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Beloved chef Madhur Jaffrey prepared for a life on stage and screen as an actress — but her longing for the food of her childhood led her to her other career. She looks back on her days in film and in the kitchen with NPR's Renee Montagne.

Jeanne Baret didn't set out to be the first woman to circumnavigate the globe when she stepped aboard the Etoile in 1766. Disguised as a man, the French botanist was looking for plants.

Alt.Latino hosts Felix Contreras and Jasmine Garsd join Weekend Edition Saturday's Scott Simon to discuss modern interpretations of traditional Latin holiday music.

The Ghent Altarpiece is one of the world's most famous — and most frequently stolen paintings. Not bad for a monumental work of art that's the size of a barn door and the weight of two elephants.

Whatever happened to good manners, cocktail hour or knowing how to darn a sock? Sally Singer, editor of T: The New York Times Style Magazine, selects three new books that celebrate nostalgia and looking back to more exquisite, more refined times.

Curtis Wilkie is the author of The Fall of the House of Zeus, in which he chronicles the life of Dickie Scruggs, a trial lawyer who made millions in lawsuits targeting the asbestos and tobacco industries — and then wound up in prison for attempted bribery.

The 10-pound tome comes with a built-in audio player featuring crisp recordings of hundreds of bird songs. The 500-plus-page volume, produced with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is billed as "The Complete, Illustrated Reference for North American Birds."

Much of Europe is in a deep freeze. Fresh snowfall in Germany has forced the closure of the country's biggest airport at Frankfort. And in Great Britain, travelers are stranded by the thousands as air and train travel has come to a standstill.

Arthur George Gaston overcame his humble beginnings to become a multimillionaire in the funeral home business and a huge financial backer of the civil rights movement. Biographer Suzanne Smith explains Gaston's lasting legacy on black entrepreneurship in America.

Severe weather in Europe has caused massive transportation problems for travelers. Roads are blocked, flights have been canceled, and rail services disrupted by heavy snow. Three of London's airports were closed for a time, hitting many trans-Atlantic travelers. There's been criticism that the private companies running some of the busiest airports in the world have failed to invest enough in snow-clearing equipment.