Nicole Taylor is demystifying soul food on this week's edition of Hot Grease! Nicole is joined via the phone lines by soul food scholar and author Adrian Miller! Learn the etymology of the term "soul food", and what distinguishes the cuisine from others influenced by West African food culture. Why is soul food so disparaged in food media? Learn how Adrian uses food to create dialogues around the issue of race. Later, Danielle Bell of de Porres dinner series stops by the studio to talk about the exploding trend of supper clubs in New York City. Hear how Danielle and her partner, Pablo, combine Southern and Peruvian dishes at their dinners to create a unique culinary experience. Find out how de Porres was recently received in Los Angeles, and find out where you can catch a de Porres dinner in Brooklyn! Thanks to our sponsor, Whole Foods. Thanks to The California Honeydrops for today's music.     "With this whole foodie movement, there are more young people interested in food. I hope these people don't toss soul food aside, and see it as a cultural artifact." [13:45] -- Adrian Miller on Hot Grease

Nicole Taylor previews the upcoming Vendy Awards on this week's edition of Hot Grease. Helena Tubis, Managing Director of The Vendy Awards, stops by to share a little bit of Vendy history and the Street Vendor Project. Food writer Siobhan Wallace joins Nicole and Helena to talk about her catalogue of wonderful street food stories recipes in her book, New York a la Cart. Christine Chebli of NYC's Toum Food Truck talks about the explosion of high quality street food in the city, and how her truck presents authentic Lebanese fare. Later, Nicole talks wtih Ron Gault and Charlayne Hunter-Gault about their line of South African wines, Passages Wines. Find out what bottles Ron and Charlayne are showcasing at Vintage Harlem! Learn about Charlayne's storied past in journalism, and how she's been a leader since her historic entrance at the University of Georgia! This program has been sponsored by Whole Foods. Thanks to The California Honeydrops for today's music. "Street vendors are the first line of small businesses. It's a common language all around the world. And in New York, we live in the streets, so we eat on the streets." [18:20] -- Helena Tubis on Hot Grease

The AFROPUNK Festival is coming up very soon here in New York City, and host Nicole Taylor is here in the studio with Lauren Cannon and Jocelyn Cooper to talk about its roots, mission, and life of the festival weekend, filled good music and great vibes. Described by the New York Times as "the most multicultural festival in the US," the word AFROPUNK itself has become synonymous with open-minded, non-conforming and unconventional, placing the institution at the epicenter of urban culture inspired by alternative music. Adamant in promoting diversity, the festival stage is always studded with music's most distinct acts. Last year's line-up ranged from such innovators as Erykah Badu and Janelle Monáe to indie powerhouses TV On The Radio and Toro Y Moi. Also this year, the Afropunk festival is delighted to bring a plethora of food trucks, including Luke's Lobster, Kimchi Taco, and Dinosaur Barbecue. Come to AFROPUNK FEST 2013 this summer and sweat, skate, mosh, shout. Feel the music, free your mind, join the movement! Lastly, Nicole speaks with Evan George of Hot Knives. Together they speak about beer, bahn mi, ice cream, burgers, sorbet, and of course their new book, Lust for Leaf: Vegetarian Noshes, Bashes, and Everyday Great Eats--The Hot Knives Way. This program has been sponsored by Tekserve. Thanks to the London Souls, Le1f, and The Skins for today's music, which you can also find at the Afropunk lineup this year!   "Afropunk strives to be the number one destiation for alternative black culture - to show the world that we are diverse, educuated." --Jocelyn Cooper on Hot Grease

This week on Hot Grease, Nicole digs back into hot summer foods with the return of Hot Grease's "Food Headlines". Nicole is joined by Simone Johnson to get the scoop on s'mores variations and the FDA's recent gluten-free discussions. Tune in and hear more farming headlines, and learn about food security in the Caribbean. Later, Nicole chats with Emily Myers of Emily G's Jams. Find out how some Southern traditions like having "bottles on the table" inspired Emily to make hot pepper sauces and preserves! Hear why Emily focuses on quality to avoid the phenomenon of "food disappointment". Finally, learn more about Emily G's jam and cheese pairings, and find out about the new Emily G's Jams coming out in the spring! This program has been brought to you by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. Thanks to The California Honeydrops for today's musical selections.     "Back then, our grandparents canned, and that's just the way it was... Having some strawberry jam in the middle of winter was just a joy to have." [15:50] "Food is something delicious that should make you happy." [18:30] -- Emily Myers on Hot Grease

