Here are two classic conversations with two of our favorite people in food. 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...
Oct 21, 2023•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 298
Luke Fortney is a reporter at Eater New York , where he keeps an eagle eye on openings and closings, plus trends like the city’s burgeoning breakfast burrito scene. Aliza had him on the show to talk about what it’s like staying on top of New York’s ever-shifting dining landscape. Whether you live in New York City or you’re thinking about taking a trip there, it’s a must-listen. Also on the show Matt catches up with British cookbook author, journalist, and chef Ravinder Bhogal to speak about her ...
Oct 20, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 297
What a fun time it is having Max La Manna in the studio. Max is a recipe developer and former NYC and Los Angeles line cook. He’s also big on TikTok and various other social media channels, and we get into what makes a great food video as well as hearing about Max’s journey. We also talk about Max’s new cookbook, You Can Cook This! Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple , or star us on Spotify . We'd love to hear from you. MORE FROM MAX LA MANNA: Sun-Dried Tomato “Meatballs” [offi...
Oct 18, 2023•35 min•Ep. 296
As writer and podcast host Chris Black tells it, he sits at the heart of American culture. “The bridge between the high and the low; the very high and the very low.” This is a very good—and often entertaining—place to live, and in this episode we get to know Chris a bit better through his particular takes on restaurant culture, home cooking, cookbooks, and the two cities he spends the most time in: New York and Los Angeles. Chris is the cohost of How Long Gone (along with Noma beat reporter Jaso...
Oct 16, 2023•46 min•Ep. 295
Robert Simonson writes about cocktails, spirits, bars, and bartenders for the New York Times and is the creator and author of the Substack newsletter The Mix With Robert Simonson . In this episode we talk about his terrific new book, The Encyclopedia of Cocktails: The People, Bars & Drinks, with More Than 100 Recipes . The book is amazing in that it covers the world of modern drinking (the people, places, and watering holes) without being dry or overly earnest. Simonson cuts to the heart of ...
Oct 13, 2023•47 min•Ep. 294
We’ve long been fans of cookbook author and creative thinker Molly Baz , and many of you have too. With a signature voice and absolutely wild recipe development skills (as well as years of professional cooking under her belt), Molly has won over millions of fans worldwide. Her debut book Cook This Book was a New York Times Best Seller, and she’s back with a new one, More Is More , that taps into the food world’s more maximalist urges. This is a really fun talk with one of the strongest voices in...
Oct 11, 2023•31 min•Ep. 293
Dwight Garner has been a book critic for the New York Times since 2008, and he has now written one of our favorite food books in years (not an exaggeration). The Upstairs Delicatessen is a book about “eating, reading, reading about eating, and eating while reading.” This is completely, 100% our bag, and Dwight’s style and rhythm had us reading until we were full (and then some). In this extremely fun episode, Dwight shares the book’s origins and digs into some of his most memorable meals and boo...
Oct 09, 2023•46 min•Ep. 292
Hillary Dixler Canavan is Eater’s restaurant editor and the author of the publication’s debut book, Eater: 100 Essential Restaurant Recipes From the Authority on Where to Eat and Why It Matters . On this lively episode we talk about Hillary’s reporting for Eater’s debut cookbook, and how one wrangles recipes from chefs without going nuts. We also hear about Hillary’s work covering the national restaurant scene, and, of course, get her favorites in New York, Los Angeles, and beyond. This is a gre...
Oct 06, 2023•51 min•Ep. 291
Laurent Dagenais is one of our favorite chefs online today, and many others agree. He has grown his following to more than three million across his social media accounts and carved out a really cool space that blends streetwear, French Canadian cooking, and good vibes. Laurent was born and raised in Montreal, and in this episode, we find out about his path from journeyman line cook to blowing up on TikTok and IG . We find out what makes a great video and what inspired his new cookbook, Always Hu...
Oct 04, 2023•37 min•Ep. 290
Chris Shepherd is a chef and writer based in Houston, Texas, and the cofounder of Southern Smoke Foundation , a nonprofit geared toward helping members of the restaurant community. On this episode we have a lively conversation about the food scene in Chris’s hometown, what it was like leaving his restaurant group, and his cookbook: Cook Like a Local . This is such an inspiring talk, and we hope you enjoy it. Also on the show, Aliza and Matt talk about Matt’s trip to Houston , where he had an inc...
