If you've had enough already of winter, start thinking south of the border and tune in as Rick Bayless, award-winning author of Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen, gives us an insider's view of places to go, things to see and, best of all, places to eat in Oaxaca! Jane and Michael Stern report in from just north of the border in Arizona with advice on where to find superb Indian Tacos. Our fruit expert, David Karp, recently visited California's Coachella Valley during the date harvest and shares what he learned about dates, including mail-order sources for superb rare varieties. Anne from Minneapolis tries to Stump the Cook, and Lynne takes your calls and makes one herself—to Spago in Las Vegas!
It's one of the great food obsessions—chocolate—with renowned confectioner Nick Malgieri, author of Chocolate: From Simple Cookies to Extravagant Showstoppers. Jane and Michael Stern take us to Snappy Lunch in Mt. Airy, North Carolina. specialty produce expert David Karp talks Meyer lemons, and kitchen designer Deborah Krasner tells us how to best light our kitchen.
The holiday entertaining season has begun and Sally Quinn, legendary Washington, DC hostess and author of the recently published book, The Party: A Guide to Adventurous Entertaining, will share tips for hosting stylish and unforgettable get-togethers. Sally says it has much to do with "seating." Our roadfood experts, Jane and Michael Stern, give us their short list of holiday mail-order goodies, including a source for the best popcorn balls (who but the Sterns would have tracked down the best in popcorn balls?) Cheesemonger Steve Jenkins fills us in on some delectable finds with his December cheese picks; our grocery guru, Al Sicherman, food and humor columnist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, tells us what's new in the grocery aisles; Pam from California tries to Stump the Cook; and Lynne takes your calls.
We're getting a Frenchman's interpretation of Thanksgiving with famed chef and personality Jacque Pepin. master baker Rose Levy Beranbaum, author of the legendary book The Cake Bible, is with us with the last word on pies! Rose's long-awaited book, The Pie and Pastry Bible hits the shelves this month. Wanderers Jane and Michael Stern take us to yam heaven.
You don't have to stalk duck, pheasant, and venison in the woods. Simply go to your grocer! We're taking a look at game this week with Janie Hibler, author of Wild About Game. Jane and Michael Stern are stalking Chicago's famed Michigan Avenue and Master of Wine Mary Ewing Mulligan has returned from a visit to Scotland—Islay to be exact. It's a wine-lover's interpretation of Scotch.
She's back! Shirley Corriher, our food scientist, favorite culinary sleuth, and author of the best-selling CookWise, joins us this week with more of her no-nonsense advice and insights into how and why things happen in cooking. Shirley shares the secret to perfect browning in her recipe for juicy roast chicken and gives us the final word on how to keep those pricey exotic greens fresh for a month (yes, a month!) in the crisper. Trust us—we use her technique and it works! Our dynamic dining duo, Jane and Michael Stern, report in from Stella's in Montana with the lowdown on real cowboy food; Stewart Stevens, author of Feeding Frenzy, takes us to a three-star restaurant in Paris; and the phone lines will be open for your calls to Lynne.
Cocktail-party season is right around the corner, and we have an expert guide with us, the irrepressible Sharon Tyler Herbst, author of The Ultimate A to Z Cocktail Guide. Have you ever wondered about the proper toast etiquette? Sharon will fill us in. Jane and Michael Stern take us to the Miami Airport, kitchen designer Deborah Krasner talks Butcher Block and Brad from Oregon tries to Stump the Cook.
Award-winning chef John Ash brings us an insider's guide to the California wine country. John tells of the humble beginning of the now famous region, where, in the fields, gardens, wineries, and kitchens a revolution is occurring, inspired by global influences and dramatic changes in wine-making and the pairing of wine with food. John shares his not-to-be-missed picks of restaurants in Mendocino, Sonoma and Napa, and you'll want to try his recipe for New World risotto from his book, From the Earth to the Table, a winner of the IACP/Julia Child Book of the Year Award. Jane and Michael Stern take us to Arkansas for BBQ; fruit sleuth David Karp goes exotic with sapote; Angela in Wisconsin tries to Stump the Cook; and our grocery guru and stumpmaster, Al Sicherman, takes a look at greens showing up in the lettuce section of supermarkets - iceberg, move over! As always, Lynne will take your calls.
