Writer Daniel Genis tells us how he learned to cook in prison with limited tools and ingredients, from fried fish and dumplings to pasta cooked on a rewired hot pot. Plus, spirits expert Yolanda Shoshana reveals how cognac became a part of Black history, Dr. Aaron Carroll tells us why coconut oil might not be as healthy as we think, and we make chicken fricase from Puerto Rico.

This episode is brought to you by Sleep Number.

Questions in this episode:

"I recently took a tour of a citrus grove and left with a 20 pound bag of mixed citrus––lemons, oranges, grapefruits, pomelos, the whole bunch. What can I do with this variety of fruit?"

"I've been making my grandmother's fresh strawberry pie for years, but it hasn't been setting properly lately. It's just soup! What's happening?"

"I was chatting with my friend about crab legs and referred to them as "candy for dinner." He was taken aback because he doesn't think of crab as a sweet food. Are they sweet, or is it just me? And if they are sweet, what is causing that flavor?"

"I've been making burritos to keep in my freezer to eat when I don't feel creative in the kitchen. Lately, I've been making more vegetable burritos, but they all seem to fall apart. What can I do to help bind the filling in a delicious way?"

"I am very interested in your recipe for Ricotta Semolina Cheesecake, but I can't eat sugar. Can I use monk fruit as a substitute?"

"I bought a $100 bottle of balsamic vinegar that was truly amazing. It was more transcendent than I ever thought it could have been. Unless I win the lottery, I can't afford a $100 bottle of vinegar on my table every night. What should I look for in a middle-range balsamic vinegar?"