logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2025
50m 19s

797: Melissa Clark’s Deep Dive into Salt...

American Public Media
About this episode

This week, we talk to two award-winning authors about their latest work. First, The New York Times cooking columnist Melissa Clark talks to us about her deep dive into the world of salt. From exploring salt harvesting in France to the history and revival of artisanal salts, she walks us through different types of salt and their uses in cooking. She sticks around to answer your cooking questions. Melissa Clark's latest book is Dinner in One, and for a taste of her style, check out her recipe for Roasted Cauliflower & Potatoes with Harissa, Yogurt & Toasted Almonds. Then, award-winning author Crystal Wilkinson talks to us about her new memoir, honoring her maternal ancestors, her kitchen ghosts. She talks about feeling them deeply while cooking and realizing their presence in her life. Crystal's memoir is Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks, and she leaves us with her recipe for Indian Creek Skillet Cornbread. 


Broadcast dates for this episode:



  • February 9, 2024 (originally aired)


  • February 14, 2025 (rebroadcast)







Your support is a special ingredient in helping to make The Splendid Table. Donate today.

Up next
Oct 3
835: Fall Cookbooks with Aleksandra Crapanzano, Anna Ansari, and Cassie Yeung
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 he ... Show More
50m 19s
Sep 19
834: Fall Cooking and Bitter Flavors with Genevieve Ko and Alexina Anatole
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 ... Show More
50m 16s
Sep 5
833: Salsa, Sauces & Sides with Rick Martínez and Sunny Lee
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Spotify | PandoraThis week, we’re turning peak-season produce into bold, flavorful dishes. First, we talk with Rick Martínez, author of Salsa Daddy: Dip Your Way into Mexican Cooking, about transforming simple ingredients – ... Show More
49m 22s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2025
Katarina Cermelj: Cookbook Author, Food Writer and Creator of The Loopy Whisk, an Allergy-Free Baking Blog
Katarina Cermelj (Kat for short) is an award-winning cookbook author, food writer, photographer and creator of the popular ‘free-from’ baking blog, The Loopy Whisk. She has a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Oxford, having previously completed her undergraduate C ... Show More
33m 26s
Sep 25
What's Cooking?
In contemporary cookbooks—and in the burgeoning realm of online cooking content—there’s often a life style on display alongside the recipes. Samin Nosrat is a fixture of this landscape, and her new book, “Good Things,” aims to pick up where her mega-best-seller “Salt, Fat, Acid, ... Show More
48m 24s
Apr 2025
Before Kenji and Deb, there was Lena
Deb and Kenji are taking a break this week. Please enjoy this classic episode from our friends at Sidedoor, "America’s Unknown Celebrity Chef". For more information, visit Sidedoor's episode page, and subscribe to Sidedoor on your favorite podcast player.************************* ... Show More
32m 30s
Feb 2019
The Search for Perfect Falafel: Uncovering the Secrets of Palestinian Cooking
Intrepid food writer Yasmin Khan dives into the mysteries of Palestinian cooking. Plus we rediscover authentic Austrian goulash; Jonathan Townsend cooks amazing 18th century American recipes in period clothing and kitchens; we share three tricks for using dull knives; and Dr. Aar ... Show More
50m 27s
Sep 2024
Forever foods
In this programme Ruth Alexander learns about ‘forever’ foods, stocks, soups and sourdough starters that can be replenished again and again and used for weeks, months or even years. Ruth hears about a beef soup in Bangkok that has been maintained for fifty years, and she bakes a ... Show More
26m 28s
May 2023
White House Noshes: What Presidents Really Eat
Jefferson ate capon, Eisenhower craved squirrel soup and Grant had a habit of throwing bread across the table. This week, we go into the White House with Alex Prud’homme to hear culinary stories from presidential history, like how Julia Child charmed her way into a state dinner a ... Show More
51m 2s
Apr 2025
Welcome to Your Mama’s Kitchen
Sharing another podcast we can’t get enough of: Your Mama’s Kitchen. It’s a show about cuisine and culture, ingredients and identities, and the meals and memories that make us who we are. Host Michele Norris talks to Michelle Obama, Glennon Doyle, José Andrés and so many other gu ... Show More
43m 37s
Jan 2020
Hell’s French Kitchen: How 7 Days of Cooking Broke Writer Sam Ashworth
When Sam Ashworth apprenticed in a French Michelin-starred restaurant, it broke him after just one week. This week, he talks about his experience—which entailed cleaning squid for four hours a night—and why the French brigade system of training chefs and regimenting the cooking p ... Show More
50m 45s
Jan 2023
The Science of Stir-Fry with J. Kenji López-Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt gives us a lesson on Wok 101 and reveals the science behind great stir-fry. Plus, Cheryl Day joins Christopher Kimball to tackle your baking questions about everything from powdered milk to cardamom buns; cookbook author Chelsea Monroe-Cassel explores the food ... Show More
50m 44s
Dec 2024
Best of 2024: Food Lies, Veggie Souls, Restaurant Secrets and Favorite Calls
We’re looking back at some of our favorite moments from 2024. We’ll share the surprises—from the secret lives of vegetables, to the underworld of restaurant reservations—and the best culinary advice we received from guests like José Andres and Stella Parks. Plus, Christopher Kimb ... Show More
50m 36s