Showing results by author "Jim Coleman" in All Categories

Today's show is a tribute to farmers. We look back to a visit to the 2008 Pennsylvania Farm Show. It's an annual event - a big expo with just about everything farm related you can imagine. Our favorite? Tractor square dancing!

The Super Bowl is over, no holidays are on the horizon, and we have weeks before it's spring. Could be you have the winter blues. This week on Chef's Table, we'll talk to a nutritionist about foods to help those down-in-the-dumps symptoms.

It's been said that eating is not only an agricultural act, but also a political one. It does make sense that how we eat can make a lasting impact on our environment - the problem is figuring out what choices really matter. We'll talk to the author of The Ethical Gourmet, discover a winery that composts four-star meals, and talk to the Soup Peddler.

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.

Women are making a mark in the culinary arts. So, since March is Women's History Month, we'll highlight some of these women and their contributions. Of course, when you think women and food, Julia Child comes to mind. We'll talk to Julia's long-time editor and her nephew about her career and success on TV. Then, Rozanne Gold was the first chef at Mayor Koch's Gracie Mansion in the 70s.

Fall ushers in the last of the garden harvest--and after a fast paced summer, we're returning to slow, autumn cooking. So, today's show is a little autumn stew - a few ingredients, some cooking techniques and time spent in the kitchen. Ingredients like tomatoes. Heirloom, of course. We recall a conversation with Paula Wolfert about slow, Mediterranean cooking. And if you think wine education has to be formal and stuffy, you haven't seen Gary Vaynerchuk.

There's nothing like getting in the kitchen to cure mid-winter blues. Homemade stocks and soups are great to put away in the freezer for when you don't feel like cooking in warmer weather. And long simmering steams the windows up a bit and adds a welcoming aroma to the house. Today's show features Michael Ruhlman on stocks and Grace Parisi on sauces. We'll also talk to Danny Meyer about being a restaurateur. Also, the history and fate of one of the most popular fruits. Plus seven tips to a longer and healthier life.

We've got a dragnet out - for hot food finds! The Hungry Detective shows us how to investigate the foodie scene. And, while we're hot on the trail discover Brazil. Cool down with a trip to Iceland and a new vodka. Or maybe a dish of gelato. Green Tea is top of the list for both hot and cold beverages. And if you are still hot on your pledge to lose a few pounds, we have tips for cooking tofu. Plus, Our Lady of Weight Loss.

Etiquette and eating. Everybody always has questions. On today's show we'll try get some answers, as well as a little etiquette history. We'll also find out what happens when things go wrong in dinner disasters. Then, travel around the world with dumplings. But we won't stop there. Our journey continues along the spice trail of the Indian Ocean. We'll visit with a scientist who has reviewed the health benefits of red wine, and talk to a baker about the essentials of a very special chocolate blend.

So, you're on a picnic this weekend. Take a look at the table. We have so many different influences on our cuisine. On today's show we'll take a look at what America eats. Josh Ozersky, our Mr. Cutlets, says there's one food that is categorically American -- the hamburger. And if it is grass fed and raised on the prairie, then even more so! Discover an unpublished WPA project with Pat Willard as she traces the meals and foodways of this writer's project.

It's time to spice things up a bit! We'll follow our own spice trail, beginning with the history of three influential spice cities. Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi reveals how to layer lots of flavors. Plus her secrets for staying model thin and still eat those celebrity chef meals. Later, learn how to make amazingly light vegan cupcakes. Discover chocolate with Clay Gordon, and the world's most expensive coffee.

Ahhh, the smell of freshly cut grass, steak off the grill, and sea breezes. On today's show we find out what the nose knows with Dr. Avery Gilbert. Then, Dr. Nancy Snyderman debunks some medical myths, such as how much water we really need to drink. And the millennials are here - and buying wine right and left. Find out what makes this marketing group so important. We'll also travel to Sri Lanka and learn about curry leaves. Plus, we'll learn about the history of Chile peppers, and much more.

Food can show you the world. It can be about geography, politics, and culture - and sometimes it's just about what tastes good! But each of these things has boundaries. Today's show explores some. We'll have a scientific look at foods that can be one person's delicacies and another's "yuk". We talk to Lidia Bastianich about the changing boundaries in her childhood and regional pasta. Raymond Sokolov has 101 vegetable ideas and a look at the many regional cuisines of India.

If you are in the mood to grab your passport, or just want to think about faraway places, today's show takes us to some unusual destinations. We'll go to Tasmania for an exotic honey. Then, a big jump to France to explore the style of King Louis XIV. Discover the lure of Indonesia, plus life on a European houseboat, foods of the southwest, and our monthly wine recommendation.

Whether you're a full-time chef, an interested hobby cook, or just have to get dinner on the table, there's always room for inspiration! On today's show we'll look at teachers, mentors and friends. We begin with Alice Waters talking about the development of her food philosophy. Bobby Flay and Jonathan Waxman weigh in on their mentors. And if you've ever used a cookbook by Julia Child or Marion Cunningham, you'll enjoy their legendary editor, Judith Jones.

Passover and Easter are coming up. On this 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. Also, find out how a millionaire built a town out of chocolate and left a legacy for troubled youth, and more.

Opening Day of Major League Baseball...it's almost a national holiday! With a new season in full swing, it's a good time to take a look at fresh starts everywhere. America's favorite pediatrician, Dr. Brazleton, gives parents some advice on using breakfast to the fullest advantage. And one woman's answer to divorce was to travel to Italy, India, and Indonesia... not a bad way to start a new life! Anya von Bremzen stops by to talk about "The New Spanish" cuisine.

What does hunger mean to you? We all know physical hunger in varying degrees, of course. But hunger can be a longing for home and the food that represents it, or a quest for knowledge about a subject. It's a big word, hunger. On today's show we look at its many forms. We begin by comparing a week's worth of groceries of 30 families around the globe. Then, we take a look closer to home and see how rising food costs are affecting America's poor.

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. On today's Chef's Table, we'll discover some interesting stories that might not be truly obsessive, but sure come close! Farmer Jon gives us the real dirt on making a life on a farm. British bad boy chef Marco Pierre White divulges why he was obsessed with being the youngest to earn three Michelin stars.

We're honoring all the dads out there today. So whether you're a dad, have a dad, or think you'd like to be a dad, join us for a toast to fathers! Italian winemaker Angelo Gaja talks about tradition, innovation, and ushering in the fifth generation to this venerable business. We'll hear from a family who took a nine-year-olds' diabetes diagnosis and created a business to make life easier for other diabetics. And if you have a culinary quandary, James Peterson has the answer to at least 484 of them.