Today on Bagel Issues, Dave, Nastassia and The Rest answer a bunch of listener questions. Topics include: the mineral content of seltzer and how it affects perceived carbonation, how to improve the insulation of your oven, something about milk punch, and, for reasons I cannot recall, centrifugal birth machines. Plus, a listener question about bagel toppings launches Dave into an extended monologue on how to prepare home cooked salmon, and why hickory smoke powder is the secret ingredient. Have a...
Apr 30, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 453
On today's episode of Choosing Issues, Dave quizzes Nastassia and The Rest on everybody's favorite schnitzel, favorite candy, favorite cereal, favorite fruit to binge eat, favorite canned fish, and so on. Plus, it's a listener question blitz: milk- & fat-washing, air-frying, baking with steam, and many more. Plus, a well-researched critique of tee pee manufacturing and manual writing. Have a question for Cooking Issues? Send us a voicememo while we’re all social distancing or ask in the chat...
Apr 22, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 452
On today's episode of Sharpening Issues, Dave, Nastassia and The Rest welcome Frankie Celenza to talk about building your own batterie de cuisine (aka how to outfit your kitchen if you were starting from scratch). They rank the items they consider essential and cover tips like how to take care of your non-stick pans, recommendations for sharpening knives, unlikely ideas for wiring your house, and much more. Plus, Frankie shares stories from a low-temp class he took with Dave a decade ago, and Da...
Apr 15, 2021•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 451
On today's episode of Harvesting Issues, Dave, Nastassia and The Rest welcome Heather Marold Thomason of Primal Supply Meats , a whole animal butcher in Philadelphia. Heather fields a variety of questions from listeners on meat cuts, prices, USDA regulations, and more. Plus, Heather talks through her decision tree she uses when advising customers, and Dave repeatedly pitches Heather on meat glue. Have a question for Cooking Issues? Send us a voicememo while we’re all social distancing or ask in ...
Apr 06, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 450
On today's episode of Aging Issues, Nastassia and The Rest wish Dave a Very. Happy. Birthday. Dave and Nastassia fondly recall birthday parties past, and educate us on their fanciest easter egg treats: cascarones and panoramic eggs. Nastassia recounts her recent teepee ownership woes, and Dave struggles to say the word "carcinization." Plus, questions and answers about food. Have a question for Cooking Issues? Send us a voicememo while we’re all social distancing or ask in the chatroom . Heritag...
Apr 01, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 449
On today's episode of Combi Issues, Dave, technically joined by Nastassia and The Rest, goes deep on Combi Ovens with special Guest Scott Heimendinger. Scott works at Anova (previously at Sansaire ) and deftly fields a variety of questions from Dave and the CI listeners. They cover how the controls work; the history of combi oven development; the materials used and potential issues; and much more. Plus, Scott troubleshoots some of Dave's tests with the oven and Dave tells the tale of the Great S...
Mar 24, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 448
On today's episode of SKU Issues, Dave, Nastassia, and The Rest refine their Potatohead bar concept. They also discuss how to handle an endless soft-serve party; tell you why there are 8000 types of Doritos on the shelves; briefly discuss the benefits of calcium cross-linking; and Dave tells stories of Bagna Càuda fails and scrapyard successes. Have a question for Cooking Issues? Send us a voicememo while we’re all social distancing or ask in the chatroom . Heritage Radio Network is a listener s...
Mar 17, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 447
On today's episode Art Appreciation Issues, Dave, Nastassia and The Rest welcome Peter Kim, of MOFAD-fame, back to the show. Peter makes his triumphant return to the show to talk about his new podcast Counterjam , in which he interviews chefs and musicians about the food they love. Peter shares some of his favorite moments from his first season in between getting grilled on his Injera recipe and opinions on Fufu. Plus, listener questions on carbonation, cooking whelks, double-vessel pressure coo...
Mar 10, 2021•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 446
On this week's episode of Olfactory Issues, Dave, Nastassia and The Rest are joined by a supergroup of scientists. We have returning friends of the show Arielle Johnson & Harold McGee , plus newcomer Sandeep Robert Datta . Dr. Datta has been researching the effects of COVID-19 on our sense of smell and this episode tackles what we know and what we don't, including: how this loss of smell is different from the loss you might get from the common cold; speculations on the mechanisms involved; h...
Mar 03, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 445
On today's episode of Wagering Issues, Dave, Nastassia and 1/2 of The Rest are all over the place. Want to know how to impart big pear flavor in cocktails? We've got that. Want to apply to be the in-house Plate Spinner at Booker & Dax? Find out more here. Afraid to ingest liquid nitrogen? So are we! Plus, a listener writes in with suggestions on oysters and the crabs that love them. #FreeNastassia Have a question for Cooking Issues? Send us a voicememo while we’re all social distancing or as...
