Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora This week, we talk about life and food in Southern France. First, we sit down with Steve Hoffman to talk about his latest memoir, A Season for That, about his journey from Minnesota to the South of France with his entire family to live a romanticized French life.  It turned out to be a complete culinary and culture shock that ended up inspiring his appreciation for the local food culture and its winemaking traditions. Steve Hoffman's latest book is A Seas ..read more

This week, we're talking about the unique cuisine of Greece. Diane Kochilas, author and star of the public television show, My Greek Table joins us from Athens to talk about Greek regional cooking and explore the history and cuisine of the Greek American community. She also lets us in on her favorite dishes to prepare from her garden. Then, we sit with Tara Q. Thomas, who tells us all we need to know about Greek wine, from her favorite producers to the evolution of the pine resin in retsina wines. Then, we head to Queens to listen in on a Greek American family as they prepare their f ..read more

This week, we're all about two summer traditions. First, we meet photojournalist and documentarian Kate Medley to talk about her decade-long project documenting gas stations all across the South.  She has stories about the amazing cast of characters, their diverse selection of foods, and their impact on their communities across the South. Kate Medley is the author of Thank You Please Come Again: How Gas Stations Feed & Fuel the American South. Then, we talk to the chefs behind Kismet, an award-winning vegetable-forward restaurant in Los Angeles. Sara Kramer and Sar ..read more

This week, we're exploring the history of women and beermaking. First, Theresa McCulla, curator of The Smithsonian's American Brewing History Initiative, explains why beer is a great lens to examine American history and shares the story of Patsy Young, an early American brewer and fugitive from slavery. Then, Atinuke Akintola Diver talks about her feature-length documentary This Belongs to Us, which follows Black women brewers in the American south and finally, beer Journalist Stephanie Grant of Good Beer Hunting shares her favorite beer and food pairings. You can ..read more

This week, we look at modern food and culture from two popular cuisines. First, we sit down with acclaimed food writer Khushbu Shah to talk about her debut cookbook, which is all about Indian home-cooked dishes. She shares ingenious hacks and delicious Indian-inspired recipes that can come together in a pinch using everyday pantry items, and teaches Francis how to make her Chili Cheese Toast.  Khushbu Shah is the author of Amrikan: 125 Recipes from the Indian American Diaspora. Then, we are off to Korea with Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard. We talk about why Korean cu ..read more

This week, we talk to two award-winning food writers about how to make the most of your vegetables and leftovers this summer. First up, award-winning vegetarian writer Hetty Lui McKinnon joins us to talk about her latest book Tenderheart, A Cookbook About Vegetables and Unbreakable Family Bonds. She talks to us about her father’s influence on her early life and how it inspired her vegetarian cooking career. She walks us through some of her favorite Chinese-inspired dishes made with a vegetarian twist, like her Sesame Mushroom Toast and Eggplant Char Siu and she sticks aroun ..read more

When it comes to seafood, frozen is the new fresh. We talk to seafood industry expert, Jennifer Bushman about how technology has improved the quality of frozen fish and how to make the most of canned seafood from your local grocery store. Her latest project is Sea Pantry, how to keep your pantry stocked up with ingredients from the sea. Then, Senior Editor of New York Times Cooking, Genevieve Ko brings us her best at-home seafood cooking tips and recipes. Broadcast dates for this episode: April 9, 2021 (originally aired) April 8, 2022 (rebroadcast) May 31, 2024 (rebroadcast ..read more

This week, we’ve got suggestions to start your summer reading list. First, we sit down with bestselling author and poet  Aimee Nezhukumatathil to talk about her upbringing and the nature of her poetry. She writes about her parent’s gardens and their food, and how she carries her childhood experiences with her today.  Her latest book is Bite By Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees. Then, we learn about the life and legacy of the iconic book editor Judith Jones through her biographer Sara B. Franklin. Sara documented Judith’s amazing journey from her first job at a publ ..read more

This week, we’re spending an hour with Culinary Historian Dr. Jessica B. Harris. We talk about her start in food writing, how she started making connections between what she ate in Africa and what she ate in America, learn about one of her greatest influences, her mother who she calls her “culinary secret weapon”, and hear the many different ways she studied food, from reading Columbus’ journal to her experiences as a travel editor. She is the author of twelve books including, Iron Pots and Wooden Spoon: Africa’s Gifts to New World Cooking, her memoir, My Sou ..read more

This week, we're joined by two comedians to talk about their connection to food. First, Ivy Le, host of the podcast Fear of Going Outside. We quote, "Most nature shows are hosted by reckless white men, but avid indoors woman Ivy Le is an Asian mom with severe allergies. Last season, Ivy conquered camping. She's back, braving the outdoors to go hunting- or die trying!" Then, comedian Dan Ahdoot, the author of the new book Undercooked: How I Let Food Become My Life Navigator and How Maybe That's a Dumb Way to Live, talks to us about his connection to food and his family, his ..read more