Quinn, author of Mad Hungry: Feeding Men and Boys; and we're learning about the relationship between food and gangster movies with Rebecca Epstein. Plus, Lynne talks with Andrea Nguyen, who shares her techniques for mastering Asian Dumplings. The Sterns are eating huge portions at Rocky & Carlo's Restaurant in Chalmette, LA. Plus your calls, our weekly trivia question, and a rousing edition of Stump the Cook!

This week we're catching up with Italian food authorities Marcella and Victor Hazan. Marcella's latest project is her autobiography, Amarcord, Marcella Remembers. Jane and Michael Stern are eating Czech food at Belgrade Gardens outside of Akron, OH, and Harold McGee, author of the seminal On Food and Cooking explains the remarkable link between extra-virgin olive oil and ibuprofen.

This week we have a look at school lunch programs, from a lunch lady's eyes. Our guest is Jean Ronnei of the St. Paul, MN public schools. Mario Batali addresses the issue of family meals, and the Sterns are eating soul food in the Arizona desert at Mrs. White's Golden Rule. Plus, we get a guide to making simple cured meats at home from Karen Solomon author of Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It and Other Cooking Projects.

This week we are rebroadcasting our conversation with a winemaking legend, the late David Lett of Oregon's famed Eyrie Vineyards, Jane and Michael Stern are eating ice cream at Ici in Berkeley, CA and New York City food authority Mike Colameco introduces us to Izakayas, Japanese drinking places.

This week it's all things tomato with Amy Goldman author of The Heirloom Tomato: From Garden to Table, Jane and Michael Stern are at the Formica Brothers Bakery in Atlantic City, NJ, and writer David Leite, editor of the Web site Leite's Culinaria takes on the Toll House Cookie.

This week it's the domestic goddess of the British Isles, TV star and author Nigella Lawson talking those oh-so-evocative summer fruit dishes of England - from fools to flummeries to an unusual take on raspberry jam. Nigella's latest book is Nigella Express. It's burnt ends sandwiches at LC's Bar-B-Q in Kansas City, Missouri for Jane and Michael Stern. Wine wizard Joshua Wesson says we need to be putting a chill on some of those reds. He'll tell us which ones. Chad Ward, author of An Edge in the Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Knives, has advice for getting the best knives for your money, and Dave Broom has some surprises from the World Whisky Awards.

This week we're meeting one of the pioneers in America's artisan cheese movement, our very own Steve Jenkins author of The Food Life: Inside the World of Food with the Grocer Extraordinaire at Fairway. Jane and Michael Stern are at Halibut in Portland, OR and we look at the Southern way with picnics, with Jean Anderson author of A Love Affair with Southern Cooking: Recipes and Recollections.

This week we're meeting journalist Adam Leith Gollner, author of The Fruit Hunters, A Story of Nature, Adventure, Commerce and Obsession. Jane and Michael Stern are at Louis Mueller's BBQ in Taylor, TX, and wine wit Joshua Wesson recommends cool wines for hot days.

Today we're in Lynne's kitchen to learn about one of our most elusive immigrant cuisines, that of the Hmong people of Southeast Asia. Our guides are the authors of Cooking From the Heart: the Hmong Kitchen in America. Jane and Michael Stern are eating pancakes near the fountain of youth at the Old Spanish Sugar Mill in De Leon Springs, FL, and we get the perfect summer sauce from Michael Ruhlman, author of Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking.

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All those people talking about a wine's "terroir", meaning the place the grapes come from. Can we really taste it? We get the scientific last word from Harold McGee author of the seminal On Food and Cooking. Jane and Michael Stern are at Woodyard Bar-B-Que in Kansas City, KS, and novelist Nicole Mones tell us about the time in Chinese culinary history which she used as a framework for her latest novel, The Last Chinese Chef.

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This week it's a look into the future with Dr. James Levine, Director of the N.E.A.T. Center at The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Levine says your desk could be a slow-rolling treadmill with a computer mounted on it; you could be taking signing lessons instead of going to the gym, and cooking with friends who make you laugh. It all comes from Dr. Levine's imagination and 15 years of detailed obesity research at Mayo. His latest books are Move a Little, Lose a Lot and The Blue Notebook, a novel to be published in July.

The Sterns have found cows so happy that the milk they give makes what Jane says is the most fabulous ice cream she's had in her life! All of this bliss can be found at Delaware's Woodside Farm.

