We're talking food writing and coffee education on this week's installment of The Morning After. Jessie Kiefer and Jen Tullock relay an excellent "Front of House" segment, and chat with food writer, producer, and private chef Julia Turshen. Hear about Julia's recent collaboration with Gwyneth Paltrow in the form of a book called It's All Good. Hear about the research involved in writing the book, including drinking with Mario Batali and Mark Bittman. How did working with Gwyneth change Julia's opinions about health and wellness? Later, Erin McCarthy of Counter Culture Coffee helps Jessie and Jen with their coffee problems. Why does soy milk coagulate in certains brews? And what are the differences between the different types of iced coffee? Hear how Erin won the 3rd annual U.S. Brewers Cup! Find out what's on the menu at Chardonnay's for Grandma's 90th birthday! This program has been sponsored by Whole Foods. Thanks to Obey City for today's music.

"The ratio that we used is based on a ratio developed by the United States government during World War II, when the government was sending out packets of coffee to their troops." [25:45]

"Brewing a whole cup of coffee and then icing it down tends to not only water it down, but leaves a bitter aftertaste." [28:00]

-- Erin McCarthy on The Morning After

Fredrik Berselius cooks from memory. On this week's episode of The Main Course, Patrick Martins invites Fredrik into the studio to talk about Swedish and other Scandinavian food culture. Tune into this episode to hear Fredrik and Patrick talk about traditional Scandinavian fare, and how Fredrik intends to recall these flavors using seasonal ingredients. Cured meats, smoked fish, and fermented vegetables- how do these flavors evoke a place for Fredrik? Later, Patrick calls up Sam Edwards of S. Wallace Edwards & Sons to talk about aging and curing hams. How does Sam recreate a Virginia climate year-round at his curing facility! How do humidity and temperature affect curing processes? Find out on this week's episode of The Main Course! This program has been sponsored by Hearst Ranch, and music has been provided by Plexophonic.

"We base a lot of the flavors on memories of growing up in Sweden, or growing up in Scandinavia. A lot of times, moving forward means looking back on where you came from." [12:25]

-- Fredrik Berselius on The Main Course

Learn about some of the assistants to your favorite celebrity chefs on this HRN Community Sessions segment! Mariana Cotlear, former assistant to José Andres, sits down with Laura Ryan, assistant to chef Tom Colicchio, and Mandy Oser, former assistant to chef Eric Ripert. Learn how all of these women came to work for such high-profile chefs despite their different career paths. Find out how the world of food relates to subjects like law and politics. What is an average day like for a celebrity chef assistant? Listen in to find out why chefs are generally very charitable, and how camaraderie often leads to collaboration in the kitchen. Learn what aspects of the job are the most trying and challenging. Thanks to our sponsor, Hearst Ranch, and thanks to The California Honeydrops for today's music!

"A big reason I didn't end up in the kitchen is because I can't do the same thing everyday." [11:00] -- Laura Ryan, assistant to Tom Colicchio

"My position is unique; you can take it to a lot of different areas in the industry." [14:35] -- Mandy Oser, former assistant to Eric Ripert