833: Salsa, Sauces & Sides with Rick Martínez and Sunny Lee

This week, we’re turning peak-season produce into bold, flavorful dishes. First, we talk with Rick Martínez, author of Salsa Daddy: Dip Your Way into Mexican Cooking (amazon.com/Salsa-Daddy-Your-Mexican-Cooking/dp…), about transforming simple ingredients – think tomatoes, onions, garlic, and chilis – into salsas that sing. Rick explains why salsa is its own food group and leaves us with his family-inspired peach-and-pecan Salsa Tejana (splendidtable.org/story/2025/09/05/salsa-tejan…) recipe. Then, we visit New York chef Sunny Lee of Sunn’s, a restaurant devoted to banchan, Korea’s iconic side dishes. Sunny teaches Francis how to elevate fresh vegetables into inventive, season-forward sides, including her recipe for Tahini Pickled Mushroom banchan (splendidtable.org/story/2025/09/05/tahini-pick…).

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• September 5, 2025 (originally aired)
• September 4, 2026 (rebroadcast)

Celebrate kitchen companionship with a gift to The Splendid Table today. (support.americanpublicmedia.org/ST-POD)

When you shop using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you.