This Is TASTE

Yay, Adam Roberts is here for a very special episode. You may know Adam from his pioneering food blog Amateur Gourmet, or from his stint doing videos for the Food Network, which he talks about candidly in this episode (spoiler: it didn’t go so well). What has gone well is Adam’s new newsletter, naturally called the Amateur Gourmet, which is so worth checking out. We touch on many topics, including gossip about his early blogging days, some Food Network memories, his time working in television, his love of British cookbooks, the Broadway cookbook he wrote with Gideon Glick, what he’s cooking, and where to eat in his hometown of Los Angeles. It’s action-packed with Adam Roberts! More from Adam Roberts: Blow-Your-Mind Baked Beans [Amateur Gourmet] Homemade Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting [Youtube] The Amateur Gourmet Podcast Pre-order: Give My Swiss Chards to Broadway Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show, we welcome Linda Holmes. Linda is a pop culture correspondent for NPR and the host of the popular Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast. She’s also a novelist, and we talk about her recent book release, Flying Solo. We also discuss some cool topics in the crossover of food and pop culture, including meal kits, olestra, The Flavor Bible, macaron rules that need to be broken, food on TikTok (specifically cinnamon rolls covered in apple pie filling), the New York City diner breakfast that needs no notes, the supremacy of Is It Cake?, and wrestling with the legacy of Anthony Bourdain. More from Linda Holmes: Love in the Time of Hollering: The Age of Enthusiasm [NPR] After Beanie Feldstein's departure, can Lea Michele really save 'Funny Girl'? [NPR] Buy: Flying Solo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She calls herself the Bob Ross of salads, and for very good reason. Jess Damuck is the salad freak behind the new cookbook Salad Freak and a really fun guest on our show today. Of course, we get into the Xs and Os of salad making, but we also find out about her journey—which included working closely with Martha Stewart for over a decade. We learn about the best way to store salad greens, the best way to use a salad spinner, serving salad hot, and the single mistake that most salad preppers are making. It’s a revealing conversation. More from Jess Damuck: Working for Martha Stewart Turned This Cookbook Author Into a ‘Salad Freak’ [Time] A Self-Proclaimed Salad Freak’s Kitchen Leads Right to the Garden [Domino] Essential Tools for a Better Salad [Food Network] Buy: Salad Freak Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode we're speaking with actor and comic Ayo Edebiri. Have you checked out The Bear, a new show on FX that is one of the finest representations of the white-knuckle restaurant world in popular culture since, well, Kitchen Confidential was first published? Ayo joins us to talk about her important role on the show and how she prepared to play the role of Sydney Adamu. We also find out about Ayo’s real-life work in restaurants, and we get into some behind-the-scenes talk about filming on location in Chicago. Last, we learn about shooting what many (us, at least) consider the greatest episode of television to air this year. This is such a great conversation! More from Ayo Edebiri: Meet Ayo Edebiri, the Breakout Star of FX’s Intense New Show The Bear [Glamour] The Bear Renewed for Season 2 at FX [Variety] In The Bear on Hulu, a Kitchen Staff Is Nearly Eaten Alive [New York Times] Watch: The Bear Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bartees Strange is one of the most promising and confident voices in music today, and we wanted to have him on the show to talk about his new album, Farm to Table. The title suggests an interest in food and cooking, and we dive into some of the dishes he enjoyed growing up around the world in Oklahoma, Europe, and most recently living in Washington DC. He makes a strong case for Ben’s Chili Bowl and for traveling to Northern Virginia for Chinese seafood. But we also find out about what his food life is like on the road. We loved getting to know Bartees Strange during this lively conversation. Also on the show Matt is joined by producer Pat Stango to talk about The Bear, a new restaurant world drama on FX/Hulu that has exploded on the scene in recent weeks. We love it. How does the show get restaurant life oh so right? Matt and Pat chop it up. More from Bartees Strange: Bartees Strange Ponders Success in Dire Times [New York Times] Bartees Strange Explores His Journey [NPR] Kelly Rowland [Youtube] Buy or stream: Farm to Table Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yes, yes, yes! Dana Brown is here for an entertaining and mildly gossipy episode. We’ve long followed Dana’s career at Vanity Fair, where he served many roles during his more than 20 years at the magazine. Dana has published a page-turning memoir, Dilettante, and we dive into his story, which starts with him working at the legendary “Conde Nast cafeteria” Forty Four, where he was scooped up by a young magazine editor, Graydon Carter, to serve as his assistant in 1992. Dana talks about so many things: editing A. A. Gill, food at the legendary VF Oscar party, NYC sushi in the ’90s, trashing the restaurant 66, the “Graydon Carter lunch order,” the power of a Waverly Inn reservation, Keith McNally vs. the world (including Graydon Carter). We also hear about Dana’s recent meal at the Noma pop-up in Brooklyn. What a fun conversation! More from Dana Brown: Bonfire of the Vanity Fair [Book & Film Globe] Graydon Carter Hosts a Vanity Fair Ancien Régime Reunion [NY Mag] Tour De Gall [Vanity Fair] Divine Intervention [Air Mail] Buy: Dilettante: True Tales of Excess, Triumph, and Disaster Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer, podcaster, and cookbook collaborator Andrew Friedman has a unique vantage in talking about chefs and food writing as a profession. He’s worked with some of the more interesting voices in the restaurant world (particularly going back a decade and longer), including Daniel Boulud, Alfred Portale, Michelle Bernstein, Bill Telepan, and David Waltuck. In this episode, we talk to Andrew about collaborating vs. full authorship, and about his most recent work, Chefs, Drugs and Rock & Roll, a sweeping account of the chef world in 1970s and 1980s America. Andrew also talks about the chef “takedown” piece—a