Episode 144: Salsa

Mexican food authority and TV chef Rick Bayless, author of Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen, is back this week and he's talking salsa. It's the new ketchup these days and we're putting it on everything from tacos to take-out. With summer's bounty just around the corner, we asked Rick to explain a bit of salsa culture and give us some tips for making fresh and fabulous salsas at home. It's a snap, and Rick's recipe for Essential Roasted Tomatillo-Serrano Salsa will get you going.

Jane and Michael Stern are back from the Appalachian region with an unusual find in Cumberland, Maryland. Kitchen designer Deborah Krasner tells us what to consider when shopping for a dishwasher. We'll hit the open road when Biker Billy roars through on his Harley. He's fanned the culinary flames in his latest work, Biker Billy's Freeway-A-Fire Cookbook, a collection of sizzling vegetarian recipes. Sara Baer-Sinnot of the Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust tells us what's behind the rumor that we may have to start stockpiling Parmigiano-Reggiano, and the phone lines will be open for your calls.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• June 3, 2000 (originally aired)

• April 28, 2001 (rebroadcast)