<div>The city of Samarkand is on the storied Silk Road, but off the beaten path for many tourists.  Caroline Eden and Eleanor Ford make the case for the ancient Uzbek city&#039;s food and culture in their new book, Samarkand: Recipes &amp; Stories from Central Asia &amp; The Caucasus.  They spoke with Lynne Rossetto Kasper about it.</div>

The road to Samarkand

<div>When America&#039;s Test Kitchen set their tasters loose on an 18-month-old wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano, their verdict was unanimous: The closer to the rind, the better it was. Molly Birnbaum, their executive editor of Cook&#039;s Science, tells us why that is, and shares a recipe for Parmesan-Crusted Asparagus.</div>

Want the best Parmigiano-Reggiano? Get closer to the rind.

<div>Culinary historian Michael Twitty is on a journey to discover himself, through the food of his ancestors. Joe Yonan talks to him about history, identity, and what exactly goes into a kosher soul roll.</div>

The culinary journey of Michael Twitty

<div>Krishnendu Ray didn&#039;t learn to cook until he came to the U.S. from India. He quickly became fascinated with the subject, so much so that he&#039;s written The Ethnic Restaurateur, a history of immigrant food cultures in America.  He talks with Von Diaz about America&#039;s (very) gradual acceptance of new foods, the overwhelming skepticism even now-popular meals once faced, and the fate of the term &quot;ethnic cuisine.&quot; </div>

'Our posture towards new foods goes from skepticism to re-evaluation to the upscaling of it.'

<div>&quot;Queen of Herbs&quot; Jekka McVikar tells Lynne Rossetto Kasper about the memory and meal-enhancing properties of rosemary.</div>

The memorable rosemary

<div>Eggs are tricky. Molly Birnbaum, executive editor of Cook&#039;s Science for America&#039;s Test Kitchen, agrees, and says it all comes down to the white and the yolk. She tells Sally Swift how to best soft-boil an egg and shares a recipe for Runny Yolk Sauce.</div>

The fundamental challenge of eggs

<div>Aperitivo is northern Italy&#039;s version of happy hour, only instead of half-priced beers and a sketchy taco bar, light drinks and small plates carry the day. Marisa Huff writes about these cocktails and appetizers in the aptly-titled Aperitivo, and speaks with Splendid Table contributor Shauna Sever about them.</div>

What you need to know about aperitivo

<div>What rare wines are to some, heirloom beans are to Rancho Gordo&#039;s Steve Sando. Lynne Rossetto Kasper talks to him about how he got his start, his favorite kinds of beans, and his &quot;foolproof&quot; method for preparing them.</div>

Steve Sando's heirloom beans

<div>With almost 800 pages of recipes and striking photography, Magnus Nilsson&#039;s The Nordic Cookbook is the definitive work on the food cultures of his native land. He spoke with Melissa Clark about the impact winter has on the Nordic countries, the common source of everyone&#039;s family herring recipe, and the enduring popularity of taco quiche.</div>

Nordic cuisine: Leave the herring, take the taco quiche

<div>Adeena Sussman gives Sally Swift the backstory on tahini, the suddenly ubiquitous, sesame seed-based condiment.</div>

A brief history of tahini

<div>Bonnie Benwick translates chef recipes for the home cook in the Washington Post&#039;s Plate Lab column. She tells Melissa Clark about some of the challenges you&#039;ll face when attempting a restaurant meal in your own kitchen.</div>

Lost in translation

<div>John Wurdeman studied music and art before becoming a winemaker in the country of Georgia. His winery, Pheasant&#039;s Tears, has revived an 8,000-year-old Georgian winemaking tradition. He tells Melissa Clark what brought him there, the myriad varieties of Georgian wines, and the integral part they play in that country&#039;s meals. </div>

Reviving an 8,000-year-old winemaking tradition in Georgia

<div>Tyler Kord, chef-owner of No. 7 Restaurant and No. 7 Sub, and author of the wonderfully titled A Super Upsetting Cookbook About Sandwiches, argues that vegetables are the equal of roast beef for sandwiches, makes the case for less-than-perfect ingredients, and asks you (yes, you) to reconsider that to-go bag.</div>

'If you want to be known as an excellent cook, then you should become a champion of the less-than-perfect ingredients.'

