Pearl Jones is a food stylist based in New York City. She’s spent over a decade making food look delicious in commercials, magazine editorials, cookbooks, and more, and she’s also one of Aliza’s close friends. I’ve obsessed over the contents of Pearl’s food stylist kit and kitchen for years, and it’s so fun to have her on the show to pull back the curtain on food styling as a career.  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 PEARL JONES: A Cookbook Shoot Recap! It Takes a Village. [Colu Cooks] Pearl Jones [Instagram]

Oddball is an exciting new product that aims to reinvent jelly snacking, taking away market share from the dominant Jell-O with a vegan superfood snack. On this episode, we catch up with Oddball's amazing founder, Sophia Cheng. We met Sophia earlier this year on the floor of the Natural Products Expo West trade show, where she was hustling the pouches of berry, mango, and grape jelly out of her backpack. I was impressed and invited her into the studio to talk about her journey to bringing this traditional Asian dessert to the masses. I love the product as well as catching up with the company’s founder. I hope you enjoy this conversation. 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 ODDBALL: BTS: Behind the Snax with Oddball [Snaxshot] Meet Sophia Cheng [Canvas Rebel] Oddball breaking the Jell-O mold [Food Business News]

Today on the show we have two conversations from two of our favorites from the cookbook and online world, Claire Saffitz and Andy Baraghani. Claire is the author of a great recent cookbook, What’s For Dessert, and she’s truly one of our favorite cooking instructors and personalities on the internet. Andy’s rich story and sharp recipe writing chops come together so beautifully in his book, The Cook You Want to Be, published two years ago. So what has Andy been up to this year? It turns out, plenty—both online and offline. 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 CLAIRE SAFFITZ & ANDY BARAGHANI: I Tried Making Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Bars [YouTube] Challah Bread [NYT Cooking] Warm Chickpea Bowl with Lemony Yogurt [official]

We enjoyed having Jamila Robinson in the studio. Jamila is the editor in chief of Bon Appétit and Epicurious, the storied Condé Nast food publications that she took over in September. There are big plans and changes afoot at One World Trade Center, and we talk about Jamila’s vision for the future and the publications’ ongoing labor dispute, while looking back at her career working in newspapers in Detroit and Philadelphia. This is a really great talk! Also on the show, Matt shares some highlights from his recent trip to Charleston, South Carolina, putting fresh eyes on one of America’s great food cities. Stops include: Vern’s, Lewis Barbecue, Palmira Barbecue, Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ, Weltons Tiny Bakeshop, The Spectator Hotel, Fig, 167 Raw, Kultura, Little Jack’s Tavern.    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 JAMILA ROBINSON: Jamila Robinson Is Named Next Editor of Bon Appétit Magazine [NYT] This Is TASTE 262: Lyndsay C. Green [TASTE] The Balthazar Cookbook: My Personal Cooking School [TASTE] Charleston CVB [official]

Today we are excited to welcome award-winning director Trần Anh Hùng to the studio. His latest film, the lush and food-centered The Taste of Things, is in theaters now. It stars Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel, who cook (and cook and cook!) for friends and visitors with a passion that transcends the idea of “foodie,” Detailed, painstaking process cooking and late-19th-century suiting are major threads, with food scenes guided by the eye of legendary international chef Pierre Gagnaire. We speak with the director about bringing this universe to life, and about the food of his childhood growing up in Da Nang, Vietnam. It’s really a great talk, and we hope you enjoy it. 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 TRAN ANH HUNG: ‘The Taste of Things’ Review: Love, Loss and Loins of Veal [NYT]  ‘The Taste of Things’ Is a Kitchen-set Love Story. It Was Made by Exes [LA Times]  Our Growing Hunger for Food on Screen [FT]

Today we have a great double episode of the show. Alex Prud’homme’s new book, Dinner with the President, is a history of American food, politics, and 26 presidents, from George Washington starving at Valley Forge in 1777 to Donald Trump’s burger banquets. It was such a good time having Alex on the show to talk about how food has been used as a diplomatic tool since the founding of the United States, and also dig into the legacy of his famous great aunt - Julia Child. Also on the show we welcome Ali Rosen to the studio. Ali is a cookbook author, TV food host, and successful rom-com novelist, having published the hit novel Recipe for Second Chances. She is also the author of the new cookbook, 15 Minute Meals. On this episode we talk about what makes a 15 minute meal, and how she writes her food-focused fiction. It’s such a fun talk, I hope you enjoy it. 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 ALEX PRUD’HOMME & ALI ROSEN: Diplomacy Is Best Conducted at the Dinner Table [NYT] Alex Prud’homme Wishes He Was in the Room Where It Happened [NYT] Potluck with Ali Rosen [official]

