Stories

Toni Tipton-Martin is the author of The Jemima Code, a book that analyzes the history of African-American cooking told through 200 years of black cookbooks. Francis Lam talked with her about the inspiration and encouragement she received from Edna Lewis and the affect it has had on her writing research.

Edna Lewis grew up with and was influenced by such a particular version of Southern cuisine - that of central Virginia. To learn more about the region's food, Francis Lam called on the culinary historian Jessica B. Harris.

Famed Southern chef Scott Peacock was a cherished collaborator and dear friend of the legendary Edna Lewis. Francis Lam talked with Peacock about what it was like to be in the kitchen with Miss Edna, and how her sense of observation, wonder and patience still guide his work today.

Sara B. Franklin is the editor of a wonderful collection of essays about the work, life and food of Edna Lewis. Francis Lam talked with Franklin about the lasting effect that Edna Lewis has had on the world of food, particularly how people view Southern cooking and cuisine.

Beyond her successes as a chef, author and activist, Edna Lewis was a woman with many loving friends and family. To learn more about what Miss Edna was like on a personal level, Francis Lam talked with Lewis's niece Nina Williams-Mbengue.

Food science writer Dr. Nadia Berenstein looks at the chemical compounds that could cause you to have a wicked headache when drinking wine and what you can do to try and curb the pain.

Cecile Richards is not only one of the most powerful and accomplished activist leaders of her generation, she’s also a serious cook and baker of pies. She talked with Francis Lam about the ways in which food can bridge the divide we feel in our current politics and culture.

Francis inherited a chunk of puer tea from his grandfather years ago and has never tasted it. He learned the story of that inheritance and tasted it for the first time with tea expert, Tim Hsu.

The kitchen is a place of joy, solace and comfort. There we find peace in the form of the food we cook, the ingredients we cook it with, and the equipment we use. Managing Producer Sally Swift talked with Tucker Shaw, of America’s Test Kitchen, to find out some of his thoughts on taking care of the things that take care of you in the kitchen.

Food writer Ruth Reichl went to upstate New York in search of a story about prosciutto. She found something that moved her even more at The Center for Discovery, a facility where people suffering from severe disabilities find more than nourishment from the organic feed they help raise; they find a sense of purpose.