particular style of article that litigates a wide variety of behaviors in and out of the kitchen. Are they all merited? We have an open conversation about the responsibility of writers, chefs, and the many judgment calls being made by journalists and editors covering the industry. Also on the show, Clarkson Potter’s Bianca Cruz returns to talk about her journey in culinary school. We hear about her current section, pastry, and how one might study for an exam. We also discuss the recent book she worked on, As Cooked on TikTok. More from Andrew Friedman: Who Let the Cool Chefs Write Cookbooks? [TASTE] The Secret Lives of Private Chefs [TASTE] Listen to: Andrew Talks to Chefs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever wondered how chefs rise from relative obscurity to the pages of your favorite glossy magazine or online publication? Longtime food writer Kate Krader has the answer. Kate worked at Food & Wine for over two decades and served as the magazine’s restaurant editor for years, overseeing the Best New Chefs program that spotted talent from New York City to Honolulu. We talk about Kate’s career, from studying at La Varenne in Paris to her current position as food editor at Bloomberg. Kate will soon be moving from New York to London, and we talk about some hot food topics, including Tesla moving into the restaurant business and why nobody can land a restaurant reservation these days. We also talk rivalries: Eater vs. Grub Street. Bon Appétit vs. Gourmet vs. Food & Wine. And with Kate’s pending move to the UK, naturally, Blur and XTC were discussed. It’s a great conversation. More from Kate Krader: The Best Restaurant in the UK Isn’t in London. It’s in Wales. [Bloomberg] Snagging a Table at a Hot Restaurant Will Be Even Tougher This Summer [Bloomberg] Talking Italian Restaurants [Charlie Rose] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today is Nicole Enayati Day on the TASTE Podcast, and we’re so happy to welcome one of our favorite voices in food to the program. Nicole is one half of the popular food podcast A Hot Dog Is a Sandwich, and she can be found all over the Mythical Kitchen YouTube page serving as senior culinary producer. We debate and discuss some of food’s biggest controversies, and we dig into her background as a young eater growing up in Los Angeles. We also talk about “geriatric cereals” and the book she wrote, Bake Up!, a baking cookbook geared toward teens and tweens. Nicole tells us the single recipe that can unlock the joy of baking for any young cook. It’s a wild ride with Nicole Enayati, and we’re really happy to welcome her to the show. Also we are joined by chef Alon Shaya and 91-year-old Holocaust survivor Steven Fenves. The pair struck up a friendship over an effort to preserve and digitize the recipes of Steven’s youth before his family was taken to Auschwitz. The journey of this family cookbook is absolutely remarkable. More from Nicole Enayati: Is Cold Brew a Scam? [A Hot Dog Is a Sandwich] Cooking With The Internet's Worst Food Crimes [YouTube] TASTE Podcast 08: Alon Shaya [TASTE] United States Holocaust Memorial Museum [official website] Buy: Bake Up: Kids Cookbook: Go from Beginner to Pro with Recipes and Essential Techniques Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we have a really fun conversation with Jonathan Kung, a Detroit-based chef and TikTok creator we’ve fallen hard for over the past couple years. We wanted to reach out to Jonathan to talk a little bit about TikTok, but also to get to know a bit about his history with Chinese home cooking and with working and living in one of America’s great food cities: Detroit. We talk about the bounty of Michigan agriculture, which can be a chef’s secret weapon. We also discuss the cookbook he’s writing, the ownership of kimchi, and how Jonathan wrote a recipe that he calls a “solidarity dish,” which merges kimchi jjigae and mapo tofu. What? It’s such a great story. Please get to know this rising star in food! More from Jonathan Kung: I Have COVID So I Made Garlic Soup [YouTube] Jonathan Kung’s Guide to Making Dumplings Blow Up on TikTok [Interview] Kung Food Market Studio [official] @chefJonKung [TikTok] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show, we have the pleasure of getting to know cookbook author and food TV icon Alton Brown. Brown is behind popular and pioneering food television shows like Good Eats and Iron Chef America, which has returned with a new season on Netflix. We talk about how Alton has evolved over the years as a writer and food educator, and what inspired his unique play-by-play announcer style. We also discuss his background in theater and how Pee-Wee’s Playhouse has inspired both his live shows and TV performances. What a great episode! More from Alton Brown: 20 Second Scrambled Eggs [Alton Brown online] We Test an Air Fryer [Youtube] PK Grills [official site] Buy: Good Eats: The Final Years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today is Jesse Sparks day on the TASTE Podcast. Do you know Jesse Sparks? Do you love Jesse Sparks? We certainly do. Jesse is a senior editor at Eater and the host of a really terrific new podcast, The One Recipe, a sister to the long-running Splendid Table. We talk about Jesse’s life growing up in Houston and how his college days in Chicago molded him as both a writer and an eater. We also discuss his weekend baking projects and what excites him about food and restaurants today. This is such a cool conversation! More from Jesse Sparks: Tammie Teclemariam’s Minty Pork Meatballs [The One Recipe] For These LGBTQ+ Creatives, Home Is a Source of Pride and Celebration [BHG] Real Talk: Do You Need A Stand Mixer? [Bon Appetit] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we have a really cool conversation with Andrea Nguyen, the author of many popular cookbooks, including Vietnamese Food Any Day, The Pho Cookbook, The Banh Mi Handbook, Asian Dumplings, and Asian Tofu. Andrea is a writer we’ve had the pleasure of getting to know over the years, and this conversation dives into her incredible history as a cookbook author and food educator. We talk about the story behind her first book, Into the Vietnamese Kitchen, with then indie publisher Ten Speed Press, and her interaction with the enigmatic Ten Speed founder Phil Wood. We also hear Andrea’s candid thoughts on the loneliness of cookbook writing, and how her thirst for community inspired her excellent new podcast, Everything Cookbooks. It’s a really amazing chat. Also on the show, we catch up with Bianca Cruz. Bianca is an editorial assistant at Clarkson Potter and also currently attending culinary school. We wanted to have her on to talk about the ins and outs of her culinary education and what it’s like to take an actual culinary school exam. More from Andrea Nguyen: One Bottle of Fish Sauce Is Not Enough [TASTE] Killer Tofu [Chef Steps] Photographing Your Cookbook [Everything Cookbooks] Buy Andrea’s books! