logo
episode-header-image
Nov 14
49m 23s

838: Our All-American Thanksgiving with ...

American Public Media
About this episode

This week, we’re celebrating Thanksgiving and looking at the way this American holiday and its food tell our stories. First, we talk with Padma Lakshmi about her new cookbook, Padma’s All American, a celebration of the immigrant dishes and regional traditions that make up our country’s culinary landscape. Padma talks about what she’s learned from years of traveling for Taste the Nation and leaves us with a delicious Thanksgiving alternative for mashed potatoes: Podimas (Potatoes with Turmeric and Fried Lentils). Then, we turn to baker extraordinaire Dorie Greenspan for a sweet addition to the holiday dessert table. Her new book, Dorie’s Anytime Cakes, is filled with unfussy, comforting cakes meant to live on your counter — the kind you slice into whenever the craving strikes. Dorie talks about why simple cakes feel right for the season and leaves us with her Cocoa-Swirled Pumpkin Bundt.


Head to our YouTube channel and watch our interview with Padma Lakshmi. Subscribe so you don’t miss anything!


Our annual cookbook giveaway is live!  To enter for free, visit splendidtable.org/cookbook



Broadcast dates for this episode: 


  • November 14, 2025 (originally aired)




Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today.

Up next
Nov 21
815: Your Thanksgiving meal with Deb Perelman and J. Kenji Lopez-Alt & Desi Bakes with Hetal Vasavada
<p>We are a week away from Thanksgiving, and this week, Award-winning authors J. Kenji Lopez-Alt and Deb Perelman give us the best advice on making the perfect Thanksgiving spread. From gravy hot takes to best brining practices and the ideal way to cook a perfect turkey we have y ... Show More
49m 9s
Nov 7
814: Ottolenghi Comfort with Yotam Ottolenghi and Classic German Cooking with Luisa Weiss
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Pandora | Amazon Music | YouTubeThis week, we talk about comfort food around the world. First, Yotam Ottolenghi tells us about his latest book, which is filled with recipes for his favorite comfort foods. He talks about what it is about speci ... Show More
49m 48s
Oct 31
837: The Universal Language of Bread with Tony Shalhoub and Maureen Abood
This week, we’re breaking bread in every sense of the phrase. First, beloved actor Tony Shalhoub joins us to talk about his new CNN series, Breaking Bread, where he travels the world to explore the meaning of bread and how it connects us across cultures and tables. Growing up in ... Show More
49m 51s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2025
Should we eat less rice?
Rice is the main staple for over half the world’s population. The crop has problems though – it is vulnerable to climate change, whether that’s drought or flooding. It’s also a crop that contributes to climate change, as it uses more water than other grain crops and is frequently ... Show More
29m 48s
Jan 2023
The Science of Stir-Fry with J. Kenji López-Alt
<p>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 fo ... Show More
50m 44s
Apr 2024
Reheat: LeVar Burton Even Reads Recipes Dramatically
<p>You may think you know LeVar Burton. After starring in the seminal 1977 mini-series <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2016/05/why-roots-was-so-important.html"><i>Roots</i></a>, he hosted <a href="https://www.readingrainbow.org/"><i>Reading Rainbow</i></a> and starred alongside ... Show More
26m 15s
Sep 2024
Getting Cultural Appropriation in Food right, and how to learn instead of steal from traditional cooking methods with Mallika Basu
Mallika Basu is one of my absolute favourite people in food. Not only is she hilarious, she’s a writer, commentator and board adviser in food, drink and hospitality with two published cookbooks (Miss Masala: Real Indian Cooking for Busy Living and Masala: Indian Cooking for Moder ... Show More
47m 5s
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 25
What's Cooking?
<p>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, “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Good-Things-Recipes-Rituals-Cookbook/dp/ ... Show More
48m 24s
Aug 2023
How to be a Supertaster: The Wild Science of Flavor
<p>Is it possible to become better at tasting—to enjoy dinner, wine and your favorite bourbon even more? This week, Mandy Naglich, author of "How to Taste," shares secrets from competitive tasters and food scientists. Plus, Meathead tells us his favorite tips, tools and technique ... Show More
51m 17s
Oct 2022
Yotam Ottolenghi & Noor Murad and creamy pasta with chard & lemon
Nick and Angela welcome culinary greatness to DISH HQ. It’s fair to say that this chef, restaurateur and author has transformed the way the world prepares and shares food. Yotam Ottolenghi creates a feast for the eyes (that INSTA grid) and a feast for our tables too. His cuisi ... Show More
36m 22s
Feb 2025
”I wake up at 6 a.m. going ‘I need laban jameed now!’” with Fadi Kattan
Co-host Tiffany Eslick sits down with celebrated chef and author Fadi Kattan on the sidelines of the Emirates LitFest 2025. He talks about how terroir influences the dishes across Palestine and his journey documenting Palestinian food over the years. Chef Fadi runs three restaura ... Show More
51m 42s
Apr 2025
Faithful Food
We hear from the volunteers serving an average of 1,500 meals a day at the Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha in Hounslow and explore the significance of langar in the Sikh and wider community. Mona Siddiqui and the panel explore the role food plays in religion. Do all religious trad ... Show More
27m 20s