Forget the pricey ice cream maker — Karen Solomon brings us classy popsicles you make from practically nothing. It's all in her book, Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It: And Other Cooking Projects.

Ray Isle, Executive Wine Editor for Food & Wine magazine, talks the break-out Chardonnays — the unoaked ones — and tries to convert Lynne.

Poet Thomas Sayers Ellis, author of The Maverick Room, writes a poem for us titled "Godzilla's Avocado," and Rachel Muston says the refrigerator is the biggest energy drain we've got.

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This week it's a look at the American kitchen—from the sanitized scientific outpost of yesteryear to today's family-oriented center of cherry cabinets, granite countertops and culinary toys galore. Our guest is Steven Gdula, author of The Warmest Room in the House: How the Kitchen Became the Heart of the Twentieth-Century American Home.

Who but the Sterns would have found a snack cake worth a journey? It's the Twinkie of Michael's dreams at Bette's Oceanview Diner in Berkeley, California.

Wine expert Joshua Wesson is back and he's talking Grüner Veltliner, the centerpiece of Austria's wine industry.

Greg Patent tells how he tracked the great recipes of America's immigrant families while researching his latest book A Baker's Odyssey.

Professor of German Chris Wickham fills us in on Food in the Arts, a symposium of academics from around the world at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and we'll hear the story of New Orleans jazz man Kermit Ruffins and his band called the BBQ Swingers.

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This week, it's a fashionista in the kitchen. We'll talk with designer Isaac Mizrahi, who has some strong opinions about cookbooks and some "issues" with entertaining.

For the Sterns it's the cream of the cremas (and pastries) at Crema in Portland, Oregon. Produce maven Russ Parsons talks how to find the ever-elusive great strawberry, Lettie Teague is back with new trends in house wines, we'll play a new round of Stump the Cook with celebrity stump master Christopher Kimball, and Richard Wiles has a shoppers guide for avoiding pesticides in produce.

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This week's it's a culinary contradiction, something that's difficult to get your head around: vegan soul food. How can there be soul food without pork or fried chicken? We asked this of our guest Bryant Terry, a gentle food activist that takes the food of his childhood down a timely path. His book is Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine.

Jane and Michael Stern tuck into grand greasy-spoon grub at the M & M Cigar Store in Butte, Montana.

Cheese maven Steve Jenkins talks the "stinkers" — the cheeses that separate dabblers from true aficionados.

Writer Suzanne Pirret, author of The Pleasure is All Mine: Selfish Food for Modern Life, stumbles onto the truth of Cervante's saying, "all sorrows are less with bread."

Michael Ruhlman reveals the secret culinary codes only the pros know. His fascinating book is Ratios: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking. And Lisa Schiffman, founder of www.tuttifoodie.com, talks matchmaking for food types.

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Today we are learning how to build a curry with award-winning teacher Raghavan Iyer, author of 660 Curries. Jane and Michael Stern have found pecan pie worth the trip at the Texas Pie Company in Kyle, TX. Joshua Wesson brings us wines for the picnic basket and we look the misunderstandings behind MSG with The New York Time's Julia Moskin.

This week it's a look at the golden age of Islamic food and conquest with guest Charles Perry, historian of Arab cuisine. Mr. Perry authored the foreword to Medieval Cuisine of the Islamic World: A Concise History with 174 Recipes.

It's clam chowder Rhode Island style for Jane and Michael Stern at Kitchen Little, just over the border in Mystic, Connecticut.

Baking authority Dorie Greenspan talks the one and only Paris macaroon — a local obsession — and leaves us a recipe for Chocolate Macaroons.

Lynne and Mannaging Producer Sally Swift bring us round two of "Back to the Table" — with the basic rules of the stir-fry.

Kim Adams, one of seven Detroit area wine crazies who created the website Gang of Pour has a beginner's guide to making your own vinegar from leftover wine.

Professor Henry Petroski chats about the toothpick, the latest ordinary object to catch his attention and the focus of his latest book, The Toothpick: Technology and Culture; and, as always, the phone lines will be open for your calls.

This week's guest could be New York's next star chef. He's Suvir Saran, author of Indian Home Cooking. His food is all about clear, singing flavors and simple, light dishes. Tomato Rasam is a fine example.

The Sterns are munching sopaipillas dipped in liquid sunshine at the Plaza Café, Santa Fe's oldest restaurant.