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we’re excited to welcome Dawn Davis to the show. Dawn is the editor in chief of Bon Appétit and Epicurious and a really fun person to get to know a little better. Before joining Condé Nast in August 2020, she was a longtime book editor, most recently at Simon & Schuster. So what was it like to move from the relatively glacial world of books to always-on digital and print media? It’s been a transition, no doubt. We find out how Dawn edits a modern food publication and what the modern home cook actually looks like (spoiler: there are many modern home cooks). We also find out about Dawn’s childhood in Los Angeles and what food was like growing up in one of the world’s most interesting food cities. Finally, what is Dawn’s go-to busy mom dinner? Find out. Also on today’s show, we have a great conversation with Hanna Raskin, the well-regarded journalist behind The Food Section, a Substack covering the food and culture of the American South. We talk about the ups and downs of independent publishing, and how one food reporter is driven by scoops and sunshine laws over recipe aggregation. More from Dawn Davis and The Food Section: The Five Courses of Giancarlo Esposito’s Fantasy Garden Soirée [BA] A Restaurant Called JewFro [BA] A community over The Barrel [The Food Section] Taking down a mammy complex [The Food Section] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we’re so excited to be speaking with the Michigan chef Ji Hye Kim. We’ve followed Ji Hye’s incredible career in Ann Arbor, where she runs the wonderful Korean restaurant Miss Kim. Ji Hye is a Food & Wine Best New Chef and has been nominated for multiple James Beard Foundation Awards. But what makes Matt most excited about this conversation on Korean food is the chef’s deep knowledge of Korean food’s modern (and less modern) history. We talk about some of our mutual favorite Korean dishes—gamjatang certainly comes up—and we discuss how Ji Hye worked her way through the Zingerman’s training program and eventually opened her own place. Also on the show, we catch up with Jane Kelly and Jenny Hartin, two dedicated cookbook fans behind the active online community Eat Your Books. We talk about some of their favorite books from the busy spring season and the types of books they wish they saw more of in cookbook publishing. More from Ji Hye Kim: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became a Restauranteur [Medium] Ann Arbor Chef Named One of America’s Best [Detroit Free Press] Best New Chef 2021 [Food and Wine] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show, we welcome Molly Stevens into the studio. Molly is the cookbook author behind the “All About” trilogy—that would be All About Braising, All About Roasting, and All About Dinner. Molly is also a food educator and one of the cohosts of an amazing podcast, Everything Cookbooks, that covers the ins and outs of writing cookbooks—the highs, the lows, and the many edits. Stevens has great insight into the cookbook industry, and we were thrilled to share the mic with her. Also on today’s show, we have a talk with Lorenzo Carcaterra, the writer behind the book Sleepers, which was adapted into a 1996 film starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro. We talk about what food was like when he was growing up in Hell’s Kitchen and about his latest book, Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride. More from Molly Stevens: Grown-Up Chicken Nuggets with Herb and Radish Salad [Food and Wine] Molly Stevens Makes Roasted Carrots [YouTube] Buy: All About Braising, All About Roasting, All About Dinner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we have some serious pizza talk—Chicago pizza talk, specifically—with a legitimate Chicago pizza expert. His name is Steve Dolinsky, and in Chicagoland, he’s known simply as the “Food Guy” (formerly the “Hungry Hound”). Steve is an absolute legend in the food writing game, and Matt talked to him about his two books on Chicago pizza, as well as diving into some other cool spots in the Windy City, one of America’s greatest food cities. We also smash a slight beef between Dolinsky and TASTE’s Anna Hezel while clearing up some misinformation about the Chicago pie (or is it a “casserole”?) that might be on your mind. More from Steve Dolinsky: A Chicago Tradition for 75 Years and Counting [NBC 5] Tavern-style Chicago Pizzas in the Pacific Northwest [Pizza City Podcast] Buy: The Ultimate Chicago Pizza Guide Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show, Matt is speaking with Rick Martínez, a chef, Youtube food creator, and author of the wonderful New York Times Bestselling book Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture From My Kitchen in Mexico. We’ve long followed Rick’s career at Bon Appétit and Food52, but we got to know him a lot better during this candid conversation. We talked about what food was like growing up in Austin, Texas, and how he switched from working a high-flying career in advertising (and living a very Mad Men–style existence, by Rick’s account) to dropping everything to work in restaurant kitchens, including at ABC Kitchen. That’s when things got interesting. Rick began working in food editorial at the Food Network and later Bon Appétit, where he worked in and out of the test kitchen—and on and off camera. We also talk about his book, which makes a great cookbook and an even better travel book. Plus, we dig into some of the regional dishes he channeled in his fresh and flavorful recipe writing. More from Rick Martínez: Regional Mexican Cooking, the Rick Martínez Way [TASTE] Author Rick Martinez on Traveling 20,000 Miles Through Mexico [CN Traveler] Rick Martínez Is on a Mission to Smash Misconceptions About Mexican Cuisine [Today] Diana Kennedy Says Goodbye to her Cookbooks [TASTE] Buy: Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture