'The Splendid Table' Host Lynne Rossetto Kasper On Her Five Decade Career

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Lynne Rossetto Kasper / The Splendid Table

Today on “Two Way Street,” we’re talking to “The Splendid Table” host Lynne Rossetto Kasper ahead of her retirement. For more than two decades, Kasper has been unpacking the stories behind the food we eat for a weekly audience of about 725,000 listeners. The show began following the success of her debut cookbook of the same name, in which Kasper explored the cuisine of Emilia-Romagna—a region of Northern Italy that was almost unknown outside of the country. Kasper herself is of Italian decent and we begin there, with her heritage and upbringing in New Jersey.

Growing up, she tells us she was “busy hanging from trees and riding horses” but that changed when her father passed away. With her mother working long hours, Kasper began to cook meals for her family at the age of 15. She reveals what dish she used to be “terribly, terribly proud of” and how it felt to finally learn the family pasta sauce recipe.

After working a job she “really didn’t like” in New York City, Kasper began what would become a five-decade-long career in the culinary arts. She tells us what advice convinced her to pursue a career in food.

Plus, we talk about Kasper’s friendship with Julia Child. She tells us the story of how she first met Child, who remained an important source of inspiration and guidance for Kasper.