Every week on our show, we celebrate the intersection of food and life. And this month, we’re highlighting some of the most iconic people in the food world. It’s a new collection called Culinary Masters. We revisit interviews with some of the people who have fundamentally changed how many of us cook and think about food. This week, the man who brought Chinese cuisine into the homes of millions of Americans, the one and only Martin Yan.

We're on the road celebrating our 30th Anniversary and this week, we bring you an eventful night in Seattle in partnership with KUOW. First up, Valerie Segrest, cofounder of Tahoma Peak Solutions, and Jeremy Thunderbird, owner of Native Soul Cuisine, about the diversity of indigenous food, carrying on traditional recipes, and food sovereignty. Then, Tan Vinh, host of KUOW's Seattle Eats podcast, and Melissa Miranda, chef-owner of Musang and Kilig, talk about the rich Asian community food scene and then, Yasuaki Saito, owner of Saint Bread bakery, a semifinalist for the James Beard award for the best bakery in the country, and Janet Becerra, chef and founder of Pancita, and a semifinalist this year for Best Chef: Northwest, talk about how their local eateries reflect and serve their communities.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• May 9, 2025 (originally aired)
• May 8, 2026 (rebroadcast)

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Every week on our show, we celebrate the intersection of food and life. And this month, we’re highlighting some of the most iconic people in the food world. It’s a new collection called Culinary Masters. We revisit interviews with some of the people who have fundamentally changed how many of us cook and think about food. This week, we're all about the iconic Claudia Roden, who helped introduce the food of the Middle East and Mediterranean to the English-speaking world.

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This week, we’re excited to get cooking! First, two-time New York Times bestselling cookbook author and the internet’s favorite Italian, Dan Pelosi, joins us to staff the phone and answer your cooking questions. We get into his top hosting tips, the how-tos of building menus for all kinds of gatherings, and his favorite springtime recipe, Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan Sauce. Then, Francis and Dan jump into your cooking questions. Dan Pelosi is the author of Let's Eat: 101 Recipes to Fill Your Heart & Home - A Cookbook, and his latest book is Let's Party: Recipes and Menus for Celebrating Every Day. Then, we dive into Caribbean cooking with Brooklyn-based chef Rawlston Williams. Rawlston talks about growing up in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and his introduction to that island’s foodways. He talks about the diverse and delicious culinary traditions of the Caribbean, and we take an in-depth look at the different seasonings and marinades that are the foundation of Caribbean cooking. Ralwston Williams is the author of The Caribbean Cookbook, and he left us with recipes for Green Seasoning, Jerk Marinade, and Sofrito from Puerto Rico.

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Broadcast dates for this episode:

April 24, 2026 (originally aired)

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This week, it's home cooking with the authors of Food IQ: 100 Questions, Answers, and Recipes to Raise Your Cooking Smarts. Daniel Holzman and Matt Rodbard bust food myths about cooking with frozen meat, and extoll the beauty of letting butter brown in the pan. Then, we visit J. Kenji López-Alt’s home where he gives us a lesson on cooking his favorite childhood dish, a super quick Japanese take on the Chinese classic, Ma po Tofu. Kenji is the author of the New York Times #1 Bestseller, The Wok: Recipes and Techniques.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• May 20, 2022 (originally aired)
• May 19, 2023 (rebroadcast)

• April 17, 2026 (rebroadcast)

  
  

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This week, we talk about Mexican street food and the sometimes surprising foods that make us happy. Masienda founder, Jorge Gaviria, gives us a quick lesson on Vitamina T,aka those delicious masa-based Mexican street foods. Jorge is co-author, with Fermin Nunez, of Vitamina T, Your Daily Dose of Tacos, Tamales, Tortas and More Mexican Street Food Classics. He leaves us with a delicious recipe for a soon-to-be classic, Beet and Avocado Tostada. Then, pastry chef and writer Tanya Bush talks about her latest book, a memoir-cookbook documenting a year of experimental baking & living that ultimately led to delicious desserts like her Dark Chocolate and Toasted Coconut Birthday Cake. Tanya Bush is the author of Will This Make You Happy, Stories and Recipes from a Year of Baking.

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Broadcast dates for this episode:

April 10, 2026 (originally aired)

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We're back on the road to celebrate our 30th Anniversary! This week, we’re headed to Los Angeles, in partnership with LAist, to talk about the world-influencing food scene in LA and the community that brings it together. First, we dig into how LA dining influenced the country and the world with KCRW's very own Evan Kleiman, Host of Good Food, and Gab Chabrán, Associate Editor of Food and Culture at LAist. Then we talk community and the restaurants that foster those connections with chef-owners Uyên Lê, who makes delicious Vietnamese comfort food at her take-out, Bé Ù, Keith Corbin, executive chef and co-owner of Alta Adams, and bestselling author of his memoir, California Soul and Elvia and Alex Garcia, the James Beard nominated chef-owners of Evil Cooks, one of L.A.’s most lauded taqueria pop-ups now transformed into a full restaurant.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• April 11, 2025 (originally aired)
• April 3, 2026 (rebroadcast)

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This week, we amp up your home cooking with nostalgic dishes, perfect recipes, and pro cooking techniques. First, we talk with Chef Ham El-Waylly about his favorite dishes that were inspired by his wildly international upbringing and what draws him to comfort foods. From his mom’s cheesy empanadas to his riff on cinnamon toast cereal, he gets imaginative with recipes like his Tahini Roasted Swordfish. Ham El-Waylly is the author of Hello, Home Cooking: Do-Able Dishes for Every Day. Then we dive into the brilliant mind of food writer Ella Quittner, who shares her obsessive search for the perfect techniques to make the very best recipes. She traveled the world to learn how to make buckwheat soba noodles and find the secret to getting the best flavor in tsukune, Japanese chicken meatballs. Ella Quittner’s latest book is Obsessed with The Best, and she left us with her recipe for Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Insurance Cheese.

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Broadcast dates for this episode:

March 27, 2026 (originally aired)

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