Steve Jenkins introduces us to lush gooey cheeses, the ones he calls the "cheeses of a lifetime."

Britain's beloved food writer Nigel Slater tells of a fragile mother-son relationship forged in the kitchen from his heartbreakingly funny memoir TOAST: The Story of a Boy's Hunger.

Sally Schneider talks winter squash and leaves us her delicious recipe for Roasted Winter Squash Slices. Finally, we'll hear about an unusual pizza unique to the upper Midwest and Fox's Pizza Den.

This week it's a look at Antonin Carême, the world's first celebrity chef. Abandoned by his family at age nine to starve on the streets of Paris, Carême overcame impossible odds to achieve wealth, fame and an unheard of independence. In the process he reshaped French cuisine. His biographer Ian Kelly, author of Cooking for Kings, tells the story. Carême's recipe for Orange Flower and Pink Champagne Jelly takes us back to the 19th century when he cooked for kings.

The Sterns have discovered an anomaly at Burgerville, a restaurant chain in the Pacific Northwest. Christopher Kimball of Cook's Illustrated tested ice cream makers and came up with some worth having. We'll go to Seattle for an oyster dating service, and Lynne gets a lesson in pairing wines with oysters. Our man in Athens calls in with the scoop on what the athletes are eating, and we have the latest solution to cork taint - the Vino-Lok.

This week we're creating spaces for entertaining. It's not about remodeling, it's about working with what you already have. Our guest is architect Sarah Susanka, whose latest book is Home by Design: Transforming Your House Into a Home.

The Sterns are eating Cuban sandwiches and mango milkshakes at Margon in Times Square. Cheese monger Steve Jenkins is back and wants us to try fresh summer cheeses.

Anya Von Bremzen wanders the world as a food journalist, but Spain draws her back again and again. She joins us to talk Spanish food, including the ultimate Classic Andalusian Gazpacho. We'll hear the backstory on Terroir estate coffee from George Howell, founder of Boston's Coffee Connection. Dan Lowenstein fills us in on PlayDine, a new take on family-style restaurants, and Lynne has a recipe for Iced Summer Peaches.

We're talking living and eating in the south of France with none other than Patricia Wells, restaurant critic for the International Herald Tribune and the most prominent American authority on French food today. Patricia's new book, The Provence Cookbook, is the latest addition to her roster of titles about cooking, traveling and eating in Paris and France. She leaves us her recipe for Fresh White Beans with Garlic and Light Basil Sauce, and recommends a visit to Le Bistrot du Paradou.

The Sterns tell of the sensational hotdogs at Fido's a street cart in Portland, Oregon, and then Josh Wesson suggests wines to pair with rich, oily fish like salmon and mackerel.

Lynne reports on her visit to Armandino's Salumi and other Seattle restaurants discovered during her recent trip to the Emerald City where she partied with KUOW listeners. Finally, we'll have a report on picnicking in the nude, part of the fastest growing trend in vacationing - nude recreation!

This week it's the story of a life-altering sweet tooth. Our guest, Steve Almond, author of Candyfreak, has lived his entire life for candy and surely knows more about candy history than Mars and Hershey combined. The Sterns are choosing between democracy and dictatorship at Hallo Berlin, a sausage cart on the streets of New York. 

Travel writer Anya Von Bremzen reports on world food markets worth a trip. Sally Schneider talks the garlic of the moment and shares a recipe for Warm Goat Cheese Salad with Roasted Garlic. Al Sicherman reports on "the unfortunate pantry: a taste test." Citysearch brings us a new way to find good eats when we're on the road, and Lynne shares her recipe for Sweet and Pungent Sicilian Sauce.

California Chef Paul Bertolli, author of Cooking by Hand, gives new meaning to "cooking from scratch." He makes his own balsamic vinegar, cures his own salami and hams and grinds his own flours. We'll learn what drives this talented artisan and owner of the award-winning restaurant Oliveto in North Berkley. He leaves us with his recipe for Boiled Chicken with Vinegar Sauce.

The Sterns are surrounded by teddy bears and scented candles as they dine on clam hash and Grape Nuts pudding at Pat's Kountry Kitchen in Old Saybrook, Connecticut.

