We're off to France and one of Europe's great cooking schools to hear about life and learning in the beautiful Burgundy region. Anne Willan, owner of École de Cuisine La Varenne and author of From My Château Kitchen, takes us behind the scenes of her famous school and shares travel tips and tales of life in a rambling old chateau in the French countryside. This week's recipe for Patrick Gautier's Soft-Centered Warm Chocolate Cake comes from one of Anne's favorite pastry chefs.
We're talking American cheeses this week but we won't be including those ubiquitous, shrink-wrapped, orange blocks seen in every supermarket dairy case.
We're dropping in at diverse locales this week as we prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July. Southern food historian John Martin Taylor, author of the newly reissued Hoppin' John's Lowcountry Cooking, takes us to South Carolina's coastal plain for boiled peanuts, Pimiento Cheese and Frogmore Stew.
If you tune in regularly to The Splendid Table you know that tofu doesn't appear on Lynne's table often. In fact, it never appears. But Deborah Madison's new book, This Can't Be Tofu, inspired us to take another shot at making Lynne a fan of this latest wonder food. Will we succeed? Stay tuned. In the meantime, try Deborah's tantalizing recipe for Lacquered Tofu Triangles with Green Beans and Cashews.
Best-selling author Diane Ackerman, of A Natural History of the Senses fame, joins us to talk about our sense of taste; the Sterns take us to Chicago for great steak; tea merchant Bill Waddington discusses the merits of bag vs. loose teas; minimalist cook Mark Bittman introduces us to the easiest of sauces, roasted red pepper puree; and John Willoughby, coauthor of License to Grill, has an eater's guide to Hong Kong.
New York Times restaurant reviewer Ruth Reichl joins us with a conversation about her hilarious new memoir, Tender at the Bone, Growing Up at the Table. Jane and Michael Stern take us to Tea, South Dakota, cheesemonger Steve Jenkins shares his list of the great stinky cheeses,and, Lynne samples jam with grocery guru Al Sicherman in their monthly tasting.
We're taking a look at the cultural history of alcoholic beverages in the United States with Andrew Barr, author of Drink: A Social History of America. Jane and Michael Stern take us to Duarte's in the heart of California artichoke country, wine maverick Joshua Wesson advises us on wines to grill by, cheesemonger Steve Jenkins talks cheeses from Auvergne, and legendary cooking teacher, Marion Cunningham is back with another lesson for absolute beginners—this time it's biscuits.
Did you know that graham crackers were named for a preacher and that lobster newburg got its name as the result of a drunken brawl? We've a look at how foods got their names with Martha Barnett, author of Ladyfingers and Nun's Tummies . The Sterns talk gooey butter cake, minimalist cook Mark Bittman has the last word on sun-dried tomatoes, Joshua Wesson is back with wines to drink with the "problem children" of spring—things like asparagus, morels and artichokes – that can be tricky when pairing with wine. Tea authority Bill Waddington and Lynne taste Oolongs.
This week we're talking with maverick winemaker Randall Graham of California's Bonny Doon Vineyard. Forget the usual Cabernet and Chardonnay Randall says they aren't even compatible with California's climate. Instead, he grows grapes from France's Rhone River Valley to produce his award-winning wines with zany names like "Il Fiasco," "Old Telegram," and "Wine of the Ice Box."
World tours, glitz and glamour, a new city every night. At first glance, the life of a rock star seems exciting, but behind the scenes it's about greasy spoon food and months living on cramped tour busses. For singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan, healthy, delicious food is as important as her music so she enlisted Chef Jaime Laurita to cook for her band and crew. Jaime has catered for musicians from the Rolling Stones to Placido Domingo and is a genius at producing gourmet delights from sparse resources, often in the middle of nowhere. Together he and Sarah wrote Plenty, a collection of Sarah's favorite recipes. Try their recipe for Sundried Tomato and Pecan Pesto with Prawns .