Recipes, Listings and Audio | The Splendid Table with Lynne Rossetto Kasper

April 17, 2010

This week it's Bryant Terry, author of Vegan Soul Kitchen, Jane and Michael Stern are at M & M Cigar Store in Butte, MT, Michael Ruhlman explains the culinary codes behind every successful recipe. He is the author of Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking, and we hear a story of grieving and revival at the farmer's market with Suzanne Pirret, author of The Pleasure is All Mine.

Episode Rundown

00:00 – 02:20 Intro

02:20 – 07:10 The Sterns

Jane and Michael Stern tuck into grand greasy-spoon grub at the M & M Cigar Store in Butte, Montana

Book: 500 Things to Eat Before It's Too Late
Web site: roadfood.com
Recipe: Masa Crêpes with Chard, Chiles, and Cilantro

07:10 – 13:09 Washed Rind Cheeses

Cheese maven Steve Jenkins talks the "stinkers" — the cheeses that separate dabblers from true aficionados. His picks:

Italian Gorgonzola: imported from Italy's Lombardy region, or the domestic BelGioioso brand from Wisconsin.
Spanish Extremaduran Torta del Casar
French Munster d'Alsace

Recipe: Runny Cheese Potatoes
Book: The Food Life: Inside the World of Food with the Grocer Extraordinaire at Fairway

13:10 – 14:17 Verjus

Lynne offers some tips on pairing and serving verjus

14:18 – 21:05 Vegan Soul Kitchen

How can there be soul food without pork or fried chicken? We asked this of our guest Bryant Terry, author and food activist that takes the food of his childhood down a timely path.

Recipe: Citrus Collards with Raisins Redux
Book: Vegan Soul Kitchen

21:06 – 26:34 The Farmer's Market

Writer Suzanne Pirret tells her story of grieving and revival at the farmer's market.

Recipe: Wild Mushrooms on Grilled Ciabatta with Garlic Lemon Aioli
Book: The Pleasure is All Mine

26:35 – 29:52 Ratio

Michael Ruhlman reveals the secret culinary codes only the pros know.

Recipe: Michael Ruhlman's Ratio for Pie Dough
Book: Ratios: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking

29:52 – 32:18 Calls pt. 1

Lynne helps out on a school project about French food.

32:19 – 33:55 Trivia

What was the pasta prank played by the BBC back in 1957?

33:56 – 45:50 Calls pt. 2

Lynne takes a call about sliced pork belly, fields an email about bacalao (salt cod), and talks about what meat might resemble Mongolian marmot.

45:51 – 52:00 Personal Ads for Foodies

Lisa Schiffman talks matchmaking for food types.

Web site: www.tuttifoodie.com

This Week's Recipes

Masa Crêpes with Chard, Chiles, and Cilantro

Runny Cheese Potatoes

Citrus Collards with Raisins Redux

Wild Mushrooms on Grilled Ciabatta with Garlic Lemon Aioli

Michael Ruhlman's Ratio for Pie Dough

Images from This Episode

Washed Rind Cheeses

It's all about alchemy in the making of these delicious cheeses that are always soft and can be at once crumbly and runny. Once the whey has been strained away from the curds, a flavorful liquid (brine, wine, distilled spirits, fruit juice, an herbal infusion) is applied to the exterior then the cheese is briefly aged for a few weeks up to a maximum of two months. In the process, the liquid infuses the interior of the cheese with its distinctive flavors.

There are many wonderful washed rind cheeses, but Steve suggests three that are more widely available:

Italian Gorgonzola: imported from Italy's Lombardy region, or the domestic BelGioioso brand from Wisconsin.
Spanish Extremaduran Torta del Casar
French Munster d'Alsace

Where We Eat

Jane and Michael Stern: M & M Cigar Store
Butte, MT

Listen

The M&M Bar has been there for over 100 years, serving up its blue-plate specials and classic greasy-spoon fare 24/7 to an assorted cast of characters. Old timers, cowboys, and former miners rub shoulders with folks passing through on their way to somewhere else. Visitors are greeted with hearty western hospitality and quickly become part of the scene.

You can drink around the clock here if you're inclined, play the slots, or have a beer and a chaser with your breakfast. The omelets are big, with great hash browns on the side, and the pancakes are really good.