Showing results by narrator "Jim Coleman" in All Categories

Is the produce aisle in your grocery store looking a bit bleak these days? Spring and summer vegetables are still a few weeks away. But squash is always a reliable candidate - and don't just think zucchini! Squash fanatic Amy Goldman will tell us about unique varieties and great recipes, she has written The Compleat Squash: A Passionate Grower's Guide to Pumpkins, Squashes, and Gourds.

It's holiday freak-out time, but on today's show we'll get you through this seasonal panic! Food Network's Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, reveals home party tips. Bon Appetit's Barbara Fairchild has some great homemade gift ideas. But, the holidays are for kids so we'll talk to Rozanne Gold about her three ingredient book, Kids Cook 1-2-3. We'll also learn about latkes. Plus Amy Sedaris, Graham Kerr and our annual cookbook round-up.

Today we're having a little midsummer night's fun! We'll take an insider's romp through the crazy restaurant business with John Delucie. He's the chef/partner of New York's famed The Waverly Inn and tells quite a tale in his memoir, Hunger: The Story of Food, Desire, and Ambition. Plus, it seems the culinary gods can be cruel. France, once the Mount Olympus of cookery, is getting a bad rap these days.

The clocks have changed - hopefully - the closets are cleaned, and we're all waiting for the first taste of summer produce. Today, we salute spring and the fresh fruits and vegetables to come. Vietnamese Cuisine is known for its robust and flavorful use of vegetables, so we'll start there. Then, we'll get some advice on creating an outdoor kitchen and discover some quick-fix picnics. Later, learn how to start a raised vegetable garden with Katharine Whiteside.

How do you "chow down"? Today's show looks at how we eat and the choices we make. From our food chain, to recipes, beverages, and even what to wear, we'll look at what gets on our plate and how we dine. Some decisions are made for us long before the consumer gets in the picture. Michael Pollan takes a look in his book, The Omnivore's Dilemma. Later, Bill Buford shows us what it's like to work in Mario Batali's kitchen. We'll also discover recipes from home cooks and learn about green tea.

It's almost Halloween, so let's go into the dark side of food. We'll discover common frauds from the past, plus some concerns for today. The creator of The Spiderwick Chronicles talks about her latest venture into the world of fairies. Sharon Bowers gives us ghoulish goodies. And what's Halloween without a murder mystery? We've got one plotted in a vineyard! Plus, managing diabetes, the history of Betty Crocker and Halloween treats for kids with braces. And some not so scary advice for parents.

Food is one of the most enduring of the arts - everyone eats and if you've ever put a piece of parsley on steak or a birthday candle on a cake, you've added style! Today, we'll talk to artists, writers and chefs about the art of food. New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik discusses cooking and writing. Christopher Hirsheimer recalls the food styling revolution of the eighties while Chris Styler tells you how to put style on your own plate at home.

On today's show we'll research the sensuous role of food. Our Hot and Heavy show, if you will. We'll take a serious, and sometimes not so serious, look at the role of food in our sex lives. Discover the foods that enhance sexual health. Learn about the ancient art of Tantra and the path to sensual energy. We even take an in-depth look at the life of bees and honey as an aphrodisiac. And to seal it with a kiss, we've got an amorous recipe for molten chocolate cakes with cherries!

Sultry summer nights! Today's Chef's Table is all about cooling down and enjoying the season's flavors. Discover heirloom tomatoes, go fishing with the frying pan, and learn about oysters in Manhattan. We'll find out how ice furthered the popularity of the cocktail. Later, our sommelier, Maureen Petrosky, gives us the best summertime sips. Molly O'Neil gives us Mostly True - her memoir about food and baseball. Plus a hot club in Miami, food trivia, and the recipe of the week.

Some worthy things just have a bad reputation. On today's show we re-evaluate bad reputation stories: pig pens are a mess; tequila gives you a killer hangover; and tofu tastes like nothing. Often, you can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. For instance, Sy Montgomery talks about her amazing pet pig. Mr. Cutlets talks about a pig of a whole other kind - a smuggled ham.

Let's enjoy the last few weeks of summer before September puts us back in high gear. No vacation is complete without a good novel... and we have one that is really percolating. Michael Idov's "Ground Up." We'll learn how to save some of summer's delicious tomatoes for our winter table. Plus ride a bike and learn about the iconic Philly sandwich - all at the same time. Also, an American in Paris, the history of air conditioning, lots of travel tips near or far and much more.

What's your obsession? For some it's career; others have an insatiable curiosity, and some just can't stop thinking about their favorite dish. We'll discover some interesting stories that might not be true obsessions but sure come close! Farmer Jon gives us the real dirt on making a life on a farm.

Food is all encompassing: how we buy it, store it, and celebrate with it. On today's show, we'll look at our relationship to food, from simple bananas to an unusual place to dine where the waiters are visually impaired and you eat in the dark. A cultural psychologist examines how we perceive what's on our plates, and we'll hear about "The Short History of the American Stomach". And, if you think you'd like to win the Pillsbury Bake-off contest, hear how one woman took the prize.

It's Thanksgiving crunch time....better start prepping! On today's show, Chef Coleman gives you his timeline to make the day a little easier. We'll also discover some new twists borrowed from other cultures and find the ultimate dining spot - right where the food grows. Later, a way to share meals throughout the year. Then, Marnie Old and Sam Calagione feud over wine versus beer. Plus, the secret of great giblet gravy, the history of squash, and how vegans survive the holidays.

Some call it the difference between Venice and Mars. For one married man, it's all about sex, love, and dirty dishes. We're having some fun with the battle of the sexes. We'll visit with the author of Husbandry, and Judith Jones weighs in on men in the kitchen. Plus, where would the martini be without it? How would you pass hors douvres? Every diner in America offers them at the cash register -we'll hear about the history of the toothpick.

We speak with Corrine Trang about asian grilling and essential ingredients for making Asian food at home. She's been called the Julia Child of Asian food. Robert Markel is the co-author of Cocktail Hour: Authentic Recipes and Illustrations from 1920 to 1960. He shares some ideas on how to make a drink worthy of the Fourth of July. Lari Robling speaks with Andrew Dawson, one of the owners of Brokers Gin from London, and we find out how gin was invented.

For a short month February has a lot going on! On today's show we'll cover the highlights: Presidents Day, Chinese New Year and Valentines.

What dishes HAVE to be on the holiday table? There are some flavors that are so much a part of our holiday spirit they have come to define us. For playwright Eduardo Machado, it's Cuban Roast Pork. For Michelle Bernstein it's a family chicken soup recipe...from Argentina. We'll also discover some slightly unusual holiday beer traditions. And for some, it isn't the holidays without uncorking champagne.

No question beef is an iconic American food - from big burgers to thick, luscious steaks. How did we go from the cattle drive of the West to corn fed agribusiness, and now back again to the resurgence of grass fed? In her book, Raising Steaks, food writer Betty Fussel takes us through the history of American beef. Later, Jennifer McLagan helps us "chew the fat" about beef fat - and what she has to say will surprise you.

Passover and Easter are coming up. On today's show, finally learn how to prepare the perfect hard-boiled egg! The author of What Einstein Told His Cook 2 provides the scientific secret. Discover how one Jewish family kept Passover traditions in rural Scotland and then journey to the land of olive oil and honey for a taste of foods of biblical times. Then, find out how a millionaire built a town out of chocolate and left a legacy for troubled youth.