a (short) love letter to Lynn Rosetto Kasper

As heard today on the Splendid Table:

"Take a pound of garlic, don't even peel it, just get rid of the dirt and the roots. Crush it in the food processer, stuff it inside a duck, a goose, or a chicken. Leave it in the fridge over night. And then, roast the bird, very slowly, with that garlic inside of it. Now, you're not going to eat the garlic, you're going to throw it out, but you're going to have a bird that's so beautifully perfumed, subtly, with garlic. It's just a little trick, but it's got that hearty, lush flavor you need in the winter." (roughly transcribed)

A pound of garlic to subtly perfume a bird! I'm in love. I mean, I loved the show before but now I am head-over-heel IN LOVE.

If you don't live in America you may not have heard of Lynn Rosetto Kasper, the host of Public Radio's The Splendid Table. She has such a way with describing food on that show. In her voice food is not just beautifully delicious, but bee-YOO-ti-fully DEE-LI-cious. This must be what food porn sounds like. She often has interesting people on the show: the one I heard today included David Kamp, the author of The United States of Arugula, talking about his interview with the Japanese chef who invented the California Roll, and Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand, talking about his book, Sound Bites, about eating while on tour, among others.

The best part of the show for me is when regular people call in with random food questions and Lynn just riffs off these recipes - like Ella Fitzgerald scatting, except this is food. You take a loin of pork, she'd say,...and you do this to it...and add that...and cook it this way...and be careful with that thing - improvising and relishing it as she goes along. You can practically taste her words. It's just marvelous. It's radio at its best. And, as I'd like to think, Lynn at her best.

I'm in love. Now, let me go see about that pound of garlic...

(Picture swiped from her website.)

P.S. Here's the link to the podcast for those who can't listen in on the radio.

Comments

[Fuji Mama]

Listening to Lynn's show is one of the things I miss most about being in the US! I would always be SO hungry after having a listen.

[casey]

OMG that sounds so wonderful --doing it soonest. Can't beieve I've never istened to her show but cerainly will from now on. Great simile: like Ella scatting.

[Meghan]

Fuji Mama - If you have an Itunes account, you can download her podcasts for free. (Geez, that makes me sound like Lynn's ads on the show.) It's how I listen to her shows. I think you can also download them from their website.

[beastmomma]

I also subscribe to the mailing lists and I really enjoy the recipes that she sends. Reading her writing is similiar to hearing her voice.

[sabina]

i love listening to podcasts while hiking with my dog. she is just so lovely and full of great tips. the listener call in portion of the show is so gracious, she never condescends, but enlightens and inspires, as it should be. thanks for spreading the word.

[EB]

The Ella Fitzgerald of recipes??? Brilliant... and perfect. I have a deep love of her voice. She truly excites me about food-- her passion just oozes through the speakers.

[Robyn]

I've never heard the show but I've been cooking from her book 'The Italian Country Table' for years. It is as essential a book on Italian home cooking as Marcella Hazan's is on Italian cuisine in general.

[Tags]

Another subtle flavor for roasted chicken you might like - use a potato peeler to peel a lemon rind (no pith please) and put it under the skin with fresh-ground nutmeg and a few dashes of Angostura bitters.

Meow!

[Miss Ginsu]

Oh yes! I'm also a huge fan of the divine Ms. Casper. So enthusiastic! So passionate! I love the way she makes listeners feel empowered to play with their cooking. A recipe in her hands becomes an inspiring suggestion rather than a set of mandates.

[Eric]

Lynne's show is AWESOME and a highlight of my weekend. It is on Sunday afternoon here in NC, I wish it was on Friday so I could go shopping Saturday morning and cook all day long!