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, and you're listening to The Splendid Table, the show for people who love to eat.

Our program is produced by American Public Media.

Well, today it's a show for people searching for perfection.

Seed conservator Amy Goldman longs for the perfect tomato. In her quest, she has grown, eaten, and cooked some 1,000 heirlooms. She tells all in her book, The Airloom Tomato from Garden to Table. Food writer David Leet went after the perfect tollhouse cookie and had to become Sherlock Holmes, as there was, believe it or not, a long-lost secret trick.

Well, to keep family harmony, a Manhattan mom ends up with apartment chickens.

In Seattle, it's an idyllic little backyard farm complete with blackberry ice cream from the family goats.

And as always in the second half of the show, we're going to be opening the lines for your calls.

Now, you can reach us at 800, 537-52-52.

Let's get rolling with Jane and Michael Stern.

They write the road food column in Gourmet magazine.

Lynn, we were recently in Atlantic City, New Jersey, eating at a great bakery called

Fermika Brothers, which looks like it should be pronounced

for Micah, but in fact, it's Vermeca.

They probably make one of the best subloaves.

Is that the right?

Michael, am I explaining that correct?

The long yard of bread that you slice open and then put cold cuts on.

The submarine.

The submarine bread, essentially.

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