This week: We look back to one of our favorite episodes, in which actor/polymath James Franco rebels against beds… Preeminent travel writer Paul Theroux offers etiquette advice to globetrotters (and public radio hosts)… Nashville raconteur Todd Snider tells of his brush with NASCAR fame… The NY Public Library celebrates Noel Coward… and Hollywood’s top auctioneer remembers memorabilia. Plus: the history of blue jeans, a Twin Shadow tune, sommeliers for your ears, and smashing (Guinness) records.

Icebreaker: James Franco Actor and artist James Franco kicks things off in the most orderly fashion possible.

Small Talk: Amber Bravo Amber Bravo, senior editor of music mag The Fader, talks about a recent spate of rockers breaking records instead of hotel rooms.

A History Lesson with Booze: Blue Jeans and “the Arcuate” This week back in 1873, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis landed a patent for what may be the best-known item of clothing ever - denim jeans. Learn about the surprisingly international history of the All-American “waist overalls,” then salute your shorts/pants with this custom cocktail.

“The Arcuate,” as fashioned by Jonny Raglin, saloon-keeper of The Comstock Saloon in San Francisco, where Levi Strauss is headquartered.

Into a shaker add: 74a0163b421de9c66be9abfeb4d06e9f Add ice, shake, and strain into a glass (either straight up or on the rocks). Go ahead and spill some on your jeans — they can handle it.

Guest List: Joseph Maddalena Joseph Maddelana is president and CEO of Profiles in History - one of the world’s top auctioneers of historical documents and movie memorabilia. He’s authenticated or priced everything from Marilyn Monroe’s subway dress, to Dorothy’s ruby slippers, to letters penned by Abraham Lincoln. The second season of his show Hollywood Treasure airs on the SyFy network. We asked Joe to give us a list of his most memorable (memorabilia) moments:

• The Matt Jeffries Auction
• Captain Kirk’s Chair
• Lex Cusack’s forged Kennedy papers

Etiquette: Paul Theroux Paul Theroux knows his way around the world. In masterful travel books like The Great Railway Bazaar, The Mosquito Coast, and Dark Star Safari, he transports readers to far-flung places with vivid prose. His new novel, The Lower River, recounts a man’s ill-fated return to Malawi long after he first experienced the place as a Peace Corps volunteer. (Paul himself served there in the 60s.) He tells us about a one-time escape from Africa, then addresses listener questions about travel secrets…and epizeuxsis?!

Does Paul Theroux’s voice sound familiar? He joined us again recently to talk about his even newer book, The Last Train to Zona Verde. If you missed that episode, feel free to listen here.

Eavesdropping: Todd Snider Acclaimed musician Todd Snider is known for his folk-rock tunes… and for his onstage stories. Today we overhear him telling one about his brother’s hero: Nascar driver Bill Elliott. Todd is currently on tour.

Main Course: Musical Menus A recent LA Times article talked about the rise of “music sommeliers” - professional compilers of music playlists for restaurants - like the folks at Prescriptive Music, an LA-based company that saw a 40% increase in business last year. (An example of a recent Prescriptive business order: a shabu shabu restaurant wanted music that could recreate the feel of the movie “Drive.”) Brendan speaks with Prescriptive founder Allen Klevens about creating a song menu for every place… and every person.

Chattering Class: Noel Coward, Remembered The late performer, playwright and songwriter Noel Coward gets a much-deserved close-up in the exhibit “Star Quality: The World of Noel Coward,” which was on display at the the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts last summer. Curator Brad Rosenstein walked Brendan through some of the highlights of the self-made artiste’s career.

Guest of Honor: James Franco The Spiderman trilogy, Pineapple Express, and dramas like 127 Hours and Milk have turned James Franco into a major Hollywood player, but he doesn’t act that part; he’s also a writer, a student, and an artist. Last year, he assembled an art exhibit called REBEL at LA’s MoCA, in which he and other artists riff on the myth and iconography surrounding the James Dean classic Rebel without a Cause (Franco first played Dean in a 2001 TV biopic). The always prolific Franco has already starred in a handful of films this year, including the hits Oz: The Great and Powerful and Spring Breakers. James tells Rico about Hollywood’s short-term memory, the infantilization of actors, and why he hates going to bed.

One for the Road: Twin Shadow - “Five Seconds” Electro-pop act Twin Shadow (a.k.a. George Lewis Jr.) is back on tour in North America supporting his recent album Confess. We love the propulsive single “Five Seconds” - so here’s a sixty second preview.

Other Music In this Week’s Show:
The Sea & Cake - “The Argument”
Aphex Twin - “Boy/Girl Song”
Tipsy - “Liquordelic”
Christin Mendoze & Musica Antiqua Provence - “Saltarello della battaglia”
Seeburg “Style E” Piano @ the Yaller Dawg Saloon -“Silver Threads Among The Gold”
Belle & Sebastian - “String Bean Jean”
Remix Artists Collective - “Star Trek theme Remix”
Jerry Goldsmith - “Theme from Star Trek: Voyager”
John Williams - “JFK - Prologue”
Baths - “You’re My Excuse To Travel”
Bill Frisell - “Pipe Down”
Les Paul - “Guitar Boogie”
Todd Snider - “In Between Jobs”
Barry White - “Never Gonna Give Ya Up”
Noel Coward - “Mad Dogs & Englishmen”
Noel Coward - “Sail Away”
Henry Cow - “Half Asleep, Half Awake”
Twin Shadow - “Five Seconds”

This week: Filmmaker Noah Baumbach on the new New York… David Alan Grier answers (most of) your etiquette questions… Autism pioneer Temple Grandin diagnoses Mr. Spock… Travel writer Matt Gross goes to the edge… “Love & rockets” co-creator Gilbert Hernandez on ’60s comics that were super, sans superheroes… Why guilt is good (for groceries)… and we toast folk-hero Colonel Blood with a tipple from London. Plus: the caveman lexicon, and a song from Savages.