Feb 24, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 444
On this week's Trafficking Issues, Dave and Nastassia have been abandoned by Jean, who is on jury duty. Despite being down a man, they soldier on to answer a number questions about: building your own rotary evaporators, lies about biodegradable bags, the addition of yeast in sourdough, crisping sweet potato fries, and much more. Plus, Dave & Nastassia quiz Matt on the ethics of skimming from your friends' special deliveries. Have a question for Cooking Issues? Send us a voicememo while we’re...
Feb 18, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 443
On today's episode of Cooking Issues, we remember Dave's editor extraordinaire, Maria Guarnaschelli, whom we lost this weekend. We are honored to be joined by her daughter, Alex Guarnaschelli , as well as a variety of authors who worked with Maria; Rick Bayless , Kenji López-Alt , Jim Lahey , and Harold McGee . Together they share some of their favorite memories of Maria. Have a question for Cooking Issues? Send us a voicememo while we’re all social distancing or ask in the chatroom . Photo by B...
Feb 10, 2021•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 442
On today's episode of Magician Issues, Dave, Nastassia and The Rest are joined by Aaron Polsky and Jackie Molecules to celebrate Jack's birthday and Nastassia's last week in California. First up, myth busters! Jean helps bust last week's myth about accelerated banana ripening, and then the whole team takes a crack at an egg yolk trick from a popular Tik Tok video. Then we're off to the races with listener questions including carbonation, maple syrup protection, hot sauce discoloration, and more....
Feb 04, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 441
On today's episode of Reputation Issues, Dave, Nastassia and The Rest continue to answer listener questions at a blistering pace. First, they dispatch with some follow up questions on toaster ovens and book recommendations: Matt Sartwell gets back to us for books about the workings of restaurant management: Work Clean by Dan Charnas and On the Line by Eric Repeirt . Then we move on to the worst of cheap wine varietals; how to achieve the perfect hamburger bun at home; would we eat oyster crabs?;...
Jan 27, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 440
Today's episode is wall-to-wall listener questions, bookended by Catastrophic Connection Issues. Fun! Dave, Nastassia and The Rest go through so many topics: coffee clarification; salt absorption over time; instructions for sous-vide tenderloin; what Dave means when he writes about "dilution"; the rules for re-using fry oil; and more! Plus, Dave quizzes everybody on their reactions to " The Best Kitchen Gadgets That Unnecessarily Do Exactly One Thing Well ." Have a question for Cooking Issues? S...
Jan 21, 2021•59 min•Ep. 439
Today on Topographical Issues, Dave, Nastassia and The Rest are joined by Rebecca "The Boondoggler" Palkovics. Together the team tries to explain to (possible Flat Earther?) Nastassia Lopez how time zones work. They also tackle questions on Rye Bread, Nitrogenating Coffee, which bouillon is best, and discuss Charlie Chaplin's body of work. Plus, why you should be afraid of microwaves. Sign up for the Booker & Dax newsletter here to learn even more about the gang's Loves and Hates . Have a qu...
Jan 14, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 438
Today on Polypropylene Issues, Dave, Nastassia and The Rest are joined by from Joel Gargano of Grano Arso in Chester, CT. After a brief foray into using welding equipment for wine storage, they dive into all things pasta: extruding pasta and meat, dried vs fresh pasta, secrets for making gnocchi, etc. Plus, Dave quickly weighs in on the topic of ceramic knives, and knife sharpening generally. Have a question for Cooking Issues? Send us a voicememo while we’re all social distancing or ask in the ...
Jan 07, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 437
On today's episode of Blipping Issues, Dave, Nastassia and The Rest tackle a bunch of listener questions. Dave shares his advice for young bartenders, and tries to troubleshoot some pectin and carbonation problems. Plus, the crew speculates on the specifics of Claire's Kendall-Jackson Juice Cleanse and Matt learns that he's been a Tuna Casserole fan this whole time. Have a question for Cooking Issues? Send us a voicememo while we’re all social distancing or ask in the chatroom . Image by YuMaNuM...
Dec 29, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 436
This week on Standard Issues, Dave, Nastassia and The Rest are joined by Saint Larry David, The Pope, and Phil Bravo to celebrate Christmas. Phil quizzes Dave on Scotch Egg prep. Matt quizzes Dave on Skate Allergies. Dave quizzes Phil on his vocal repertoire. Plus, proper cook temps for chicken, the do's and don'ts of aging egg nog, more on the Amazon saga, and, of course, You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch. Have a question for Cooking Issues? Send us a voicememo while we’re all social distancing or ...
Dec 23, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 435
On today's episode of Computer Issues, Dave, Nastassia, and The Rest are joined by Rebecca "The Boondoggler" Palkovics and today's special guest: Joey Skladany . Joey is the author of Basic Bitchen and he and Dave get to the bottom of where their opinions align (open office floor plans; year-round Rosé) and where they diverge (Stevia; truffle mac and cheese). Plus Joey shares his lightning survival story, forgives the cilantro-haters, and finds his soul mate during the show. Have a question for ...