From My Kitchen in Mexico Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Yellow Rose opened shop in the East Village in 2020, the fresh flour tortillas and silky bean-and-cheese filling took the city by storm—never mind the early-pandemic limitations that left restaurateurs juggling between takeout and outdoor dining. In this episode of the TASTE Podcast, we talk to co-owner and chef Dave Rizo about some of these challenges, and why he and co-owner Krystiana Rizo decided to bring their style of Texan cooking to the East Village. Also on this episode, hosts Anna Hezel and Matt Rodbard make a special announcement, and producer Pat Stango joins us for a brief departure from regular programming. More from the living legend Anna Hezel: The New Rules of Nonstick [TASTE] The Great Camp Cooking Boom [TASTE] Wait, Canned Salmon Is Good? [TASTE] Why Does This One Couch From West Elm Suck So Much? [The Awl] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve long admired the work of chef and author Einat Admony, who is behind one of America’s best falafels (New York’s Taïm) and the cookbooks Balaboosta and Shuk. In this lively conversation, we talk about Einat’s life growing up in Israel and the fine-dining career that led her to working at some heavy institutions in New York City. We also discuss her frequent television appearances and why she is the ultimate balaboosta, which is the Yiddish word that translates to “perfect housewife.” What a great talk. More from Einat Admony and Israeli food on TASTE: Chef Einat Admony Cooks From Home – and the Heart – in Kerhonkson [HV Mag] A Pita Is Born in New Jersey [TASTE] The Israel Issue [TASTE] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To the Last Bite is home cook and Tasty video star Alexis deBoschnek’s homage to her home region of New York, the Catskills! In this really fun episode, we talk about Alexis’s life growing up in a rural mountain town and how that upbringing informed the way she cooks. We also discuss her career at Tasty, where she worked on some of the internet’s most popular cooking videos of all time, including the legendary “Can This Chef Cook a 3-Course Meal With Power Tools?” video stunt. Spoiler: The chef (Alexis) most definitely can. Later in the episode, hosts Anna Hezel and Matt Rodbard talk about the weird and wonderful interactions of the chocolate chip cookie and why theses recipes and technique make for such great content. Buy: To the Last Bite Additional Reading: Can This Chef Make a 3-Course Meal in a Coffee Maker? [Youtube] My Favorite Brussels Sprouts Recipe [Youtube] Welcome to the Chocolate Chip Cookie Wars [TASTE] Looking for Cookies in All the Wrong Places [TASTE] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For Peter Reinhart, life is just one big pizza quest—a journey of flavors and textures that he encapsulates in his latest cookbook, Pizza Quest. The book offers at-home riffs on some of the most inventive, original pizzas from around the country, remixing classic regional styles with lowcountry seafood boils, bagel toppings, and (why not) potato chips. We talked about the convivial, collaborative nature of the pizza community and the pitfalls of trying to pick a favorite pie. Also on the show, hosts Anna Hezel and Matt Rodbard talk about some of the ingredients, coffee news, and vintage reality TV that’s been fueling their cooking lately. Buy: Pizza Quest and Perfect Pan Pizza Additional Reading: The Future of Pizza Is Crunchy and Square [TASTE] The Flour Tortilla Has Ascended [TASTE] Morgan Eckroth’s 2022 US Barista Championship Winning Routine [YouTube] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andy Baraghani started his professional cooking career as a teenager at the legendary Berkeley, California, restaurant Chez Panisse, and he was truly just getting started. After working as a line cook at Estela in New York City, he was hired as the food editor at Tasting Table and eventually found his way to the Bon Appétit test kitchen, where he worked for over six years and won the hearts of many with his exceptional cooking instruction and kind heart. Andy’s rich story and sharp recipe writing chops come together so beautifully in his new book, The Cook You Want to Be. In this episode, we talk about the book and some of the recipes inspired by his Iranian heritage, as well as learning some of Andy’s golden cooking rules. We also find out about the three-course tasting menu that he cooked to land his gig at BA so many years ago. What a great conversation! Buy: The Cook You Want to Be Additional Reading: Andy Baraghani’s Essential Kitchen Tools [Bon Appetit] How Andy Baraghani Became the Internet Boyfriend of Our Dreams [Out] Andybaraghani.substack.com [Substack] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve been talking a lot about food TikTok in the office, and we’ve written about TikTok, too, but we haven’t had a bona fide TikTok star on the show until now. Eitan Bernath has over two million followers on the platform, and we talk about what makes a great TikTok video, what he ate growing up in Teaneck, New Jersey, and how his first cookbook, Eitan Eats the World, expresses his love of many foods, including a deep interest in Indian cuisine. It’s a really great conversation. Buy: Eitan Eats the World More from Eitan Bernath: @eitan [TikTok] $500 Wagyu Steak: Amateur vs. Chef [YouTube] Spaghetti & Meatballs | Brother vs. Chef: Cooking Challenge [YouTube] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was such a treat to have Sara Jenkins on the TASTE Podcast, and this conversation really delivers. Matt has followed Sara’s career for over a decade, dating back to her amazing restaurants Porchetta and Porsena in New York’s East Village. We talk about her childhood growing up in Beirut and Italy—and how, to this day, she returns to the Tuscan farmhouse her family bought in the 1970s for their annual olive harvest and some of her recent writing on TASTE. Also in this episode, TASTE editors Anna Hezel and Matt Rodbard discuss three things each of them have been excited to eat, cook, watch, and read lately. Additional Reading and Listening: Who Called the Carbonara Police? [TASTE] A Very Roman Rice Ball [TASTE] Substack’s Food Fellows [release] TASTE Podcast 71: Eric Kim Buy: Olives and Oranges and The Four Seasons of Pasta Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the TASTE Podcast, we talk to chef, writer, and