Photographer Riley Arthur reports on a New York City icon: the old-fashioned diner. She goes beyond the club sandwiches and coffee to reveal the mob meetings, FBI stings and dramatic family moments that happen within a diner’s walls. Then, author Julia O’Malley provides a true taste of Alaskan cuisine, where stolen peaches, fresh caught salmon and boxed chocolate cake all are served at the same table. Plus, Adam Gopnik travels back in time to visit the New York restaurant scene of the 1980s.

Questions in this episode:

"How can I design my kitchen for two people: one who is right-handed and one who is left-handed? I need ideas to make it more comfortable to work together in the kitchen."

"I’m trying to make some gluten-free, dairy-free, yeast-free, pecan rolls and I’m having a little trouble. Help!"

"I made an instant pot risotto, and it looked more like a rice soup than a risotto. Where did I go wrong?"

"We purchase fresh meat boxes from a local butcher and our favorite box includes a wonderful 2-3 pound ham. it’s really tasty, but we’ve baked it and done all the typical ham stuff. I want to be more creative with it, and I’m hoping you can give me some ideas for celebrating these great hams."