When Justin Davies cuts into a piece of wood, he wonders what it tastes like. Today, he shares his adventures in crafting desserts out of trees, from the bark infusion that made his tongue go numb to the ice cream concocted from an infamously smelly tree. Plus, Lidia Bastianich returns to answer your questions on pasta and pesto; we eat through the backroads of Vietnam with chef Anaïs Ca Dao van Manen; and writer Jenny Linford meditates on cooking’s most elusive ingredient.

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Is airplane food bad on purpose? Historian Richard Foss takes us through the turbulent history of food in flight, from extravagant meals aboard zeppelins, to the flaming Baked Alaskas once served en route to Singapore, to the truth about mediocre food service on planes today. Plus, Rebecca Rupp tells us how carrots won the Trojan War, Amanda Herbert shares a recipe for the world’s first macaroni and cheese, and we head to Bogotá for a lesson on great barbecue. (Originally aired July 12, 2024.)

Get the recipe for Colombian-Style Asado Pork Chops here.

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For this special bonus episode, we share a story from the Points North podcast about blue moon ice cream—it's a wacky, surprisingly delicious and very blue ice cream flavor beloved in the Midwest. But no one knows what the flavor actually is, and ice cream makers are notoriously secretive about it. We hear about Morgan Springer's quest to find out more. Plus, we share a few of our all-time favorite ice cream stories: Journalist David Johns investigates whether ice cream could actually be good for you; we talk with Saturated Ice Cream founder Lokelani Alabanza, who invents new flavors from peanuts and Coke to Nashville hot chicken; and we make charred pineapple and honey ice cream.

Get the recipe for Charred Pineapple with Spiced Honey and Coconut Ice Cream here.

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