This week's Why We Cook covers the gamut of raw, crushed, mortar and pestle sauces. You may not know that picada, pesto and muhammara are all variations on a basic culinary theme: each sauce is built on a foundation of nuts, garlic and olive oil.

"The Runcible Spoon" is a food zine for the imaginative. In this interview, Nathaniel Coburn calls up Malaka Gharib, the creator of the publication to talk recipes, unfortunate cooking mistakes, and zine culture. Malaka has been making zines since she was fourteen years old; what initially attracted her to the medium? Hear about the number of food zines in the ether, and find out more about "The Runcible Spoon's" content. What's the zine scene like in Washington D.C.? Learn more about the DIY ethics of zine-making, and how self-promotion is often seen as antithetical to the cause. Hear Malaka talk about her upcoming, crowd-sourced event at the Brooklyn Zine Fest! This program has been sponsored by Whole Foods.

"Having your own zine is a great way to build a community for yourself and to find other like-minded people." [7:20] -- Malaka Gharib, The Runcible Spoon

Lynne Rosetto Kasper is publishing her quarterly publication Eating In With Lynne Rossetto Kasper via e-book! This week on Eat Your Words, Cathy Erway calls Lynne to talk about the processes involved with cooking, and the evolution of a dish. Learn how the basics of cooking, such as sautéing an onion, can really change the flavor of a meal. Why did Lynne decide to publish in the e-book format, and what is the future of print cookbooks? Find out what sort of responsibilities cookbook authors have to their audience, and why taste can be so subjective. Thanks to our sponsor, BluePrint, and thanks to The California Honeydrops for today's music!

"We're responsible to people to respect our opinions and follow our recipes... I hate to spend money on something that isn't good." [13:50] -- Lynne Rossetto Kasper on Eat Your Words