Oct 02, 2023•51 min•Ep. 289
How much do you know about olive oil? After this episode, a lot more. Skyler Mapes , cofounder of EXAU Olive Oil and coauthor of the new book The Olive Oil Enthusiast , joined us from her home in Calabria, Italy, to drop invaluable olive oil knowledge from harvest to bottle, plus Italy travel tips and more. It’s a fun episode, and we hope you’ll enjoy it. Also on the show, Aliza and Matt go over three things they each are enjoying, including: The Neon Croissant , JJ Johnson's great new book The ...
Sep 29, 2023•43 min•Ep. 288
Pat LaFrieda is one of the world’s most celebrated butchers and sells ground beef, strip steaks, and rib eyes to more than a thousand New York City restaurants alone. On this episode we talk about the birth of the boutique burger blend, tracing its lineage back to Minetta Tavern, and dig deep into the meat business. We also discuss Pat’s own personal favorite way to cook a steak, roast a chicken, and dress a hamburger, with a couple of very specific choices. It was really fun getting to know the...
Sep 27, 2023•49 min•Ep. 287
Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel is the chef and co-owner of Birdie’s , an Austin, Texas, restaurant that is innovative and exciting, and by far one of our favorite meals of the year. On this episode, we speak with Tracy about her journey from cooking at Lula Cafe in Chicago to working the line at some of New York’s most acclaimed places—Del Posto, Blue Hill, and Gramercy Tavern—and how she met her partner in life and business, Arjav. We talk about what excites her about restaurants and dig into some of B...
Sep 25, 2023•50 min•Ep. 286
Here are three classic conversations from This Is TASTE with three key members of the New York Times food desk. Melissa Clark is a prolific cookbook author, longtime NYT columnist, and one of the most respected food writers in the game. In this interview, we talk about her days collaborating with great chefs including Daniel Boulud, David Bouley, and Claudia Fleming, as well as her action-packed cookbook career. Genevieve Ko is a deputy editor of New York Times Cooking and the Food section, as w...
Sep 23, 2023•2 hr 22 min•Ep. 285
Clare de Boer is the chef-owner of Stissing House , a restaurant located in New York’s Hudson Valley and one we like very, very much. Clare is also the chef-owner of two New York City restaurants, King and Jupiter. On this episode, we speak with Clare about her time cooking at the River Cafe in London and her journey to America to open some of the country’s best restaurants. We also talk about her writing career , a forthcoming King cookbook, and some of the restaurants she is excited about righ...
Sep 22, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 284
Michael Symon is the star of Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out and the author of a great new cookbook, Simply Symon Suppers , as well as a longtime TV host, Iron Chef, and food commentator. But we know Michael best as a really, really great chef who’s run well-regarded restaurants in New York City and Cleveland, where he was born. On this action-packed episode, we talk about Symon’s Greek and Sicilian background and how he hosts raucous dinner parties in all seasons. We discuss his star turn and what ...
Sep 20, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 283
Jason Hammel is the executive chef and owner of award-winning Lula Cafe in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood. Jason grew up in New Haven, Connecticut, and is the product of a tight-knit Italian family. He studied writing at Brown University and then traveled in Italy, where an accidental stay in an apartment above a produce market left a lasting impression and presaged his career as a chef. In this episode we hear about the 24-year run of Lula Cafe, and about how Jason’s instinct to write blen...
Sep 18, 2023•51 min•Ep. 282
Writer, podcaster , and cookbook collaborator Andrew Friedman has a unique vantage point in talking about chefs and food writing as a profession. He’s worked with some of the most interesting voices in the restaurant world (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 his most recent work, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food , a page-turning, behind-the-sce...
Sep 15, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 281
Sue S. Chan is an expert marketer, brand builder, and all-around busy bee on the global food scene. She was Momofuku’s first brand director, and in this episode we go back to her time helping to build the David Chang empire (and figuring out how to tell DC what to do). She later founded her own agency, Care of Chan , which has become a go-to for major fashion and retail brands looking to engage with the food world. Her current clients include A24, NYT Cooking, Gucci Osteria, Nike, J.Crew, and He...
Sep 13, 2023•46 min•Ep. 280
What a thrill it is to have our friend Adeena Sussman back on the show. Adeena is the author of numerous cookbooks, having cowritten three with Chrissy Teigen, and the voice behind the best-selling Israeli food tome Sababa . Sussman is back with a great new book, Shabbat , and in this episode we talk about the multitudes of Jewish food around the world. We discuss what is so exciting about food in her home base of Tel Aviv and also go over some of the comforting and innovative new recipes in Sha...
Sep 11, 2023•43 min•Ep. 279
Ellen Yin is the founder and co-owner of Philadelphia’s High Street Hospitality Group . She’s behind some of the best restaurants in not just Philly but the entire country, including Fork, High Street on Market, and High Street Provisions. On this episode we speak with Ellen about her journey to hospitality, what’s special about the Philly restaurant scene, and what it was like to win a James Beard Award for America’s top restaurateur. We also talk about the incredible cookbook festival she's or...
