cookbooks

Growing up in Kansas City, Missouri, we kept two brownish sauces in our staples cupboard, and they were used as ingredients in other dishes or as toppings for beef.

Host Tammy Proctor explores it's origin and ingredients in that hard-to-pronounce and mysterious elixir.

Spices have taken us around the world. It's been fascinating to discover new spices and to find out how versatile they can be as they move from culture to culture.

Host Evelyn Funda explores the complicated cultural history of the ground spice that we lightly sprinkle on our rice pudding or eggnog.

I slowly, but surely, over time lost much of my tolerance for spicy, hot foods. For some people, this is one of the many indignities of aging.

This week host Laura Gelfand continues this season's spice theme with a look at something truly hot, a condiment that is ubiquitous on English tables.

There is one ingredient used to flavor dishes that most people like, but some people really, really hate: cilantro.

Host Sarah Berry explores how a food created to discourage excess eventually became one of America's favorite childhood snack treats.

This week host Sarah Berry talks about cayenne pepper, curry powder, and the enormous influence of Indian cuisine on Victorian cooking. Forget the stereotype of bland British food — nineteenth-century Victorians enjoyed a good spicy dish and fiery curry.

Evelyn Funda concludes her mini series with Shakespearean scholar Phebe Jensen. This week learn how understanding the herbal knowledge of Shakespeare can deepen our understanding of his plays.