Dave and Nastassia are back from Japan and Cooking Issues has returned! Dave's mailbox is full and he attempts to answer as many questions as humanly possible. From coffee brewing to cow muscles to intervase enzymes, Dave continues on his mission to solve any and all Cooking Issues on-air. Learn more about egg free custards, ways to prepare foods for those allergic to eggs and how to effectively roast meat. Ever try making bagels and pretzels at home? Hear some tips about avoiding lye disasters in the process and hear Dave's pretzel rules. This program was sponsored by The International Culinary Center.

"If you add fat to your pretzels, I have a problem with you and your pretzels. It's an abomination, it turns into a cracker - it's terrible. Also, if it's not twisted it's not a pretezel, it's a pretzeloid. The best pretzels I've ever had in my life are from Martins Brothers - you can get them by mail order."

--Dave Arnold on Cooking Issues

This week's episode of The Naturalist sees Carol A. Butler returning to the program for a magazine-style 30 minutes jam packed of interesting information. Tune in for an update on the nuclear disaster in Fukushima and hear how contamination has been found in some of the food in cities such as Tokyo. Later on, hear about white nose syndrome, monarch butterflies, bees, cichlids and more! This episode was brought to you by Hearst Ranch.

Take a trip to Kanazawa, Japan this week on Taste Matters as Mitchell Davis is joined by Shin Takagi, chef of Zeniya Restaurant in Japan and Vice President of Japan's Young Chef Organization. Chef Shin explains the concept of Kaiseki, a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner that most closely resembles Western haute cuisine. From hyper-seasonal ingredients to close attention to service and presentation - Shin makes sure that no detail is lost in his multi-course carefully balanced approach to food. Discover how cultures intersect through Kaiseki and what values Shin holds closely in his cooking and restaurant design. This program was sponsored by The International Culinary Center.

"I think of seasons not split in four, but in twelve. Early, middle and late seasons are all different." [07:12]

"If you want to participate in a [Kaiseki] tea ceremony - you should expect to be there for at least 5 hours." [03:35]

"Now if you say the word 'umami', more Americans know about it than the Japanese." [05:08]

--chef Shin Takagi of Zeniya Restaurant on Taste Matters