Why is it that most of the authors I talk with are usually from California or live on the East Coast?  That's something to think about, but this week is the exception.  I get to chat with Shelly Westerhausen, a life-long Midwesterner, and the author of Vegetarian Heartland.  Check out one of the recipes from her book below.

In the second half of the show, I visit with Emily Kaiser Thelin, author of the moving and intimate biography of Paula Wolfert.  Wolfert is someone I have admired for years, and Thelin's biography illuminates the amazing career of this often overlooked and prolific contributor to our modern cooking scene.

Can you ever get enough soup?  Whether it's cold or hot outside, I can always eat soup.  It must stem from my grandmother's chicken soup, which enthralls my childhood memories, and is, of course, associated with love.  French onion soup at Famous-Barr, a local department store chain in St. Louis, is another of my touchstone soup memories.

Today I will go out of my way looking for a spot that is known for its great bowls of steamy delights.  Some of my most satisfying experiences, outside of our home, are definitely bowls of ramen and pho.  My first guest, Andrea Nguyen, has written a primer on pho that will appeal to pho novices, as well as, those more nuanced pho eaters.  Enjoy listening, preferably while you down a bowl of pho.

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One of the dishes I really wanted to make Tuesday night at the LIVE show at GBS was a miso butter skillet corn.  Luckily, the sweet corn was ready at the MUM student farm, and it was delicious.  All you need to do is strip the kernals off the cob, put them in a skillet with a little water, and cook for 2-4 minutes to your kernal texture preference.  Drain the remaining water, stir in the miso butter, and enjoy.  The recipe for the miso butter is at the end of this post.

Kris Johnson, the farm manager, Dan Harvey, the assistant manager, and several of the students in the Regenerative Agriculture certificate program, joined us for an inspiring discussion about the future of food and farming.  Look for the farm's stand at the Saturday Farmer's Market.

Jeffrey Roberts teaches the history and culture of food, and is the president of Cow Creek Creative Ventures, a company working to address the need for more sustainable agricultural solutions.  In his new book, Salted & Cured, he recounts the stories of chefs, entrepreneurs, craftspeople, immigrant butchers, and others who have and continue to develop the culture of meat preservation.  It's a fascinating read, full of history and colorful characters, who are participating in culinary practices that originated thousands of years ago.

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Kathy DuBois, GT's former co-host, assumed command in the GBS kitchen during Tuesday evening's LIVE Great Taste show.  On last week's Great Taste I spoke with Deborah Madison, and on the LIVE show Kathy, along with her assistant Christi Welsh, used recipes from several of Deborah's books to make carrot soup with spicy butter, baked ricotta, zucchini with mint and other herbs, and a roasted beet salad.  Many of the ingredients were picked or dug from the Sustainable Living Department's student garden within a few hours of showtime.  

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An Hour with Deborah Madison

It's always a great pleasure, honor, and learning experience to visit with Deborah.  On this occasion we'll talk about her new and most personal cookbook, In My Kitchen. The book is a window into how and what she enjoys cooking today, 20 years after the publication of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.    It includes 100 recipes, some new, plus updated personal favorites.

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One specific element about my personality that I noticed last week was how uplifted I feel when talking abut food.  Now, those of you who know me are probably wondering if it's really possible I did not know that about myself.  I knew it.  Two recent instances seriously reinforced how talking and cooking continuously inspire me. 

Neither instance was an "aha" moment, but both left me feeling animated and rejuvenated.  First, I was privileged to speak with some students, who are studying and working in agriculture.  That event gave me the opportunity to relate a few stories about food producers, and let the students taste several amazing products.  The result of a session like this is always the same:  eyes light up, the energy in the room buzzes with excitement, and everyone wants another taste. I leave with a big smile etched on my face.

If you are lucky enough to live in the San Francisco Bay Area, perhaps you regularly stop at the Burma Superstar restaurants to enjoy their take on Southeast Asian cuisine.  If not, I recently spoke with Kate Leahy, co-author along with Burma Superstar founder, Desmond Tan, of a fascinating book filled with authentic recipes, great photos, and stories about the country now known as Myanmar.  

A major part of Myanmar's cuisine is a fusion of Thai, Chinese, Indian, and Laotian influences. Many of the spices and main components will seem familiar, but how they are utilized to fashion finished dishes definitely captivated me.  Pay special attention when Kate talks about tofu, and eating tea or "Myanmar's most mysterious food."

Great Taste Features Farmer's Market Vendors this Week

Broadcast:  7:00 PM Wednesday and 7:00 AM Friday (CDT)

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We had a fun, taste-filled evening at Green Building Supply during our LIVE show this week.  Several of our local Farmer's Market vendors showed off their cooking skills, plus shared information about growing vegetables, seed-saving, nutrition, and their personal stories. 

The menu featured these great dishes:

We are so fortunate to have the opportunity to meet amazing people regularly because of the Great Taste radio program.  Through solar-powered KRUU we get to bring those folks into your home or car or wherever you may happen to pick up the stream.

Right from the beginning of our conversation with our guest this week, Lucy Lean, Kathy and I felt like we had met a kindred spirit on many levels.  Lucy is a mother, wife, farmer's daughter, former editor of edible Los Angeles, blogger, photographer, a food judge for the Gordon Ramsay Fox hit TV show Masterchef, and the author of Made in America:  Our Best Chefs Reinvent Comfort Food.  The book features 100 recipes from chefs located all over the country and with varying cultural backgrounds.  The diversity of personalities and Lucy's vision of adapting 20th century regional comfort food recipes to today's ingredients and techniques makes for an engaging read and amazing recipes.