This week, we talk about cuisines from opposite ends of the world. We start by diving into the first, traditionally-published cookbook about Salvadorian cuisine with Karla T. Vasquez. She collected traditional recipes and techniques while documenting stories from the hands that made the dishes. Karla is the author of The SalviSoul Cookbook: Salvadoran Recipes and the Women Who Preserve Them. She left us with her recipe for a delicious Salvadoran Quesadilla. Then, we explore Southern Thai regional cuisine with author Austin Bush. Austin researched the diverse and unique cuisine of Southern Thailand through travel and cooking alongside local cooks He’s the author of The Food of Southern Thailand and he leaves us with a recipe for Simple Thai-Style Rice Salad - Khaao Yam.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• August 30, 2024 (originally aired)
• August 15, 2025 (rebroadcast)

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This week, we turn up the ovens and test our baking skills with two incredible bakers. First, we talk to LA-based cookbook author and star baker, Nicole Rucker, on why summer is peak pie season, the fruit and flavor combinations that elevate her pies (imagine toasted fig leaves!) and making the best out of her leftover cookies for pie crusts. Nicole's latest book is Fat and Flour: The Art of the Simple Bake, and she left us with her Strawberry White Chocolate Cream Pie recipe. Then, Iowa's champion baker Eileen Gannon, talks to us about her surprising baking techniques for cakes, from making moister cakes, fillings vs frostings, and her buttercream preferences. Eileen is the winner of over 600 state and national baking awards and the founder of Sunday Night Foods Sauces.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• August 8, 2025 (originally aired)

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This week, we’ve got delicious cooking ideas to brighten your summer. First, author Jess Damuck talks to us about her vegetable-forward food inspired by the 1970s health-food culture. She talks about revamping 1970’s health-food classics and re-working recipes with a modern eye to make them taste great. She leaves us with her recipe for Lentil Loaf. Jess Damuck’s latest book is Health Nut: A Feel-Good Cookbook. Then, we head to North Carolina to catch up with Chef Ashley Christensen. She takes on listener questions with Francis and shares some mind-blowing thinking around working with seasonal produce, including an idea a delicious, simple corn cob stock. Ashley is the chef at Poole’s Diner and Death & Taxes in Raleigh, NC, and author of the cookbooks Poole’s and It’s Always Freezer Season. She left us with a delicious recipe for Charred Summer Squash.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• August 16, 2024 (originally aired)
• August 1, 2025 (rebroadcast)

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This week we’re sharing an episode from our friends at This Old House Radio:

Episode 19: Make Your Home Allergy Free + Fix Squeaky Wood Floors

This week on This Old House Radio Hour, we’re talking about something you can’t see but definitely feel: the air inside your home. Kenneth Mendez, president of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, shares the smartest, science-backed ways to improve indoor air quality—from high-heat laundry to HEPA vacuums—and explains why your bedroom might be the most important place to start.

Then, The Splendid Table’s Francis Lam takes us back to the New Jersey home of his childhood. With vivid stories of birthday parties, incense-filled kitchens, and Hardy Boys books read in a mirror-covered living room, Francis reflects on how homes carry our deepest identities and contradictions.

We also help callers tackle squeaky floors, stubborn drafts, mismatched temperatures, and that infamous 1970s gold bathtub. Plus, a fresh edition of House Rules and a real estate segment from Cheap Old Houses featuring a tiny Gothic summer cottage and a quirky Kansas gem for under $55,000.

All this, plus a “Simple Fix” from Tom Silva that will stop your window drafts cold.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• How to reduce indoor allergens room-by-room (0:55)
• Where to place air purifiers for maximum impact (3:56)
• Tips for dealing with uneven heating in split-level homes (17:13)
• How to fix squeaky wood floors with a DIY plug-and-glue method (22:49)
• When that faint stain on your drywall means trouble—and when it doesn’t (27:53)

This week, we've got a show full of great ideas and terrific recipes for guesting…and hosting! First, Casey Elsass sits down with us to talk about how to guest like a pro, from tips on arriving prepared to great recipe ideas for sides, salads, appetizers, and desserts like his Mosaic Jell-O. Casey is the author of What Can I Bring: Recipes to Help You Live Your Guest Life. Then, renowned fashion designer and cookbook writer Peter Som guides us in hosting your parties in style. He lets us in on his inspiration for his creative dishes, from tea eggs to lemon chicken, and leaves us his recipe for Potsticker Frittata. Peter is the author of Family Style: Elegant Every Day Recipes Inspired by Home and Heritage.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• July 25, 2025 (originally aired)

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Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora

This week, we talk about life and food in Southern France. First, we sit down with Steve Hoffman to talk about his latest memoir, A Season for That, about his journey from Minnesota to the South of France with his entire family to live a romanticized French life. It turned out to be a complete culinary and culture shock that ended up inspiring his appreciation for the local food culture and its winemaking traditions. Steve Hoffman's latest book is A Season for That: Lost and Found in the Other Southern France. Then, we talk with author Rebekah Peppler about her connection to the South of France and its Provencal cuisine, which is the inspiration for her cookbook, Le Sud: Recipes from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. She walks us through Provencal dishes from tapenades to bouillabaisse, and she leaves us with her recipe for Mussels in Aioli.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• July 19, 2024 (originally aired)
• July 18, 2025 (rebroadcast)

This week, it's all about keeping cool and carrying on in the kitchen. First up , chef, farmer, and cookbook author Abra Berens joins Francis to take your calls about how to best use our summer produce. She’s full of ideas for all that zucchini, btw! Abra is the author of three wonderful cookbooks, Ruffage, Grist, and Pulp, and you can find the recipe for the Summer Squash Escabeche she talked about here. Then, we head into NYC to visit chef Jiho Kim at his restaurant, Joomak where he teaches us how to make a refreshing summertime dish: a Summer Salad with Cured Fish and White Kimchi.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• July 11, 2025 (originally aired)

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This week, we're all about two summer traditions. First, we meet photojournalist and documentarian Kate Medley to talk about her decade-long project documenting gas stations all across the South. She has stories about the amazing cast of characters, their diverse selection of foods, and their impact on their communities across the South. Kate Medley is the author of Thank You Please Come Again: How Gas Stations Feed & Fuel the American South. Then, we talk to the chefs behind Kismet, an award-winning vegetable-forward restaurant in Los Angeles. Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson bring us fresh ideas for your summer cookout, including their modern must-haves for your grill, like their Springtime Chicken Skewers. Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson's latest book is Kismet: Bright, Fresh, Vegetable-Loving Recipes.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• July 5, 2024 (originally aired)
• July 4, 2025 (rebroadcast)

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