This week, we’re taking a trip through the South and its food – how it tells the story of a region shaped by migration, memory, and culture. First, we talk with scholar and writer Michael W. Twitty about his new book, Recipes from the American South, a sweeping look at the many communities – Black, white, Indigenous, immigrant – whose traditions built Southern cooking as we know it. Michael reflects on the histories that define the region and leaves us with his recipe for Maque Choux, the Louisiana classic made of corn and peppers. Then, we turn to writer and filmmaker Deb Freeman for a deeper look at one of the South’s most influential voices: Edna Lewis. Her new PBS documentary, Finding Edna Lewis, traces how Miss Lewis’s rural Virginia roots shaped her cooking and her revolutionary impact on American food. Deb shares why Lewis remains essential today and what we can still learn from her.

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

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• December 5, 2025 (originally aired)

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Today we have a bonus episode for you from Happier with Gretchen Rubin, featuring our very own Francis Lam.

Gretchen Rubin is HAPPIER, and she wants you to be happier too. The #1 bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before gets more personal than ever as she brings her practical, manageable advice about happiness and good habits to this lively, thought-provoking podcast. Gretchen’s cohost and guinea pig is her younger sister, Elizabeth Craft, a TV writer and producer living in Los Angeles, who (lovingly) refers to Gretchen as her happiness bully.

On this episode of More Happier:

It’s easy to get swept up in a cycle of holidays that feels more like a relentless to-do list than a source of joy. In this Celebration Roundtable, we talk about how to embrace the holidays as opportunities for intentional connection and meaning.

This week, we welcome the cold with delicious soup! Food Stylist Mariana Velásquez Villegas, author of Colombiana: A Rediscovery of Recipes and Rituals from the Soul of Colombia talks us through Colombia's biodiversity and regional identity and the unique foods it inspires like Sancocho. This hearty stew brings people together in a communal dining experience. Be sure to listen to her playlist while preparing it! Then, we talk about Haitian cuisine with award-winning chef Gregory Gourdet as he shares his childhood memories of growing up, commemorating Haitian Independence Day with Soup Joumou, a hearty squash-based soup typically served on New Year's Day. Gregory Gourdet is the chef-owner of Kann in Portland, Oregon, and the author of Everyone's Table. Then, chili sauce entrepreneur Jing Gao, author of The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp, talks about Hot Pot, a zingy broth served in a large metal pot that gets tastier as you feast.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• January 26, 2024 (originally aired)
• January 17, 2025 (rebroadcast)
• November 28, 2025 (rebroadcast)

Subscribe to @TheSplendidTable on YouTube for full podcast episodes and full-length video interviews!

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

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