We're taking a road trip this week, to the Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, California, home of the Edible Schoolyard. It's a program begun by Alice Waters of Chez Panisse fame, an effort to teach children about food, culture, and the earth, with a garden that was started in their schoolyard. Jane and Michael Stern take us to Quechee, Vermont, for stellar roast corn with a secret ingredient.
All you campers listen up: John Willoughby and Chris Schlesinger, authors of License to Grill, join us with advice on wood-fire cooking. No more freeze-dried, at least for one night. Wine wit Joshua Wesson wants us to reconsider German wine. Joshua swears great bargains are to be had, and conductor Christopher Hogwood pinpoints the precise moment English food went awry.
What makes a dish American? We've a look at American cuisine with Leslie Brenner, author of American Appetite: The Coming of Age of a Cuisine. Road foodies Jane and Michael Stern take us to the Ridgefield Ice Cream Shop for the 4th, Hoppin' John Taylor has the last word on fried chicken, and grocery guru Al Sicherman and Lynne taste BBQ Sauce, just in time for your family picnic.
We're exploring the Spice Islands and the spice trade with Charles Corn, author of The Scents of Eden. The Sterns take us West, to eat East ! They've found great Chinese Food in Butte, Montana,, and, if you're really gonna do it, Chef Ken Hom has some advice for traveling and eating in China.
Innovative cooking techniques are the subject today with Chris Maynard and Bill Scheller, authors of Manifold Destiny, a book about cooking on your car engine! The Sterns are sippin' malts and shakes at the Nixon Pharmacy in Mobile, Alabama, and cheesemonger Steve Jenkins reignites the battle of the sexes with his views on female cheesemakers.
We're taking at look at the world's oldest and most universal cooking method—grilling, with Steve Raichlen, author of The Barbecue Bible. Steve visited more than 25 countries researching this book. Look for Steve's recipe from Afghanistan for onion water lamb chops. The Sterns take us to Idaho for a bowl of soul and stumpmaster and grocery guru Al Sicherman and Lynne do a spaghetti sauce tasting.
Between graduations, weddings and reunions, party season has struck! We've got advice from a woman who loves to give a party, Abigail Kirsch, caterer and author of Invitation to Dinner. The Sterns take us to a surfer sushi bar, legendary cooking teacher Marian Cunningham is back with lesson two of her three-part series on learning to cook; composer Christopher Hogwood explains the English Tea; and Master of Wine Mary Ewing Mulligan deciphers wine ratings.
For those headed back to college, we've some advice from wine expert Joshua Wesson on matching fast food with wine! Yes, there is an ideal bottle to be had with a Domino's Double Cheese and Chinese take-out. Joshua is the reigning expert of $10 or less finds! Jane and Michael Stern take us to Chicago's Polish Neighborhood for funeral food, and Kitchen Designer Deborah Krasner wants us to welcome red worms into our pantry!
Grace Young, author of The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen, takes us into the Cantonese home of her childhood; the Sterns take us to the Brick Pit BBQ in Mobile, Alabama; the mother-daughter team of The Dreaded Broccoli Cookbook join us to talk pantry momentum; singer Patti LaBelle shares her soon-to-be-a-classic potato salad recipe; and legendary cook and teacher Marion Cunningham, author of The Fanny Farmer Cookbook, begins her three-part series on learning to cook.
Journalist Corby Kummer fills us in on Slow Food, an organization who believes in doing good by eating well; Jane and Michael Stern take us back to Chicago for gold coast hot dogs; the bestselling author of Under a Tuscan Sun, Frances Mayes, tells us tale of a trip to Venice; kitchen designer Deborah Krasner wants us to think about our four senses when working in the kitchen; and Lynne samples salt with Grocery Guru Al Sicherman in their monthly tasting.