Jamie Oliver returns to the show, and we could not be happier to talk with him about so many things. For those who didn’t grow up watching food TV, here’s the deal. Jamie 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 fl...
Jan 16, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 178
Frankie Gaw is the author of a new cookbook, First Generation , and one of the most original voices writing in food today. In this episode, we talk about his journey from working at Facebook to authoring his book, which is part recipe collection and part memoir. We also talk about his love of Costco, and cooking with Reese’s Puffs cereal (two things we can also get behind). We hope you enjoy this conversation—it’s a good one. More from Frankie Gaw: Frankie Gaw’s Kitchen Is Filled With Dumplings ...
Jan 12, 2023•38 min•Ep. 177
Eunji Lee is a pastry chef running one of New York City’s most exciting new dessert spots, Lysée . Eunji was born in Korea and trained in France before working at some of the world’s top restaurants, including at Alain Ducasse’s Le Meurice in Paris and serving as the pastry chef at Jungsik in New York. Now she has her own dessert studio, Lysée, which has become one of the hottest tickets in the city. On this episode, we find out what it was like competing on one of France’s most popular cooking ...
Jan 10, 2023•28 min•Ep. 176
From Otafuku’s OtaJoy yakisoba to Maya Kaimal tikka masala to Hamburger Helper, the dump-and-stir sauté sauce has been part of our cooking vocabulary for a generation—and for good reason. Packed with powerful flavors and the vapors of nostalgia blowing through a kitchen within minutes, these pouches, bottles, and jars can transform a kitchen in Tulsa to a stove in Kerala, Osaka, Seoul, or Tuscany. Kim Pham , cofounder of start-up food company Omsom , grew up with these sauces in her life, too. I...
Jan 06, 2023•35 min•Ep. 175
John deBary is a bartender extraordinaire, a cookbook author , and a great spokesperson for the bar and restaurant world. This being the start of “dry January” (for those who celebrate), we wanted to have John on to talk about the rise of the nonalcoholic (NA) movement and how spiritless drinking is hardly without spirit. We find out what it was like launching his own NA brand and what the future holds for the term “mixologist.” We always love catching up with John and hope you enjoy this conver...
Jan 03, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 174
"Slow down and have coffee” are some great words to live by, especially if you love coffee as much as Nigel Price —the owner and creative force behind one of the most exciting coffee operations in America: Drip Coffee Makers . On this very exciting episode, we catch up with one of the coolest guys in coffee. We talk about why Nigel loves pour-over coffee so much, as well as some of the big problems with espresso. We also discuss how New Yorkers are embracing his very unique style of service. We’...
Dec 28, 2022•49 min•Ep. 173
Today on the show, we have a great time catching up with Tammie Teclemariam . Tammie is a New York–based writer who, for the past year, served as New York magazine’s The Year I Ate New York columnist—which, as the name suggests, was a rigorous look at New York’s techno-colored dining scene. We find out how she pulled it off, talk about some of her best and worst meals, and learn what’s next for one of our favorite food writers in the game. More from Tammie Teclemariam: The Best (and Worst) of th...
Dec 26, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 172
Today on the show, we have a really amazing conversation with Zosia Mamet . Zosia is an actor, best known for roles on Mad Men , The Flight Attendant , and Girls . She’s also the editor of My First Popsicle: An Anthology of Food and Feelings , a really wonderful collection of short (sometimes very short) stories from a unique cast of characters—fellow actors, food writers, comedians, and novelists. These include Tony Hale, Patti LuPone, Ted Danson, Ruth Reichl, and Jia Tolentino, and we talk abo...
Dec 22, 2022•51 min•Ep. 171
Today on the show, we welcome one of our favorite writers in the game, Jason Diamond . Jason runs the wonderful newsletter The Melt and has written two books, Searching for John Hughes and The Sprawl: Reconsidering the Weird American Suburbs . In this action-packed episode, we cover a great many topics: Spago Rock, time travel, forgotten foods of Chicago, burger night in the Diamond household, and the enigmatic restaurateur Keith McNally. This is only a fraction of what we discuss, and I really ...
Dec 20, 2022•54 min•Ep. 170
Since Cynthia Shanmugalingam was young, she has witnessed the food of her ancestral home, Sri Lanka, through her immigrant parents’ kitchen in London. In this really fun episode, we talk with Cynthia about living in both worlds, as well as how she transitioned from working in finance to writing a cookbook, Rambutan , and opening a restaurant , all in the same year. We also find out what it was like to photograph the book on location with a friend of the show, Alex Lau. Also on, Matt catches up w...