Icebreaker: David Alan Grier David Alan Grier’s new film Peeples is about meeting the in-laws. In honor of which, his joke is pure hell.

Small Talk: Words Even Older Than “Tubular” Sadie Stein, Deputy Editor of The Paris Review, shares a story close to her bookworm heart: two-hundred core words have been in use for up to 15,000 years… including the word “worm.”

A History Lesson with Booze: A Lucky Thief & “Bloody Cheek” This week in 1671, Colonel Thomas Blood attempted to steal the Crown Jewels - armed with little more than his charm. He failed miserably. Learn about why King Charles rewarded the red-handed bandit, and then quaff this gilt-y pleasure of a cocktail:

“Bloody Cheek,” royally stirred up by Andy Westlake, bar manager of The Living Room at Tower Bridge in London, England.

In a mixing glass combine:

• 1.5oz Bombay Sapphire London Gin
• 1oz Dubonnet (The current Queen’s favorite - but Aperol will work as a commoner’s substitution)
• 0.5oz of fresh lemon juice
• 0.5oz of Simple syrup
• 1.5oz of Blood orange juice

Strain the Blood-red drink into a Collins glass over crushed ice. “Crown” with a mound of more crushed ice. Garnish with a gold-leaf-encrusted blood orange, sliced and stuck over the edge of the glass. Do not attempt to smuggle it out of the bar in your pants.

Guest List: Gilbert Hernandez Since debuting in 1982, alternative comic book Love and Rockets influenced a generation to think outside the traditional superhero mold. Gilbert Hernandez, the series’ co-creator (along with his brother), has been called “one of the great craftsmen of modern comics,” by The New York Times. His new graphic novel, Marble Head, tells a semi-autobiographical story about growing up in the 1960s; he sketches out a few kids comics from that era that influenced him.

• Little Archie Comics, Bob Bolling
• Dennis The Menace, Owen Fitzgerald
• Other kid-comics of the era, including Little Dot

Guest of Honor: Noah Baumbach Filmmaker Noah Baumbach has turned a delightfully off-kilter lens on the world in the films Greenberg and The Squid and the Whale (the latter earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay). He’s also co-written the screenplays for Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic and Fantastic Mr. Fox. His newest film, Frances Ha is out May 17 - starring and co-written with Greta Gerwig - and critics are already describing it as winning, witty, and sublime. It centers on a young artist (Gerwig) struggling to survive in contemporary New York City. He chats with Rico about the new New York, fending off superheros, and Spaghetti-or-Meatballs.

Eavesdropping: Matt Gross Many people dream of traveling the world and reporting on it for newspapers and magazines - but Matt Gross actually lived it. Now an editor at Bon Appetit, he was for years the “Frugal Traveler” at The New York Times. His new book, The Turk Who Loved Apples and Other Tales of Losing My Way Around the World collects several previously-unpublished travel essays. Here he shares one particularly ‘extreme’ tale.

Main Course: Are CSAs Worth It? Food writer Cathy Erway recently wrote about the pros and cons of joining a CSA for the website Serious Eats. That would be a “community supported agriculture” program - where local farmers send customers a box full of produce regardless of if they know what to do with all of it. She talked to Brendan about, among other things, the positive power of guilt.

Etiquette: David Alan Grier Comedian and actor David Alan Grier is best known for his work on television’s In Living Color, but a long time ago, in a decade far far away, he was the voice of an X-Wing fighter pilot in a National Public Radio adaptation of Star Wars. (In other words, his public radio cred runs deep.) David is frequently seen on Broadway - from his Tony-nommed turns in The First and David Mamet’s Race to a recent revival of Porgy and Bess. He also authored the memoir Barack Like Me: The Chocolate-Covered Truth, and has worked on films with DeNiro, Altman, and Pauly Shore. This week he rejoins his Race co-star Kerry Washington in the new movie, Peeples, in which he plays Judge Virgil Peeples, the patriarch of an overachieving East Coast brood who can’t come to terms with his daughter’s perfectly ordinary boyfriend (Craig Robinson). We asked him to look down his nose at your etiquette questions, and he obliged, with glee.

Chattering Class: Temple Grandin Dr. Temple Grandin is a college professor, scientist, inventor, activist, best-selling author, and a person with autism. She was only eighteen when she first created the “hug box” machine to help soothe autistic children and has long been a voice for autism awareness. Her work on animal welfare helped change how many people (including one Michael Pollan) thought about factory farm animal agriculture. She has been named a “hero” in the 2010 Time 100 list of most-influential people in the world, and a mini-series about her life won five Emmy awards. In her newest book, The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum, Grandin incorporates her own experiences with cutting-edge science and innovative theory, and advocates for embracing and educating children anywhere on the “autism spectrum.”

One For The Road: Savages - “Shut Up” Silence Yourself, the full-length debut record from Savages, came out this week - after months of almost deafening buzz. It began when the so-cool Anglo-French post-punk (hyphenate-crazy!) rockers who broke out huge at South-By-Southwest. Take heed of their first single, “Shut Up,” and then commence to blab about it.

