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August 2003
August 2 - August 9 - August 16 - August 23 - August 30
(How to listen)
August 2: Salt: The Grain of Life | Listen
It seems that salt has taken on a life of its own these days, now that we can choose the sea we want it from and even the color. We'll take a look at this "white gold" and its relationship to power in America with our guest, Professor Pierre Laszlo, author of Salt: Grain of Life.
The Sterns are eating classic regional fare at Harry Caray's, the funky Chicago restaurant founded by the renowned broadcaster known as "the voice of the Chicago Cubs." Our beer guy, Steve Beaumont, suggests a Mid-Atlantic road trip based loosely on the theme "follow the brew." And Lynne reveals some of her favorite makers of Prosecco.
David Rosengarten talks the flavors of India and its world-class fare that, regrettably, we all but ignore. He'll share sources for some of his favorite products and Indian pantry staples. Try David's recipe for Pilau Rice with Saffron and Fresh Curry Leaves and Sarson Da Saag from The Turmeric Trail by Raghavan Iyer. You might become a fan of this rich and varied cuisine.
Finally, we'll hear the story of an American who tried to get a family recipe from her East Indian fiancé's clan and ended up with more family than recipe.
August 9: Two Valleys | Listen
This week it's class warfare in the California wine country. We'll take a look at growth and development versus local culture as new money from the Silicon Valley threatens what's left of the rural lifestyle in the Napa and Sonoma valleys. Our guest is Alan Deutschman, author of A Tale of Two Valleys: Wine, Wealth and the Battle for the Good Life in Napa and Sonoma.
Avoiding the fray, Jane and Michael Stern are in South Carolina eating Jesus crabs and flounder at Fishnet Seafood on Johns Island.
Sally Schneider, author of A New Way to Cook, has been fiddling with fresh soybeans. Her recipe for Succotash is a delicious result. Then Jill Gusman, co-author of Vegetables from the Sea, introduces us to the unfamiliar realm of sea greens. Her recipe for Sea Vegetable Caesar Salad is a good way to start experimenting with veggies from the deep.
We have the scoop on the luscious argan oil from Morocco, and, as always, Lynne takes your calls.
August 16: Food, Sex, and Foraging | Listen
This week it's food and the sexes. Naturalist Susan Allport, author of Primal Feast, examines how gender shapes food behavior for humans and other animals. It's an interesting take on food, foraging, and sex in the animal world.
The Sterns are into Hot Truck, a deeply local specialty of Ithaca, New York. Wine maverick Josh Wesson has advice for wines to drink with sweet corn. Dorie Greenspan checks out the best gadgets for saving leftover wine.
We'll hear the story of a local hero and his giant tomato, and Dave Hirschkop, author of Crazy from the Heat, tells us about his chili sauce creation that was so hot it was banned from the fiery food show.
It's tomato season, the time of year that's sheer bliss for Lynne. She's been in the kitchen concocting a Big Tomato Sweet-Sour Salad and "Drippy" Mexican Sweet Corn.
August 23: The Politics of Food | Listen
This week we're looking at where our health and nutrition information comes from with Dr. Marion Nestle, professor and chair of New York University's Department of Nutrition and Food Studies. Dr. Nestle has served as nutrition advisor to the USDA and the FDA and is the author of Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health. She suggests some Internet sites that offer help in determining who is funding the health and nutrition research we hear about in the news.
It's conch chowder and picadillo for Jane and Michael Stern at Dennis Pharmacy Luncheonette in Key West, Florida. Joshua Wesson reveals true lies behind those wine rules, and wants us to try low oak Chardonnays that pair well with a variety of foods.
Chef Jerry Traunfeld cooks with lavender and has a recipe for Potatoes with Lavender and Rosemary. Our always-hungry reporter Scott Haas lets his American teenagers loose at Paris' high altar of serious cuisine; we'll hear from the woman who initiated the ban on soda in Los Angeles schools; and Lynne shares her recipe for Tomato-Mozzarella Salad with Spiked Pine Nuts and Basil.
August 30: Chef's Night Out | Listen
We're traveling and dining out all over the map this week. Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, authors of Chef's Night Out, reveal where America's top chefs eat when they have a night off. One goes looking for a hot dog with a "caviar crunch," while another wants a better meal in a Chinese restaurant and knows how to get it. Take along the chef's "Bests" List the next time you travel. From sushi to hamburgers, oysters to pizza, you'll be guaranteed good eating.
Jane and Michael Stern report from Milwaukee, where they've had a vanilla ecstasy experience at Kopp's Custard. For good old-fashioned soft-serve at home, give the Sterns' recipe for Abandon Ship Ice Cream a try.
Food and travel writer Anya Von Bremsen, author of Please to the Table, takes us to Copenhagen, a city she says is now the hottest place in the world for design—and some wonderfully innovative food, too. She tells us where to find it.
Erika Warmbrunn, author of Where the Pavement Ends, rode a bicycle from Russia to Vietnam, a journey that took eight months. She'll share some things she learned about hospitality from the Mongolian nomads she met along the way. Steve Jenkins introduces us to the flavorful cultured butter he loves. And Lynne's trivia question has something to do with her favorite classic Jewish delicatessen.
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