Wine maverick Joshua Wesson has traded hearty winter reds for bargain-priced spring wines from France, and Max Jacobson has an insider's guide to Las Vegas restaurants. We'll check out a new take on dinner theater in New York, and hear about what happened when one company decided to apply their salmon freezing techniques to lobster.

"Our guest is BBC journalist Fuchsia Dunlop, the first foreigner invited to study at the professional chef's school in Sichuan, China. She fell in love with the spicy, hot, and unique cuisine the Chinese call "audacious cooking," and went on to pen Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking. She leaves us her recipe for Fish-Fragrant Eggplant from the book.

For the Sterns, it's French toast and Red Velvet Cake at Diana's in Charleston, and Lynne reveals her "Southern Fantasy Trip Back Seat Library!" We'll talk international beans and weenies with Anya Von Bremzen. Her recipe for Feijoada Completa is from her new book, The Greatest Dishes!: Around the World in 80 Recipes.

Wine expert Jay McInerney is back offering his opinions on the world of wine. This time he's predicting Sauvignon Blanc will cancel out Chardonnay! In a bow to the current political climate, we'll address one of the issues dividing the nation—the diet wars. And we'll hear from Murph Dawkins who, during a renovation of her St. Paul bar, discovered hidden treasure in the basement!

This week it's the story of two Southern cooks from different generations, different places, and different races. Young chef Scott Peacock talks about his special friendship with Edna Lewis, a cook, writer, and octogenarian who is one of our national culinary treasures. Scott leaves us his recipes for Sugared Raspberries and Scott's Chicken Stock from The Gift of Southern Cooking, the book he co-authored with Miss Lewis.

The Sterns are also in Dixie, eating banana splits and dipsy doodles atElliston Place Soda Shop in Nashville. Sally Schneider talks chicories and other aggressive greens that she tames in her recipe for Bitter Greens with Seasonal Fruit and Roasted Nuts. Lynne joins in with Nonna's Sneaky Greens Soup.

New York Times food writer Amanda Hesser, author of the charmingCooking for Mr. Latte, tells of a dinner where courtship, family relations, and culinary intimidation came together. Ginger Duck is what they ate. And we'll hear from a harvester of one of the planet's most complete foods—seaweed!

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

Chinese food authority Grace Young joins us this week with the story of China's famous pot and shares tips on how to achieve the perfect stir-fry. She leaves us a recipe for Chinese Broccoli with Ginger Sauce from her new book, The Breath of a Wok: Unlocking the Spirit of Chinese Wok Cooking Through Recipes and Lore.

It's old-world Eastern European fare for the Sterns at Polonez in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Andrea Immer tells us how to stock a wine closet on the cheap and shares her recipe for Coconut Milk-Curry Shrimp Soup from her new book, Everyday Dining with Wine. Patricia Schultz, author of the fascinating book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, names three places to eat before you die.

Zanne Stewart, executive food editor of Gourmet magazine, tells what it was like testing the 1,000 recipes featured in the new The Gourmet Cookbook. The Rumaki recipe is one to remember for upcoming holiday parties. We'll hear about the healthy vending machine program from Stonyfield Yogurt, and Lynne takes your calls.

Spain is where to go now to experience the latest culinary evolution. In restaurants where the country's top young chefs preside over the kitchen, new meaning is given to "cutting edge," and the food looks and tastes like nowhere else. Global restaurant critic Anya Von Bremzen has been tracking the developments for a decade and joins us with a report. Her recipe for Paella Valenciana comes from her new book The Greatest Dishes!: Around the World in 80 Recipes to be published in 2004.

Jane and Michael Stern are eating turtles and the "kitchen sink" at Bridgewater Chocolate in Brookfield, Connecticut. Lynne sticks to the theme with a recipe for Chocolate Coins—tiny, intensely flavored cookies to nibble with espresso or vanilla ice cream. Equipment pro Dorie Greenspan has the scoop on new-age pressure cookers. The good news is they're no longer frightening. Beer man Steven Beaumont has the low-down on Czech lagers; and we'll revisit Dan O'Brien, a writer and rancher who's single handedly trying to balance the ecology on America's prairies. Lynne talks with Emeril Lagasse, the television superstar who's been kicking it up a notch for the last decade. His new book From Emeril's Kitchen includes his yummy recipe for Roasted Red Onions Stuffed with Thyme-Mascarpone Mousse.

