APM: The Splendid Table

This week we're meeting journalist Adam Leith Gollner, author of The Fruit Hunters, A Story of Nature, Adventure, Commerce and Obsession. Jane and Michael Stern are at Louis Mueller's BBQ in Taylor TX, and wine wit Joshua Wesson recommends cool wines for hot days.

This week we’re meeting journalist Adam Leith Gollner, author of The Fruit Hunters, A Story of Nature, Adventure, Commerce and Obsession. Jane and Michael Stern are at Louis Mueller's BBQ in Taylor TX, and wine wit Joshua Wesson recommends cool wines for hot days.

This week it's the seeds and bark that changed the planet. We're talking spices, the stuff of wonderment and avarice in the medieval world with Paul Freedman, author of Out of the East: Spices and the Medieval Imagination. It's a St. Augustine, Florida special for Jane and Michael Stern at Saltwater Cowboy's. Celebrity chef Mario Batali reveals the summertime reads in his beach bag. His new book is Italian Grill. Tea purist Bill Waddington, proprietor of St. Paul's TeaSource, has summer in a glass -- iced teas for the lazy at heart, and culinary improv artist Sally Schneider has a brief on the wallflower of the farm stand -- the beet.

This week we talk to journalist Dave Plotnikoff about his hike from the Mexican border to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail and the food that ended up being the touch point of the trip. He is the author of "Hungry Man" from the July 2007 issue of Saveur Magazine. Jane and Michael Stern are eating planked whitefish and ice cream "Thunderclouds" at Juilleret's in Harbor Springs, MI, and Russ Parsons, author of How to Pick a Peach explains the rules about produce and the refrigerator.

To arm us for 4th of July celebrations, we've enlisted the services of Mario Batali and his newest book, The Italian Grill. Jane and Michael Stern are eating al fresco at Champlin's Seafood Deck in Naragansett, RI and Harold McGee author of the seminal On Food and Cooking explains the one thing every cook needs to know about cooking red meat.

Neal Rosenthal, author of Reflections of a Wine Merchant joins us with his tale of life in the wine business. Jane and Michael Stern are at Joe Roger's Chili Parlour in Springfield, IL and Gourmet Magazine's John Willoughby gives us a primer in smoke roasting.

This week we have the story of Mother Noella Marcellino who found her calling in a Benedictine abbey and the cheese caves of France. The Stern's are at Clanton's in Vinita, OK eating chicken fried steak. Wine wit Josh Wesson introduces us to the delicious and overlooked sparkling red wines of summer.

We've a look at entertaining through the eyes of one of world's most festive and stylish hosts, fashion designer and cultural iconoclast Issac Mizrahi. Jane and Michael Stern may have found the best coffee in Seattle at Crema, and Food and Wine Magazine's Lettie Teague tells us about the latest restaurant trend, house wines.

This week we're looking at the wine cork controversy with journalist George Tabor, author of To Cork or Not to Cork: Tradition, Romance, Science and the Bottle for the Wine Bottle. Jane and Michael Stern are taking us to upstate NY to raise our hot dog consciousness at Ted's in Tonawanda, NY, and the Wine Spectator's Matt Kramer introduces us to his favorite white wine, reisling.

All those people talking about a wine's terroir, meaning the place the grapes come from. Can we really taste it? We get the scientific last word from Harold McGee author of the seminal On Food and Cooking. Jane and Michael Stern are at Woodyard Bar-B-Que in Kansas City, KS, and novelist Nicole Mones tells us about the time in Chinese culinary history which she used as a framework for her latest novel, The Last Chinese Chef.

Today we are learning how to build a curry with award-winning teacher Raghavan Iyer author of 660 Curries. Jane and Michael Stern have found pecan pie worth the trip at the Texas Pie Company in Kyle, TX. Wine wit Joshua Wesson brings us wines for the picnic basket and we look the misunderstandings behind MSG with The New York Times' Julia Moskin.

We are looking at the foods of the Philippine's this week with Amy Besa, author of Memories of Philippine Kitchens: Stories and Recipes from Far and Near. Jane and Michael Stern are at Prince's Hot Chicken Shack in Nashville, TN and Sally Schneider author of the award-winning The Improvisational Cook gives us a cooking lesson for spring.

We're looking at the education of a wine rookie with Lettie Teague and her student, movie critic Peter Travers. Lettie is the author of Educating Peter. Jane and Michael Stern are in the Mississippi Delta at Rhoda's Famous Hot Tamales and we look at the advent of a new dining trend, one-pot meals served in private homes.

This week we're taking you on a road trip, specifically a wine trip to the Galicia region of Spain. It was one week, one bus, four wine geeks and The Splendid Table. Galicia and it's neighboring area of Bierzo are up and comers in the wine world, and this trip sure explained why.

