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This week, we’re diving into the everyday food of two of the world’s best food cities, Hong Kong and New Orleans. First, chef Lucas Sin joins us to talk about the iconic dishes found at a cha cha teng, a casual Hong Kong-style food diner. Dishes like scrambled egg sandwiches, delicious milk teas, and golden rice, all born from limited pantry ideas and reinvented with kitchen hacks and techniques. Lucas Sin is the author of Cha Chaan Teng: Comfort Food from Hong Kong's Iconic Diners. He left us with his recipe for the Hong Kong classic, Baked Pork Chop Rice. Then, we turn to the origins of the food scene in one of America's great food cities, New Orleans, with historian Dr. Ashley Rose Young. She walks us through the history of the public markets, tells us about New Orleans’ most iconic street vendors like Mr. Okra, and how street food shaped New Orleans’ culture and cuisine. Dr. Ashley Rose Young is the author of Nourishing Networks: The Public Culture of Food in New Orleans. Head to our YouTube channel and watch this extended cut of our interview with Lucas Sin. Subscribe so you don’t miss anything! Broadcast dates for this episode: September 25, 2026 (originally aired) Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.

This week, we’re diving into fall cooking and the beauty of bitter flavors. First, Genevieve Ko, deputy editor at New York Times Cooking, joins Francis to take your fall cooking questions. From freezing smart to cabbage makeovers, Genevieve shares practical advice for making the most of fresh produce and tackling leftovers. She also shares the NYT Cooking piece 15 Ways to Make a Head of Cabbage Dinner and her Pumpkin Meringue Pie recipe. And check out her Cinnamon-Toast Graham Crackers from the last time she joined us to talk about Better Baking. Then, London-based cookbook author Alexina Anatole shares the inspiration behind her debut book, Bitter. She makes the case for bitterness as an essential flavor, one that brings depth, intrigue, and balance to our cooking. Alexina reminds us how bitterness touches so many of our favorite foods and she leaves us with her recipe for Stout Sticky Toffee Pudding, a perfect example of sweet meeting bitter in harmony. Broadcast dates for this episode: September 19, 2025 (originally aired)September 18, 2026 (rebroadcast) Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today.

Fire up your ovens because this week, it’s all about Southern and Midwestern baking. First, we catch up with the inimitable Carla Hall about her latest projects, including her one-woman show and her first-ever baking book that brings her love for baking and savory cooking together. She walks us through practical tips to help you feel comfortable in the kitchen, from pre-prepping pancake batter to investing in a scale and making the most of her ingredients, as she does for her “Black-ish cake” and Chocolate Focaccia. Carla Hall is the author of Carla Bakes: Sweet, Savory, and from the Heart: A Baking Book. She left us with her recipe for Savory Parmesan Shortbread Sandwich Cookies with Tomato Basil Cream Cheese. Then we head to the Midwest to talk with Martin Sorge, author and winner of the Great American Baking Show, about his love for baking. He walks us through his love for whole grain flours and how to put them to good use in your baking (hint: buckwheat for flavorful shortbreads, rye for gooey brownies and chewy cookies!) and his technique for fluffy cakes. Martin Sorge is the author of Great Bakes: Modern Classic Bakes From the Midwest, and he left us with his recipe for Coconut Caramel Brownies. Head to our YouTube channel and watch this extended cut of our interview with Carla Hall. Subscribe so you don’t miss anything! Broadcast dates for this episode: September 11, 2026 (originally aired) Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

This week, we’re turning peak-season produce into bold, flavorful dishes. First, we talk with Rick Martínez, author of Salsa Daddy: Dip Your Way into Mexican Cooking, about transforming simple ingredients – think tomatoes, onions, garlic, and chilis – into salsas that sing. Rick explains why salsa is its own food group and leaves us with his family-inspired peach-and-pecan Salsa Tejana recipe. Then, we visit New York chef Sunny Lee of Sunn’s, a restaurant devoted to banchan, Korea’s iconic side dishes. Sunny teaches Francis how to elevate fresh vegetables into inventive, season-forward sides, including her recipe for Tahini Pickled Mushroom banchan. Broadcast dates for this episode: September 5, 2025 (originally aired)September 4, 2026 (rebroadcast) Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today. When you shop using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you.

This week, former bartender turned culinary historian Bobby Hicks joins us to talk about his passion for retro cooking. He gives us a history lesson on how recipes evolved thanks to industrial advances, and explains the thinking behind his redos of post-World War II-era recipes, like his carrot croquettes. Bobby Hicks is the author of Retro Recipes: Vintage Dishes with a Modern Twist, and he left us with an amazing recipe for Tomato Aspic. Then, we turn to the science behind human taste with Italian scientists Davide Risso and Gabriella Morini. They talk about distinguishing taste from flavor, how humans use a combination of senses to taste, how preferences change over time, and how understanding the fascinating taste preferences of animals (mosquitoes!) helps us understand taste in humans. Davide Risso is a molecular biologist with a PhD from the University of Bologna, and Gabriella Morini is a professor of taste and food sciences at the University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo, Italy. They co-authored On Taste in Humans and Other Animals. Subscribe to @TheSplendidTable on YouTube for full podcast episodes and full-length video interviews! Broadcast dates for this episode: August 28, 2026 (originally aired) Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora | Amazon Music | YouTube This week’s stop in our road trip series is Thailand: We’re revisiting an episode from a couple of years ago where we talked to Salvadoran chef Karla T. Vasquez and food journalist Austin Bush, author of The Food of Southern Thailand.

