We wish a Happy and Prosperous New Year to our Listeners and Friends all around the World, as On the Menu begins its 12th Year. All Southern and Mostly Texan.  Jack Gilmore, Chef-Owner Jack Allen's Kitchen, Austin TX, www.jackallenskitchen.com. Jack Allen's Kitchen: Celebrating the Tastes of Texas; Terry Thompson-Anderson, Fredericksburg TX, Texas on the Table: People, Places and Recipes Celebrating the Flavors of the Lone Star State; Chris Chamberlain, Nashville TN, https://www.facebook.com/TheSouthernFoodie, Southern Foodie's Guide to the Pig.

Three Great Books from Three very special & talented Women.  And a Very Merry Christmas to Our Listeners Everywhere.  Cortney Burns, Co-Chef, Bar Tartine, San Francisco, www.bartartine.com, Bar Tartine: Techniques and Recipes; Rene Erickson, Chef-Owner, Boat Street Cafe, The Walrus & the Carpenter, The Whale Wins, & Barnacle, Producer Boat Street Pickles, Seattle, www.boatstreetcafe.com, A Boat A Whale & Walrus; Recipes and Stories; Karen Page, NYC, www.karenandandrew.com, The Vegetarian Flavor Bible.   

Assorted Voices: Jamie Bissonnette, Chef-Owner, Coppa & Toro, Boston MA, Toro NYC, www.coppaboston.com, www.toro-restaurant.com, The New Charcuterie Cookbook: Exceptional Cured Meats to Make & Serve at Home; Keith Schroeder, Founder & CEO, High Road Craft Ice Cream, Atlanta GA, www.highroadcraft.com, Cooking Light's Mad Delicious Cookbook: The Science of Making Healthy Food Taste Amazing; Philip Shen & Kim Pham, San Francisco CA, Terri Phillips, Portland OR, www.behindthefoodcarts.com, Food Truck Road Trip: a Cookbook; Malin Elmlid, Berlin Germany, www.thebreadexchange.com, The Bread Exchange:Tales & Recipes from a Journey of Baking & Bartering..

Mostly about Fermentation & other Preserving Techniques - plus a musical treat: Cathy Barrow,Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Kitchen food blog, Washington DC, www.mrswheelbarrow.com, Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Practical Pantry: Recipes & Techniques for Year-Round Preserving; Branden Byers, host of Fermup weekly Podcast & Blog, Madison WI, www.fermup.com, The Every Day Fermentation Handbook: a Real-life Guide to Fermenting Food - without Losing your Mind or your Microbes; Kirsten & Christopher Shockey, Applegate Valley OR, Fermented Vegetables; and Heather Scott, Teacarinas--teacups that double as ocarinast, St LO Ocarina, St Louis MO, www.stlocarina.com.

An interesting Ethnic Mix - how to cook like an Indian/Syrian/Mexican:  Anupy Singla, Indian for Everyone: the Home Cook's Guide to Traditional Favorites, www.indianasapplepie.com; Joumana Accad, Taste of Beirut, www.tasteofbeirut.com; Margarita Carrillo Arronte, Mexico: The Cookbook, Mexico City; Jim Peyton, Naturally Healthy Mexican Cooking, www.lomexicano.com.

Pastry, Cakes & Nuts!!  Nick Malgieri, Dir. Baking Program, Institute of Culinary Education NYC, Nick Malgieri's Pastry: Foolproof Recipes for the Home Cook; Jane Hornby, Oxford UK; www.janehornby.com, What to Bake & How to Bake it; Andrea Tutunjian & Cara Tannenbaum, Institute of Culinary Education NYC, In a Nutshell; Cooking and Baking with Nuts & Seeds..

BLOCKBUSTER first cookbooks from three renowned Chefs:  Sat Bains, Too Many Chiefs only one Indian, Sat Bains Restaurant with Rooms, Nottingham UK, info@restaurantsatbains.net; Dominique Ansel, The Secret Recipes, Dominique Ansel Bakery, NYC, www.dominiqueansel.com; Massimo Bottura, Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef, Osteria Francescana, Modena Italy, www.osteriafrancescana.it.  Delicious dialogues..

OTM at Gastronomika 2014, San Sebastian, Spain.  Note: To include all tha Star Chefs interviewed, this program runs longer than usual.  But we're sure you won't want to miss a thing.  First, Roser Torras, Festival Director. Then: representing Italy, the featured guest country, Massimo Bottura, Osterria Francescana, Modena, www.osteriafrancescana.it; & Carlo Cracco, Ristorante Cracco, Milan, www.ristorantecracco.it; representing  host Spain - Juan Roca & Jordi Roca, El Celler Can Roca, Girona, www.cellercanroca.com; Peruvian superstar Virgilio Martinez, Lima Peru & London UK, www.centralrestaurante.com.pe; additional 3-Stars from Spain, Carme Ruscalleda, St. Pau, St Pol de Mar & Tokyo Japan, Moments, Barcelona, www.ruscalleda.com; Quique DaCosta, Quique DaCosta Restaurant, Denia, http://www.quiquedacosta.es; And our coverage would not be complete without the divine Elena Arzak, Arzak Restaurant, San Sebastian, www.arzak.info.    :

