Today on Boston Public Radio we're on tape, bringing you some of our favorite conversations from recent years. Elle Simone Scott shares tips on how to make the perfect food board for hosting. Scott is Executive Editor and Inclusion Leader at America’s Test Kitchen. She is also founder of the mentoring organization SheChef. Her recently released book is “Boards: Stylish Spreads for Casual Gatherings.” Joanne Chang talks about her latest book inspired by her baking journals, “Pastry Love: A Baker’s Journal of Favorite Recipes.” Chang is a James Beard Award–winning pastry chef and owner of the Cambridge bakery and cafe Flour. Billy Collins shares some of his poetry ahead of his June 16 appearance at 2Life Communities’ annual gala. Collins was appointed U.S. Poet Laureate from 2001-2003, and New York State Poet Laureate from 2004-2006. His numerous collections include “Nine Horses: Poems, The Trouble with Poetry,” “Ballistics,” “Horoscopes for the Dead,” “Aimless Love” and “The Rain in Portugal.” Dan Shaughnessy tells anecdotes from his latest book about covering the Celtics during the Larry Bird era. Shaughnessy is a sports writer at the Boston Globe. His new book is “Wish It Lasted Forever: Life With The Larry Bird Celtics.” Christopher Kimball previews his latest cookbook “Vegetables,” sharing his favorite ways to bring vegetables to the center of the plate. Kimball co-founded America’s Test Kitchen, and now runs Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street in Boston. His latest cookbook is “Vegetables.” Rosa Brooks discusses her new book, “Tangled Up In Blue: Policing The American City,” and describes her experiences as a reserve police officer in Washington, D.C. Brooks was a Pentagon official in former President Barack Obama's administration and is currently a professor of law and policy at Georgetown Law. Dylan Thuras tells stories of strange food from around the world, including psychedelic honey, the anti-masterbatory origins of graham crackers and the great molasses flood in Boston in 1919. Thuras is the co-founder and creative director of Atlas Obscura, and the co-author of the New York Times bestseller “Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders.” His latest book is “Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer’s Guide,” co-authored with Cecily Wong. Susan Orlean previews her latest book about animals, including the history of the movie “Free Willy,” her relationship with turkeys and her Valentine’s Day spent with a lion. Orlean is a staff writer for the New Yorker and an author. Her latest book is “On Animals.”