<div>Sabrina Ghayour cooks up simple, Middle Eastern-influenced dishes with a modern twist in her second cookbook, Sirocco. She tells Russ Parsons about the shortcuts she found to traditional Persian methods (despite some skeptical aunts) and the spices she relies on in her kitchen.</div>

Sabrina Ghayour's simple shortcuts

<div>Polar explorer and adventurer Ann Bancroft&#039;s latest project is &quot;Access Water,&quot; a world-spanning journey that looks to document the world&#039;s fresh water shortage. She recently returned from a trip down India&#039;s Ganges River, and shared her experiences with Lynne Rossetto Kasper. </div>

Ann Bancroft's latest adventure: Finding, and preserving, fresh water

<div>The Wisconsin supper club is something so unique to its region of the U.S. that someone really needed to make a movie about it. Holly De Ruyter has done just that with her documentary, &quot;Old Fashioned.&quot; She tells Shauna Sever about the history of this Badger State institution, the importance of the bar, and what you&#039;ll find on a relish tray.</div>

The history and renaissance of the Wisconsin supper club

<div>You&#039;re not likely to find a more visually creative cookbook than Robin Ha&#039;s Cook Korean!: A Comic Book with Recipes, in which she illustrates the recipes for her favorite Korean dishes. She tells Lynne Rossetto Kasper about the role comics play in her culture, the seven key ingredients in Korean food, and the &quot;magic&quot; of gochujang.</div>

Questions about Korean food? Let Robin Ha draw you a picture.

<div>What is zhug? Serious Eats&#039; J. Kenzi Lopez-Alt answers that question for Lynne Rossetto Kasper, and advises you to get out your mortar and pestle. </div>

Zhug and how to make it

<div>Artist Kiko Denzer teaches Lynne Rossetto Kasper about the craft of spoon-carving.</div>

The art of the spoon

<div>What should you be looking for when you&#039;re buying zucchini, and what should you do with it once you have it? Taste of Home&#039;s Mark Hagen tells Noelle Carter what to do and why you should think beyond another loaf of zucchini bread.</div>

A zucchini primer

<div>Home Cooked: Essential Recipes for a New Way to Cook author Anya Fernald tells Russ Parsons how she got her unconventional start, her enthusiasm for &quot;long cuts,&quot; and what you can do to take the stress out of hosting a dinner party.</div>

Taking the long cut with Anya Fernald

<div>Making ice cream and frozen yogurt requires skill, so much so that Penn State offers a course on the subject. Molly Birnbaum, executive editor of Cook&#039;s Science for America&#039;s Test Kitchen, attended, and shares what she learned with Sally Swift.</div>

The fragile science of ice cream

<div>Chef Jacques Pépin talks with guest host Francis Lam about why roast chicken is so iconic for French chefs, the importance of technique, and what he cooks at home.</div>

Jacques Pépin on chicken: 'It has to be done right. Otherwise, there is no recovery.'

<div>A Stanford biochemist has created the Impossible Burger, a plant-based burger that has the aroma and texture of a cow-based patty. Bon Appétit&#039;s Kurt Soller sampled it, and he tells Francis Lam what he learned and how it tastes.</div>

Tasting the Impossible Burger

The Splendid Table is radio's preeminent food program, airing on more than 300 public radio stations in the United States. Host Lynne Rossetto Kasper and producer Sally Swift create this award-winning program that explores the entire spectrum of food: from cheese making to finding wine bargains to the science of a great cup of coffee great to the best little greasy spoons in America.

The Splendid Table

Popular tracks