This week we've a love letter to the island of Oahu. Honolulu may be the most overlooked food city in the world where we'll meet some of the people shaping that unique island cuisine.

It's part 2 of our special record in Italy. Lynne takes us to Emilia-Romagna. This week we begin the tour in Ferrara where the renaissance still rules, and take an unusual look at Emilia-Romagna's crown jewel. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

This week we're re-visiting our show recorded in Lynne's beloved Emilia-Romagna. This is the region of Italy that Italians consider their culinary jewel, the land of prosciutto and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

This week author John Hailman looks Thomas Jefferson through a unique lens, as a man whose lifelong campaign was to steer the American public away from hard liquor and into the vineyard. He is the author of Thomas Jefferson on Wine. Jane and Michael Stern are eating classic San Francisco fare at Sam's Grill, and our opinionated cheese monger Steve Jenkins teaches us how to get out of our cheese rut!

We are looking at how the miraculous omega-3 fatty acids are disappearing from our Western diet with Susan Allport, author of The Queen of Fats. Jane and Michael Stern are at Skylight Inn BBQ in Ayden, NC and Russ Parsons, author of How to Pick a Peach turns his expertise to spring's fresh peas and fava beans.

This week we're looking a the surprising political power of the banana with Dan Koeppel author of Banana: the Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World. Jane and Michael Stern are eating first rate Mexican food in the sugar beet belt at Rosita's in Scottsbluff, NE, and Sally Schneider author of The Improvisational Cook introduces us to the savory side of lemons.

Award-winning actress and author Madhur Jaffrey joins us with tales from her childhood, both culinary and political in nature. Her latest book is her memoir Climbing the Mango Trees. Jane and Michael Stern are eating Michigan's at McSweeney's in Plattsburgh, NY, and chef Gabrielle Hamilton of Prune in New York City gives us an insiders glimpse of the sometimes brutal life of a restaurant kitchen. She is the author of the essay It's All Fun and Games Until ... , from the collection, How I Learned to Cook.

This week we're looking at the flavors of the golden age of Arab cuisine with Charles Perry author of Medevial Cuisine of the Islamic World, and Jane and Michael Stern are breakfasting at Kitchen Little in Mystic Connecticut.

We are looking at the history of the kitchen in America this week with Steven Gdula author of The Warmest Room in the House and Jane and Michael Stern are eating eggnog waffles and espresso twinkies at Bette's Oceanview Diner in Berkeley, CA.

We're taking you behind the scenes of the legendary restaurant, Per Se in NYC. Our guide, a waitress. Phoebe Damrosch is the author of Service Included, Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter. Jane and Michael Stern are at the Grove Cafe in Ames, IA and cheesemonger Steve Jenkins introduces us to the cheeses of the Pyrenees.

This week we meet one of the women who introduced authentic Chinese food to America. Cecilia Chiang is the author of The Seventh Daughter, My Culinary Journey from Beijing to San Francisco. Jane and Michael Stern are noshing in Tuscon, AZ at Feigs Kosher Foods and Dorrie Greenspan teaches us to taste chocolate just in time for your Valentine.

This week we're looking at how we became a gourmet nation with David Kamp, author of The United States of Arugula. Jane and Michael Stern are at the legendary Pancake Pantry in Nashville, TN, and Deborah Krasner opens up the world of culinary travel.

This week we are taking an in-depth look at one of the great culinary arts, stock making with Michael Ruhlman, author of The Elements of Cooking, Translating the Chef's Craft for Every Kitchen. Jane and Michael Stern are in Cambridge, MA at the All Star Sandwich Bar, and Ken Albala author of Beans, A History brings us a cultural and historical look.

We are looking at the vegan revolution this week with Isa Chandra Moskowitz author of Veganomicon. Jane and Michael Stern are at the Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen in Chapel Hill, NC, and David Rosengarten of The Rosengarten Report introduces us to the food of Hyderabad, India.

Jennifer Ackerman author of Sex, Sleep, Eat, Drink, Dream, A Day in the Life of Your Body joins us with a scientific take on how our bodies use food and drink. Jane and Michael Stern are at Hocutt's BBQ in Moundsville, NC, and Sally Schneider author of The Improvisational Cook brings us her weeknight savior, the souffle.

Just in time for the post-holiday dieting season, we look at the subliminal psychology of eating with Brian Wansink author of Mindless Eating, Why We Eat More Than We Think. Jane and Michael Stern are at Mike's Chili Parlor in Seattle, WA, and Chris Kimball, of Cook's Illustrated Magazine challenges Lynne to another round of Stump the Cook.