New York Times bestselling author and host of Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, returns to The Faith Middleton Food Schmooze® to dish about her latest cookbook, Cook Like a Pro. Nobody throws a dinner party like Ina, so along with recipes you know will work, Ina shares all the tips and tricks she’s learned over the years from masters in the food world for feeding and entertaining friends and family. You don’t have to be a chef to create dishes that impress. Cook with confidence! Ina’s got your back. Plus, we share news about local foodie events and sip a $20 Prosecco you’ll want on your holiday table.   

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Faith starts the show with a special announcement and reminisces about favorite past shows and guests. Then, Faith and the gang get grilling tips and techniques from grill master Jamie Purviance. Jamie’s latest book is Weber’s Ultimate Grilling. For newbie grillers, we’ll start with some basics, and work our way up. Think: weeknight steak and chicken recipes, plus a grilled banana split for dessert. Grill tips galore!

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Here’s the scenario: It’s a busy weeknight—you can’t stop at the market on your way home. What are you making for dinner? This week, we’re musing about our favorite weeknight meals pulled together from what’s in the fridge, cabinets, and pantry. Are you well-stocked with rice, beans, canned tomatoes, and spices? Do you have a great tomato sauce you can turn into three different meals? If not, we’ve got a recipe for you! Cookbook author Pam Anderson joins the party with her updated classic, How to Cook Without a Book. Plus, we’re sharing Domaine La Font de Notre Dame, a beautiful $20 red wine from the Rhône region of France. And Faith discovers that One-Ingredient Ice Cream recipe online.  

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What’s your go-to on Meatless Mondays? Faith and chef Chris Prosperi dream up a panko-crusted Portobello mushroom burger with Gruyere melting down the sides. If you’re ready to eat less meat, but not ready to give up meaty textures, author Robin Asbell, a plant-based eater herself, shares recipes and ideas from her cookbook, Plant-Based Meats.

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You asked for it, and we’ve got it for you: a Food Schmooze® hour dedicated to the Instant Pot sensation. Why have home cooks put their slow cookers aside and jumped on the Instant Pot bandwagon? (Even Faith has one now!). Bruce Weinstein, co-author of the blockbuster cookbook, The Instant Pot Bible, explains why Instant Pots have staying power and shares recipes for every size and model of Instant Pot. If you have an Instant Pot, do not miss the chance to get a copy of The Instant Pot Bible and support The Faith Middleton Food Schmooze® at the same time. For a gift of $6 a month or a one-time gift of $72 to Connecticut Public Radio, we will send you The Instant Pot Bible. With 350 recipes for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, and desserts, you’ll never be at a loss for what to cook in your Instant Pot again. You may even be inspired to get an Instant Pot, if you’re not one of the five million people worldwide who already have one.  

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You haven’t seen grilled cheese recipes like these before. The sandwiches in Eric Greenspan’s The Great Grilled Cheese Book will blow your mind. Recipes include the Elvis Grilled Cheese, a Mole Melt and more. Plus, we’ll talk to the co-owner of King Andrew Cheese, where they specialize in offering cheese flights. Faith details her experience touring the carriage/cheese cave and eating founders Reeve Andrew and Jessie King’s delicious cheeses from around the world. For our white wine drinkers: Have you tried Vermentino? If you like Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc, Calasole is a crisp white wine you’ll want to try. Find out where you can get the best burer in New York. What’s happening on Facebook? Vacation photos! Share your vacation or stay-cation pics with the Food Schmooze® community.

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Alex Province makes smashed cheeseburgers at home for a crowd with a clever hack, and Faith and the gang taste three phenomenal wines (all available in our region!) from the portfolio of Rosenthal Wine Merchants. Plus, neuroscientist Rachel Herz shares findings from her fascinating book, Why You Eat What You Eat. We’re also sharing our thoughts on “massaged kale” and revealing the brand of Basmati rice Cooks Illustrated magazine declares best. This week’s shout-outs: Story and Soil Coffee and Capital Ice Cream. If you haven’t been to the Frog Hollow neighborhood in Hartford to check them out yet, fix that.

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What little things can you do to make the grocery store checkout line move faster? Faith has some tips. And, it’s apple season! Make a super simple apple butter in the slow cooker. Plus, in this favorite from the archive, cookbook author Charlotte Druckman shares recipes for your cast-iron skillet.

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New York Times bestselling author and host of Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, returns to The Faith Middleton Food Schmooze® to dish about her cookbook, Cook Like a Pro. Nobody throws a dinner party like Ina, so along with recipes you know will work, Ina shares all the tips and tricks she’s learned over the years for feeding and entertaining friends and family. You don’t have to be a chef to create dishes that impress. Cook with confidence! Ina’s got your back. Plus, we sip a romantic $20 Prosecco you'll want to try.   

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Faith and the gang have ideas for reinventing Thanksgiving leftovers in this favorite from the archive, and Chris Prosperi explains step-by-step how to make perfect mashed potatoes. Plus, food writer and cookbook author Julia Turshen shares recipes—including roast turkey breasts and sheet-pan stuffing—from her book Now & Again.