OTM reports on dining in Nashville, and especially the 2nd annual Music City Food & Wine Festival.  Thank you to Infiniti for the use of their Pavilion, Joe Samfilippo, Franklin TN, www.infinitiusa.com. Visiting & Local Chefs collaborate, Mike Lata, FIG and The Ordinary, Charleston SC, www.eatatfig.com  & http://eattheordinary.com. , with Tandy Wilson, City House, Nashville, www.cityhousenashville.com; Beer & Liquor in Nashville, Baily Spaulding, Jackalope Brewing Company, www.jackalopebrew.com & Will Atkinson, Corsair Distillery, www.corsairartisan.com;  Two of Nashville’s most exciting new restaurants, Matt Farley, Executive Chef, Acme Feed & Seed, www.theacmenashville.com & Deb Paquette, Chef/Owner, Etch, www.etchrestaurant.com.

OTM heads west from Friuli to Veneto.  Two restaurants we loved 10 years ago, we found were still Great, and “In Search of Soave”, the Veneto’s misunderstood Vino Bianco.  Giuseppe and Lucia Zamboni, with translation by Simone Fortou, Trattoria Zamboni, near Vicenza, www.trattoriazamboni.it; Allan & Atttius Tarlao, Owners with translation by Laura Gereon, Tavernetta All’Androna, Grado; www.androna.it; Giovanni Ponchia, Director, Soave Consortium, Soave, www.ilsoave.com; Laura Rizzotto, Balestri Valda, Soave, www.balestrivaldi.com; Claudio Gini, Avienda Agricola Gini, Monteforte, www.ginivini.com; Marta Magnabosco, Avienda Agricola Monte Tondo, Soave, www.montetondo.it.

Friuli Part 2 – mostly Trieste.  Hedy & Susy Benvenuti, Owners, Duchi d’Aosta, Duchi Vis a Vis & Riviera Hotels & Harry’s Grill, Chef Federico Sestan, Trieste, www.duchi.eu; Bruno Vesnaver, Owner, Antica Ghiacceretta, Trieste, www.anticaghiacceretta; Gianluca & Massimiliano Sabinot, Owners, Vitello d’Oro, Udine, www.vitellodoro.com; Roberto Marussi, Owner. Al Bagatto, Trieste, www.albagatto.it.

Friuli & Veneto 10 years on.  OTM made a first visit to this area of NE Italy in 2004, the year we launched the program - so we thought it a revisit was overdue.  Old friends and New Friends extended warm welcome and generous hospitality at their restaurants, cantinas and lodgings.  At Orsone, Lidia & Joe Bastianich's Restaurant, B&B & Cantina - Andrea Sbrizzo, General Manager, Eduardo Valle, Executive Chef & Kelly Jeun, Sous-Chef, Wayne Young, Sales Communicatio & Marketing Mgr; Cividale del Friui, www.orsone.com ; Valter Scarbolo, Proprietor, Scarbolo Wines & La Frasca Restaurant, Lauzacco, Udine, www.scarbolo.com; Antonella Nonino, Family Nonino, Nonino Distillatori, Percoto, Udine, www.nonino.it.  More from Friuli next week.

A Program of New Stuff- new to OTM anyway.  Vanessa Lengies & Frankie Scanlon, Founders & Owners, Gustus Vitae, Salt & Spice Blends, Venice CA, www.gustusvitae.com; Chef John Doherty, Chicken Soup for the Soul BBQ Sauces, Broths, Meal Builders, etc., www.chickensoup.com/foods/; Tracy Panase, Director of Domestic Marketing, Microplane – new Kitchen Tools to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of its founding; Russelsville AR, www.microplane.com; Christina Arokiasamy, Malaysian Food Ambassador, The Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation, www.malaysiankitchen.us.

Nashville’s Music City Food & Wine Festival, a Big Event You’ll  Love (no pun intended), Tim Love, Austin TX-based Restaurateur & Tennessee Farmer tells OTM all about it - upcoming September 20 & 21, www.musiccityfoodandwinefestival.com, and www.cheftimlove.com .  Then Experts give us fascinating insights about the liquids we love: Simon Brooking, US Global Ambassador, Laphraoig Scotch Whisky & Laphraoig Select, Islay Scotland, www.laphroaig.com; Jaime Joyce, Moonshine: The Cultural History of America's Infamous Liquor; Brooke & Luther Fedora, Chef-Owners, Horse & Hounds Gastropub, Charlottesville VA, The Foodie's Beer Book: The Art of Pairing & Cooking with Beer for Any Occasion; Steve Piatz, Minneapolis, The Complete Guide to Mead Making.

