The Splendid Table: Conversations & Recipes For Curious Cooks & Eaters

This week it's an often-overlooked gem that food snobs never take seriously: the great American peanut. Our guest, food writer Wendell Brock, takes us back to his roots in Georgia's peanut country for a look at the caviar of goobers. His fiery Chile Peanuts take bar snacks to a new level.For the Sterns it's a classic 1950's style drive-in with a California twist at Taylor's Refresher in St. Helena. Stephen Beaumont talks Belgian Trappist Ales and foods to pair with them, and the music guy who cooks, Bob Duskis, has new music to grill by.We'll hear about New York City's efforts to wipe out trans-fats in restaurants, and Lynne takes your calls.Broadcast dates for this episode:August 27, 2005 (originally aired)September 2, 2006 (rebroadcast)

This week it's the classic summer place: Martha's Vineyard. It always tempts vacationers to stay, and some move in. Our guest, Vineyard native and local chef, Tina Miller, talks what it's like to live there, the people who make the island what it is, how they live off the land and sea, and how a renaissance turn of mind is essential. The recipe for Lobster and Sweet Corn Fritters, the very essence of summer, comes from Tina's book, Vineyard Harvest: A Year of Good Food on Martha's Vineyard.The Sterns check in from Clamp's Hamburger Stand in New Milford, where Connecticut's quintessential summer food is in full flush. Sally Schneider has ideas on how to amortize lobster, that succulent but pricey summertime treat. Her Rich Lobster Broth gets us started.We'll check out San Francisco's Slanted Door, the first restaurant to put Vietnamese food on the city's culinary map; and the queen of televisionwithoutpity.com takes on the Food Network - the good and the so very bad.Broadcast dates for this episode:August 6, 2005 (originally aired)August 19, 2006 (rebroadcast)

Have you ever wondered what food pros want to eat when they travel? Gourmet magazine's John Willoughby says it's street food. He joins us this week with his picks of the cities with prime eats, along with safety tips for eating from street food carts. A recipe for Watermelon with Fennel Salt comes from the May 2005 issue of Gourmet.The Sterns are in summer Nirvana, tucking into lobster rolls at Red's Eats in Wiscasset, Maine. Wine guy Josh Wesson talks Hungarian wines. He thinks they're the next big thing. A chef for the Tour de France takes us into the kitchen mid-race for a look at what's involved in feeding the bodies and the psyches of fierce world-class competitors.We have the story behind an award-winning new Web site about Crying While Eating, and, as always, Lynne takes your calls.Broadcast dates for this episode:July 23, 2005 (originally aired)August 12, 2006 (rebroadcast)

This week it's a look at one woman's dream job: buy a French farmhouse, renovate, and pay for it by opening a cooking school. Our guest, Susan Herrmann Loomis, is living the dream and the reality. Susan's recipe for Melon and Lime Parfait is just right for summer. It's from her latest book, Cooking at Home on Rue Tatin.For the Sterns it's classic Jewish fare a little west of the Hudson. They report from DZ Atkin's Deli in San Diego.New York Times columnist Marian Burros talks whole-wheat pastas. The good news is they're actually edible!Reputed pizza maven Ed Levine, author of Pizza: A Slice of Heaven: The Ultimate Guide and Companion, reveals the results of his frozen pizza taste tests.Chef Bob Perry tells the story behind the extraordinary food served in the dining rooms of the Kentucky Department of Parks, and Lynne takes your calls.Broadcast dates for this episode:July 16, 2005 (originally aired)July 29, 2006 (rebroadcast)

We're looking at six mind-altering potables and their impact on human evolution with our guest Tom Standage, author of A History of the World in Six Glasses. For the Sterns, it's homemade root beer and hints of frivolity at Mug 'n' Bun in Indianapolis."Molto" Mario Batali joins us for at look at the Italian way with vegetables. His recipe for Pan-Roasted Turnips is from his latest book, Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home.Gourmet magazine executive editor John Willoughby, co-author of How to Cook Meat, talks cuts of lamb kindest to our wallets and shares his recipe for Grilled Lamb Shoulder Chops Greek Style. Michael McGarry, co-author and editor of the Scoops guides from Fancy Pants Press, reveals where you'll find the country's best ice cream, gelato, and frozen custard shops.Lynne says brining, that culinary lifesaver, has gone astray. She puts it back on track with her Brine Time Guide. And, as always, she'll be taking your calls.Broadcast dates for this episode:July 9, 2005 (originally aired)July 15, 2006 (rebroadcast)