activist Jenny Dorsey. Jenny has beat Bobby Flay on Beat Bobby Flay and shown the internet how to make Spam-filled wontons, but she’s also the founder of the nonprofit Studio ATAO, which creates educational tools for food publications and organizations to think inclusively and equitably about their work. We talked about how VR goggles can shift the social dynamics at a dinner table, what makes a good neighborhood restaurant, and the astounding amount of research she put into writing the official cookbook for Avatar: The Last Airbender. Buy: Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Official Cookbook Additional Reading: The Virtuous, and Virtual, Activism of Studio ATAO [TASTE] Toolkit for Recognizing, Disrupting, and Preventing Tokenism in Food Media [Studio ATAO] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve made it to 100 episodes, and it feels like we’re just getting started. Thank you for listening—we have some amazing things in the works and can’t wait to share them with you. Our guest this episode is a legend in the food podcasting world. Dan Pashman is the creator and host of the long-running podcast The Sporkful. In this fun conversation, we learn about how Dan pivoted his career from producing radio (including a stint with Marc Maron at Air America) to launching his own series that dives deep into all areas of food. We discuss what makes a great Sporkful episode and learn about Dan’s recent adventure of inventing a pasta shape. How do you invent a pasta shape? We’ll find out. We also ask Dan about some of his home cooking adventures and hear about an exciting new book in the works. Additional Reading and Listening: Everything You Need to Know About Cascatelli [The Sporkful] Are The Jell-O Heirs Cursed? [The Sporkful] Are Shallots Bull$#!t? [The Sporkful] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For coffee fans and professionals, there is no more critical resource than the website and media company Sprudge, and we were really happy to have a lively conversation with Sprudge’s cofounder Jordan Michelman. While we do discuss the evolution of the so-called third-wave coffee bar around the globe, we also dive into Jordan’s career in journalism and discuss some of his memorable stories for TASTE and beyond. He won a James Beard Award for his PUNCH story on mineral water, and we talk about how he reports on topics with an interest that borders on obsession. Buy: The New Rules of Coffee Additional Reading: The Future of Ice Cream Is Here, and It’s Vegan [TASTE] Seltzer Is Over. Mineral Water Is Forever. [PUNCH] My Favorite Cold Brew Isn’t Cold Brew at All [TASTE] What Your Hangover Food Says About You [TASTE] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many followers of the home cooking internet, Jenny Rosenstrach’s Dinner: A Love Story has been a steady hand holding the whisk for the past decade. She recently released the New York Times best seller The Weekday Vegetarians. As the name suggests, Jenny’s vision is of a world where plant-based eating becomes more of a Monday-through-Friday habit than a life-altering stricture. In this fun conversation, we talk about cookbooks, writing a weekly newsletter, and what’s next for one of our favorite food writers around. Also in this episode, TASTE editors Anna Hezel and Matt Rodbard discuss three things each of them have been excited to eat, cook, match, and read lately. Additional Reading, Listening, and Cooking: The Weekday Approach to Eating Less Meat [TASTE] The Roast Chicken Conspiracy [Cup of Jo] Black Calamari Orzo [Kalustyans] Should You Write a Cookbook? [Everything Cookbooks] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’re a fan of recipes that make clever use of a handful of ingredients and a few swift moves in the kitchen, then chances are, you’ve probably cooked an Ali Slagle recipe. Maybe it was her margherita pizza reimagined as beans on toast, or maybe it was her oat milk chocolate pudding. Ali’s new book, I Dream of Dinner, is full of these types of recipes that manage to be both wildly efficient and gently playful at the same time. In this episode, we talk about the book and Ali’s life on the road this past year, developing recipes from a camper van. Also in this episode, TASTE editors Anna Hezel and Matt Rodbard discuss three things each of them have been excited to eat, cook, or read lately. Check out Ali’s Book: I Dream of Dinner Additional Reading: I’ve Made Everything from Gnocchi to Mapo To ] fu in My Camper Van’s Kitchen [The Strategist] Masa Harina Cornbread [Los Angeles Times] Eric Kim’s Maple Milk Bread [The New York Times] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve long been fans of Jenny G. Zhang’s incisive journalism and podcasting, and we couldn’t wait to have the current Gawker editor and writer on the show. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about food in the time of TikTok, Zhang’s memorable 2018 Eater story about Pizza Hut in China, and the regular food she covers in her Gawker column Regular Food Reviews. We also talk about the world of NFTs in food. Additional Reading and Listening: American Pie [Eater] Why do people on TikTok Chew Like This? [Gawker] I’m Sick of Scrolling Past Essays to Get to Recipes I’m Not Paying For [Eater] Give Your Dumpling a Crispy Skirt [TASTE] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, we have a great conversation with Emily Weinstein, the Food and Cooking editor of the New York Times. We’ve been great admirers of the work at NYT Cooking, and we took the opportunity to cover many subjects in home cooking and food media. We talk about what makes a great story and some of the cooking trends Weinstein is most interested in covering. We also discuss Weinstein’s long journey working at the paper, starting as a dining listings fact-checker and rising to various editorial roles, eventually taking the top spot. Also on the episode, TASTE editors Anna Hezel and Matt Rodbard have a discussion about language, particularly the words they’ve effectively banned from the pages of TASTE. Can you guess what they are? Additional Reading: Subscribe to Emily’s newsletter: Five Weeknight Dishes The Fish That Makes Me Want to Cook [New York Times] One Huge Hog, One Long Day and a Nourishing Southern Tradition [New York Times] Why Does Every Recipe Have to Be Magic? [TASTE] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the TASTE Podcast, we’re talking