Casting light on the area’s hottest culinary experiences and best-kept secrets, WHYY’s food series connects you to the best tastings, live recordings and cookbook talks while showcasing the people and organizations contributing to the region’s vibrant cultural appeal. For details and to purchase tickets, visit whyy.org/food.

The Splendid Table Live with Francis Lam

When: Wednesday, April 4, 2018, 6:30 pm

Where: WHYY, 150 North 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

The food scene in Philadelphia is thriving, and The Splendid Table with Francis Lam at the helm is on a mission to uncover the secrets of three of the city’s most celebrated chefs. Chefs Michael Solomonov of Zahav, Ange Branca of Saté Kampar, and Eli Kulp of Fork will join Lam on stage for a live recording of his show The Splendid Table. Post-show, mingle with the chefs as they present small plates from each of their restaurants.

Lidia Bastianich Live at WHYY

When: Monday, April 9, 2018, 6:00 pm

Where: WHYY, 150 North 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Lidia Matticchio Bastianich from Lidia’s Kitchen is coming to WHYY for an evening of conversation about her new memoir, My American Dream: A Life of Love, Family, and Food. Hear the chef and restaurateur discuss her close-knit family and passion for cooking! Lidia and her family came to America as refugees when she was 13, fleeing from then communist Yugoslavia and settling in Queens, New York. Her endless passion for food has led to multiple restaurants, many cookbooks and twenty years on public television as the host of her own cooking show. Join us for this discussion, sample one of Lidia’s recipes prepared by The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College and enjoy an opportunity for Lidia to sign your book!

Booze & Vinyl Listening Party

When: Wednesday, April 18, 2018, 7:00 pm

Where: WHYY, 150 North 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Prepare to shake, stir, and just plain pour your way through some of the best wax ever pressed. The ultimate guide for listening parties, Booze & Vinyl, written by Philadelphia’s own sibling authors André and Tenaya Darlington, shows you how to set the perfect mood with cocktail pairings for 70 great records from the 1950s through the 2000s. Raise your glass to André and Tenaya as they join Radio Times’ Marty Moss-Coane for conversation and cocktails. Each ticket includes specialty crafted cocktails featured in Booze & Vinyl from Philadelphia tasting room Art in the Age and craft beer from Philly’s first microbrewery Dock Street Brewery. The Crosley Turntable Van will also be open for guests to pore over vinyl on a mobile record van.

A Taste of History Live

When: Thursday, May 17, 2018, 6:00 pm

Where: City Tavern, 138 South 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Step into colonial times with Chef Walter Staib as he prepares authentic 18th-century meals that our very own Ben Franklin would have dined on. Join Chef Staib and his team as they present a host of savory and sweet recipes and discuss the influences of early American cuisine. Taste small plates filled with mushroom toast and beef pie turnovers, try signature cocktails such as A Very Old Fashioned and a Champagne Shrub, and round out your palate with one of many featured sweets including syllabub, a whipped cream dessert with fresh berries. All this and more on all three floors of Staib’s renowned City Tavern, in Old City, Philadelphia! Watch A Taste of History on Saturdays at noon on WHYY-TV.

Friday Arts Celebrates Local Women in Culinary Field

Friday Arts celebrates Women’s History Month with three stories showcasing the many achievements of local women in the culinary field. We’ll meet and hear stories of how some of the women of Les Dames d’Escoffier got their start and discuss the organization’s commitment to provide opportunities and mentoring to promising up-and-comers. Tara O’Brien of The Historical Society of Pennsylvania also talks about the process of restoring a one-of-a-kind cookbook and reveals the history hidden behind some of its recipes and show producer Monica Rogozinski speaks with Philabundance founder Pamela Rainey Lawler about this innovative and collaborative organization which distributes more than 24 million pounds of food a year to those in need. Watch this episode now.