Dec 17, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 434
On today's episode of Waking Issues, Dave, Nastassia and The Rest are joined by Melissa Weller to talk about all things baking. Melissa is the author of A Good Bake: The Art and Science of Making Perfect Pastries, Cakes, Cookies, Pies and Breads at Home and she answers tons of questions from Dave and the listeners about why to use Glass Pie Plates, what to do if you need to avoid salt in your baked goods, and more. Plus, Dave grills Melissa on why she snubs bagels in her book. Have a question fo...
Dec 10, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 433
On today's episode of Soda Smuggling Issues, Dave, Nastassia and The Rest talk about some Thanksgiving leftovers. Dave makes a pitch for Maangchi's potato dumpling recipe and shares some of his most notorious falafel and gnocchi disasters. Plus, we are blessed with a visit from Dax Arnold, who wants to mobilize the CI listeners to find him some O.G. cranberry Sprite. Plus, you know: how to make B&D's Corn Star, exhaust fan issues, salt in coffee, and much, much more. Have a question for Cook...
Dec 03, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 432
On today's episode of Causing Issues, Dave, Nastassia and The Rest tackle your Thanksgiving Questions. Well, first there's a brief foray into the most recent Amazon / Searzall debacle. Then they tackle their favorite casseroles, how to handle extra leftovers this year, how to make delicious stuffing if you're skipping the turkey this year, and much more. Looking for a Searzall this holiday season? It kind of sounds like the Ben To Table x Booker & Dax holiday collaboration may be the only pl...
Nov 25, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 431
On today's episode of Velveting Issues, Dave, Nastassia, and the Rest welcome James Briscione, author and executive chef at Angelena's , James is on to discuss his new book Flavor For All , but before we dive into that Ben Simon hops in to tell everyone about the Ben To Table x Booker & Dax holiday collaboration. Check it out at http://www.bookeranddax.com/bdxholiday2020 . James and Dave answer tough questions like: "does anyone like White Chocolate?" and remind eachother of the most annoyin...
Nov 19, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 430
On today's episode of Trans-Continental Issues, Dave, Nastassia and The Rest are joined by The Hammer Quartet (Stass, Aaron Polsky , Pat Posey and Jackie Molecules ) who bang out a sweet intro number to kick us off. Then, the Los Angeles contingent asks Dave all of their questions about dating, love and soup. Plus, they share their go to L.A. bagels, cheap wine selections, and more. Want more music? Check out their magnificent music video here . Have a question for Cooking Issues? Send us a voic...
Nov 12, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 429
On today's episode of Prediction Issues, Dave, Nastassia and The Rest are joined by Pia Sorenson and David Weitz, the dynamic duo who keep inviting Dave and Harold back to Harvard University year after year. Together, the crew dive into their new book Science and Cooking: Physics Meets Food, From Homemade to Haute Cuisine. Topics include further questions on Scandinavian cheese and reindeer burgers, every weird way you can treat an egg, how to assess papers before reading them, how make your own...
Oct 29, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 428
Today on Olfactory Issues Dave, Nastassia & The Rest are joined by the one and only Harold McGee . Together they talk all about our sense of smell to celebrate the release of Harold's latest work, Nose Dive: A Field Guide to the World's Smells . Important questions are asked and answered: Should White Pepper should exist? How to tell if you're a "nose?" What happens if I feed my baby whiskey? Why do some cultures have more or less body odor? Are Spaghetti-o's a good hot tub snack? And much, ...
Oct 22, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 427
On today's episode of Bodega Issues, Dave, Nastassia and The Rest tackle the critical question: "which cheese would you NOT eat?" Plus, a sociological comparison of Suburban Gas Stations and Urban Bodegas, How to reinvigorate your chewing gum, movie recommendations, follow-up questions on inadvisable projects, and much more. Have a question for Cooking Issues? Send us a voicememo while we’re all social distancing or ask in the chatroom . Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit p...
Oct 15, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 426
Today on Wiping Issues, Dave shares terrible memories of dentistry and cheesecake and positive memories of Phoenix, Arizona. Nastassia introduces the 'stass clock - the next incredible technology from Booker & Dax. Plus: mold inhibition in batched fruit cocktails, smokeless fire pits for cooking, and whether you should or should not be concerned about overdosing on licorice. Have a question for Cooking Issues? Send us a voicememo while we’re all social distancing or ask in the chatroom . Her...
Oct 08, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 425
On today's episode of Customer Service Issues Dave, Nastassia and The Rest tell you everything you need to know about cephalopods*, pressure cookers, roto vaps, food-adjacent doom metal, the relative merits of Popeye's and FKC, raw fish safety, raw onion fingers, snail milking, and much much more. And now for something completely different: A listener answer to Dave's question about scales. *No cephalopods were harmed in the making of this episode. Have a question for Cooking Issues? Send us a v...
Oct 01, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 424