Sep 08, 2023•54 min•Ep. 278
James Park is a content creator and the author of Chili Crisp , a sharp look at one of America’s favorite ingredients today. On this episode we speak with James about the different types of chili crisp to buy and make at home, as well as some unexpected discoveries he’s made. We also talk about his upbringing in Korea and dig into the exciting things happening in Korean food these days. We hope you enjoy this talk with James, one of our favorite dudes in food. MORE FROM JAMES PARK: Yes, Chile Cr...
Sep 06, 2023•42 min•Ep. 277
Ben McKean is the founder of Hungryroot , an online grocery retailer that has changed the way millions of Americans cook dinner (and lunch, and breakfast) and taught them to love plant-based cookie dough. On this episode, Ben shares his journey to launching Hungryroot, and we dig into how the modern grocery store is quite broken. We also talk about what it’s like running his company nearly a decade in. Interested? Use promo code TASTE30 for 30% off the first box. MORE FROM BEN MCKEAN: How I Turn...
Sep 04, 2023•41 min•Ep. 276
Chandra Ram is the associate editorial director at Food & Wine and coauthor of cookbooks like Korean BBQ and The Complete Indian Instant Pot Cookbook . On this episode, Chandra takes us into the test kitchen at Food & Wine , and we hear about some of the cool stories she’s been working on. We also talk about how postwar and post-pandemic times share similarities in the way the events have changed the way we cook forever. It’s really great catching up with Chandra. MORE FROM CHANDRA RAM: ...
Sep 01, 2023•48 min•Ep. 275
Susan Spungen is an author, a food stylist, and a real food media legend. She was the founding food editor at Martha Stewart Living, and she has worked in television and film, including teaching Meryl Streep how to flip an omelet. On this episode, we learn about food in 1980s New York, about Susan’s job interview process with Martha, and about her famous sister. We also talk about her wonderful new book, Veg Forward , and why tomatoes will always be our favorite vegetable. Or is it a fruit? MORE...
Aug 30, 2023•48 min•Ep. 274
Becca Millstein is cofounder and CEO of Fishwife , one of the buzziest brands in not just the emerging tinned seafood market but all of food. We had such a fun time catching up with Becca to talk about her brand’s journey from big idea to big-time retail. We also find out where the tinned fish movement is heading and hear about some of the bumps along the road that the company has had to overcome. Finally, we talk about the company’s now-iconic branding—such great branding! We hope you enjoy thi...
Aug 28, 2023•41 min•Ep. 273
Today’s special episode is from our recent conversation with baking cookbook authors Natasha Pickowicz and Claire Saffitz , live at Rizzoli Bookstore in NYC. Natasha is a chef, the founder of the pop-up Never Ending Taste, and the author of More Than Cake . Claire is a recipe developer and the author of the best-selling cookbooks Dessert Person and What’s for Dessert . It’s a fun conversation about developing cult recipes, the cake renaissance, summer baking, and more. Stay tuned for more live e...
Aug 25, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 272
C Pam Zhang is the author of the acclaimed novel How Much of These Hills Is Gold . Her new book, Land of Milk and Honey , is set in a near future where smog has choked out almost all agriculture, and where a chef is lured to cook at a reclusive mountain institute for the global elite with the promise of produce. It’s a gripping book about power and politics and, mostly, a love letter to food, and we’re thrilled to have her on the show to discuss it. Also on the episode, Aliza and Matt preview mo...
Aug 23, 2023•47 min•Ep. 271
It’s really fun having Alex Delany back on the show and getting to know the food and drink writer (and rare book collector) a little bit better. You may know Alex from his time working at Bon Appétit as a writer covering home cooking, wine, cocktails, and naturally processed coffee (respect), as well as a series of memorable YouTube videos. But since leaving BA in early 2021, Alex has been busy working as a consultant, podcaster, wine educator, and most recently as the author of a really cool ci...
Aug 21, 2023•41 min•Ep. 270
Here are two classic conversations from This Is TASTE featuring two literary titans. George Saunders is the author of many works, including the Booker Prize–winning Lincoln in the Bardo . Here we talk about pizza and Italian delis on the South Side of Chicago, as well as lunch in the Texas oil fields. We discuss success in the kitchen and how intuition crashes together with luck, and we speculate on the shape of food in the year 2300. Also on the show is Gary Shteyngart , a New York Times best-s...
Aug 19, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 269
