Dr. Linda Bartoshuk, professor in the departments of surgery and psychology at Yale University Medical School and a leading researcher in sensory science and taste, will be with us to explain why our taste buds are the real culprit in our battle with the bulge. Jane and Michael Stern said bah-humbug to diets and New Year's resolutions and have taken off to sample some true Florida cuisine in sunny Key West; Karen from Ohio tries to Stump the Cook; and Lynne tells us how to register comments on the USDA's proposed guidelines for organic food and takes your calls.
We're foraging for mushrooms this week with mycologist Alan Bessett, author of Taming the Wild Mushroom. While some of us may venture into our local woods, most of us do our foraging in the marketplace. The selection of exotic mushrooms has exploded in the local grocery—we thought it time for a guide. Our road-food experts, Jane and Michael Stern, take us to Kentucky—not for the Derby, but for a local specialty, burgoo, and grocery guru Al Sicherman takes us back to an American basic—Cream of Mushroom Soup.
We're talking pow wows, green onion dinners, naming ceremonies, and legends this week with E. Barrie Kavasch, a descendant of Pocahontas, food historian, and author of Enduring Harvests: Native American Foods and Festivals for Every Season. Barrie suggests some travel guides to Native American festivals and you'll want to try her recipes for glacial mists cooler and Fiesta del Sol cookies. We'll visit a Chicago restaurant where the chef includes traditional American Indian food on the menu, and Jane and Michael Stern report on the quintessential spice shop in Fort Worth. Our fruit expert, David Karp, "tells all" about one of Lynne's favorites—loquats; Courtney in Ohio tries to Stump the Cook and, as always, the lines will be open for your calls.
We're featuring the food and folkways of the Amish and Mennonites with Marcia Adams, author of New Recipes from Quilt Country: More Food & Folkways from the Amish & Mennonites. Marcia tells us where to go and how to behave when visiting one of their settlements and shares a recipe for shoofly pie. Jane and Michael Stern report in from Idaho with a tip on where to find an exceptional Mexican meal; Stuart Stevens, author of Feeding Frenzy: Across Europe in Search of the Perfect Meal, tells us how to best spend time in Paris; and Lynne shares some of her favorite food mail-order catalogs and an interesting read.
We're taking a look at the art and culinary history of the sausage with Bruce Aidells, author of Flying Sausages and the man responsible for the gourmet sausage craze. You'll want to try Bruce's recipe for thai chicken and turkey sausage. Jane and Michael Stern talk swinging beef—a favorite of Michael's and a food he says "we need euphemisms for." Cooler weather has inspired our grocery guru, Al Sicherman, to think heartier, more robust foods—like sauerkraut—and a Portland, Oregon, listener shares her recipe for a chocolate cake containing—you guessed it—sauerkraut!
Internationally renowned architect Adam Tihany, the creative genius behind New York's Le Cirque and Spago in Las Vegas and Mexico City, reflects upon the specialized art of restaurant design. There's a reason we don't linger over a cup of coffee at McDonalds! Jane and Michael Stern wax a bit lyrical about caramel apples; Deborah Krasner, author of Kitchens for Cooks, talks commercial-style ranges for home cooks; Lynne gives tips for stocking a pantry that will help you get dinner on the table in minutes, and shares her recipe for fresh Asian noodle salad.
We'll take a look at the Southeast Lowcountry this week with John Martin Taylor, author of Hoppin' John's Charleston, Beaufort & Savannah: Dining at Home in the Lowcountry, who shares his recipe for shrimp creole; Jane and Michael Stern go to the city of big shoulders—Chicago —to talk hot dogs; and fish and seafood authority, Mark Bittman, gives us tips for buying and cooking American's favorite seafood—shrimp.
We're talking food worth making a trip for with Jeffrey Steingarten, food columnist for Vogue magazine and author of The Man Who Ate Everything. Jeff shares his thoughts on where in the world to find the best—from barbecue to deep-fried treasures—and talks about a man he calls the "Julia Child of Japanese cooking." Jane and Michael Stern are at the beach sampling Japanese fare themselves—at a "surfers' sushi bar!" Deborah Krasner, author of Kitchens for Cooks, gives the scoop on sinks; and Ed Blonz, Ph.D., author of Your Personal Nutritionist: Food Additives, has an update on fat and answers a Pittsburgh listener's question about MSG. As always, the phone lines will be open with Lynne taking your calls.
We're celebrating Chinese New Year with Ken Hom, author, television personality, and one of the world's best-known authorities on Chinese food. Ken shares the recipe for his Mother's New Year Dish from his recently published book, Easy Family Recipes from a Chinese-American Childhood. Jane and Michael Stern report on a find from the Sanitary Tortilla Factory that they consider essential for Super Bowl snacking; we'll visit a bar in Bohemia; Sharon from New Jersey will try to Stump the Cook, and the phone lines will be open for your calls.
Mark Waymack, author of The Book of Classic American Whiskeys, tells us that brown spirits—from single barrel bourbons to rye whiskeys—are making a comeback. The cold months are not far away so now's the time to begin thinking ahead to heartier foods and lustier libations. Use Mark's bourbon tasting notes, draw up a guest list, and start planning your own tasting! Jane and Michael Stern report in from Rhode Island this week with some favorite spots for jonnycakes. A question from the listener Mailbag inspired Lynne to talk about clabber, and she gives some sources for quality dairy products and cheese, along with her recipe for last of the tomatoes commemorative sandwich.