Other Music In this Week’s Show:

The Sea & Cake - “The Argument”

The Wedding Present - “Signal”

Tipsy - “Liquordelic”

The Lucksmiths - “Jewel Thieves”

Robert Aldwinckle - “The King’s Morisco”

Mae Shi - “Kingdom Come”

The Archies - “Everything’s Archie (Archie’s Theme)”

The Kinks - “Sunny Afternoon”

Radio Symphony Orchestra - “Capriccio Italien” by Tchaikovsky

Black Mountain - “Druganaut”

Mr Alfa - “Share”

STS9 - “Peoples”

Somatoast - “Right Brain Boogie”

Savages - “Shut Up”

This week: Actor Michael Shannon (“The Iceman”) revisits his Wobegon days… Hugh Dancy of TV’s “Hannibal” lists a few good baddies… Acclaimed travel writer Paul Theroux on a place he won’t be heading back to… “Daily Show” co-creator Lizz Winstead grins and bares it … San Fran rocker Mikal Cronin serves up soundtrack… Biscuits on the rise…And the Posts deak with Brendan’s kickstarter requests… Plus, a cocktail inspired by garbage, forgotten fallout shelters, and broken banjos.

Icebreaker: Ben Johnson Ben Johnson of the band Pre-War, tells a joke that’ll sound off-key to players of certain instruments. (Their album, My Friend, The Enemy, is out now.)

Small Talk: A Midwestern Mid-Century Discovery Patt Morrison of The Los Angeles Times and public radio station KPCC delves deep underground - to a fall-out shelter in Wisconsin that became an unintentional Cold War time capsule.

A History Lesson with Booze: The Lonely Gar-Barge & “Better No Litter” In 1987, the Mobro 4000 barge set sail from New York loaded with over three thousand tons of municipal trash… but couldn’t find anywhere to drop it off. It ended up back in New York City and its journey inspired the adoption of mandatory recycling programs - starting with New Jersey. Hear the story, then toss back this trashy custom cocktail:

“Better No Litter,” as strewn about by Amir Rivera, bartender at Mahogany Hall in San Ignacio, Belize - the southernmost country to reject the Mobro:

In a shaker, add:

1 oz. coconut rum
1 oz. One Barrel rum - a Belize-made liquor.
1/2 oz. creme de bananes
2 oz. pineapple juice
splash of cranberry juice

Mix and pour into a tall glass. Then chunk and crush pineapple - with rind - and toss the bits into this once-pristine cocktail. Drink, and compost the dregs.

Guest List: Hugh Dancy Actor Hugh Dancy stars in NBC’s critically-acclaimed series Hannibal about the earlier years of the psychologist-turned-cannibal from Silence of the Lambs. (Hugh previously appeared in Black Hawk Down, * Martha Marcy May Marlene, and on Showtime’s *The Big C.) Since his show examines such an iconic baddie, we asked him to give us a list of other villains that are undeniably awful…and yet, alluring to watch.

• Iago, Othello
• Satan, Paradise Lost
• Mr. Burns, The Simpsons

Etiquette: Lizzie Post and Daniel Post-Senning Once a month, celebrities of etiquette Lizzie Post and Daniel Post-Senning - the great-great-grandkids of Emily Post herself, and co-authors of Emily Post’s Etiquette:18th edition, stop by. Daniel has just released a new book, Emily Post’s Manners in a Digital World: Living Well Online - which makes him particularly well-qualified to kick off a chat about kickstarter, and other internet-age questions sent in this week.

Eavesdropping: Lizz Winstead Lizz Winstead co-created Comedy Central’s The Daily Show and her book, Lizz Free Or Die, comes out in paperback this week. Long before she made it big, she won over the audience at an air-guitar competition in Minneapolis - in a way she never planned.

Chattering Class: Paul Theroux Acclaimed novelist and travel writer Paul Theroux is back this month with The Last Train to Zona Verde: My Ultimate African Safari. It follows his personal journey back to Africa - the continent that, when he was sent there with the Peace Corps fifty years ago, inspired him to travel and write around the world. Paul spoke with Rico about the issues facing Southwestern Africa, and about getting too old for nine-hour bus rides to nowhere.

Guest of Honor: Michael Shannon His first role was memorizing a monologue from Garrison Kiellor’s Prairie Home Companion for his school speech team. Since then, actor Michael Shannon has starred in Boardwalk Empire, Revolutionary Road, and Take Shelter. And superhero fans will be pleased to know that he’ll be menacing the Man of Steel in this summer’s Superman reboot. This week, Michael plays real-life killer Richard Kuklinski in the crit-hit The Iceman. He tells Brendan about the film, rom-com revulsion, and his Wobegon beginnings.

Main Course: Uplifting Southern Biscuits Southern-inspired cooking is all the rage, so it follows that a southern biscuit stands front and center. It might seem like a buttery basic, but there’s more than a dash of chemistry that goes into making the lightest, most perfect little biscuits. Chef Roxana Jullapat, baker and owner of Cook’s County opens the oven doors to Rico to reveal how they make these crave-worthy treats.

Soundtrack: Mikal Cronin You may have heard Mikal Cronin playing with indie darling Ty Segall or in bands including Party Fowl, Okie Dokie, or Epsilons. His new record, MCII , is perfect for summer parties - and he gives us some other songs we should play along with it. - “See My Baby Jive”, Wizzard - “All I Can”, Sharon Van Etten - “Out of Body Experience”, Grass Widow

Other Music In this Week’s Show:

The Sea & Cake - “The Argument”

The Wedding Present - “Signal”

Tipsy - “Liquordelic”

Charlie Mole - “Othello”

Black Sabbath - “Into The Void”

The Simpson Theme Song

Henry Saiz - “All the Evil in the World”

Fool’s Gold - “Two Dancers II”

The Roots - “Donuts (Outro)”

DJ T - “Glitter”

Stamitz - “Viola Concerto in D”

Prince - “Super Funky Cali Fragi Sexy”

Clams Casino - “Moon and Stars” (Remix)

Wizzard - “See My Baby Jive”

Sharon Van Etten - “All I Can”

Grass Widow - “Out of Body Experience”

Mikal Cronin - “Weight”

This week: Oscar-winning actor Colin Firth explores masks and the mind… We grill star chef Bobby Flay on etiquette… Food writer Michael Pollan says we are because we cook…Molly Ringwald sets a new standard for musical standards… Jane Fonda’s headbands & home videos inspire a health-crazed cocktail… And Mike Wolfe of “American Pickers” strikes it rich - as a four year old. Plus, Rachel Kushner’s hot new novel, part-time chickens, and a cowpoke joke.

