Nik Sharma is a cookbook author, photographer and chef in training who embraces global flavors in his food. His mashup of culinary influences includes delicious connections he's between the foods of his native India, and those of his husband's homeland, the American South.

Food science writer Dr. Nadia Berenstein looks at the chemical compounds that could cause you to have a wicked headache when drinking wine and what you can do to try and curb the pain.

Ilene Rosen has been making salads professionally for decades and recently published her first cookbook on the subject, Saladish. Rosen's theory in the book is that by bringing together a wide range of ingredients that emphasize contrasting textures and flavors you can build a better salad. Contributor Russ Parsons talked with her and got the recipes for Cucumbers with Black Sesame Seeds and Sweet Lime Vinegar, Couscous with an Allium Mix and Quick Pickled Red Onions. Enjoy many of our other favorite salad recipes from our Splendid Table Pinterest page.

Rice salads are an Italian specialty. The dish is extremely popular in the summertime as it incorporates fresh vegetables and herbs, can be made ahead, chilled and served later. Italian chef Rolando Beramendi explains the special relationship he has with rice salad and how it's best made.

Forager Pascal Baudar wildcrafts plants, herbs and fungi from the wild, then uses them as ingredients to create food and beverages that he says express the true flavor of the environment. Contributor Russ Parsons talked with Pascal about his passion for foraging and the result of recent destructive California wildfires on his favorite foraging spots.

Michael Cimarusti is considered to be the king of Southern California seafood. He is an executive chef and seafood market proprietor who thinks deeply about fish; he is also willing to share some unusual observations for the home cook. Our contributor Russ Parsons talk with Cimarusti about techniques for cooking different fish, supporting dock-to-dish sustainability, and the key elements to a perfect clam chowder.

Wesley Avila runs the highly acclaimed Los Angeles food truck called Guerrilla Tacos. He is also the author of a book by the same name. His approach to making tacos isn't so much about tradition; it's about making delicious tacos out of anything you can get your hands on. Avila talked with contributor Russ Parson about the anatomy of -- and rules for making -- great tacos.

Patience Gray¡¯s cookbook, Honey From a Weed, is the definition of a cult classic. However, most people have never heard about the fascinating woman who wrote it. Adam Federman¡¯s new biography of Gray tells her complicated life story. Our contributor Russ Parsons talked to Federman about Gray's achievements, travels, and her seminal works.

Wine expert Patrick Comiskey talks with contributor Russ Parsons about the all-star wines of the American Rh?ne and their connection to the original Rh?ne Valley of France. The interview page also includes a list of Comiskey¡¯s recommended wines.