Fried chicken, waffles, and Persian desserts - what a way to celebrate summer! This week on Hot Grease, Nicole Taylor is joined in the studio by Jon Seymour, co-owner of Williamsburg's Sweet Chick. Tune into this episode to hear Nicole and John talk about the origins of chicken and waffles. Is it a Southern dish, or a New York tradition? Learn about some of the vegetarian options on Sweet Chick's menu, and hear John talk about growing up in Yorkville and the life of a native New Yorker. Later, Louisa Shafia stops by to talk about some of the desserts in her book The New Persian Kitchen. How do Iranians use ingredients like sorbet, dried limes, and saffron in their desserts? You don't want to miss this week's edition of Hot Grease! This program has been sponsored by The International Culinary Center. Thanks to The California Honeydrops for today's music. "Roscoe's definitely made chicken and waffles famous. They brought it into pop culture. But what we're trying to do at Sweet Chick is make the best chicken and waffles." [6:40] -- John Seymour on Hot Grease "One of the things that I use all of the time are these dried limes... they give whatever you're cooking a super bittersweet lime taste because you have the rind and the flesh in there." [22:50] -- Louisa Shafia on Hot Grease

Nicole Taylor is soaking up the summer with some more ice cream and a little bit of booze. On this week's episode of Hot Grease, Nicole invites Crista Freeman of Phin & Phebes Ice Cream into the studio to talk about her ice cream memories, growing up in Florida, and how Phin & Phebes blends their flavors. Does Crista come from an ice cream-making background? Eric Prum from Mason Shaker is back, and this time he brings along his partner, Josh Williams! Hear about Mason Shaker's newest cocktail list project! Hear how Mason Shaker has been making bar products using products like leather and canvas. Finally, the whole cast samples some of Phin & Phebes selections! Thanks to our sponsor, Whole Foods. Thanks to The California Honeydrops for today's music.   "Most of the flavors are inspired by things that we eat." [9:05] "People are taking a step back and wanting to make a premium ice cream and experiment with it." [11:00] -- Crista Freeman on Hot Grease "Neither Eric nor I are bartenders; we just love making cocktails and making them for friends." [20:00] -- Josh Williams on Hot Grease

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Pastry chef Malcolm Livingston II has been digging dessert since his childhood in the Bronx. This week on Hot Grease, Nicole Taylor invites Malcolm in the studio to share some of his ice cream memories in honor of National Ice Cream Month. Tune in to hear Malcolm recall stories of chasing down Mr. Softee trucks, and the taste of his father's cookies. Hear about the inspiration for his desserts at wd~50, and what tunes he listens to in the kitchen. Learn about Malcolm's collaborative project in the Bronx called Ghetto Gastro, and what it means to locals. Later, Nicole calls up Darius Wilmore of Taharka Brothers in Baltimore, MD. Hear about the conception of the Bawlmer ice cream company, and how they aim to uplift young black men in the city. Find out why the names of their flavors are often complex, and how their distribution has grown since the late 2000s. This program has been sponsored by White Oak Pastures. Thanks to The California Honeydrops for today's music.   "We're in the art field- the culinary arts. That's where I get my inspiration." [14:35] "Making ice cream at home frustrates me. I don't have the machines that I have at wd 50!" [17:05] -- Malcolm Livingston II on Hot Grease

Tune into this "best of" edition of Hot Grease to hear Nicole Taylor talk with some of her favorite summertime food folks! Tune in to hear Curtis Brown talk about North Carolina barbecue, the Asheville food scene, and creasy green salads! Rodney Scott of Scott's Barbecue discusses whole hog barbecue, and why he never gets sick of the grill or the smoker. John Schlimm is here for the vegetarians and vegans; find out what meatless grilling options are available! Nicole wraps up the program by revisiting her special ice cream memories. Enjoy summer, everyone! This program has been sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons.

Everybody knows about The Joy Of Cooking, but few know the generational nature of the popular cookbook. Tune in to this week's episode of Hot Grease and hear from the fourth generation of editors for the iconic book, Megan Scott & John Becker. They explain how the nature of publishing has changed over four generations and what they do to continue improving The Joy Of Cooking and introduce it to new audiences far and wide. This program was sponsored by White Oak Pastures. Music provided courtesy of The California Honeydrops. "In a lot of parts of the south people aren't familiar with The Joy of Cooking, it's very much a midwestern of north eastern book." [3:00] -- Megan Scott of The Joy of Cooking on Hot Grease "I think publishers can take advantage of authors less than they could before. It's harder to fudge the books with digital records these days." [4:00] -- John Becker of The Joy of Cooking on Hot Grease

You think you know pie? Discover Pie Corps on this week's episode of Hot Grease, as Nicole Taylor is joined by Cheryl Perry and Felipa Lopez, the women behind Pie Corps, a savory & sweet hand made pie company in Brooklyn. Hear what makes their pieunique, as they discuss their savory and sweet pies, and explain why savory sometimes escapes the American palate. Find out how they went from a stand in the New Amsterdam Market to a shop in Greenpoint, and hear about some of the new delicious items they have in store for the coming months! This program was sponsored by Whole Foods. Music provided courtesy of The California Honeydrops     "We started the business thikning we were just going to do savory pies, then we realized Americans don't really know pie the way Europeans do." [7:30] "We don't think there should be any guilt around eating pie." [16:00] -- Cheryl Perry of Pie Corps on Hot Grease