This week, we’re taking the stress out of back-to-school cooking with food that’s fast, fun, and full of flavor. First, we talk with Peter J. Kim, author of Instant Ramen Kitchen, about transforming those humble packets you associate with college kids into surprisingly elegant meals. Peter shares why instant ramen deserves a spot in your pantry and leaves us with his recipe for Aglio e Olio. Then, we catch up with chef David Nayfeld and his approach to quick, comforting meals. Known for his acclaimed restaurant Che Fico in San Francisco, David opens up about learning to cook for (and with) his daughter as a single dad. His new book, Dad, What’s for Dinner?, features kid-friendly recipes like the one he shared with us: Zucchini Parmigiana. Broadcast dates for this episode: August 22, 2025 (originally aired)August 21, 2026 (rebroadcast) Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora | Amazon Music | YouTube This week, we’re all about the beauty of the South of France with Steve Hoffman, author of A Season for That. Here we go!

This week, we bring delicious island flavors and home hacks to your kitchen. First, Puerto Rican home cook Omi Hopper joins us to talk about her love letter to Puerto Rico and the journey that started it all. She teaches us her secrets, aka the key seasonings to delicious traditional Puerto Rican dishes like her Mofongo, mashed plantains with garlic and pork cracklings. Omi’s latest book is Cooking con Omi: A Love Letter to Puerto Rican Home Cooking. Then, we take a trip to another island with Top Chef finalist Sheldon Simeon to explore the global flavors of Hawaii. Sheldon shares his favorite home cooking hacks and the family recipes he learned from his dad. He leans on everyday pantry items to create family-style meals that are easy to whip up and delicious, like his over-the-top Loaded Mandoo recipe. Sheldon is the author of Cook Real Hawai’i, and his latest book is Ohana Style: Food from Hawai’i, for Your Family. Subscribe to @TheSplendidTable on YouTube for full podcast episodes and full-length video interviews! Broadcast dates for this episode: August 14, 2026 (originally aired) Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora | Amazon Music | YouTube You’re listening to a collection we’re calling road tripping! This week, it’s a journey to monasteries, temples, and other sacred spaces around the world to find their amazing food with Jody Eddy, author of Elysian Kitchens.

This week we’re joined by some unusual thinkers on the art of the cookout. First, we get a lesson on barbecue etiquette (who knew) with our favorite duo, Nick Leighton and Leah Bonnema, Hosts of the podcast Were You Raised by Wolves? We get all kinds of tips, from the right way to ask for a family recipe to taking a house tour only if offered by your host. Then, Chefs Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich share their techniques and ideas for cooking over live fire. Their latest book is Chasing Smoke, Cooking Over Fire Around the Levant, and they left us with their recipe for Grilled Peaches with Almond Tahini and Charred Endive. Then, it’s pitmaster Pat Martin talking about the whole hog barbecue culture in West Tennessee and how that whole hog style and tradition of BBQ may be on the path to extinction. His latest book is Life of Fire: Mastering the Arts of Pit Cooked Barbecue, the Grill, and the Smokehouse. You can find his recipe for Grilled Green Beans with Memphis Dry Rub. Broadcast dates for this episode: July 29, 2022 (originally aired)July 28, 2023 (rebroadcast)August 7, 2026 (rebroadcast) Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora | Amazon Music | YouTube You’re listening to The Splendid Table's special podcast series, Road Tripping. This week, we are off to Korea with Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard on how Korean cuisine has taken the world by storm.

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)July 31, 2026 (rebroadcast) Generous listeners like you make The Splendid Table possible. Donate today to support the show.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora | Amazon Music | YouTube This summer we’re bringing you a road trip series, exploring food destinations and cuisines with the writers and storytellers who know them best. This week, we revisit a conversation from one of our Live shows in Orange County, CA, where we talked with the good people behind some of the best barbecue and purveyors of Vietnamese tacos in California, to find out why you really, really want to eat in Orange County. For this road-tripping series, we wanted to highlight our conversation with award-winning journalist Gustavo Arellano.

This week, it’s vacation daydreaming. First, award-winning food writer Georgina Hayden talks to us about her Greek Cypriot upbringing, growing up above her family’s taverna, and how the family business shaped her love of food. She describes her favorite Mediterranean dishes from Tomatoey Greek Greens to Mbakbaka, slow-cooked spiced beef with pasta cooked in the stew. Georgina Hayden is the award-winning author of many books, including Greekish, and her latest is Medesque: Everyday Recipes with Mediterranean Roots. She left us with the recipe for a summer tomato celebration, Trampo. Then, we head to the bright cities of Scandinavia with author and chef Nichole Accettola. Nichole takes us through the beauty of seasonal cooking and local harvests, and how simple it is to make stellar Scandinavian dishes at home. Nichole is the author of Scandinavian Everyday: Vibrant, Simple Meals from Northern Europe, and she leaves us with an unusual recipe to use on the season's fresh berries, Red Fruit Soup. Subscribe to @TheSplendidTable on YouTube for full podcast episodes and full-length video interviews! Broadcast dates for this episode: July 24, 2026 (originally aired) Donate to The Splendid Table today and we will show our appreciation with a special thank-you gift.