Icebreaker: Wild Belle Elliot Bergman who, along with his sister Natalie, makes music as Wild Belle, tells us a fitting joke…about wild bells. (Their debut album, Isles, is out now.)

Small Talk: Chicken Pimps Reyhan Harmanci, Deputy Editor of the new food & culture magazine Modern Farmer, explains how to have all the fun of a chicken coop - but pay a little less scratch.

A History Lesson with Booze: Jane Fonda’s Workout and “The VHS” Jane Fonda blazed a trail for leg-warmer-wearers everywhere with the release of her first workout video tape in 1982. It went on to sell millions of copies, which spiked VCR sales, and helped grow the fitness industry nationwide. While you certainly shouldn’t drink alcohol while exercising, here’s a custom (healthy!) concoction for your post-workout wind-down.

The VHS, as recorded by Thom Sigsby of Mohawk Bend in Los Angeles, CA:

In a glass, muddle:

• fresh strawberries (fruit!)
• several basil leaves (green!)
• agave nectar (low glycemic index!)

Then add:

• 1.5 oz. TRU Organic Lemon Vodka (from local LA craft distillery Greenbar Collective; substitute as needed)
• 1 oz. Fruitlab Organic Hibiscus Liquor (ditto)
• .75 oz. fresh lime juice

Shake with ice, one-two. Shake again, three-four. Stretch those triceps, five-six. Oh, yeah, then strain into a cocktail glass.

Guest List: Molly Ringwald Molly Ringwald is best-known for her leading roles in classics like “The Breakfast Club” and “Pretty in Pink” - but the actress-turned-author has now added another line to her résumé: jazz singer. Her debut album Except Sometimes is a collection of jazz and pop standards. She tells us about it, and about a few newer songs that should be enshrined in the songbook:

• “I Want You,” Elvis Costello
• “Give Me A Reason To Love You,” Portishead
• “Only A Monster,” Franklin Bruno, as sung by Jenny Toomey

Etiquette: Bobby Flay Celebrity chef, restauranteur, and star of cooking/reality shows Bobby Flay dropped out of high school and worked on a stock exchange floor before opening seventeen restaurants, earning a Michelin star, and integrating the word ‘chipotle’ into the American lexicon. He is particularly known for his expertise over a grill; in fact, five of his eleven books feature “grill” in their titles. His newest, Barbecue Addiction — inspired by the Emmy-winning television show of the same name — is out this week. Chef Flay answers listener questions about spice (in)tolerance and little white lies…and skewers Rico’s excuse-making.

(Also check out this web-exclusive clip, about Bobby teaching President Obama how to grill.

Eavesdropping: Mike Wolfe On the History Channel series American Pickers, Mike Wolfe travels the country digging up unbelievable (and undervalued) collectibles. His new book, Kid Pickers: How to Turn Junk into Treasure, teaches a younger audience about the amazing stories lurking in everyday objects. Here, he tells us a story of his own about the first time he hit a goldmine.

Chattering Class: Rachel Kushner The Flamethrowers, a new novel from Rachel Kushner, is gathering up acclaim. The intricately-woven story follows a young conceptual artist who gets caught up in the art scene of 1970s New York, the Italian anarchist movement, and a love of motorcycles, so it might be a bit difficult to parse in casual party chit-chat. Luckily, the author sat down with Brendan to talk it out, so you’ll be the savviest person in the room.

Guest of Honor: Colin Firth Colin Firth shot to the top of imaginary-husband lists everywhere with his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice, which he followed with similarly-charming roles in films like Bridget Jones’ Diary, Love Actually, and A Single Man. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for The King’s Speech - and he can wear a sweater. In his newest film, Arthur Newman, he portrays a man who fakes his own death and hits the road to start over as someone new. Colin chats with Rico about identity crises and unanswerable questions, then dissects our brains.

Main Course: Michael Pollan Michael Pollan made major waves (of grain?) with his 2006 best-seller The Omnivore’s Dilemma which became a touchstone in the conversation about how Americans produce and consume food. In his new book, Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation he studies what happens to food from the time it enters our kitchens to when it ends up on our plates, as well as the consequences of not cooking. He tells Brendan about (among other things) baking anxiety, the dark side of cheese, and crackerjacks.

One For The Road: Daft Punk Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter - better-known as the space-helmet-sporting electronic music duo Daft Punk - have been making us dance at clubs and house parties since their 1997 debut Homework. In May they will release Random Access Memories, their hotly-anticipated new record - and we’re sending you off to the weekend with the first single from it, “Get Lucky,” featuring Pharrell Williams.

Other Music In this Week’s Show:

The Sea & Cake - “The Argument”

The Wedding Present - “Signal”

Tipsy - “Liquordelic”

Dazz Band - “Let It Whip”

Eric B and Rakim - “Don’t Sweat The Technique”

Molly Ringwald - “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”

Elvis Costello - “I Want You”

Portishead - “Glory Box (Give Me A Reason To Love You)”

Jenny Toomey - “Only A Monster”

Black Sabbath - “Paranoid”

Stewart Copeland - “Brothers On Wheels”

Here We Go Magic - “Collector”

Truant - “Economy Airlines”

Edgar Winter Group - “Free Ride”

Sackcloth Fashion - “Brain Freeze”

Xcuse - “Need Food”

Daft Punk - “Get Lucky”

Behold one of our favorite episodes…in which Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx plays Django and table tennis… JEOPARDY! champ Ken Jennings answers our etiquette questions (minus the buzzer)… “Thrift Shop” rap stars Macklemore & Ryan Lewis spin a playful party playlist… “The Splendid Table’s” Lynne Rosetto Kasper is haunted by the ghost of Christmas-party past…”The Hobbit” FX mastermind Joe Letteri traces Gollum’s family tree back to Sherlock Holmes… And speaking of which, Rico learns to think like Sherlock Holmes. Plus: Brazilian food rising, monkeys with no rhythm, and zen dogs.