This week it's a look at life and death in haute cuisine. Guest Rudolph Chelminski takes us into the world of French restaurant culture, where one star can literally change lives. His book, The Perfectionist: Life and Death in Haute Cuisine, tracks the life and suicide of master chef Bernard Loiseau, who committed suicide in 2003 when he heard rumors that his restaurant would lose its ranking in a leading dining guide.For the Sterns it's the best Lemon Ice Box Pie in the country and excellent people watching at Silver Skillet in Atlanta. Keeping to the theme, Lynne shares her recipe for Stirred Lemon Ice Cream.Steve Jenkins thinks female cheesemakers are the best, especially when it comes to goat and sheep cheeses. He reveals his favorites.Dave Lieberman, the new kid at the Food Network, talks being young and hungry and on a budget. His recipe for Potato-Chip-Crusted Salmon is from his book, Young and Hungry: More Than 100 Recipes for Cooking Fresh and Affordable Food for Everyone.Salvage Sister Kathleen Hackett recycles junk into the kitchen and encourages us to do the same. She is a co-author of The Salvage Sisters: Guide to Finding Style in the Street and Inspiration in the Attic. We have the scoop on the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, and the phone lines will be open for your calls.Broadcast dates for this episode:June 11, 2005 (originally aired)July 1, 2006 (rebroadcast)

We're talking Korean food this week with Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee, author of Eating Korean, From Barbecue to Kimchi, Recipes from My Home. Korean cuisine is bold and spicy, and served in a way that lets you play with all kinds of flavor combinations. Cecilia gives us the essentials. Her recipe for Spicy Pork Ribs gets us grilling.It's classic hot beef sandwiches and sour cream raisin pie for the Sterns at Lange's Café in Pipestone, Minnesota. Chris Kimball of Cook's Illustrated magazine shares tricks for freezing summer's bounty. It's all about knowing your freezer. He shares a recipe for Blueberry Cobbler from The New Best Recipe with a variation using frozen blueberries. Lynne continues the theme with her Hungry Woman's Simple Sorbet.Francine Maroukian, author of Chef's Secrets: Insider Techniques from Today's Culinary Masters reveals tips and tricks from the best in the business. Mike Colamecco, our go-to guy for advice on good eats in the Big Apple, says you'll find some of the city's best food, at bargain prices, at wine bars. A Peabody Award-winning documentarian looks at the truth behind Tupperware, and Lynne takes your calls.Broadcast dates for this episode:June 4, 2005 (originally aired)June 17, 2006 (rebroadcast)

Award-winning chef Frank Stitt put Alabama on the gastronomic map with his mecca of great eating, Highlands Bar and Grill in Birmingham. He joins us this week to talk the return of the South's culinary glory days, a renaissance in which he plays a major role. The recipe for Miss Verba's Pimiento Cheese is from his new book, Frank Stitt's Southern Table: Recipes and Gracious Traditions from Highlands Bar and Grill.For the Sterns it's all about chicken wings at Dem Wangs in Memphis. Lynne's theory about the popularity of wings is apparent in her fabulous Mahogany Chicken Wings.Herb expert and chef Jerry Traunfeld is back to talk fennel pollen. His recipe for Fennel Blossom Soup could result in some very ticked off bees!We meet up with Tane Chan, the "wok woman" of San Francisco's Chinatown, who tells us how to pick the perfect wok. Find yours at her Wok Shop.Manhattan's irreverent caterer to the stars, Serena Bass, has tips for effortless spring entertaining and shares a Spring Dinner Menu from her book, Serena, Food & Stories: Feeding Friends Every Hour of the Day.Broadcast dates for this episode:May 7, 2005 (originally aired)June 10, 2006 (rebroadcast)

This week Lizzie Collingham, author of Curry: A Tale of Cook's and Conquerors, joins us for a look at the history of India through its curries. She says the most popular ones each tell a different story of a significant outside influence. It's a fascinating take on how a world-class cuisine came into being. The recipe for Vindaloo is from Lizzie's book.The Sterns are at Clementine in Los Angeles where they're swooning over the grilled cheese sandwiches and a banana cream pie that's to die for. We have new wine roads to travel in California with Wine Spectator columnist Matt Kramer. Celebrity Chef Charlie Palmer marked one Father's Day by taking his two sons into the kitchen of his multi-starred restaurant for a peek. They've been prepping the veggies ever since. Writer and Public Radio producer David Welch has the story.Los Angeles Times writer Charles Perry has the scoop on bitters and a Prom Dress, the latest thing in the $20 cocktail genre. Lynne shares a grill recipe for Black Pepper-Honey Steak, and in the second half of the show the phone lines are open for your calls.Broadcast dates for this episode:June 3, 2006

John T. Edge, Southern food and culture historian and director of the Southern Foodways Alliance, joins us this week and he's talking fried chicken. His recipe for Sweet Tea Fried Chicken is from his book Fried Chicken, An American Story.The Sterns report in from Putz's Creamy Whip, an old-fashioned custard stand in Cincinnati, Ohio.Josh Wesson stops by to talk a wine waiting to happen: Austria's Gruner Veltliner.The Washington Post's T. R. Reid, author of The United States of Europe, was in the enviable position of being sent to Japan to research an article for Entrée magazine, a Neiman Marcus publication. He was told to eat high and expensive. We'll have a report.Gourmet magazine's editor Ruth Reichl hits the Brooklyn hot spots with New York food maven Ed Levine. Ruth's new book is Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise.We'll learn about "girlie wine" and, as always, Lynne takes your calls.Broadcast dates for this episode:May 21, 2005 (originally aired)May 20, 2006 (rebroadcast)