We're talking to the "Mistress of the Mediterranean," Paula Wolfert about the women behind her new book, Mediterranean Grains and Greens. Jane and Michael Stern take us to Ohio for exceptional apple cider, wine entrepreneur Joshua Wesson picks three wine bargains for autumn drinking, Janice from Colorado plays Stump the Cook, and grocery guru Al Sicherman and Lynne do a chocolate chip tasting.
We're talking to one of the world's foremost authorities on Mediterranean food, Paula Wolfert, author of the newly published Mediterranean Grains and Greens. Jane and Michael Stern find some old-fashioned soda fountains, and New York Times food columnist Marian Burros predicts the future of food in the '90s.
We'll be talking to Joan Nathan, award-winning author and host of the new PBS series, Jewish Cooking in America, about what it takes to put together 26 weeks of programming. The Sterns are tracking down donuts and food editor Kathleen Purvis has some great music to cook by.
Next time you bite into a perfectly baked loaf of bread, think about the hands that made it! We're going behind the scenes of a bakery, with the owners of Philadelphia's famed Metropolitan Bakery. Jane and Michael Stern talk cafeterias and Master of Wine Mary Ewing Mulligan fills us in on Spanish wines.
It's the art of reservations with New York Times columnist Marion Burros. Puzzled about what to do when seated next to the men's room or your reserved table is now 45 minutes late? Marian has some advice. Jane and Michael Stern take us to Sheridan, Wyoming, to Melinda's, and James Peterson has the word on eggplant, including a recipe for eggplant antipasti.
We're taking a look at specialty coffee this week. It's big business these days, but it's also an affordable everyday luxury. A pound of fresh-roasted beans costing $10 yields 40 cups—a cost of just 25 cents each! Our guest, Corby Kummer is senior editor of The Atlantic Monthly and one of the country's most respected food journalists. His 1990 series on coffee was nominated for a National Magazine Award, and he recently authored a book on the subject titled The Joy of Coffee: The Essential Guide to Buying, Brewing and Enjoying. Corby will give us lots of tips to ensure a perfect cup of joe every time! Jane and Michael Stern have been to New York and have advice on where to find a great pastrami sandwich. John from Vermont talks maple syrup, commentator Kathy Purvis takes us to England, and Derek from Minneapolis tries to Stump the Cook. Lynne talks about a culinary history study tour and takes your calls.
We're at the height of the summer beach season, and the time to indulge in some luxury—Lobster. It's affordable luxury when you do it at home, and for some advice we've gone to chef Jasper White, author of Lobster at Home. Jane and Michael Stern are spitting cherry pits in Michigan and stumpmaster and grocery guru Al Sicherman conducts an iced tea tasting.
This is high season for flea markets and jumble sales—and a perfect opportunity to find unusual tabletop and kitchenware. We're gone to the queen of scavengers, designer Rachel Ashwell, author of Shabby Chic, Treasure Hunting and Decorating Guide, for some advice. Jane and Michael Stern gives us a list of the best ice cream in New England, and fruit expert David Karp tells of a revolution in stonefruit.
When you want to talk ice cream, you go to the source, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. The two of them are still whipping up sample batches in Jerry's kitchen, and have agreed to share their recipe for Cherry Garcia. The Sterns take us to St. Louis for snoots and ears from C & K BBQ Restaurant #3, and award-winning author James Peterson begins his vegetable trilogy—this month, it's a look at beans and a recipe for bean and mussel salad.
We're going behind the scenes of the CIA—The Culinary Institute of America, that is! Journalist Michael Ruhlman, author of The Making of a Chef, documented the trip from the first classroom to the CIA's final kitchen, and fell in love with the profession along the way along the way. Jane and Michael Stern take us to Arizona and kitchen designer Deborah Krasner talks refrigerators.
