This week, we’re celebrating new fall cookbooks that belong on your kitchen counter. First, Aleksandra Crapanzano, author of Chocolat: Parisian Desserts and Other Delights, takes us from Marie Antoinette’s early “truffle” to the French art of baking at home. She leaves us with her Chocolate Ganache Tart with Raspberries. Then, Anna Ansari explores the delicious connections across cuisines in Silk Roads: A Flavor Odyssey, tracing flavors from Baku to Beijing and shares her recipe for Shivit Oshi (Khivan green noodles with beef stew). Finally, creator and Next Level Chef alum Cassie Yeung brings big, weeknight-friendly energy from Bad B*tch in the Kitch, including her 30-minute Beef & Broccoli.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• October 3, 2025 (originally aired)

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This week, we sit down with Evie McGee Colbert to talk about her latest book, co-authored with her husband, Stephen Colbert. She tells us about the dynamics in her family’s kitchen, the joys and challenges of cooking together during the pandemic, Charleston food traditions, and we take a listener question from one special caller! Evie’s latest book with her husband, Stephen Colbert, is Does This Taste Funny?: Recipes our Family Loves. She leaves us with her recipe for Salt and Pepper Wings. Then, we hit the road with musicians Alex Bleeker and Luke Pyenson to talk about their latest book, a collection of essays and interviews with musicians about life and eating on the road. They talk about their most memorable meals while on tour and the deep connection between musicians and food. Alex and Luke are the authors of Taste in Music: Eating on Tour with Indie Musicians.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• September 27, 2024 (originally aired)
• September 26, 2025 (rebroadcast)

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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)

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