Best-selling cookbook author Diane Morgan sits down for a chat with David Leite after her successful cross-country book tour for her latest and greatest cooking tome, "Roots." They discuss recipes and uses--from tip to top--for just about every root vegetable. (Who knew parsnips could make a fantastic cake?)

"The Kitchen Counter Cooking School" recounts how Kathleen used her education to help home cooks--in their own kitchens--to shop smarter, cook better, and eat healthier.

Melissa Clark, author of "In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite" chats about the road her essays and recipes have taken from her weekly New York Times column to the pages of her last book. (By the way, she's written 30.) Along the way, she offers cooking tips, fires off a directive of how to enjoy food now--this very minute--and suggests ways to loosen up in the kitchen in order to get good eats on the table. She even tells what to do with a heap of burnt onions and garlic. The answer will surprise you!!

In this podcast, Joanne Chang author of "Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe" and owner of the self-same establishment traces her attachment to deeply American treats, her desire to best what was on the market, and the struggle to leave behind a Harvard education in mathematics in order to pursue her love of all things floury--much to the stunned silence of her Taiwanese-born parents. She also discusses what it was like to beat Bobby Flay at his own game on "Throwdown with Bobby Flay." He and his team were convinced they could beat Joanne's amazing sticky buns, but to no avail.

In this podcast, Dorie Greenspan discusses her new book, Around My French Table, and learns she is the recipient of a long-held crush.

Shauna James Ahern, Gluten-Free Girl, and the chef, her husband Daniel Ahern, share their thoughts about loving and cooking in a gluten-free home.

David Leite chats with food writer and cookbook author Amanda Hesser about her monumental tome, "The Essential New York Times Cookbook."

Lucinda Scala Quinn, executive food editor at Martha Stewart Living, talk about her latest accomplishment--her IACP-nominated cookbook, "Mad Hungry: Feeding Men and Boys."

David Guas, author of "DamGoodSweet"—a love letter to the Big Easy—talks about New Orleans' rich traditions, its unique culinary language, and the role the women in Guas's life played in shaping his love of food.

Lisa Schroeder, the juggernaut behind Mother's Bistro & Bar and Mama Mia Trattoria, both in Portland, discusses her new book, "Mother's Best."

John Torode, chef/owner of Smiths of Smithfield in London's meat-packing district, discusses his favorite subject: beef. During the chat, he dissects the mysteries of meat. To wit: the different types of animals; wet versus dry aging; prime, choice, and select grades; and the two biggest problems cooks face — understanding beef cuts and how to buy beef.

Grant Achatz, chef/owner of the acclaimed restaurant Alinea, in Chicago, talks about his new cookbook, the creative process--both on the page and in the kitchen--and how the home cook can get the most from the book.

Steven Shaw, founder of eGullet.org chats about his book, "Asian Dining Rules," which covers the cultural, social, gastronomic, and interpersonal aspects of supping in Japanese, Chinese, Southeast Asian, Korean, and Indian restaurants in North America.

Southern food writer and author Virginia Willis takes us along on the journey she embarked upon years ago, from the rural South to France and back again. Willis discusses how she blended classic French, traditional southern, and contemporary American cuisines to create her lavishly illustrated cookbook, "Bon Appétit, Y'All."

Radio host and author Lynne Rossetto Kasper and her long-time producer, Sally Swift, chat about their new book, "The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper." They also reveal what went into its creation, the contributions of a host of stellar food personalities, and their one and only fight.