It's a look at some American traditions with Joyce White, author of Soul Food, Recipes from African—American Churches. Jane and Michael Stern share their nationwide "honor roll" of the best hamburgers, and grocery guru Al Sicherman and Lynne conduct a hot dog tasting and we meet up with some champion cherry-pit spitters.
Once again, steak has become the symbol of well-being and prosperity in the U.S. William Rice, author of The Steak Lovers Cookbook, joins us with the secrets to great steak, and a great recipe. Jane and Michael Stern talk road food and kitchen designer Deborah Krasner tells all about refrigerators.
What does San Francisco have in common with ancient Egypt? It's sourdough, and Dr. Ed Wood, a pathologist and author of World Sourdoughs From Antiquity, will be with us to discuss this humble and accidental beginning to leavened breads. In keeping with the theme, Jane and Michael Stern have been sampling hearty breakfast fare in Vermont and will tell us where to find great sourdough pancakes! Our grocery guru, Al Sicherman, reports on the latest from the grocery aisles, Cynda in North Carolina tries to Stump the Cook, and Lynne takes your calls.
It's a historical view of the picnic with award-winning author Claudia Rodin. From the cemetery picnics of China to the original picnickers, the Victorians, Claudia sheds some new light on summer's favorite pastime, and shares a recipe from her classic book, Everything Tastes Better Outdoors. Jane and Michael Stern take us to Little Rock, Arkansas, for great steaks and cheese authority Steve Jenkins takes us to Wisconsin.
Joy of Cooking, first self-published in 1931 by Irma Rombauer, became an American classic and perennial best-seller, beloved by generations of cooks for its reliability and wealth of basic information. The recently published sixth revision—the first in 22 years— continues the tradition, but with improved organization, revisions that reflect changes in eating habits since the mid-'70s, and decidedly more flair. Maria Guarnaschelli, vice president and senior editor at Scribner, talks about what's new and what remained the same in the 1997 edition. Try the three versions of tuna noodle casserole and see which you like best. Jane and Michael Stern have been to Texas where they sampled a hefty burger and are back to tell us about it. Stumpmaster and grocery guru Al Sicherman, discusses tamarind—an ingredient showing up in a surprising number of refrigerators these days—and Lynne takes your calls.
Just in case you're lucky enough to be heading to London this summer, we've a conversation with two legendary London restaurateurs, Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers of the River Cafe. London is quickly becoming the epicenter of gastronomy and Ruth and Rose share their picks. Jane and Michael Stern take us to the Yellowstone Drugstore in Shoshoni, Wyoming.
It's a look at our love affair with noodles with Nina Simmonds, author of Asian Noodles. Nina shares a recipe for rainbow peanut noodles.. perfect for the start of picnic season. Jane and Michael Stern talk country hams, writer Tom McNamee takes us out for Chinese with some rock 'n' rollers at the Happy Garden Restaurant, and grocery guru Al Sicherman gives us his take on what's up in the grocery aisle.
Dr. Linda Bartoshuk, professor in the departments of surgery and psychology at Yale University Medical School and a leading researcher in sensory science and taste, will be with us to explain why our taste buds are the real culprit in our battle with the bulge. Jane and Michael Stern said bah-humbug to diets and New Year's resolutions and have taken off to sample some true Florida cuisine in sunny Key West; Karen from Ohio tries to Stump the Cook; and Lynne tells us how to register comments on the USDA's proposed guidelines for organic food and takes your calls.
We're foraging for mushrooms this week with mycologist Alan Bessett, author of Taming the Wild Mushroom. While some of us may venture into our local woods, most of us do our foraging in the marketplace. The selection of exotic mushrooms has exploded in the local grocery—we thought it time for a guide. Our road-food experts, Jane and Michael Stern, take us to Kentucky—not for the Derby, but for a local specialty, burgoo, and grocery guru Al Sicherman takes us back to an American basic—Cream of Mushroom Soup.
