Nicole Taylor explores Indian cuisine with chef Peter Beck of Benares on this week's episode of Hot Grease! Nicole starts off the show talking about foodie April Fool's jokes, as well as her recent recipe featured on Design*Sponge. Later, Nicole and Peter talk about different regions in India, and how the cuisines are affected by geography. How does religion also influence Indian food? Hear how Peter uses spices in his cooking to differentiate it from 'fast food' Indian. Peter has cooked all over the world; hear about some of his experiences teaching Indian cooking in London. Listen in to hear some of the dishes from Benares that Nicole loved, and hear Peter explain some of the cooking techniques used to make them! Thanks to our sponsor, Whole Foods, and thanks to The California Honeydrops for today's music!

"In many Indian restaurants, people don't focus on the seafood, and that surprises me a lot because seafood is eaten very commonly in India." [22:55]

-- Peter Beck on Hot Grease

What plants have shaped civilization and culture? This week on We Dig Plants, Carmen Devito chats with Bill Laws, writer, journalist, and author of the book 50 Plants That Changed the Course of History! Tune in to this episode to hear Carmen and Bill discuss some of the more unlikely heroic plants. Find out about the classification of onions, and how sweet peas helped spawn modern genetic research. How have economies been altered by plants like ginger and ferns? Bill talks about some plants that have proven to be dangers to humanity, and find out how grains helped establish the United States as an international superpower. This episode has been sponsored by Rolling Press.

"We can't go on using our fossil fuels as we have. I think the history of these plants is only half-written. There's going to be a time when we once again look at how these plants can help us. [20:30] -- Bill Laws on We Dig Plants

This week on Cooking Issues Dave tackles your questions from last week show. Learn about cultured-meat technology and how it relates to veganism and gelatin as well as finding creative ways to change the color of your food. Later on find out what exactly the Ouzo effect is and what causes it. Love popcorn? Dave shares tips on the best way to get those kernels popping. This episode is sponsored by The Barterhouse.