This week, Boris Fishman tells his family's astonishing story—from the exploits of his grandfather, a barber/black marketeer who escaped the Soviet Union draft on the roof of a train, to his family's arrival in Brooklyn, where they rediscovered the dishes of their Belarusian roots. Plus, Dr. Aaron Carroll takes a hard look at the vegan diet; we discover Argentina's surprising secret to perfectly grilled steak; and we meet the man who invented a $10 million strawberry picking robot.

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Questions in this Episode:

“My mom found a ceramic pot that has a lid on it with a little hole. We think it might be a beanpot but my mom doesn’t have any memories of my grandmother using it. I was just wondering if you think that’s what it is. And is there any benefit to cooking in one?”

“I have nagging sense that the order in which ingredients are added to recipes have, at least, a subtle result on the final product. eg. for guacamole, I added salt and pepper before olive oil, just by instinct. These basic techniques are important as home cooking becomes more obscure. Since your research is extensive, I would appreciate more insights on this topic.”

“All the recipes say to toast nuts before you use them. I buy my nuts in large quantities and keep them frozen. So every time I want to use nuts in something, I need to take them out, let them thaw, I usually toast them in the oven, and it’s a big headache. I was wondering if I could toast all of the nuts at one time and then freeze them. Would the oils still be in a toasted condition after I thaw them?”

“I don't like celery. I'm not allergic to it, I don't object to other people liking it; I just don't like it. It seems like it serves two main functions in recipes: it's in mirepoix for a soup flavor base and it gives crunch to chopped salads. What ideas do you have for replacing celery in both functions?”