Rose Wilde is the pastry chef and owner of Red Bread in Los Angeles, a pioneering microbakery that’s been championing whole grains and sustainable baking for over a decade.   She's headed the bread and pastry programs at Michelin-starred Rustic Canyon, Manuela, and Mother Wolf, and now she’s sharing her wisdom in the wonderful baking book Bread and Roses. We loved having Rose on the show to talk about the joys and challenges of baking with whole grains, her flock of chickens, and more.  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 ROSE WILDE: Red Bread Bakery [official] Rose Wilde's 'Bread and Roses' [Wordloaf] Buy: Bread and Roses

It was a lot of fun having PJ Vogt in the studio. PJ is a recognizable figure in the world of public radio and podcast. He’s currently the host of one of our favorite shows today, Search Engine, and we talk about his recent food-related episodes, digging into sushi fraud and airplane coffee. We also chop it up about so many topics in food, including his ongoing coffee journey and some of PJ’s favorite NYC restaurants. What a great talk—we hope you enjoy it! 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 PJ VOGT: Why Are There So Many Chicken Bones on the Street? [Apple] Am I the Victim of an International Sushi Scam? [Apple] Search Engine Is the Spiritual Successor to Reply All [Vulture]

Aura Bora is a sparkling water that pushes the limits of sparkling water. Founded by Paul Voge, it’s a company that prides itself on spiking its cans of water with herbs, fruits, and flowers for earthly tastes and heavenly feelings. (True to the claim, we certainly had some feelings when we tried their green bean casserole concoction.) Paul, a guest on today’s show, has incredible taste and is bursting with passion for his waters. We talk about his journey and how he comes up with flavors that include chai cranberry, persimmon clove, and peppermint watermelon. If you haven’t tried Aura Bora, you don’t know what you’re missing.  Also on the show, Matt is back from a California road trip and gives some of his highlights, including The Duchess and The Summit in Ojai, Bell’s in Los Alamos, Ad Astra Bread in Monterey, Cat & Cloud Coffee in Santa Cruz, Itani Ramen and Fentons Creamery in Oakland, the cafe at Chez Panisse in Berkeley(!), Ad Hoc and Mustards Grill in Yountville, and El Molino Central in Sonoma. Want to partner with TASTE? Send us a note at: partner@tastecooking.com.  MORE FROM AURA BORA: We’ve Hit Peak Beverage [TASTE] Dry Guys Olive Oil Martini [official] This Is TASTE 303: Olipop [TASTE]

We’re thrilled to finally have Angelo Sosa on the show. Angelo is one of the most talented chefs we've gotten to know, and he’s currently the chef at two really great restaurants in Phoenix: Tia Carmen and Kembara. Angelo was also the runner up on Top Chef and has worked with some of the biggest names in the game, including Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Alain Ducasse, Stephen Starr, and Masaharu Morimoto. On this episode we talk about Angelo’s TV past and dig into his passion for Asian cuisine, including his deeply creative work with Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese flavors and techniques at his latest opening, Kembara. We really loved catching up with Angelo and hope you enjoy this conversation. Also on the show, Matt gives his highlights from a recent trip to Phoenix. Stops include: Unos Tacos y Birria, Tacos Chiwas, the greatness of Monsoon Market, Wagyu beef rendang at Kembara, and Pizzeria Bianco. 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 ANGELO SOSA: Angelo Sosa’s Kembara Is a Love Letter to His Asian Travels [Forbes] Must-Try Restaurants in Phoenix with Angelo Sosa [A Taste of AZ] This Is TASTE 251: Dale Talde [TASTE]

DeVonn Francis is a chef, recipe developer, and events producer based in Brooklyn. His culinary events studio, Yardy World, has developed a cult following around vibrant, lush experiences rooted in Caribbean cuisine with some of the best vibes and playlists around, and now they’re joining the CPG boom. It’s a joy to have DeVonn in the studio to talk about his distinctive POV, starring in the second season of High on the Hog, his dream dinner party lineup, and more.   Also on the show the return of three things, where Aliza and Matt go over some of the books, restaurants, and citrus fruits they are most excited about. This includes: Flan at Nenes Taqueria, al bap at AriAri, crispy shallots and fish roe from Ignacia Valdes pop-ups, Priya’s Kitchen Adventures, PSA: The pomelos are hitting in NYC right now, Pizza Night: Deliciously Doable Recipes for Pizza and Salad. 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 DEVONN: Welcome to the DeVonn Francis Dinner Party Multiverse [TASTE] The 2021 Feel Good Food Plan [Bon Appetit] Yardy World [official]