Icebreaker: Ken JenningsKen Jennings - Jeopardy! champion and, most recently, author of the book Because I Said So! - relishes a spiritual joke.

Small Talk: Pat Morrison L.A. Times columnist Patt Morrison reveals the conclusions of a multinational study: monkeys can’t keep a beat.

A History Lesson with Booze: General Order 11 and “The Civil War” In 1862, Union Major-General Ulysses S. Grant issued his infamous General Order Number 11 — ordering every Jew in his three-state territory to evacuate, on suspicion of war profiteering. Clearly, war gives rise to some shameful episodes. But this tasty winter drink isn’t one of them:

“The Civil War,” as liquified by Edward Winfield, bartender at the Seelbach Hilton in Louisville, KY.

In a mug, add:

• 1 oz. bourbon (from the South)
• 1 oz. apple brandy (aka “Apple Jack,” beloved in the North)
• 1/4 oz. of honey or dash of sugar

Add hot water and stir… until it finally, at long last, becomes a unified whole.

Guest List: Joe Letteri Visual effects pioneer Joe Letteri currently leads the standard-bearing FX team at WETA Digital in New Zealand. He’s won four Oscars for his groundbreaking work on “Avatar,” “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and “King Kong.” You can see his latest efforts in “The Hobbit” (it’s out on DVD now). He lists some groundbreaking digital characters who paved the way for his own most precious achievement:

• The stained-glass knight in “Young Sherlock Holmes”
• The ‘water pseudopod’ in James Cameron’s “The Abyss”
• The titular liquid-metal cyborg in “Terminator 2: Judgement Day”

Guest of Honor: Jamie Foxx It’s hard not to like something about Jamie Foxx, since he does everything. After making a splash on the sketch comedy show “In Living Color,” he went on to movie stardom in “Any Given Sunday,” “Collateral” and the Ray Charles biopic “Ray” (he has an Oscar to show for that last one). Somehwere in there he also scored a couple of rap and R&B Grammys. Jamie’s newest movie - the Tarantino-directed revenge western “Django Unchained” - comes out on DVD this week. He talks to Brendan about going back to square zero, Tarantino’s “Yentl,” and a girl called Wanda.

Eavesdropping: Lynne Rossetto Kasper Lynne Rosetto Kasper does a splendid job hosting public radio’s other food-centric show, the James Beard-award-winning “The Splendid Table.” But there was a time when she hadn’t quite honed her hosting skills. We listen in as she revisits a cringe-worthy Christmas past.

Main Course: Brazilian (Food) Boom Brazil’s about to become the center of the sporting universe: in 2014 it hosts the World Cup, then a couple of years later, the Olympics. But food forecasters are also expecting big things from Brazil: Gourmet magazine and the trend-watchers at Technomic predict we’ll be seeing lots more Brazilian dishes and restaurants in 2013. Rico heads to the Brazilian buffet Pampas Grill in L.A. to learn more about the cuisine from manager Daniel Villoria.

Etiquette: Ken Jennings Back in 2004, JEOPARDY! contestant Ken Jennings became a game show phenomenon: over five months, he won 74 consecutive games, and answered over 2,500 questions correctly (both U.S. records). Which got us wondering… could he handle your etiquette questions? Turns out he’s pretty good at that, too. In his new book, “Because I Said So!: The Truth Behind the Myths, Tales, and Warnings Every Generation Passes Down to Its Kids”, Ken demystifies and debunks all matter of parental “wisdom.” For us, he offers tips on when it’s appropriate to be a smart-Alex… and then throws down his game show gantlet.

We’re always looking for new etiquette questions. Would you be so kind as to send them to dinnerparty@americanpublicmedia.org? Thank you very much.

Chattering Class: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes Turns out Sherlock Holmes’ seemingly ‘super-human’ thought processes are not fictional impossibilities, but real methods that we can use in our lives. Psychology columnist Maria Konnikova schools Rico in a few of Holmes’ signature tricks: an orderly “brain attic,” and a curious disposition. Maria’s book, “Mastermind: How To Think Like Sherlock Holmes”, is out now.

Dinner Party Soundtrack: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Hip-hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis rode their smash hit “Thrift Shop” to the top of Billboard’s rap charts, their album “The Heist” has been one of the most popular in the country, and now, the ultimate honor: they tell our listeners what to listen to. They serve up a soundtrack that’s perfect for romancers, magic dancers, your Uncle Larry, and anyone who loves a banjo. (Yes, this is freaking awesome.)

• “The Girl from Ipanema” by Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto
• “Sister Winter” by Sufjan Stevens
• “Magic Dance” by David Bowie
• “Cowboy Boots” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (NOT “Jimmy Iovine”)

Other Music In this Week’s Show:

The Sea & Cake - “The Argument”

The Wedding Present - “Signal”

Tipsy - “Liquordelic”

Tommy Jarrell and Fred Cockerham - “When Sorrow Encompasses Me ‘R$ound”

Vitamin String Quartet - “Civil War”

Bruce Broughton - Theme to “Young Sherlock Holmes”

Howard Shore - Theme from “The Hobbit”

James Brown - “The Payback”

Atlantic Five Jazz Band - “Christmas Waltz”

David Rose - “Holiday for Strings”

Tommy Dorsey - “Satan Takes a Holiday”

Os Mutantes - “Panis et Circencis”

Merv Griffin - “Think!”