This week's guest could be New York's next star chef. He's Suvir Saran, author of Indian Home Cooking. His food is all about clear, singing flavors and simple, light dishes. Tomato Rasam is a fine example.

The Sterns are munching sopaipillas dipped in liquid sunshine at the Plaza Café, Santa Fe's oldest restaurant.

Steve Jenkins introduces us to lush gooey cheeses, the ones he calls the "cheeses of a lifetime."

Britain's beloved food writer Nigel Slater tells of a fragile mother-son relationship forged in the kitchen from his heartbreakingly funny memoir TOAST: The Story of a Boy's Hunger.

Sally Schneider talks winter squash and leaves us her delicious recipe for Roasted Winter Squash Slices. Finally, we'll hear about an unusual pizza unique to the upper Midwest and Fox's Pizza Den.

Tod Murphy is a man who's giving restaurant chains a run for their money. His Farmer's Diner in Barre, Vermont serves up good, cheap food from local farms. The system is a winner that could take "local" national.

The Sterns set out for breakfast in Nashville and ended up at Vandyland for ice cream sodas.

Sally Schneider shares her recipe for Real "Jell-O", and David Leite talks the hazards of being a "hired belly." Anya Von Bremzen is just back from Turkey with easy little dishes, including Turkish Braised Eggplant, and we'll hear about the "Taking America to Lunch" exhibit opening next spring at the Smithsonian's National Museum of History.

We're taking a look at Zinfandel, the mystery grape swathed in controversy, its origins lost in the mists of time. Wine historian Charles Sullivan, author of Zinfandel: A History of a Grape and Its Wine, joins us to unravel its questionable past.

The Sterns have found great barbecue behind bulletproof glass at Leon's Bar-B-Que in Chicago. Dorie Greenspan gets us ready for the return of cool weather with the best in bread baking gear. Our go-to guy in New York reveals one of his secrets for great cheap eats: the city's oldest Indian neighborhood called Curry Hill.

Lynne shares her recipe for Tamarind-Glazed Pork Tenderloin Sauté, and Alice Waters, the high priestess of California cuisine and organics, reports on the latest in school lunches from Berkeley's Edible Schoolyard.

This week it's food and the sexes. Naturalist Susan Allport, author of Primal Feast, examines how gender shapes food behavior for humans and other animals. It's an interesting take on food, foraging, and sex in the animal world.

The Sterns are into Hot Truck, a deeply local specialty of Ithaca, New York. Wine maverick Josh Wesson has advice for wines to drink with sweet corn. Dorie Greenspan checks out the best gadgets for saving leftover wine.

We'll hear the story of a local hero and his giant tomato, and Dave Hirschkop, author of Crazy from the Heat, tells us about his chili sauce creation that was so hot it was banned from the fiery food show.

It's tomato season, the time of year that's sheer bliss for Lynne. She's been in the kitchen concocting a Big Tomato Sweet-Sour Salad and "Drippy" Mexican Sweet Corn.

This week it's class warfare in the California wine country. We'll take a look at growth and development versus local culture as new money from the Silicon Valley threatens what's left of the rural lifestyle in the Napa and Sonoma valleys. Our guest is Alan Deutschman, author of A Tale of Two Valleys: Wine, Wealth and the Battle for the Good Life in Napa and Sonoma.

Avoiding the fray, Jane and Michael Stern are in South Carolina eating Jesus crabs and flounder atFishnet Seafood on Johns Island.

Sally Schneider, author of A New Way to Cook, has been fiddling with fresh soybeans. Her recipe for Succotash is a delicious result. Then Jill Gusman, co-author of Vegetables from the Sea, introduces us to the unfamiliar realm of sea greens. Her recipe for Sea Vegetable Caesar Salad is a good way to start experimenting with veggies from the deep.

We have the scoop on the luscious argan oil from Morocco, and, as always, Lynne takes your calls.

It seems that salt has taken on a life of its own these days, now that we can choose the sea we want it from and even the color. We'll take a look at this "white gold" and its relationship to power in America with our guest, Professor Pierre Laszlo, author of Salt: Grain of Life.

The Sterns are eating classic regional fare at Harry Caray's, the funky Chicago restaurant founded by the renowned broadcaster known as "the voice of the Chicago Cubs." Our beer guy, Steve Beaumont, suggests a Mid-Atlantic road trip based loosely on the theme ""follow the brew."" And Lynne reveals some of her favorite makers of Prosecco.