to Nisha Melvani, the author of Practically Vegan. Nisha is the creator of the website and Instagram account Cooking for Peanuts, a source for colorful, practical, no-nonsense plant-based recipes. We talk about how much range cashews have as an ingredient for creamy dishes, and about why tempeh has such a bad reputation (and how to make it taste truly delicious). We also discuss how using less salt can actually make you a much better cook. Also on the show, TASTE editors Anna Hezel and Matt Rodbard return with a Three Things segment. Matt is excited about two upcoming barbecue cookbooks and Anna discusses her tinned fish storage situ, while shouting out some favorite recipes from Caroline Schiff and Sohla El-Waylly. Check out Nisha’s book: Practically Vegan Additional Reading: Caroline Schiff’s Salted Honey Focaccia [TASTE] Yurrita Boquerones in Vinegar [Fresh Direct] Sohla El-Waylly’s Braised Lamb Shoulder with Dried Chiles and Dates [Serious Eats] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, we have a really fun conversation with the one and only J. Kenji López-Alt. As the author of The Food Lab, Kenji has been a guiding force in home cooking for over a decade. He’s back with a new book, The Wok: Recipes and Techniques, and we discuss creative ways to cook with one of the best tools around. We go all the way back to the heady days of early Serious Eats, a time when food blogging was starting to find its footing, and Kenji reflects on his time working at the scrappy start-up. We also talk about some of his favorite condiments and spices and what foods he enjoys most in the kitchen. Additional Reading: A Lamb Stew With a French Onion Twist [New York Times] The Scientific Methods of J. Kenji López-Alt [Seattle Met] J. Kenji López-Alt says Seattle’s bagels are as good as New York’s [Seattle Times] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, we’re sitting down with longtime food writer and cookbook author Cathy Barrow. Cathy’s the author of Mrs. Wheelbarrow’s Practical Pantry, Pie Squared, and When Pies Fly. Her most recent book, Bagels, Schmears, and a Nice Piece of Fish, makes the case for bagels at home. As she points out, if you throw together the dough before bed and proof it in the refrigerator overnight, boiling and baking in the morning is a complete breeze. We discussed some of the biggest bagel myths and truths out there. It turns out that using New York City tap water isn’t really a necessity, but getting the right flour is. Check out Cathy’s book: Bagels, Schmears, and a Nice Piece of Fish Pick up Some Ingredients for Bagels at Home: High-Gluten Flour Non-Diastatic Malt Powder Pumpernickel Flour Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show we are speaking with one of the clearest and most singular voices in Italian cooking in New York City, Missy Robbins. In the episode, we turn back the clock to the heady days of Missy running two major NYC restaurants in the late aughts, as well as discuss her current hit Brooklyn restaurants Lilia and Misi. We also talk about her new cookbook, Pasta: The Spirit and Craft of Italy’s Greatest Food, with Recipes, which she wrote with our former TASTE colleague and friend Talia Baiocchi. We find out about the duo’s extensive research and reporting, and how the book has taken off online since it was released last fall. Have you spotted folks stamping out pasta coins on the internet? We have. Additional Reading: 45 Pasta Shapes and Counting [TASTE] Recipe: Spaghetti alla Puttanesca [Pasta] Recipe: Spaghetti with Colatura and Bread Crumbs [Pasta] Buy the book: Pasta: The Spirit and Craft of Italy’s Greatest Food, with Recipes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we’re sitting down with Mark Canha, the biggest food personality in Major League Baseball. Mark is an itinerant diner who documents his eating and cooking on Instagram as @bigleaguefoodie. We asked him about his pregame eating rituals, as well as some of the restaurants in New York that he’s most excited to check out as a new player for the New York Mets. We also talked about some untapped markets for Italian stadium food served in plastic souvenir helmet bowls. Later in this episode, hosts Matt Rodbard and Anna Hezel catch up about the most exciting things they’ve cooked and eaten in the last few weeks. Additional Reading: In Singapore, Lunar New Year is a Multicultural Feast [New York Times] Skillet Greens with Runny Eggs, Peas, and Pancetta [New York Times] NY Indonesian Food Bazaar [Facebook] Smorgasburg LA Danny Boy’s Famous Original Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the past year and a half, Daniela Galarza has written one of our favorite things on the internet: a four-day-a-week cooking column for the Washington Post food section, Eat Voraciously. In this episode, we hear about Daniela’s journey from pastry cook and private chef to holding down editorial jobs at LA Weekly, Eater, and the Post. We also talk about some of the great work she’s done as a writer for TASTE, particularly focusing on pastry and desserts. And she answers the burning questions of the day: What makes a great recipe, and what makes a great food newsletter? Additional reading: The Tart That Launched a Thousand Tarts [TASTE] Spain’s Burnt Cheesecake Breaks All the Rules [TASTE] Big Crisp Energy [TASTE] How do you like to cook your least favorite veggies? We’ve got ideas, too. [WaPo] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show, we’re catching up with Gary Shteyngart, a New York Times best-selling novelist and food writer who has written memorable books including The Russian Debutante’s Handbook, Super Sad True Love Story, and his most recent work, the rollicking pandemic satire Our Country Friends. In this episode, we talk about some of Shteyngart’s world travels, both as a hired gun and for fun, as well as what he’s eating and drinking in his Upstate New York home. We also remember New York City restaurants from the 1990s and early 2000s, including fond memories of the long-lost Meatpacking District bistro Florent, which plays a role in his most recent novel. Check out Gary Shteyngart’s recent book Our Country Friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of the podcast, we’re talking to Fany Gerson, the pastry chef mastermind behind La Newyorkina, Dough, and, most recently, Fan-Fan Doughnuts in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. In addition to making