On the first episode of THE FOOD SEEN in 2012, Caren Alpert, a San Francisco based photographer, takes a closer look at food … a much closer look. She uses a scanning electron microscope for her “terra cibus” project, magnifying the surfaces of food between ten and a thousand times, abstracting their textures, making them seems as if they were bird’s eye views of otherwordly landscapes. Table salt looks like ice floes, cauliflower resembles a canyon/chasm, fortune cookies turn into tributaries, and my favorite, cake sprinkles. This episode is sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons

"I thought why not take a closer look at what we eat every day...Sugar looks otherworldly under the microscope."

--Caren Alpert on The Food Seen

Learn the 'ins and outs' of hosting on this week's episode of Hot Grease. Nicole Taylor is joined in the studio by Heather Christos, author of the recent Heather Christo's Generous Table. Tune into this episode to learn how to host a fabulous dinner with limited resources. Hear about Heather's life in Seattle, and why the climate provides such a bountiful harvest. Nicole heads South with Heather to talk bourbon and liquor tastings; hear what cocktails Heather suggests in her book! Later, Nicole calls Shell Harris, co-author of Skinny Smoothies, to talk about healthy, nutrient-rich beverages for the summer. Hear why some prefer drinking smoothies to juices, and find out what fruits to blends for a balanced diet! This program has been sponsored by Whole Foods. Thanks to The California Honeydrops for today's music.

"I try to create comprehensive menus with seasonally-appropriate ingredients because it makes it cheap and tasty, and it's just so easy." [7:00]

-- Heather Christo on Hot Grease

Matt & Rachel celebrate Halloween with friend Tane Langton of Bboy.org who calls in from New Zealand, where it's actually turning to Spring! Hear about everything from trick or treating to costumes to break-dancing and tune in for a special trivia segment on The Matt & Rachel Show. Find out what ingredients make up Tabasco sauce, which culinary tradition was banned in Texas and the origins of the Kiwifruit. This episode was brought to you by Whole Foods Market..