Let the slurping begin! It's a look at noodles, one of the perfect comfort foods with Nina Simonds, author of Asian Noodles: Mouthwatering Dishes to Twirl, Slurp and Savor. Nina will take us through the world of pad thai, Vietnamese pho and noodle etiquette and share her recipe for rainbow peanut noodles. Jane and Michael Stern have been south sampling country hams and tell us where to find a great one. Tim from New York tries to Stump the Cook; our grocery guru, Al Sicherman, takes Lynne to the world of Halloween candy; and Lynne shares her recipe for Don Pomodoro sauce—a wonderful way to use those delicious, ripe tomatoes from the garden.
We're taking a look at kitchen design with Deborah Krasner, author of Kitchens For Cooks. Those burn marks on your arms are the true sign of how well your kitchen is laid out! Even if you only go from freezer to the microwave —there are some things you should consider. Jane and Michael Stern take us to the clam belt, specialty fruit expert David Karp tells us about a melon worth traveling to France for, and Lynne shares a recipe for honeydew salsa and talks about the Eco-Pump.
It's the high season of fresh produce, and what better time to think about the French art of preserving with Georgeanne Brennan, author of The Glass Pantry. Georgeanne spends half the year in Provence and brings a different approach—French-inspired small batches of treasures that take little time to produce. How about recipes for pears pickled in Merlot and folie of fall fruits? Both are guaranteed to bring a spark of elegance to your holiday table. That classic autumn smell is in the air for our roadfood experts, Jane and Michael Stern, but it's not from burning leaves—it's those roasting chilies along Route 76 between Taos and Santa Fe! We're traveling with Bill Penzey, owner of Penzey's, Ltd., on an adventure to the Spice Islands; Marilyn from Minneapolis tries to Stump the Cook, and our grocery guru, Al Sicherman, has some insights into America's beef crisis.
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield—yes, THE Ben and Jerry—share a bit of their business philosophy, some thoughts on ice cream, and their recipe for Cherry Garcia. Our cheese expert, Steve Jenkins, talks Spanish cheese, including his pick for "Cheese of the Decade" —Torta del Casar; Jane and Michael Stern take us to a Roundup in Pendleton, Oregon; Scott from Lexington tries to Stump the Cook; and Lynne takes your calls. Labor Day and back-to-school are approaching, but there's still great barbecue weather ahead so fire up the grill and check out Lynne's picks of music to barbecue by.
We're live with Jane and Michael Stern, from that wonderful land of summertime excess and frivolity—the Minnesota State Fair! Can there ever be too many corn dogs, cheese curds, French fries, and bloomin' onions? There's gardens worth planning a vacation around from Mary Tonetti Dorra, author of Beautiful American Vegetable Gardens; Joyce from Minneapolis tries to Stump the Cook, and Lynne shares a recipe for Nonna's pan-fried zucchini flowers.
Jeremy Iggers, author of The Garden of Eating: Food, Sex, and the Hunger for Meaning, takes a look at American appetites. Are we afraid of our food? On the 20th anniversary of the King's death, Jane and Michael Stern reminisce about Elvis—the man, the legend, the food! David from New York tries to stump the cook, we have a birthday tribute to Julia Child, and Lynne shares a recipe for herbed vinegars.
Restaurateur Joyce Goldstein, author of Kitchen Conversations, takes us behind those swinging doors for an insider's peek at the restaurant biz and shares a recipe for roast fish with Sicilian sweet-and-sour onions. Jane and Michael Stern lead us to an inn, in Havana, North Dakota, and specialty fruit expert David Karp talks peaches.
It's a look at 90's etiquette with Peggy Post, the latest of the Post Family to update the classic book Emily Post's Etiquette. How, exactly, are we supposed to deal with a quesadilla, anyway? Jane and Michael Stern lament the loss of the Woolworth's Lunch Counter and trace the origins of Frito Pie. Food and humor columnist Al Sicherman examines corn-on-the-cob etiquette; Cecile from Charlotte plays Stump the Cook; we have a remembrance of dinner with Lenny—Lenny Bernstein, that is! And Lynne talks wood-fired ovens and shares a recipe for fresh lime and chile for corn on the cob.
A look at seven decades of American food fads with Sylvia Lovegren, author of Fashionable Foods, from the Prohibition era's Ginger-Ale Salad to the 90s obsession with fusion cooking—no matter what —it's all American! She even has a recipe to wax nostalgic. Don Skahill talks about the Pop Tart—a fad that outlived even the Fondue. Travelers Jane and Michael Stern report in from "Robert Redford Land"—Utah. Cheese expert Steve Jenkins gives us the rules of cheese storage—move over, plastic wrap.
This week it's the farmer's market with Janet Fletcher, author of Fresh From the Farmers Market. Jane and Michael Stern talk Santa Maria-Style BBQ, Al Sicherman, food and humor columnist for the Star Tribune newspaper in Minneapolis, brings us the latest news from the grocery aisle.