some of New York’s most legendary doughnuts, Fany has written extensively about the paletas, ice creams, and other sweets of Mexico, where she grew up. We talked about the secret ingredient that makes her yeasted doughnuts special, how the fan-fan (her signature eclair-like doughnut baton) came about, and some of the best, often-overlooked Mexican food in New York. Later on the show, hosts Anna Hezel and Matt Rodbard discuss the ever-present, ever-evolving world of fad diets. Additional Reading: Mexican Desserts and the Magical Can [TASTE] Inside Fany Gerson’s Brand-new Doughnut Shop [Grub Street] The Best Advice After Trying Every Fad Diet? Just Eat. [TASTE] When SnackWell’s Was the Flavor of Permissible Indulgence [TASTE] The Summer of Halo Top [TASTE] Buy Fany’s cookbooks: My Sweet Mexico, Paletas, Mexican Ice Cream Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show, we’re talking to Hrishikesh Hirway, the musician behind The One AM Radio, the podcaster behind The West Wing Weekly and Song Exploder, and the host of Netflix’s adaptation of Song Exploder. In addition to collaborating with Yo-Yo Ma and interviewing musicians like Michael Stipe and Alicia Keys, Hrishikesh is also the cohost, with Samin Nosrat, of Home Cooking, which has quickly become one of our favorite food podcasts during the pandemic. We talked about the joys of savory oatmeal, lessons learned from hosting a call-in show about cooking, and a very special mango pie. We also got to hear about an exciting new EP that’s hot off the presses. Additional reading and listening: Accept Cookies [Substack] A Very American Mango Pie, Inspired by Indian Aunties [The New York Times] Song Exploder, The West Wing Weekly, Home Cooking Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show, we have a colorful conversation with Cara Nicoletti, a fourth-generation butcher, writer, and cofounder of the vegetable-centric sausage company Seemore Meats & Veggies. We’ve fallen hard for these sausages, which are made with 35 percent vegetables, and we wanted to have Cara on the podcast to talk about how she went from working at the legendary Meat Hook butcher shop in Brooklyn to disrupting the sausage game. We also talk about the many problems with the massive investment and growth of the plant-based meat megacompanies, and how TASTE readers can buy better at their local butcher shops. Also on the program, hosts Anna Hezel and Matt Rodbard discuss all things chicken soup: the many versions made around the world, and how the recipe is interpreted in some of our favorite recent cookbooks. Matt also remembers many a fine bowl of Detroit Lions’ loss chicken soup. Additional reading: Can Chicken Soup Save Us? [TASTE] Samgyetang: Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup [TASTE] Cooking At Home by David Change and Priya Krishna Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Anna sits down with longtime chef and sustainable seafood advocate Bart van Olphen. The Dutch chef has written many cookbooks for an international audience (including several on the topic of tinned fish), and he’s the founder of Sea Tales, a company that sells sustainable canned tuna, anchovies, and sardines. They talked about why tinned fish is having a moment, how to shop responsibly for seafood, and Bart’s newest book, Veggies & Fish. Later on the show, Anna talks to author and alternative medicine advocate Deepak Chopra about mindful holiday eating and why the self-care industrial complex might not be such a bad thing. Deepak has some thoughts about how to eat well (and thoughtfully), even in the midst of a hectic travel schedule or a deluge of holiday celebrations. Buy the books: Veggies & Fish, by Bart van Olphen Total Meditation, by Deepak Chopra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One morning this fall, Matt found himself in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, seated in the front yard of Edy’s Grocer, the remarkable deli and specialty food shop run by the amazing young entrepreneur Edy Massih, who joins him on the show today. Massih formerly worked as a caterer, and during the pandemic, he took over a storefront and began selling all sorts of delicious foods—all with a modern and exciting point of view. There’s a long list of mezze—Lebanese small plates like baba ganoush, rosy ricotta, and za’atar goat cheese—as well as harissa paste, jams, oils, and packaged spice rubs. It’s a delightful shop, cared for with the greatest eye for detail and deliciousness. We find out how the store began and how its ambitious owner is making things work during this challenging time to be running a food business. Additional reading: Edy Massih Wants to Be 'the Middle Eastern Martha Stewart' [Grub Street] The Dish: Chef Edy Massih on Lebanese roots, new shop [CBS This Morning] He Rescued an NYC Deli So He Could Share Lebanese Food With the World [The Manual] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt met author and television writer Jean Kyoung Frazier through Instagram during last year’s NBA playoffs. She is a Los Angeles Clippers fan, he’s a Brooklyn Nets fan, and they had a lot to talk about. But what most inspired the exchange, and eventually this episode, is Jean’s novel Pizza Girl, which is based partially in a suburban Los Angeles pizzeria. We speak with Jean about how she writes about food in her fiction, as well as not writing about food on Law & Order: Organized Crime. We also talk about her upbringing in Southern California—the food, the hoops, and how pizza topped with pickles plays as a critical plot point in her work. Also on the show, hosts Anna Hezel and Matt Rodbard talk about some of the winter cooking projects and goals they will be undertaking during the colder months ahead. We go through a year of buying cookbooks and clipping recipes on the internet, but sometimes we run out of time to actually make them. Winter is a time to make things happen, and your cohosts have some thoughts about cannelloni, kimbap, khao soi, chocoflan, fresh tortillas, and pan pizza. Additional reading: Writing Toward Feeling: An Interview with Jean Kyoung Frazier [The Rumpus] Long Distance with Jean Kyoung Frazier [Literary Arts] Buy the book: Pizza Girl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve caught some of the exciting new writing coming from the relaunch of Gawker, you may have read some food writing by Tammie Teclemariam, who’s been taking down moka