David Rosengarten talks the flavors of India and its world-class fare that, regrettably, we all but ignore. He'll share sources for some of his favorite products and Indian pantry staples. Try David's recipe for Pilau Rice with Saffron and Fresh Curry Leaves and Sarson Da Saag from The Turmeric Trail by Raghavan Iyer. You might become a fan of this rich and varied cuisine.

Finally, we'll hear the story of an American who tried to get a family recipe from her East Indian fiancé's clan and ended up with more family than recipe.

This week, our guest Trevor Corson, author of The Secret Life of Lobsters, takes a new look at endangered sea life. It's story of underwater feminism, renegade scientists, and amorous crustaceans!

The Sterns are road tripping into fried pie country where they've found a gem called Family Pie Shop.

Rick Bayless picks wines to drink with Mexican food, and shares a recipe for Garlicky Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Smoky Tomato-Chile Salsa from his book Mexico One Plate At A Time. Smart cook Sally Schneider talks how to waste nothing and be ready for anything. It's all in how you use your freezer. Keep her Fool-Proof Flaky Butter Pastry on hand for a spur-of-the-moment fruit pizza or pie. B-52 rocker Kate Piersen tells about her retro Lazy Meadow Motel in the Catskill Mountains, and Lynne takes your calls.

This week it's a guide to easy summer entertaining with Ruth Reichl, editor-in-chief of Gourmetmagazine. Ruth is an expert hostess and former caterer who believes it's all about beginnings and endings. She leaves us with the only menu we'll need for a season of successful parties: A Lazy Front Porch Supper.

Jim's B-B-Q Chicken in Candor, New York, is one of the Sterns' latest finds. They say it's like no other. For Steve Jenkins, summer entertaining means cheese suppers. There's no cooking and the accompaniments are fantastic.

Chef Jerry Traunfeld wants us to harvest those nasturtiums and pickle them like capers. Learn how with his recipe for Nasturtium Capers. British storyteller Jim Crace has an unusual way of celebrating birthdays that involves spitting, and we'll take a look at solar cooking with Jennifer Barker.

"We're taking a look at the groundbreaking culinary revolution that blasted onto the scene in the 1970's, sending foodies of that era into fits of rapture. It was called California Cuisine and it was so new, so hot, and so chic. Our guest, California chef Jeremiah Tower, was front and center in the movement that put fresh-from-the-field, locally grown food onto restaurant dinner plates and, ultimately, our tables at home. His new book, California Dish is a memoir of that moment in time. Lynne did some reminiscing herself and came up with her homage to California Cuisine: Garlic Bread, Green Bean and Tomato Salad.

The Sterns are eating brisket and trying to ignore the glaring bulldog at Sugar's in Velarde, New Mexico. Cheesemonger Steve Jenkins has a curious diner's guide to sheep cheese, and Lynne shares a favorite recipe for Wilted Greens and Sheep Cheese Bruschetta. Chinese food expert Bik Ng leads reporter Scott Haas into the world of dim sum, and we'll hear the story of how Arnie, the Doughnut took charge of his life.

This week we'll hear how Buddhism and karma shape the most sophisticated cooking in Southeast Asia. Our guest, David Thompson, calls it "the cuisine that takes no prisoners." He shares a recipe for Thai Grilled Chicken from his book, Thai Food.

Jane and Michael Stern are eating Frito Pie from the Five & Dime General Store while strolling the mall in Santa Fe.

David Rosengarten reveals some extraordinary Mondavi wines, discovered while celebrating Robert Mondavi's 90th birthday and tasting his way through everything made by the renowned producer.

Travel writer Anya Von Bremzen went home to Russia and found a booming new food scene. She tells of some discoveries in Pushkin, and leaves us a recipe for True Russian Blini.

Only Calvin Trillin could turn a ride to the airport into an adventure in raw fish. It's a tale from his new book, Feeding a Yen: Savoring Local Specialties from Kansas City to Cuzco.

Food historian Patrick Faas, author of Around the Roman Table: Food and Feasting in Ancient Rome, takes us back to a time when flamingo tongues were finger food and boiling water signaled a decline in your morals. Patrick leaves us with an unusual recipe for Soft-Boiled Eggs in Pine Nut Sauce.

