This week, it's all about keeping cool and carrying on in the kitchen. First up , chef, farmer, and cookbook author Abra Berens joins Francis to take your calls about how to best use our summer produce. She’s full of ideas for all that zucchini, btw! Abra is the author of three wonderful cookbooks, Ruffage, Grist, and Pulp, and you can find the recipe for the Summer Squash Escabeche she talked about here. Then, we head into NYC to visit chef Jiho Kim at his restaurant, Joomak where he teaches us how to make a refreshing summertime dish: a Summer Salad with Cured Fish and White Kimchi.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• July 11, 2025 (originally aired)
• July 10, 2026 (rebroadcast)

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It's officially grilling season, and this week, we’re bringing you an explosion of flavors. First, award-winning author Andrea Nguyen sits down with us to talk about the spreads you’d find at a Vietnamese grill. From delicious platters of fresh herbs to beautiful summer rolls, and savory marinated meats like her Lemongrass Pork Chop Recipe, and of course, we can’t forget Nuoc Cham, the world’s most delicious dipping sauce. Andrea is a James Beard award-winning author, cooking teacher, and consultant. Her latest cookbook is Ever-Green Vietnamese, and you can find her at Vietworldkitchen.com and on Substack. Then, recipe developer and author Farideh Sadeghin takes us into the world of hot dogs, from its history to its many regional variations, all perfect for your July 4th cookout. Farideh is the author of The Hot Dog Cookbook, and she left us with her recipe for Hog Dog Flowers, a festive take on the world-favorite dog!

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Broadcast dates for this episode:

July 03, 2026 (originally aired)

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This week, we have the dynamic duo, Sohla and Ham El-Waylly, hosts of the New York Times Cooking show Mystery Menu joining us to talk about working together, overcoming differences in their cooking styles, and the key to their success as a team. They stick around to answer your cooking questions. Then, restaurateur Will Guidara joins us with advice on how to be a great host. From the importance of “unreasonable” hospitality in the restaurant industry to being intentional in the home and turning thoughtfulness into practice. His new book is Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• November 4, 2022 (originally aired)
• November 10, 2023 (rebroadcast)
• June 26, 2026 (rebroadcast)

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This week, we make our 30th anniversary tour stop in Tampa in partnership with WUSF, where we learn about what makes the food of South Florida so unique. First up, Dalia Colón, host of The Zest podcast and author of The Florida Vegetarian Cookbook, gives us an overview of the rich Tampa food scene. From its diverse cuisines to its old-school Southern charm. Then, we talk about Tampa’s cultural and culinary history and legacy with Andrea Gonzmart Williams, fifth-generation owner of Columbia Restaurant, a landmark in the Cuban American community, and Megan Sorby, co-founder and CEO of Pine Island Redfish, a startup land-based fish farm with an environmental restoration focus. And finally, we meet up with community leader Anthony Gilbert, better known as “Call Anthony,” for his video reviews of Tampa Bay’s under-the-radar- eateries.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• June 27, 2025 (originally aired)
• June 19, 2026 (rebroadcast)

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This week, we explore traditional foods and identity with two amazing chefs. First, Food editor and author Monti Carlo talks about her visit home to Puerto Rico after many years away and how reconnecting with her roots shaped her approach to cooking traditional dishes, even adding her own spin, like her Bacalaíto Battered Onion Rings recipe. Monti Carlo is the Senior Food & Dining Editor at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and author of the latest book, Spanglish. Then, we get into the spicy, savory, sticky food of Laos with Saeng Douangdara. Saeng talks about his upbringing in Wisconsin, why sticky rice is a huge identifier of Laotian culture, and shares his favorite recipes, including his take on the Laab Taco. Saeng Douangdara is the author of The Lao Kitchen: Lao Flavors and Stories Told Through Family Recipes.

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Broadcast dates for this episode:

June 12, 2026 (originally aired)

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This week, we talk to two longtime restaurant critics from different parts of the country about what makes their work so interesting and what they're excited to eat. First, Bill Addison, restaurant critic for The Los Angeles Times, talks about his approach to critical writing, his favorite restaurant experiences, and the evolution of California cuisine. He just wrapped up one of the most ambitious projects of his career, the list of the One Hundred and One Best Restaurants in California for The Los Angeles Times. Then, we turn to the Midwest to join Wini Moranville, a restaurant critic based in Des Moines, Iowa. She tells us about her first job as a restaurant server and how that influenced her current work reviewing restaurants, and how restaurant criticism in smaller cities often have very different considerations. Wini is the author of the memoir "Love is My Favorite Flavor: A Midwestern Dining Critic Tells All," and you can check out her Substack, Dining Well in DSM.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• June 13, 2025 (originally aired)
• June 5, 2026 (rebroadcast)

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This week, we went deep into our archives to bring you a conversation with the legendary, Anthony Bourdain. In the early days of our show, Lynne Rossetto Kasper, the OG and co-creator of the show, talked with Tony about his book, A Cook’s Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal. He tells us about his adventurous travels, his definition of “perfect meals,” and how his Food Network series by the same name came to exist

This week, we’ve got suggestions to start your summer reading list. First, we sit down with bestselling author and poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil to talk about her upbringing and the nature of her poetry. She writes about her parent’s gardens and their food, and how she carries her childhood experiences with her today. Her latest book is Bite By Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees. Then, we learn about the life and legacy of the iconic book editor Judith Jones through her biographer Sara B. Franklin. Sara documented Judith’s amazing journey from her first job at a publishing house to transforming the cookbook industry at large. Plus, we hear from Judith herself from an interview we did several years ago with our former host, Lynne Rossetto Kasper. Sara B. Franklin’s book is The Editor: How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• May 24, 2024 (originally aired)
• May 2, 2025 (rebroadcast)
• May 29, 2026 (rebroadcast)

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We've put together a collection we're calling Culinary Masters. It's our favorite interviews with truly iconic people in the world of food, people who have fundamentally changed how so many of us cook, enjoy, and understand food. This week, we’re revisiting a conversation with my dear friend, Dr. Jessica B. Harris. Enjoy!

This week, we spend an hour with award-winning chef and author, José Andrés. We talk about his illustrious career, his world travels, and his love of regional Spanish cooking, its products, and its people. José Andrés is the founder of World Central Kitchen and author of many books, including Tapas, Vegetable Unleashed, We Fed an Island, and his latest, Spain My Way: Eat, Drink, and Cook Like a Spaniard. He left us with his delicious recipe for Gambas al Ajillo, sizzled shrimp in a delicious garlicky oil.

Head to our YouTube channel and watch this extended cut of our interview with Chef José Andrés. Subscribe so you don’t miss anything!

Broadcast dates for this episode:

May 22, 2026 (originally aired)

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We've put together a collection we're calling Culinary Masters. It's our favorite interviews with truly iconic people in the world of food, people who have fundamentally changed how so many of us cook, enjoy, and understand food. This week, it’s an interview with the great French chef Jacques Pépin.