Francis Lam finally finds his way to the HRN studios on "Taste Matters" with Mitchell Davis! Francis Lam is a food writer, Top Chef Judge and editor at large at Clarkson Potter Publishers. Today's conversation focuses on culture and authenticity as it relates to food. Why do American raised-American born chefs cooking immigrant cuisines tend to be more heralded than actual immigrants cooking their own cuisines? Mitchell and Francis discuss the relationships between ethnicity, expectations, traditions and cuisine through various contexts. Francis also discusses his new gig at Clarkson Potter Publishers as Editor-at-Large and the current state of print media. This program was sponsored by 360 Cookware.

"Authenticity [in food] is always a moving target." [05:33]

"Ethnic cuisine is expected to be cheap - but for some reason we suspend that [expectation] for chefs who are photogenic and smart. We treat them as ambassadors." [9:59]

"In some weird, perverse ways the old way of doing things has only been reinforced - because it's that much harder for small publishers." [27:07]

--Francis Lam on Taste Matters

Recap the year with Mitchell Davis joined by Andrew Knowlton and Adam Rapoport of Bon Appetit on the season finale of Taste Matters! Many culinary trends have emerged in 2012, perhaps none more popular than the "New Nordic" cuisine. Mitchell, Adam and Andrew discuss some of the Scandinavian dishes and ideas that have found their way into the New York restaurant scene. From tasting menus to economics, learn what restauranteurs are doing to keep up with the creative DIY ethos of today while maintaining their bottom line. Why is it so hard for visiting chefs to find success in NYC? How have food trucks found such stability in this city? What role does the media play in developing trends? Get inside the industry with a room full of experts on a great episode of Taste Matters. This program was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons.

"Food like this [New Nordic] is hard to pull off. It's ambitious, creative and interesting but is it delicious? Only a few chefs can pull it off." [07:12] --Adam Rapoport of Bon Appetit on Taste Matters

"The fact that the chef of the century can come to NY and not succeed is incredible to me." [20:40] --Andrew Knowlton of Bon Appetit on Taste Matters

Books are back! Mitchell Davis talks about the rise in popularity of food books, book clubs and reading in general with Cara Cannella, editor of Biographile.com and Moderator of the Brooklyn Kitchen Book Club. Tune in to hear about some of the books exciting Cara these days, and how she's helping build a community of Brooklyn foodies who also love to read. Learn more about the historical intersections between food and writing as Mitchell and Cara remember authors such as Nora Ephron and James Beard and discuss the new outlets in which people are expressing themselves through writing such as blogs and twitter. This program was sponsored by Whole Foods Market.

"In this age where we're all attached to these digital devices and much of our lives are lived in our heads, people are craving grounding and you can get that through cooking. Cooking brings us back to the earth and puts us in the present moment."

"Reading is not something we should do. It's something that can come out of desire and joy."

--Cara Cannella, editor of Biographile.com on Taste Matters