Dec 16, 2022•55 min•Ep. 169
Today, we welcome Matt Sartwell into the studio. Matt is the owner of the legendary New York City bookstore Kitchen Arts & Letters , and he’s one of the biggest supporters of cookbook publishing in the business. On this episode, we find out what it’s like to run an independent cookbook store today, and we go over some of Matt’s favorite cookbooks of the year—including what is selling briskly in the Upper East Side store. Matt also shares his thoughts about what the publishing industry is mis...
Dec 13, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 168
Today, we welcome Rita Sodi and Jody Williams on the show. They are the duo behind some of New York City’s favorite restaurants, including Buvette, the Commerce Inn, I Sodi, and Via Carota—“New York’s Most Perfect Restaurant,” according to the New Yorker . In this episode, we talk about the couple’s new cookbook , a tribute to the West Village’s Via Carota. We also find out how the restaurant stays fresh, what it’s like to expand a brand overseas, and some of their favorite recipes from regional...
Dec 09, 2022•49 min•Ep. 167
Ken Forkish is a legend in bread baking and the Ken behind Ken’s Artisan Bakery and Ken’s Artisan Pizza in Portland, Oregon. He’s also a prolific cookbook writer of favorites like Flour Water Salt Yeast , The Elements of Pizza , and his latest release, Evolutions in Bread: Artisan Pan Breads and Dutch-Oven Loaves at Home . In this entertaining episode, we find out about what it was like for Ken to leave Portland for his new home in Hawaii, and how he launched one of the country’s most influentia...
Dec 07, 2022•55 min•Ep. 166
Fly By Jing is one of the most exciting brands in food, and we were lucky to have the company’s founder, Jing Gao , stop by the studio for a really cool conversation. We find out how the company has grown and grown, from a tiny Kickstarter selling chile crisp to a major player in the competitive condiment wars, now being sold in a great many Targets and Whole Foods in the United States. We also hear about Jing’s upbringing in China and when she knew that Fly By Jing was a winner. We always have ...
Dec 05, 2022•36 min•Ep. 165
We welcome back our good friend Akira Akuto to the show. Akira is the co-owner of Los Angeles sandwich and pastry counter (and so much more) Konbi and one of the more clairvoyant voices in the restaurant world. We talk about many things on this entertaining episode, including lunch vs. dinner bias, paying for good coffee, his go-to LA restaurant rotation, and some strong opinions about New York City. We loved catching up with Akira, and we think you will enjoy this. Also on the show, TASTE contr...
Dec 01, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 164
Jason Stewart is a DJ (playing as Them Jeans) and cohost of How Long Gone , a podcast that dips in and out of the food world with surprising and entertaining frequency. It was so great to have Jason stop by to talk about many things: punching up vs. punching down, cool email jobs, regional Mexican food chain Del Taco, breaking veganism, how Italian food in Italy is mid, Erewhon vs. Gelson’s vs. Ralphs, and Brooks Headley’s Fancy Desserts . If you don’t know TJ, now you do. A real pleasure to hav...
Nov 29, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 163
Wow, we love David Tamarkin so much, and this is such a great interview. We’re old friends and have been reading David since he worked at Time Out Chicago and Epicurious—and he’s now the editorial director at King Arthur Baking Company . How did an award-winning journalist end up working for Big Flour? It’s easy. The guy likes to bake. We talk about the job, a new cookbook King Arthur Baking just released, and look back at the time David was perhaps a little too snarky, a little too tough, on re...
Nov 23, 2022•53 min•Ep. 162
Today on the show, we welcome back one of the most interesting and entertaining voices in food, Lucas Sin . He’s a chef and creator, and he’s behind some of the biggest ideas in home and restaurant cooking. This conversation was recorded the day before Lucas left his longtime home of New York City for a planned multiyear trip around Asia. We get into those details and how this Yale grad and culinary superstar stays fresh. We think you’re going to really dig this talk. More from Lucas Sin: Food &...
Nov 21, 2022•26 min•Ep. 161
Sonia Chopra joined Bon Appétit and Epicurious as executive editor in August 2020, previously working in various roles at Eater for nearly a decade. In this entertaining episode, we find out about Sonia’s journey through food media and how she and her colleagues are putting their own stamp on BA . We also talk about the world’s best toaster oven, as well as the magazine’s big Thanksgiving issue, and how it reflects a change in the way Americans are cooking the big meal this year and for years in...
Nov 17, 2022•55 min•Ep. 160
Tina Choi is the Seoul-based genius behind one of our favorite food YouTube channels around, Doobydobap . In this episode, we find out how Tina grew her incredible following through hard work, a lot of style, and many trips to Korean Costco. We also talk about her food science education at Cornell, and why one of Matt’s favorite cities to visit, Seoul, South Korea, is full of energy and innovation that cannot be matched. We hope you enjoy this extremely fun conversation with Tina Choi. Also on t...