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It’s our favorite time of year! Time to talk turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and wines to go along with Thanksgiving dinner. What are your Thanksgiving food traditions? What do you do to freshen up your holiday meal every year? We’re sharing ideas and stealing tips from Chris Prosperi, a man who makes Thanksgiving dinner for hundreds of people every year. We’re big believers in stress-free holidays, so we’ve asked Lucinda Scala Quinn to share her “Straight-Talk Turkey” recipe, which is about the simplest bird you’ll ever roast. Plus, in this favorite from the archive, Faith offers up a make-ahead Shrimp and Pineapple Salsa Wrap to sub in for the rich appetizers you normally put out before the feast. Why overwhelm people? Recipes for Mediterranean Mashed Potatoes, Buttery Spice Poached Pears, an easy weeknight Trout, and a juicy $12 Pinot Noir to serve all through the holidays—all coming your way. Let’s get this holiday party started!

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In this blended favorite from the archive, Faith and the gang reminisce about a fabulous meal they shared in New Haven. Check to see if your favorite restaurant is offering curbside pick-up! Plus, Faith talks to author Suzy Scherr about cooking and cleaning with baking soda. And, doesn’t a comforting bowl of Matzo Ball Soup sound good right about now? Faith talks to Leah Koenig about her book, Modern Jewish Cooking, and the recipes Leah’s updated while honoring tradition.

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Faith and the gang muse about easy meals pulled together from ingredients already in the fridge, cabinets, and pantry, in this favorite from the archive. Are you well-stocked with rice, beans, canned tomatoes, and spices? Do you have a great tomato sauce you can turn into three different meals? If not, we’ve got a recipe for you! Cookbook author Pam Anderson joins the party with recipes from her updated classic cookbook, How to Cook Without a Book.

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The gang shares more restaurant hot spots (shout-outs to Old Wethersfield Country Store, Taste of China, ON20, Heirloom, Pierre's, Forbidden City Bistro, and more!) And Alex Province introduces Saumur, a lovely French white wine under $20. Fresh, with the right amount of acidity, it somehow worked with short ribs. Plus, Boston-based chef Matt Jennings joins the party to talk about his new cookbook celebrating New England, Homegrown. Get Matt’s recipes for Milk-Braised Chicken with Spiced Rice, Short Ribs with Moxie Beans, and a phenomenal Chocolate Beet Cake with Chocolate-Orange Glaze.

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Spiral-veggie master Ali Maffucci shares vegetable-centric recipes that go waaay beyond the spiralizer. We’re talking quiche with sliced sweet potato crust, breakfast pizza, and Philly Cheesesteaks in Bell Pepper Cups. Plus, Faith and the gang brainstorm ideas for a gazpacho-like BLT Bloody Mary and sip Stark-Conde's plummy Cabernet from South Africa.

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In this favorite from the archive, our celebration of spring foods continues. Girls Scout cookies are a spring food, you know! We’ll tell you what you can expect to see coming up in the markets, and share garden tips (and clever hacks) for people growing veggies. Anthony DeSerio wows us with a gorgeous lemon meringue cocktail garnished with grated chocolate, and Diane Morgan, author of the cookbook Salmon, joins the party to share recipes for everyone’s favorite fish—cooked every which way. Finally, we toast our salmon with Mark Raymond’s latest wine recommendation, a white we’ll drink well into summer.

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Food lover and acclaimed neuroscientist Rachel Herz joins the party with news you can use from her excellent book, Why You Eat What You Eat. Dr. Herz is famous for explaining in simple language how the brain works in relation to food. She’ll explain how a favorite scent can distract you from cravings, why diet fads should be taken with a grain of salt, and what physiological and psychological components contribute to the feeling of fullness after a meal. Our eating habits are evolutionary! (That’s why we can’t eat if someone is staring at us). There are plenty of fun facts too. We’re spending the whole hour with Dr. Herz and offering up her book as our thank you gift for supporting The Faith Middleton Food Schmooze and everything you hear on Connecticut Public Radio.

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Mark Bittman joins the party with tips and recipes from his cookbook, How to Grill Everything. Think: the perfect steak, a whole chicken, and veggie “stacks.” Chris Prosperi introduces us to a sparkling rose in a can (and we loved it!). Plus, Netta Hadari—a New Haven local—makes phenomenal ice cream from pure ingredients. Netta’s business, an ice cream cart (peddled around on a tricycle), is called What Is Real? Ice Cream. We’ll take a triple scoop!  

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Dorie Greenspan joins the party to talk about her cookbook, Everyday Dorie, in this favorite from the archive. Wouldn’t you love to cook like Dorie every day? Dorie shares recipes for Mediterranean Shepherd’s Pie, Bourbon-Roasted Pork Loin, and the most beautiful Triple-Layer Cranberry Cake you’ve ever seen. It’s a holiday showstopper. Plus, Faith and the gang respond to listener Jeffrey Fischer’s request for spices that would make great gifts. Dorie shares a few favorite gift ideas, too. There’s her Lemon Goop and beautiful cards by the California artist, Aliza Sokolow. Aliza hits the Santa Monica Farmers Market and starts snapping.

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This week, we’re revisiting Faith’s conversation with neuroscientist and nutritionist, Dr. Lisa Mosconi. Dr. Mosconi shares fascinating research along with strategies and recipes for eating for optimum brain health. Studies are beginning to show that it IS possible to improve memory and prevent cognitive decline—at any age—and it starts with what you eat.

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