It's time for a midwinter break here at the Splendid Table, so we're off to the Caribbean for some sun, white sand beaches, and warm breezes. It's high season there and we've enlisted the help of veteran travel writer Douglas Cooper, who has the word on finding great local food, hotels, and restaurants worth a splurge, plus an insider's tip on the guest-house bargain of the islands.
First it was the Dahlia Lounge. Etta's Seafood followed. By the time the Palace Kitchen opened in 1996, legendary Seattle chef and restaurateur Tom Douglas had won acclaim both regionally and internationally for his unique cooking style and his role in defining "Pacific Rim Cuisine." Along the way, Tom formulated some unusual thoughts on running a business. He stops by to share secrets of his success and his picks of Seattle's best restaurants.
We're wandering the culinary map this week with a look at curry, posole, fish terminology, bacon-of-the-month, and saltines! Our guest Nancie McDermott, author of The Curry Book, shares her infatuation with curries that began during a stint with the Peace Corps in Thailand. Her recipe for Mussamun Curry is a classic Thai dish often served at celebration feasts.
Did you know that most of us are eating genetically engineered foods at one time or another? Are these foods a miracle for farmers and consumers or an uncontrollable monster? Should we be concerned? We'll learn some basic facts about this complicated and controversial subject from Kim Klemon of Consumer Reports magazine. They researched an impressive overview of the subject and published the findings in the September 1999 issue.
It's a Latino Christmas complete with recipes, traditions and stories from Esmeralda Santiago, editor of the newly published, Las Christmas. Cheesemonger Steve Jenkins says thinks farmhouse cheeses from England for the holidays and Jane and Michael Stern are buying their holiday breads from Bantam Bakery in Connecticut.
If you've been listening to the Splendid Table for some time, you know that our resident wine maverick, Joshua Wesson, is not only knowledgeable but quite outrageous. You might recall that Josh is the one who suggested Twinkies as the appropriate accompaniment to Asti Spumante, and his book, Red Wine with Fish, alarmed the traditionalists. He's back this week with some thoughts on fortified wines such as port and, predictably, has his own take on this wine so perfect for holiday sipping and gifting.
Legendary filmmaker Ismail Merchant of Room with a View and Cotton Mary fame has three great passions film, food, and cooking and he's with us this week to share tales of filming and feasting. Ismail is renowned in the motion-picture community for the weekly curry suppers he prepares for cast and crew. Try the recipe for Ismail's Incredibly Instant Chicken, created during the filming of A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries. It's from his new book, Ismail Merchant's Paris.
We're on the road this week, first to Europe and the beautiful mountains straddling the border between France and Spain. The Basques who inhabit this area are some of Europe's most fascinating people. Mark Kurlansky, author of The Basque History of the World, introduces us to Basque life and culture, a subject he's researched for 25 years.
We're heading to the quintessential Christmas town, Naples, Italy, with Arthur Schwartz author of Naples at Table. Arthur shares recipes form the edge of Mt. Vesuvius! Master of Wine Mary Ewing Mulligan talks us through the myriad of wine magazines on the racks, we talk to a Stilton maker in England, and our roadside warriors Jane and Michael Stern are mail-ordering Buffalo from Wyoming!
It's our annual Thanksgiving show and minimalist cook Mark Bittman, author of How to Cook Everything, has streamlined a luscious feast you can prepare in three hours, start to finish, with nary an "instant" or packaged ingredient in the entire menu. Mark shares his recipes for this fast and fabulous dinner: roast turkey with bread stuffing and sherry gravy, sweet potato home fries, cranberry-orange relish, green beans with lemon, and pear, gorgonzola and mesclun salad. Jane and Michael Stern suggest a diner in Maine for post-holiday repast, wine wit Joshua Wesson says the side dishes you serve should dictate the wine you pour, food historian and author of The Story of Corn Betty Fussell explains why corn should be designated our national food, and we'll hear about Tofurky, a vegetarian option for your feast.