Kitchen Curious with Vivian Howard

In this premiere episode, Vivian explores America's love affair with cast iron skillets, from hunting vintage treasures with Warren Brothers at Copper Mill Mercantile in Kinston to visiting Charleston's Smithey Ironware Company to learn how modern cast iron and carbon steel cookware are crafted. Along the way, she debunks cleaning myths, whips up a skillet shakshuka in her church kitchen, and bakes a cornmeal blueberry coffee cake that bridges the traditions of cornbread and cobbler.

Vivian explores how pasta stretches small amounts of flavorful meat into satisfying meals, a practice that spans cultures and centuries. Joined by "noodle man" Dan Pashman, host of The Sporkful and creator of the cascatelli pasta shape, she embarks on a Charleston noodle crawl that includes stops at Top Chef finalist Shuai Wang's King BBQ and her own restaurant Lenoir. Vivian meets nutritionist Christine Byrne to settle the whole grain versus regular pasta debate before heading home to prepare pantry-friendly recipes like anchovy spaghetti and a modern Hamburger Helper.

Roots are the original comfort food. Long before butter or cream, they fed us, filled us, and kept well when nothing else would. Vivian argues that roots still show up for us today—steady, affordable, and quietly beautiful when flashier produce fades. With a quick relish of raw beets and sweet potato, she even makes store-bought hummus feel party-worthy.