If you know the food scene in Washington State, you know about the wildly popular Herbfarm Restaurant. You also know that getting a reservation there is all about the luck of the draw. They open their phone lines only twice a year for bookings and within hours every space for the next six months is filled! The reason is executive chef Jerry Traunfeld's cooking. Chef Traunfeld, author of The Herbfarm Cookbook, unveils some new tricks for getting maximum flavor from herbs and flowers, some of which you've probably never heard of. His recipe for Lemon Verbena Sorbet showcases the herbal spin this talented chef gives his food.
The hot chef of the moment, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, tells us how he got there, while Chef Anthony Bourdain has tales of horrors in the restaurant kitchen (DON'T ORDER FISH ON MONDAYS!). The Sterns are tracking down stuffed quahogs, tea merchant Bill Waddington talks iced tea, and cheesemonger Steve Jenkins takes us back to France for one of his all-time favorites—gaparon.
Americans are crazy for olive oil. It's had a major impact on our cooking, but buying and enjoying it can be complex and confusing. Why does one bottle cost $6 while another costs $60? Peggy Knickerbocker, author of Olive Oil: From Tree to Table, has traveled the Mediterranean researching how olive oil is made and what makes a quality oil. She answers that question and more, names her favorite California oils, and gives us her recipe for Tattooed Potatoes With Rosemary.
We're visiting the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to hear about the kitchen of the future coming from the scientists working on the Counter Intelligence Project. Are you ready for talking oven mitts that tell you when the roast is done, a kitchen counter that keeps track of your favorite recipes, or a coffee maker that knows you like extra milk in your latte?
We're going way beyond burgers and brats on the barbie this week with grilling guru Steven Raichlen, author of Barbecue! Bible Sauces, Rubs and Marinades, Bastes, Butters & Glazes. Steve roamed five continents to bring a global perspective to the flavor boosting recipes in his latest work. His Korean Barbecue Sauce is just one tasty example.
We're traveling this week and food, of course, is the highlight. Richard Sterling, author of the Vietnam and Spain guides for the new Lonely Planet World Food series, stops by with tales from a Saigon restaurant and advice on choosing a guidebook.
Mexican food authority and TV chef Rick Bayless, author of Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen, is back this week and he's talking salsa. It's the new ketchup these days and we're putting it on everything from tacos to take-out. With summer's bounty just around the corner, we asked Rick to explain a bit of salsa culture and give us some tips for making fresh and fabulous salsas at home. It's a snap, and Rick's recipe for Essential Roasted Tomatillo-Serrano Salsa will get you going.
This week it's a look at the culinary heritage of Israel, a place where nearly every era has left its mark. From biblical times to the new millennium, it's all still there, and you can see it, touch it, and taste it. Joan Nathan, an authority on Jewish food and the author of The Foods of Israel Today, takes us beyond recipes and into the life of this complicated country. Joan's quick and simple recipe for Israeli Carrot Salad is good to know when you need a tasty and colorful side dish in a hurry.
Remember that adage "tell me what you eat and I'll tell you who you are?" According to neurologist Alan Hirsch, M.D., Director of the Smell & Taste Treatment Research Foundation in Chicago and author of Dr. Hirsch's Guide to Scentsational Weight Loss, the notion might not be so far fetched. In his research on snack food, Dr. Hirsch discovered there are physiological reasons why our food preferences reveal our personality, so be discreet the next time you reach for a potato chip instead of a cheese curl. Someone could be watching.
Food and travel writer Anya von Bremzen takes us to Shanghai with an eater's guide to China's born-again boomtown. The city is reinventing itself these days and a cosmopolitan restaurant scene is emerging.