Cooking The Books

Being the former Goth girl that I am, of course there is no monster I love more than that big, bad granddad of vampires, Dracula! We have a return guest in Allie Pino, whose upcoming Gothic Cookbook takes a bloody delicious bite out of Stoker's literary masterpiece, and we talk about the Gothic in literature, Gothic food and the sheer sexiness of vampires. I also share my method for a delicious, very garlicky, tomatoey Eastern European chicken dish that is native to Transylvania, so enjoy and watch out for those fangs!

Please note: We experienced some technical difficulties while recording so I apologize for the audio quality in places where it fades out. 

Happy end of April, Constant Listeners! It's National Jazz Appreciation Month, and I thought I'd focus on one of the Jazz Age books that I love most in the world. We are also talking with Dr. Eddie Tafoya, repeat customer here at the podcast, where we discuss Jay Gatsby's pride and pecadilloes, we debate whether he truly loved Daisy or just what she represents, and I extol the virtues and joys of that most 1920s of cocktails, the mint julep!

It's the marvelous month of March, and this month's episode features a wonderful book set in Renaissance Italy that is filled to the joyous brim with luscious food descriptions, a forbidden love, and a secret that brings to mind The DaVinci Code. I am also interviewing the book's author, the wonderful and talented Crystal King. We talk Italian cuisine, culinary appropriation, which social media platform would Renaissance chefs use most, and I also share a recipe for polpette di vitello con pinoli, e cipolla con una riduzione di aceto balsamico, which was published in the companion cookbook to King's novel, so give it a listen and try not to drool!

A belated holiday-themed episode awaits you today! We are discussing the ultimate New Mexico Christmas food - the biscochito, and I interview the talented Eric Martinez of Los Foodies, which is an amazing food magazine and marketing group here in our home state. Eric and I talk about the importance of food for a truly New Mexico Christmas, and the origin story of biscochitos in Rudolfo Anaya's classic children's book The Farolitos of Christmas and I share my dear grandmother's tried and true method for making these wonderful anise-studded cookies, so enjoy!

To be or not to be, that is the question, and one of many questions and quandaries we'll be discussing in today's episode, focusing on my favorite of all William Shakespeare's plays, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. My special guest, author and marvelous cook Giovanni Franceschini, joins me to talk about his satirical novel Dinner at Shakespeare's Globe (written under his pseudonym Tonno Bisaccio) which recreates several Shakespearean plays in hilarious ways focusing on food. Giovanni and I will also discuss the meaning of food in The Bard's work, which is our favorite Shakespearean meal and answer the age-old question - was Shakespeare really Shakespeare?

We're entering the holy season of Halloween, and what better way to kick off this eerie time of the year with a discussion of one of literature's great Gothic novels and its melodramatic themes of love, grief, obsession, and of course food! I also get to interview the wonderful Alessandra Pino, or Allie as she is known to her friends, the co-author of the marvelous illustrated book of recipes titled A Gothic Cookbook and we share our thoughts on the various foods mentioned in Rebecca, as well as a character analysis of the nameless heroine of the tale and we answer the great question - was Mrs. Danvers in love with Rebecca? 

We're taking on Mario Puzo's operatic masterpiece The Godfather today, talking about the merits of both the book and the classic film trilogy, with Dr. Eddie Tafoya, English professor and self-professed expert on this topic, and I will share a mouth-wateringly delicious veal recipe, so enjoy!

We're talking Stephen King again today with one of his darkest, most devastating and terrifying books of all, discussing how grief and not accepting death can bring about true horror, and I share my method for making one of the most homey and comforting dishes of all - and God knows we need some comfort food after this book! - so tune in and enjoy!

Today's episode takes on one of the horniest and neurotic young men in modern literature, his obsession with self-pleasure, and a delicious cream-filled dessert, so enjoy! Special thanks to Dr. Eddie Tafoya, Professor of English Literature, whose ability to narrate a certain passage from this book with a completely straight face has earned him my gratitude, not to mention much giggling on my part. :)

We are heading to post WWII Barcelona today and discussing the literary, romantic and terrifying adventures of a young man coming of age, his discovery of a Cemetery of Forgotten Books, and making a delicious Spanish-flavored appetizer, so join us!

We're taking on the King of horror literature today, my main man Stephen King, and the book that is arguably one of his masterpieces, discussing the literary merits of the book vs. the notorious Stanley Kubrick film, and making some good old comfort food in today's episode, so enjoy!

This episode features the poetry of my very favorite poet in the entire world, the late, great Pablo Neruda, and his culinary and sensual take on food in poetry, particularly the seemingly humble tomato, as well as my interpretation of it, and some meanderings on the nature of food and sexuality, so enjoy with your lover by your side! And many thanks to the hilarious, charming, handsome and occasionally annoying Dr. Eduardo Tafoya for doing the reading on today's episode!

A bit late for Halloween, nonetheless we're talking one of the greatest novels in horror literature and how its ambiguity makes it that much more terrifying, and a delicious and unexpected dish of chicken with plums and radishes, so please join us!

It 's the high holy season for those of us drawn to the darker side of life, and in honor of Halloween, I'm talking about a favorite book of mine that spawned one of the most shocking and horrifying films ever made, and tying it in with a delicious potful of soup that is just perfect for this season of falling leaves, crisp evenings, ghosts and ghouls, so give it a listen!

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, and to memorialize a wonderful author who was also a dear friend and mentor, I'm discussing the pivotal book Bless Me, Última by the late, great Chicano author Rudolfo Anaya and sharing my method for making a savory New Mexico treat that incorporates our favorite seasonal green chile! 

We're talking some Southern-fried vampirism today, along with a tasty appetizer that no self-respecting Southern housewife would be caught dead without, so check it out and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts!

We're honoring the foul-mouthed legacy and cooking genius of my idol, Anthony Bourdain, talking about his seminal work Kitchen Confidential, and I'm trying my hand at one of his more fanciful food references in that book, so listen and enjoy!

Today's episode talks about the unearthly joys of science-fiction, including my favorite sci-fi book of all time, and a delicious and unusual dish featuring - you guessed it - rabbit!

This week, we are talking magical realism and food, discussing one of my favorite foodie books of all time and how it presents food as both magical and as a reflection of emotions and feelings, and I'll share my method for making a classic Mexican dish!

In this week's episode, I talk about the magical and transformative qualities of food in fairy tales, discuss one recent retelling of my favorite fairy tale of all time, and share my method for making squid-ink risotto.