November 28, 2009

This week we're joined by British chef Heston Blumenthal, author of Further Adventures in Search of Perfection. Jane and Michael Stern authors of Road Food, are at Singleton's Seafood Shack in Mayport, FL, plus we'll talk with Chef Vitaly Paley author of The Paley's Place Cookbook. And Jenn Garbee shares notes from her latest book, Secret Suppers: Rogue Chefs and Underground Restaurants in Warehouses, Townhouses, Open Fields and Everywhere in Between.

Episode Rundown

This Week's Recipes

Crisp Brick-Fried Chicken with Rosemary and Whole Garlic Cloves

American French Fries

Images from This Episode

Heston Blumenthal




Listen to the whole show


This week it's the provocative, the weird, and the laugh-out-loud on a dinner plate with England's Heston Blumenthal. He's a chef with the imagination of a child and the intellect of a scientist. Some say his food is bizarre, others say it's brilliant. We try to find out how his mind works. Chef Blumenthal's book is The Big Fat Duck Cookbook.

The Sterns are at Singleton's Seafood Shack in Mayport, Florida where even Jane - a non-fish eater - fell for the fabulous local catch.

We take a look at the wines we really like to sip - the cheap ones - when others aren't driving our opinions. Our guest is Robin Goldstein, co-author of The Wine Trials: 100 Everyday Wines Under $15 that Beat $50 to $150 Wines in Brown-Bag Blind Tasting.

Portland, Oregon chef Vitaly Paley tells the story of how he and his mom mark the anniversary of the day she brought him to the United States with a French fry debate. He is co-author of The Paley's Place Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from the Pacific Northwest.

There's a new way of eating out with a mystery angle to it. Jen Garbee, author of Secret Suppers reports, then Charles Perry, the recently retired food writer for the Los Angeles Times, claims that mesquite isn't just for cooking - we can eat it, too!