pots, making the case for buying a whole ham, and lauding the Black Russian as a far superior alternative to the espresso martini craze. Tammie’s also written for TASTE about the virtues of fried chicken livers, how Caraflex is the ultimate cabbage flex, and why mozzarella in carrozza is the fanciest iteration of a grilled cheese. We talked about some of the joys (and terrors) of whole-ham ownership, as well as a few unexpectedly cool ideas for holiday drinking. After recording the episode, it was announced that Tammie will be New York Magazine’s first ever Diner-at-Large. You can follow along with her eating and writing in 2022 here. Also on this episode, hosts Anna Hezel and Matt Rodbard dive into the topic of nonalcoholic drinks for celebratory occasions—all of the sodas, seltzers, and beers that are worth pulling out for a toast, including drinks from Kimino, Casamara Club, and Athletic Brewing. Finally, Matt recalls his grandma Gert’s stash of Canfield’s Diet Chocolate Fudge in Highland Park, Illinois. Additional reading: On the Acquisition and Maintenance of a Ham [Gawker] Moka Pots Make Shitty Coffee [Gawker] If You “Like” Espresso Martinis You’ll Love the Black Russian [Gawker] Have You Fried a Chicken Liver Lately? [TASTE] The Grilled Cheese Gets Regal [TASTE] The Year I Ate New York [New York Magazine] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Samah Dada is the brainpower behind Dada Eats, a recipe blog that has blossomed into a plant-based lifestyle brand. We got to know Samah a few years back at a TASTE Podcast taping at Books Are Magic, and we have been following her career as she’s grown from Today Show production assistant to author of Dada Eats: Love to Cook It. In this interview, we talk about her recipes for chocolate chip cookie pie and the “best dal ever” (controversial!) while diving into her understated and, we'd say, highly seasoned take on plant-based cooking. Samah’s vibe is fun and approachable, and the lack of meat and dairy in her recipes is sorta less emphasized. We also talk about the challenge of baking with avocado and her time working food TV. Additional reading: How Samah Dada Got The Confidence To Share More Personal Recipes [Cherry Bombe] Chocolate chip cookie pie [Dada Eats] 2 Easy Plant-Based Dinner Recipes For When You're Cooking Solo [Today] Buy the book: Dada Eats: Love to Cook It Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our guest today needs little introduction—but if you didn’t grow up watching cooking on television over the past 20 years, here’s the deal. Jamie Oliver pioneered a form of food television that brought cameras into the home in a way not previously seen. When the Naked Chef debuted on BBC Two in the UK and the Food Network in the United States in 1999, home cooking on TV was a stand-and-stir affair. Here, a young and floppy Oliver was cooking real food from a cool East London flat, talking viewers through the relative simplicity of making dinner. Oliver has gone on to write numerous cookbooks (selling 50 million in the UK alone) and create food TV that expanded beyond cooking, producing documentaries about the sugar industry and school lunches that transitioned his work from dude food evangelist to heartier activism. Oliver was a joy to have on the program, and we talk about the early days of his television career, working at the River Café with the legends Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray, and a pressing question: Blur vs. Oasis (while discussing bassist turned cheese maker Alex James). We also learn about his latest book, Together: Memorable Meals Made Easy. Additional reading and viewing: Jamie Oliver’s first TV appearance in 1997 [YouTube] It’s Not Always Excellent to Be Jamie Oliver [The New York Times] Keep Cooking and Carry On [Jamie Oliver website] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The truly unique food worldview of chef and entrepreneur Lucas Sin is shaped by a Hong Kong upbringing, a US education, and a deep love for culinary history, which we talk about in this entertaining interview with one of the food world’s rising stars. We also discuss his love of the Midwest—Michigan in particular—and how his work at his restaurants, Junzi and Nice Day, is partially based on a drive to “reeducate” Americans about Chinese American food, which represents over 45,000 independent mom-and-pop restaurants around the country. And if you haven’t followed Lucas on Instagram, you are missing out. Also on this episode, cohosts Anna Hezel and Matt Rodbard talk about cooking the whole fish! There are many techniques being presented in the recent crop of cookbooks released this fall. They debunk some of the myths about the difficulty of cooking the whole fish (it needn’t be hard), and they each share some of their fondest memories of cooking whole fish at home and enjoying it around the world. Additional reading: A Course Correction for American Chinese Food [TASTE] Best New Chefs 2021: Lucas Sin [Food & Wine] 1 Fried Rice, 4 Ways [YouTube] Grab That Whole Fish By the Tail [TASTE] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Archestratus is Paige Lipari’s Greenpoint, Brooklyn, café and cookbook store. For over six years, the store—stacked neatly with copies of new and used titles, as well as dusty magazines and long-forgotten reference materials, with a stellar Sicilian restaurant attached—has become one of New York City’s go-to spots for exceptionally curated book browsing paired with molten arancini. In this episode, we speak with Lipari about how one of the country’s finest cookbook stores survived the pandemic—and eventually grew, with a recent expansion. We also talk about many of her favorite fall cookbooks, just in time for the holiday book buying season. Have you picked up a title today? Archestratus will have what you are looking for. Also on the show, we speak with Cathy Erway. She’s a journalist, podcast hosting legend, and TASTE columnist. We talk about some of her recent work, including stories about sugar, sesame oil, and chile powder. We also discuss her recent cookbook collaboration, and the process of collaborating on cookbooks with chefs more broadly. Additional reading: How Many Chile Powders Does Your Kitchen Need? [TASTE] When White Sugar Won’t Do [TASTE] Spring for the Good Sesame Oil Already [TASTE] Visit Archestratus online at: archestrat.us/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices