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.

Music with the splendid table. Today we have the saga of how a young girl from India becomes a leading actress and a

culinary authority.

Our guest is Madhore Jafri, actress, producer, and director, and a pioneer in introducing authentic Indian food to the West.

Her father wanted her to be a diplomat.

Madur had other ideas.

Jane and Michael Stern have found great Kalachi in a LaGrange, Texas gas station.

Tea expert Bill Waddington tells us all about scented teas.

We go behind the scenes in a New York restaurant near Ground Zero to hear how a family of workers are doing.

We've got tips for finding good, cheap wine, and we talk cooking with a witch.

All this and your calls coming up on the splendid table.

But first, this.

Welcome to Kitchen Chronicles, where knowledge is power and cooking is pleasure,

a practical guide to nourishing ourselves and the people we care about.

Let's talk about some of the things that you can do with autumn and winter squashes.

These are the squashes with hard, in edible skins, and usually with colorful yellow or orange

flesh. They can range and taste from almost as sweet as sweet potato to as delicate as

a zucchini squash. Let's start with shopping for squash. Go to the places where the squash is the

freshest, and if you can get organic squash, all the better. So, try farmers' markets and stores that offer a good selection in locally grown produce.

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