David Arnold & Michael Price - “Sherlock” theme melody

Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto - “The Girl from Ipanema”

Sufjan Stevens - “Sister Winter”

David Bowie - “Magic Dance”

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - “Jimmy Iovine”

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - “Cowboy Boots”

This week: Actress Julia Stiles bashes brunch… Music legend Paul Anka answers your questions, his way… Jazz pianist Ben Sidran heps us to hepcats… Why the Summer of ‘68 changed baseball (and America) forever… The creators of a diabolical new TV comedy locate some hells on earth… The invention of the matchsticks inspires an incendiary cocktail… And nose-to-tail cooking gets literal. Plus, “girlfriend coats,” anti-jokes, and soju-juice boxes.

Icebreaker: Tim Wendel Acclaimed author Tim Wendel jokes about jokes.

Small Talk: Richard Lawson Richard Lawson, Senior Writer for The Atlantic’s arts and culture channel, The Atlantic Wire, tells us about a few brilliant, lonely students who’ve turned a coat into a hugging machine.

A History Lesson With Booze: History Sparks and “The Strike” This week back in 1827, a chemist based in Stockton-on-Tees, England, made a striking discovery. Learn about John Walker’s accidental invention of the friction match, and then light up your night with these brilliant matchstick cocktails.

The “STRIKE,” as invented by Allan McPhail, acting manager at The Vane Arms Pub and Restaurant in Stockton-on-Tees, UK.

In a collins glass or tall shot glass (depending on your tolerance), combine equal parts of the following to create the body of the match:

• Bailey’s Irish Cream
• Kahlua
• brandy
• double cream (or dilute to taste)

Then whisk:

• 1 egg white
• 2 teaspoons caster sugar
• 1/2 part Grenadine

Spoon this frothy mix atop the drink, creating the matchhead. If you’re feeling lucky, add sparklers for effect. (“Please be aware of burning hazards of sparklers,” says Allan.)

Guest List: Dave Willis and Casper Kelly of Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell Dave Willis and Casper Kelly - the minds behind the hugely popular and totally surreal Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Stroker & Hoop - have teamed up to create a new Adult Swim show, Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell. (It airs Thursdays at midnight.) The “demon workplace comedy” creates a pretty unusual version of underworld, so we asked them to list some other “hells on earth.”

• The murals of the Duomo in Florence, Italy
• Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror, specifically the episode “The Entire History of You”
• Robert Blake’s performance in Lost Highway

Guest of Honor: Julia Stiles Actress Julia Stiles became a star with the 1999 teen flick Ten Things I Hate About You, which made Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew a hit with the MTV set. Since then, she has appeared in films like Save the Last Dance, The Bourne Identity, and Silver Linings Playbook. Her newest film, It’s a Disaster, opens this weekend. The dark comedy about a couples brunch set during the apocalypse is already earning impressive reviews. Julia spoke with Brendan about anti-brunch clubs, instant stardom, and eating lipstick.

Eavesdrop: Ben Sidran Ben Sidran has played piano for Van Morrison, Diana Ross, and Steve Miller, among others - but he’s been a jazz-man since the age of six when he started playing in his hometown in Wisconsin. In addition to writing, producing, and performing music, he hosted NPR’s Peabody Award-winning Jazz Alive. His newest record Don’t Cry for No Hipster got him thinking about his Beatnik days and what it means to be “hip.”

Main Course: Pigtails You Can Eat It’s the ultimate, literal example of “nose-to-tail” cooking: chefs are now serving pigs’ tails. The braised tail is somewhere between pork belly and a spare rib - and it’s best if you’re unfazed by fat…or phallic symbols. Rico heads to Los Angeles restaurant The Spice Table to chat about the unusual offering with chef Bryant Ng.

Etiquette: Paul Anka Singer and songwriter Paul Anka is responsible for some of the biggest hits of the last half-century: “Put Your Head on My Shoulder,” “She’s a Lady,” and, perhaps most famously, “My Way.” This week he releases both the album Duets and his much-anticipated book, My Way: An Autobiography, which features (among other highlights) some very steamy Rat Pack stories. He talks to us about his Canamerican roots, indulging Putin, and pranking Don Rickles.

Chattering Class: Tim Wendel, “Summer of 68” Tim Wendel has written several acclaimed books on baseball, and his latest is Summer of ‘68: The Season that Changed Baseball - and America - Forever. It follows the Detroit Tigers’ tumultuous ‘68 campaign — complete with players being drafted, riots in the streets, a city’s massive expectations (and ultimately) a World Series win. With this year’s baseball season just underway, Tim and Rico chat about how - in many ways - we’re all still feeling the heat of that summer.

Just Desserts: Listener Corrections Every host makes the occasional mistake - misreading a recipe, seating enemies across from each other, laying out the wrong forks - but when we make them on the show, our listeners kindly tip us off to the errors. So, this week, we hear your updates on pasty popularity, culturally-sensitive sneeze responses, and adult juice boxes.

Music in this week’s show:

The Sea & Cake - “The Argument”

Aphex Twin - “Boy/Girl Song”

Tipsy - “Liquordelic”

Stuttgart Piano Trio - Franz Schubert: “Piano Trio No. 1 - III. Scherzo: Allegro”

Stars - “Set Yourself On Fire”

Wildlife - “Matches”

Benoit & Sergio - “Lipstick & Lace”

Lambert & Hendricks and Ross - “Twisted”

Ben Sidran - “Back Nine”

Ben Sidran - “Sixteen Tons”

John Hendricks - “Old Folks”

Charles Wuorinen - “Bearbeitungen uber das Glogauer Liederbuch: VI. Gross Ssenen”

Barry Adamson - “Something Wicked this Way Comes”

PHOBiC - “Dark Corners of Hell”

Fantastic Mr. Fox - “Rat Theme”

Paul Anka & Frank Sinatra - “My Way”

Paul Anka - “Put Your Head On My Shoulder”

Johnny Pearson - Monday Night Football Theme “Heavy Action”

This week: Actress Eva Mendes decodes her new film - and hieroglyphics… Writer and “SNL” vet Julia Sweeney answers your etiquette questions from the fetal position… New Orleans indie rockers Generationals spin a sweet-and-sour soundtrack… Science writer Mary Roach takes us on a field trip down the alimentary canal… Twitter queen Kelly Oxford tiptoes into David Copperfield’s private lair… And Wrigley’s Gum inspires a cocktail that WON’T lose its flavor. Plus, salt mines in the sky, self-hating jokes, and a new Rogue Wave.

