Our common nature is a musical journey with Yo-Yo Ma and me, Ana Gonzalez, through this complicated country.

We go into caves, onto boats, and up mountain trails to meet people, hear their stories, their poetry, and of course, play some music, all to reconnect to nature and get closer to the things we're missing.

Listen to Our Common Nature from WNYC, wherever you get podcasts.

It's Lynn Rosetta Casper with the splendid table.

Today, we are putting your summer entertaining worries to rest.

Our expert is none other than Gourmet magazine editor, Ruth Reichel.

Now, she says great and sane entertaining is all about two things. You get them right,

and everything else falls into place. And she's left us a menu to boot. Jane and Michael Stern have uncovered a barbecue chicken like no other in Cander, New York. We have a modern take on

cheese suppers from Steve Jenkins. Chef Jerry Trounfeld has us making our own capers,

and just in time for the nation's birthday, British novelist Jim Krasse tells us of the sweet

purge of spitting out your birthday. All this and your calls coming up on the splendid table.

But first, this.

We both liked corn dogs at the start.

We want shared pastries from the cart.

I know that low cholesterol is good for my heart, but these fights over what to eat are tearing

us apart.

When we were young, we shared a common tongue.

We ate and ate and ate and never gained a bit of weight.

But the years have changed your attitudes about what is fit to eat

you've become a lacto-vegetarian

and I'm still into red beech

We both like corn dogs at the start

...