It's decadence road food style for the Sterns as they indulge in sub sandwiches at the White House Sub Shop in Atlantic City. Sally Schneider returns to reveal the gadget she can't live without and gives us her recipe for Warm Olivada. Food writer Ted Lee tells us what he discovered when he set out to find the next big taste. Maybe it has something to do with his recipe for Berbere-and-Mulberry-Glazed Duck. Randall Graham of Bonny Doon Vineyards introduces us to a Frenchman whose wines are not about taste. And we'll hear from the only remaining maker of limburger cheese in this country.

We're taking a look at fungi, organisms that can feed you, make you crazy, take down your house, devour flesh, and save your life. Our guest is Nicholas Money, author of Mr. Bloomfield's Orchard: The Mysterious World of Mushrooms, Molds and Mycologists and an expert on fungus growth and development. In keeping with the theme, Lynne shares her recipe for Portobello "Steaks" with Holy Oil.

Jane and Michael Stern report on the exceptional produce at George and Pink's Vegetable Stand on Edisto Island, South Carolina. Joshua Wesson claims there's a link between wines and the personalities of their makers. Chef Jerry Traunfeld talks lovage, an unusual and mostly forgotten herb that's highlighted in his recipe for Steamed Mussels with Lovage. And famed clarinetist Richard Stoltzman reveals his other passion—pastry making—and gives us his recipe for Linzer Torte.

Lynne talks with Chuck Williams, the creator and vice chairman of the Williams-Sonoma retail empire. Back in the 1950s, when the pressure cooker was sophisticated cookware, Chuck was promoting French copper, couscous pots, and kitchen equipment from Europe. It was all so exciting and new. Nowadays, high-quality professional gear is virtually mainstream and cooks can thank Mr. Williams for his vision.

Jane and Michael Stern are eating regional "street food" at its best: hot tamales at the crossroads of the Mississippi Delta. Sally Schneider fills us in on a rite of spring that's often overlooked: the wild and wonderful ramp. Her recipe for Pasta with Ramps highlights this assertive member of the onion family.

Steven Beaumont tracks down some fine Pacific Northwest beers in Seattle and Portland. And travel writer Anya Von Bremsen returns with a report on Tokyo's stunning new food halls. Get all the details from her article in the May 2003 issue of Food and Wine magazine. Finally, we'll have a salmon update from the folks at the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch.

The gin craze in eighteenth-century London was a 30-year reign that both elevated and devastated an era. We'll hear the story from Jessica Warner, author of Craze: Gin and Debauchery in an Age of Reason.

The Sterns are traveling New Mexico's Turquoise Highway and dining among peahens, wild turkeys, and peacocks at the San Marcos Café in Cerrillos. John Willoughby of Gourmet magazine thinks a bottle of Vietnamese fish sauce belongs in every cupboard—and it's essential in his recipe for Spicy Cabbage Salad with Chile-Rubbed Flank Steak.

Nancy Silverton, the high priestess of bread baking, has ideas for what to do with those stale loaves lurking in the pantry. Sort-Of Frisée Lardon from her new book, Nancy Silverton's Sandwich Book, is a delicious way to use the last of that $5 loaf you bought last week. Food writer David Leite tells the tale of a man and his stove. And Lynne shares her recipe for Luxury Scrambled Eggs recently featured in our newsletter, "Weeknight Kitchen.""

This week it's the story of two Southern cooks from different generations, different places, and different races. Young chef Scott Peacock talks about his special friendship with Edna Lewis, a cook, writer, and octogenarian who is one of our national culinary treasures. Scott leaves us his recipes for Sugared Raspberries and Scott's Chicken Stock from The Gift of Southern Cooking, the book he co-authored with Miss Lewis.

The Sterns are also in Dixie, eating banana splits and dipsy doodles atElliston Place Soda Shop in Nashville. Sally Schneider talks chicories and other aggressive greens that she tames in her recipe for Bitter Greens with Seasonal Fruit and Roasted Nuts. Lynne joins in with Nonna's Sneaky Greens Soup.

New York Times food writer Amanda Hesser, author of the charmingCooking for Mr. Latte, tells of a dinner where courtship, family relations, and culinary intimidation came together. Ginger Duck is what they ate. And we'll hear from a harvester of one of the planet's most complete foods—seaweed!

This week it's an eater's guide to the port city of Marseille with Daniel Young, author of Made in Marseille: Food and Flavors from France's Mediterranean Seaport. Calamari, the great Marseille passion when it comes to food, is featured in Chez Etienne's Pan-Fried Calamari with Parsley and Garlic.