Icebreaker: Telekinesis Michael Benjamin Lerner, the rock musician also known as Telekinesis, beats himself up for a laugh. Telekinesis’ new album Dormarion is out this week.

Small Talk: Jesse Pearson Jesse Pearson, editor-in-chief of the new culture/lifestyle outlet Apology Magazine, tells about the smells of 2012…and a hot new cologne fragrance called “shame.”

A History Lesson With Booze: Gumming up History and “The Taste…” This week in 1891, Chicago entrepreneur William Wrigley began giving away bubble gum. Learn about how he turned this chewy afterthought into a billion-dollar model of marketing…and then blow bubbles in this custom cocktail:

“The Taste is Gonna Move You When You Pop it in Your Mouth,” as crafted by Nandini Khaund, bartender at The Violet Hour, in Chicago, IL.

In the style of a daiquiri, combine:

• 3/4 oz. lime juice
• 1/2 oz. canned jackfruit syrup
• 2 oz. Pritchard’s rum

Shake, strain - either over ice or neat - and ‘pop in your mouth.’ (For more drink recipes to chew on, check out Nandini’s online drink recipe magazine Craft Cocktail. It launches in May.)

Dinner Party Soundtrack: Generationals Ted Joyner and Grant Widmer, a.k.a. New Orleans indie rock duo Generationals, have been churning out bright, inviting guitar pop for a half-decade. (Their latest album, Heza, just came out this week.) They spin a soundtrack full of breezy tracks, and lyrics that linger:

• “That Old Feeling” by Chet Baker
• “Rent Money” by Dent May
• “Headache” by Frank Black
• “Put a Light On” by Generationals

Etiquette: Julia Sweeney As a “Saturday Night Live” cast member in the early nineties, Julia Sweeney created the infamous androgynous character Pat, among many others. Since then she’s written and performed in several critically-acclaimed one-woman shows. This week she releases “If It’s Not One Thing, It’s Your Mother” - a memoir about deciding to adopt as a single woman, searching for (and finding) a husband, and raising her adopted daughter, Mulan. Julia tells us about Sport Utility Strollers and other hazards of parenting…then addresses foodsnobs from the heavens and drinks with the boss.

Eavesdropping: Kelly Oxford Kelly Oxford’s irreverent web commentary — about everything from young motherhood to Madonna — has earned her 500,000 Twitter followers, and a growing stack of Hollywood deals. This week, her new collection of offbeat personal essays, entitled “Everything is Perfect When You’re a Liar,” hits shelves. Here’s one that’s pure magic.

Main Course: Salt Mines in the Sky It’s not something we think about everyday: where does our salt come from? When Sarah Sproule realized that much of New York City’s sea salt was shipped in from hundreds of miles away, she decided to make her own - locally - on the roof of a building in Midtown Manhattan. Brendan joined her at her Urban Sproule project, and got a taste of skyscraper-to-table sea salt.

Chattering Class: Mary Roach Writer Mary Roach has made an art of science evangelism: her books “Bonk” (about sex) and “Stiff” (cadavers) both became bestsellers. Mary’s latest effort is “Gulp: Adventures of the Alimentary Canal,” which shines a light on the dark spaces where we process food. Mary schools Brendan in several of its fascinating factoids…including saliva-salves, blushing stomachs, and mega-colons.

Guest of Honor: Eva Mendes Actress Eva Mendes first found her calling - and a mass audience - working opposite Denzel Washington in 2001’s “Training Day.” Since then, she’s starred in the comedies “Hitch” and “The Other Guys,” along with the critically-acclaimed art-house hit “Holy Motors.” Her new film “The Place Beyond the Pines” (expanding in theaters this month) is similarly dark, and ambitious; it follows a beleaguered stunt man (Ryan Gosling) and the people (like Eva’s character) who have to live in the wake of his violence. She tells Rico about the project, her particularly hard-to-describe condition, and how to read like an Egyptian.

One for the Road: Rogue Wave - “College” Rogue Wave is a band from the Bay Area, not something to be worried about when you’re at the beach. But their new album Nightingale Floors (June 5) does arrive just in time for beach listening. Til then, let the standout single “College” wash over you.

Other Music in this week’s show:

The Sea & Cake - “The Argument”

Aphex Twin - “Boy/Girl Song”

Tipsy - “Liquordelic”

Paul Eakins’ Coinola Style “A” - “Who Wouldn’t”

Concrete Blonde - “It’ll Chew You Up and Spit You Out”

Lemon Jelly - ” A Tune for Jack”

Chet Baker - “That Old Feeling”

Dent May - “Rent Money”

Frank Black - “Headache”

Generationals - “Put a Light On”

Cold Cave - “God Made the World”

Bonobo - “Noctuary”

Bertrand Burgalat - “Des Yeux Roses”

Pronto - “Tardigrades”

Ass - “Salt Marsh”

Elvis Presley - “That’s All Right”

Booka Shade - “Body Language / Interpretation”

Rogue Wave - “College”

This week: TV personality Andy Cohen - the man who launched 1,000 “Real Housewives” - tells us how to behave… Rising literary star Taiye Selasi on making novels and dresses… British prog-rock phenoms Alt-J throw a party in the woods… Satirist Sam Lipsyte on the joys of fatherhood… We tiptoe into “Room 237,” a film about “The Shining“‘s fanatical following… And Rico tastes the secret of panuchos. Plus, a drink born from cold fusion, new music from Mikal Cronin, and a monstrous joke..