We're talking pow wows, green onion dinners, naming ceremonies, and legends this week with E. Barrie Kavasch, a descendant of Pocahontas, food historian, and author of Enduring Harvests: Native American Foods and Festivals for Every Season. Barrie suggests some travel guides to Native American festivals and you'll want to try her recipes for glacial mists cooler and Fiesta del Sol cookies. We'll visit a Chicago restaurant where the chef includes traditional American Indian food on the menu, and Jane and Michael Stern report on the quintessential spice shop in Fort Worth. Our fruit expert, David Karp, "tells all" about one of Lynne's favorites—loquats; Courtney in Ohio tries to Stump the Cook and, as always, the lines will be open for your calls.
We're featuring the food and folkways of the Amish and Mennonites with Marcia Adams, author of New Recipes from Quilt Country: More Food & Folkways from the Amish & Mennonites. Marcia tells us where to go and how to behave when visiting one of their settlements and shares a recipe for shoofly pie. Jane and Michael Stern report in from Idaho with a tip on where to find an exceptional Mexican meal; Stuart Stevens, author of Feeding Frenzy: Across Europe in Search of the Perfect Meal, tells us how to best spend time in Paris; and Lynne shares some of her favorite food mail-order catalogs and an interesting read.
We're taking a look at the art and culinary history of the sausage with Bruce Aidells, author of Flying Sausages and the man responsible for the gourmet sausage craze. You'll want to try Bruce's recipe for thai chicken and turkey sausage. Jane and Michael Stern talk swinging beef—a favorite of Michael's and a food he says "we need euphemisms for." Cooler weather has inspired our grocery guru, Al Sicherman, to think heartier, more robust foods—like sauerkraut—and a Portland, Oregon, listener shares her recipe for a chocolate cake containing—you guessed it—sauerkraut!
Internationally renowned architect Adam Tihany, the creative genius behind New York's Le Cirque and Spago in Las Vegas and Mexico City, reflects upon the specialized art of restaurant design. There's a reason we don't linger over a cup of coffee at McDonalds! Jane and Michael Stern wax a bit lyrical about caramel apples; Deborah Krasner, author of Kitchens for Cooks, talks commercial-style ranges for home cooks; Lynne gives tips for stocking a pantry that will help you get dinner on the table in minutes, and shares her recipe for fresh Asian noodle salad.
We'll take a look at the Southeast Lowcountry this week with John Martin Taylor, author of Hoppin' John's Charleston, Beaufort & Savannah: Dining at Home in the Lowcountry, who shares his recipe for shrimp creole; Jane and Michael Stern go to the city of big shoulders—Chicago —to talk hot dogs; and fish and seafood authority, Mark Bittman, gives us tips for buying and cooking American's favorite seafood—shrimp.
We're talking food worth making a trip for with Jeffrey Steingarten, food columnist for Vogue magazine and author of The Man Who Ate Everything. Jeff shares his thoughts on where in the world to find the best—from barbecue to deep-fried treasures—and talks about a man he calls the "Julia Child of Japanese cooking." Jane and Michael Stern are at the beach sampling Japanese fare themselves—at a "surfers' sushi bar!" Deborah Krasner, author of Kitchens for Cooks, gives the scoop on sinks; and Ed Blonz, Ph.D., author of Your Personal Nutritionist: Food Additives, has an update on fat and answers a Pittsburgh listener's question about MSG. As always, the phone lines will be open with Lynne taking your calls.
We're celebrating Chinese New Year with Ken Hom, author, television personality, and one of the world's best-known authorities on Chinese food. Ken shares the recipe for his Mother's New Year Dish from his recently published book, Easy Family Recipes from a Chinese-American Childhood. Jane and Michael Stern report on a find from the Sanitary Tortilla Factory that they consider essential for Super Bowl snacking; we'll visit a bar in Bohemia; Sharon from New Jersey will try to Stump the Cook, and the phone lines will be open for your calls.