The Sterns are eating lobster bisque and dainty pastries at the Wenham Tea House on Boston's North Shore. Fruit geek David Karp explains the mysterious bitter almond, the strongly flavored nut that can be lethal if eaten raw! Gourmet magazine's John Willoughby takes on the lowly pot roast and elevates it to star status with his recipe for Balsamic-Braised Pot Roast with Tomatoes, Lemons, Raisins, and Black Olive-Pine Nut Relish. Commentator Julie Hauserman takes a look at the pressures of being a snack mom. And we'll hear from an artist who is examining a difficult topic.

Brush the snow off the Weber! Steven Raichlen is back and he's talking winter grilling. Never mind that the wind chill is 10 below. Steven's Green Lightning Shrimp, from his book BBQ USA, will warm you to your toes.

The Sterns get a jolt from the Tabasco Ice Cream at Robin's Restaurant in Henderson, Louisiana. "Bright Lights, Big City" guy Jay McInerney wants us to think Rose Champagne for Valentine's Day. It's what we'll be sipping with Lynne's Double Dark Chocolate Excess.

Tea expert Bill Waddington brings us his guide to pairing tea with food. Monique Truong takes us back to Paris in the 1920's with a peek into a very private dinner, and some marketing folks want us to smell like Bombay Sapphire Gin!

This week it's heartbreak, glory, and big money. We're talking cooking contests with Amy Sutherland, author of Cookoff: Recipe Fever in America. If you think the Superbowl is competitive, wait until you hear how serious cooks go for the gold!

The Sterns dine family-style at Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House in Savannah, Georgia. Food forager Ari Weinzweig delights chile heads with talk of the great pepper duo from Spain, and leaves us his recipe for Stuffed Piquillo Peppers.

Tea man Bill Waddington takes us to the new center for cutting-edge teas, then we're off to Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery where liquid refreshment isn't limited to humans.

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?

When your career involves chowing down on things like fries cooked in bacon fat with a steak chaser, what do you do when your health hits the wall? John Hodgman, food and drinks columnist for Men's Journal, found out. He stops by to tell the funny story of how he navigated the bumpy road to healthy eating.

The Sterns, ever faithful to fats, have a bologna find in Pella, Iowa. And, to get us back on the healthy track, Sally Schneider, author of A New Way to Cook, shares ideas for quick composed soups.

It's New Delhi restaurant picks from adventurer Anya Von Bremzen of Travel & Leisure magazine; then novelist Timothy Taylor morphs chefing and sourcing into primeval adventures from his new book, Stanley Park. Finally, we'll hear from a British chef trained in classical French cuisine who's making a fortune selling deep-fried Twinkies in a Brooklyn fish and chips shop.

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanza, we're here to help with guest Paula Wolfert, author of The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen: Recipes for the Passionate Cook. Paula has fabulous and imaginative do-ahead recipes that will please everyone at your holiday table.

The Sterns have escaped it all and are savoring New England hospitality atVermont's Dorset Inn.

Josh Wesson talks "grower champagnes" and offers his picks for holiday sips. Our cooking guy David Leite looks at the Christmas goose through his unique kaleidoscope, while Lynne shares the recipe for the Garlic-Stuffed Roast Goose that's a holiday favorite at her house.

We learn how to make Mock Aquavit from Scandinavian food authority Andreas Viestad, and Jerry Pozniak, a specialist in food-related stains and owner of Cameo Cleaners in New York, tells us what to do about those post-prandial red wine spots on the heirloom damask.

The baking season is here, the oven is cranked and we have recipes for you from the great bakers of Paris via Dorie Greenspan. Dorie's book, Paris Sweets: Great Desserts from the City's Best Pastry Shops brings together her best recipe finds, including Korova Cookies and the extravaganza called Opera Cake.

The Sterns take the "Mega-Bob Challenge" (and lose) at Bob's Drive-In in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Kitchen designer Deborah Krasner picks her all-time top design books, and food forager Ari Weinzweig takes us beyond olive oil to the delicate and delicious nut oils few people think to use.

Tim Richardson has the back-story on licorice, including his top picks; and we'll hear from Art Lange, the man at Honey Crisp who creates the exquisite dried fruits that are at the top of our holiday wish list.