Icebreaker: Rodney Ascher Filmmaker Rodney Ascher says monsters get thirsty, too. (Later you’ll hear Rodney talk about his new doc “Room 237” - a profile of the fanaticism surrounding “The Shining.”)

Small Talk: Sadie Stein Dwell Magazine deputy editor Aaron Britt tells us about a geodesic dome worth a whopping $100,000…if you can pry it off its base.

A History Lesson With Booze: Cold Fusion and “The Saint” This week in 1989, two respected electro-chemists, Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischman, announced they’d discovered science’s holy grail: a process for generating clean fusion energy at low temperatures. The media called it a miracle… but was it too good to be true? Listen to the tale and then experiment with this custom cocktail:

“The Saint,” as concocted by Dustin Summer, bar manager at The Red Door, in Salt Lake City, UT.

In a short glass, add:

• slice of orange, muddled in glass
• a few ice cubes
• 1 1/2 oz. High West Silver Whiskey
• 1 oz. Hpnotiq
• 1/2 oz. habanero-infused vodka

Shake and strain into a small snifter containing a chip of dry ice, and marvel as the ingredients fuse… in theory.

Dinner Party Soundtrack: Alt-J In December, buzzy Brit band Alt-J’s debut album An Awesome Wave won the prestigious Mercury Prize (U.K. album of the year). This month they launched their first major U.S. tour, including a slew of acclaimed shows at the South-by-Southwest music festival. Keyboardist Gus Unger-Hamilton and guitarist Gwil Sainsbury share a few song suggestions for a totally normal dinner party…in the woods…with witches.

• “Knee Deep in the North Sea” by Portico Quartet
• “Shut Eye” by Stealing Sheep
• “Knight’s Way” Robbie Basho

Etiquette: Andy Cohen
Andy Cohen knows a thing or two about TV. After beginning his career as a news producer for CBS, Andy went on to exec-produce Bravo’s programming, including mega-hits “Top Chef” and the “Real Housewives” franchise. His own late night gabfest “Watch What Happens Live” has also won a rabid following. Andy tells us a few tales from his new memoir “Most Talkative: Stories from the Front Lines of Pop Culture” (out in paperback this week), and then muses on decibel levels, headdress protocol, and presidential pleas.

Eavesdropping: Sam Lipsyte Writer Sam Lipsyte’s pitch-black comedies - like the acclaimed 2010 novel “The Ask” - are filled with lovable lowlifes and schemers. His new short story collection “The Fun Parts” carries on the tradition - with punchlines and gut-punches flying fast and furious. Today we overhear an excerpt from the story “The Republic of Empathy” about the joys of parenting. (It has been edited for time.)

Main Course: Panuchos They’re fun to say…and to eat: Panuchos! The beloved dish of Mexico’s Yucatan region is finally starting to catch on stateside - the San Francisco Chronicle’s food editor is a big panucho lover, and the dish got a mention in USA Today this month. Picture a tostada, crossed with a taco… with a hidden surprise. Rico caught up with Gilberto Cetina, chef at the Yucatanian restaurant “Chichen Itza” in L.A., to dig into this under-sung import.

Guest of Honor: Taiye Selasi In 2005, Taiye Selasi’s essay “Bye-Bye Babar (Or: What is an Afropolitan?)” introduced her to the world… and the world to her generation of well-off, well-educated, well-traveled African immigrants. Taiye grew up in Boston but she is of Ghanaian and Nigerian descent. Her short story “The Sex Lives of African Girls” was included in the “Best Short Stories of 2012.” And her debut novel “Ghana Must Go” came out this month. Brendan chats with Taiye about shutting out one’s audience (in a good way), probable causes, and deceptive dresses.

Chattering Class: Rodney Ascher’s “Room 237” Lots of films have a ‘cult’ following, but the fanaticism surrounding Stanley Kubrick’s horror masterpiece “The Shining” rises to another level entirely. Filmmaker Rodney Ascher turned his lens on ‘Shining’ obsessives…their theories and thought-processes. The result is the critically-lauded documentary “Room 237”; it comes out in NYC this week before expanding in April, and is available on iTunes. Rodney chats with Rico about art and analysis, monomania, and Kubrick’s (theoretical) moonlighting.

One for the Road: Mikal Cronin - “Weight” Mikal Cronin cut his teeth in San Francisco’s garage rock circle (see: frequent collaborator Ty Segall). In 2010, he released a very well received debut, and now his follow-up “MCII” comes out in May on Merge Records. Here’s a standout single from it - “Weight” - a perfect reminder that things aren’t always as heavy as we think.

Other Music in this week’s show:

The Sea & Cake - “The Argument”

Aphex Twin - “Boy/Girl Song”

Tipsy - “Liquordelic”

Rainstick Orchestra - “Electric Counterpoint Fast”

Joey Santiago - “Fake Purse”

Dokken - “The Hunter”

Portico Quartet - “Knee Deep in the North Sea”

Stealing Sheep - “Shut Eye”

Robbie Basho - “Night Way”

Alt J - “Blood Flood”

Mobius Band - “Year of the President”

Johannes Brahms - “Lullaby”

The Cure - “Close to Me (Lullaby style)”

Mr. Scruff & Roots Manuva - “Giant Pickle”

Music Brokers - “Dress Up”

Badly Drawn Boy - “The Shining”

Mikal Cronin - “Weight”