A Mostly Green program, plus a bit of comfort: Domenica Marchetti, The Glorious Vegetables of Italy, resides in Virginia, www.domenicacooks.com, Erin Riley Strong, The Green City Market Cookbook: Great Recipes from Chicago's Award-winning Farmers Market, Chicago IL, www.greencitymarket.org; Hillary Davis, French Comfort Food: the Flavors of a Cozy French Kitchen, resides in New Hampshire, www.hillary-davis.com.

North of the Border - Part 2.  Chefs at Taste of Toronto, Canoe Restaurant - High in the Sky over Toronto, Gastro-grilling from Canada.  David Neinstein, Barque Smokehouse, www.barque.ca; Damon Campbell, Bosk Restaurant at the Shangri-La Hotel, http://www.shangri-la.com/toronto/shangrila/dining/restaurants/bosk/; Jeff Hopgood, Hopgoods Foodliner, www.hopgoodsfoodliner.com; Robbie Hojilla, Hudson Kitchen, www.hudsonkitchen.com; Monte Wan, Khaosanroad, www.khaosanroad.ca; Elia Herrara, Los Colibris, www.loscolibris.ca; Mark McEwan, North 44, One Restaurant, McEwan, Fabbrica, www.mcewangroup.ca; John Horne, Canoe Restaurant, http://oliverbonacini.com/Canoe.aspx; Ted Reader, Gastro Grilling: Fired-up Recipes to Grill Great Everyday Meals, www.tedreader.com.

A very special tribute to Chef Charlie Trotter, plus the Foods & Flavors of Texas & India.  Homaro Cantu, Moto Restaurant, Chicago, spokesperson for The Trotter Project, www.motorestaurant.com; Dean Fearing, Chef/Partner, Fearing's Restaurant, Dallas TX, www.fearingsrestaurant.com, The Texas Food Bible: From Legendary Dishes to New Classics; Rinku Bhattacharaya, Westchester NY, www.cookinginwestchester.com, Spices & Seasons: Simple, Sustainable Indian Flavors.

OTM headed North of the Border (no song intended) to cover Toronto's exciting dining scene and North America's inaugural "Taste of...." Event.  Here's the first batch of Chefs that we met. Susur Lee, Luckee Restaurant, www.luckeerestaurant.com;  Carl Heinrich, Richmand Station, www.richmondstation.ca; Cory Vitiello, The Harbord Room & THR, www.theharbordroom.com; Ben Heaton, The Grove, www.thegroveto.com; Stuart Cameron, Patria, Byblos, Weslodge, www.iconlegacy.ca; Lachlan Culjak, Yours Truly, www.yours-truly.ca; David Chrystian, Victor Restaurant, www.victorrestaurant.com; and to end a "Toast to Toronto, Sophia Pantazi, Owner, 66 Gilead Distillery, Bloomfield, Ontario, www.66gileaddistillery.com.  More of Toronto Top Chefs in 2 weeks...................

Beware, this is a very Meaty program!  Jennifer Johnson, Director of Marketing, Olli Salumeria, fine European style Organic Charcuterie (mostly Italian inspired), Mechanicsville VA (soon Oceaside CA also), www.olli.com; Tom Mylan, Exec Chef & Co-owner, Meat Hook, Brooklyn NY, www.the-meathook.com, The Meat Hook Meat Book; Brett Goodson, Founder, Bacon's Heir LLC, Atlanta GA, www.baconsheir.com, Inventors & Producers of Pork Clouds & Pork Dust - www.theporkdust.com; Mirella Amato, Founder, Beerology, Beer Tasting & Events, Toronto Canada, www.beerology.ca, Beerology: Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Beer…Even More.

Taste of Toronto, next week July 24-27, 1st Taste of event in North America; then some unusual cookbook subjects & recipes.  Meghan O’Hanlon, Event Director, Taste Festivals Canada/IMG Group Canada, www.tasteoftoronto.com; Jeni Britton Bauer, Columbus OH, www.jenis.com, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream Desserts; Laura Russell, Portland OR, www.laurabrussell.com, Brassicas: Cooking the World’s Healthiest Vegetables; Michelle & Suzanne Rousseau, Kingston Jamaica, www.2sistersandameal.com, Caribbean Potluck.

A selection of Delicious Food Products & Recipes:  David Barber, Partner, Blue Hill Farm, Blue Hill Savory Yougurt, The Berkshires, MA, www.bluehillyogurt.com; Lori Cardenas, Owner, Aunty Liliko'i Fine Passionfruit Products, Waimea, Kauai, HI, www.auntylilikoi,com; Lee Brian Schrager, Special Events Director, Southern Wines & Spirits, Miami FL, Fried & True: 50 recipes for America's Best Fried Chicken and Sides; Erin Alderson, Blogger at www.naturallyella.com, Sacramento CA, The Homemade Flour Cookbook.