Episode 169: Popped Culture

This week it's the history of popcorn with Andrew Smith, author of Popped Culture: A Social History of Popcorn in America. It's been around for thousands of years and it's America's favorite snack food. Andrew debunks some popcorn myths and explains why it has such staying power. His recipe for Popcorn Canapés is one of the more unusual ones we've featured here at The Splendid Table.

Jane and Michael Stern are eating with the locals at Hopkin's Boarding House in Pensacola, Florida. They'll tell us why it's one of their Top 10 Picks. Kitchen designer Deborah Krasner evaluates range hoods. It's a case of the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. Barbara Flores, author of The Great Book of Pears, has a tale about how devout monks and showy aristocrats of days gone by turned the small, bitter pear into the voluptuous and luscious treat now give as holiday gifts. We think Barbara's recipe for Moraga Pear Pie is a fine way to use this succulent fruit.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• January 6, 2001