Nov 15, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 159
How cool it is to have Gregory Gourdet on the show. Gregory is a chef and cookbook author based in Portland, Oregon. Many of you may know Gregory from his memorable appearances on Top Chef —as both a contestant and a judge. In this lively conversation, we discuss his ambitious new restaurant in Portland, Kann , his '90s raver past, and vintage Nike fits in the Kann dining room. We also talk about his plans for bringing the spotlight to Haitian cuisine, as well as living a fulfilled life of sobri...
Nov 11, 2022•41 min•Ep. 158
Pierce Abernathy is a really interesting and multitalented dude, and we were really happy to have him join us in the studio. Pierce is a trained cook, a big-time TikTok and Instagram creator, and a former Buzzfeeder, and he’s been known to model and work with fashion brands in interesting ways. We love the way Pierce thinks and talks about food, and we tap into his background living in Kentucky, cooking in New York, and walking the runway in Italy. Pierce is a rising star in food for all the rig...
Nov 08, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 157
Osayi Endolyn is a journalist, cookbook author, and cultural commentator of the highest degree. In this action-packed episode, we talk about her latest cookbook project, Ghetto Gastro Presents Black Power Kitchen . We find out about what goes into writing a cookbook that isn’t structured like a typical cookbook, and we go back to hear about Osayi’s life growing up around California, her early work in TV and film, and her assessment of what the Ghetto Gastro authors describe as “hood Chinese” foo...
Nov 04, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 156
Today on the show, we have Claire Saffitz stopping by for a really entertaining conversation. Claire is the author of a new cookbook, What’s For Dessert , and she’s truly one of our favorite cooking instructors and personalities on the internet. We talk about how to visualize a recipe before baking it, as well as some of the common bakeware mistakes we are all making. Dark bakeware is a big no-no! We also hear a little bit about her journey from Harvard to the kitchens of France to millions of Y...
Nov 01, 2022•51 min•Ep. 155
Kaitlin and Sarah Leung join us in the studio to talk about their long-running online food blog The Woks of Life . For anybody who has ever held a wok over high heat, The Woks of Life has been a steady hand helping you along the way. In this fun episode, we talk about how the pair went professional with their blog and how they wrote their new cookbook, The Woks of Life , with their parents. That’s four authors—two parents and two siblings—for those who are counting. We also find out some answers...
Oct 28, 2022•50 min•Ep. 154
It was really fun having Molly Yeh join us in the studio for an absolute riot of a conversation. Molly is legitimately one of the funniest writers (and guests) that we’ve encountered in a long time, and we get into all sorts of topics on the show. We talk about what makes a great Hallmark Channel movie, and we theorize about how she will possibly star in one one day. We also talk about Little House on the Prairie (the TV show) and how Molly is living her best life in North Dakota, and we dive in...
Oct 25, 2022•59 min•Ep. 153
If you’ve checked out Instagram lately, chances are you’ve spotted one of Hannah Ziskin ’s slab cakes, princess cakes, and fruit custard tarts making the algorithm rounds. Hannah is the co-owner and pastry chef at Echo Park’s Quarter Sheets Pizza in Los Angeles. She runs Quarter Sheets with her partner, Aaron Lindell, and on this episode, we talk about the unlikely marriage of pan pizza and sheet cake. We also find out what it’s like running one of LA’s buzziest restaurants, and how she gets it ...
Oct 21, 2022•44 min•Ep. 152
What a joy it is to have Claudia Fleming live in the studio. Claudia is the executive pastry director of Union Square Hospitality Group and the author of the new cookbook Delectable: Sweet and Savory Baking . But many listeners may know Claudia best from her iconic (and once out of print) first cookbook, The Last Course . In this episode, we dive into Claudia’s long career working in New York City restaurants and writing books. We find out how the pandemic brought a great opportunity to write De...
Oct 19, 2022•58 min•Ep. 151
Helen Rosner returns to the TASTE Podcast, and we couldn’t be happier. Helen is a journalist, Twitter commentator, and staff writer covering food at the New Yorker . We wanted to have Helen into the studio to talk about some of her recent stories, including writing about roasting duck at home, the Chicago-style hot dog, and the busy fall cookbook season. We also discuss the epic Twitter thread, bursting with wisdom and common sense, that she wrote on her 40th birthday. But we mostly just wanted ...
Oct 17, 2022•54 min•Ep. 150
It was with great anticipation, and some unknowns, that we spoke with George Saunders , the author of many works, including the Booker Prize–winning Lincoln in the Bardo . This is a really great conversation that switches gears often. We talk about pizza and Italian delis on the South Side of Chicago, as well as lunch in the Texas oil fields. We talk about success in the kitchen and how intuition crashes together with luck. We talk about food in the year 2300. We talk about the near future and m...
Oct 13, 2022•46 min•Ep. 149