Our friend Jamie Oliver returns to the show, this time live from Rizzoli Bookstore in Manhattan as part of our TASTE Live at Rizzoli reading series. It was so great catching up with the chef and healthy eating advocate to discuss so many topics, and to dig into his great new book: 5 Ingredients Mediterranean: Simple Incredible Food. 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 JAMIE OLIVER: Jamie Oliver Does Mediterranean [All Of It] Jamie Oliver Shares 5-ingredient Meals [GMA] How Long Gone: Jamie Oliver [Apple]

Pizza Week continues! On this episode, we chat with the one and only Daniel Holzman, the chef and owner of Danny Boy’'s Famous Original Pizza in Los Angeles. Daniel is a good friend of TASTE and Matt’s longtime writing partner (they wrote Food IQ together). Here they catch up about all things pie, including what Los Angeles was missing when Danny Boy’s jumped into the scene a few years back. We find out about Daniel’s detailed approach to bring New York City slices to the West Coast, his upcoming expansion plans, and what excites him about pizzas around the world. It’s good catching up with our friend, as always. 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 DANIEL HOLZMAN: This Is TASTE 69: Daniel Holzman [TASTE] The Dish: Daniel Holzman [CBS] One of LA’s Best New York City-Style Pizza Shops Expands to Westwood [Eater] Are You Team Ranch on Pizza? [TikTok] 

Cree Myles is the curator of the Black literature community All Ways Black and the host of The Baldwin 100, a new podcast from Vintage Books examining James Baldwin’s life and words to commemorate one hundred years since his birth. She’s also one of our favorite sources of book recommendations, and it’s so fun to have her on the show to go deep on the intersection of food and literature.  Also on the show it’s the return of three things where Aliza and Matt discuss exciting food and drink on their radars. On this episode: Indian snack attack from Doosra and Confusion Snacks, Island Creek Oyster Farm’s tinned clams are our home cooking go-to, Hey Champ hand-dipped snacks, a visit to Brooklyn’s Montague Diner, Lexington Bakes has a new brownie format and it rules, Strange Delight might be the NYC restaurant of the summer, and long live the Seashore Flats.       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 CREE MYLES How One Book Influencer Championing Black Authors Is Changing Publishing [NPR] The Baldwin 100 [Apple Podcasts] Strange Delight Channels New Orleans in All the Best Ways [The New Yorker]

Pizza Week continues! Noam Grossman is the founder of Upside Pizza, an NYC slice shop that breaks all the rules in the best possible way. The pizza is very legit and is made with 100-percent naturally leavened dough, with a sourdough starter that has a 72-hour rise time. It’s not your typical slice joint! On this episode, we hear about Grossman’s journey to pizza and about how Upside—along with soup and ice cream offshoots Soupside and Softside—brings personality and voice to the sometimes bland world of the NYC slice.  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 NOAM GROSSMAN: The Kings of the Dollar Slice Build a Better Pizza [NYT] Where I Work: Noam Grossman [6sqft]

Pizza Week continues! Franny’s is a world-class pizzeria and restaurant located at the northern tip of the Jersey Shore in Highlands, New Jersey. When the shop’s chef and owner, Mya Anitai, left a successful restaurant career in Richmond, Virginia (Mamma Zu, Dinamo) to move to New Jersey, she didn’t know exactly what to expect. What she built over the past few years is pretty extraordinary. The best grandma slice in Jersey? Some would say. In this episode, Mya shares her journey and the pizza style that has earned her the attention of many in and around the New York metro area. 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 MYA ANITAI: A Conversation with Mya Anitai [Pizza Today] Franny’s Off the Beach [TikTok]

Pizza Week continues! The title on Anthony Falco’s business card is “global pizza consultant,” and, true to form, Anthony has helped people achieve their dreams of starting pizzerias and perfecting their craft around the globe. In this highly entertaining conversation, Falco shares some of his favorite gigs and talks about his time helping launch and grow the pizza operation at Roberta’s, the singular Bushwick pizzeria that inspired the launch of thousands of Neapolitan pizza shops around the globe. Anthony is the author of Pizza Czar: Recipes and Know-How from a World-Traveling Pizza Chef, and we talk about translating these big ideas to a home setting. It’s great catching up with this legend in the pizza game, and we hope you enjoy it. 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 ANTHONY FALCO: Anthony Falco Left Roberta’s. Now He’s an “International Pizza Consultant” [BA] Odd Job: Meet an International Pizza Consultant [Vox]

Welcome to Pizza Week! From time to time we like to break into a thematic groove, and this is one of those weeks. We have a bunch of fun interviews planned. First up is Dan Richer, the owner of Razza in Jersey City, New Jersey. Yeah yeah, New York Times critic Pete Wells once called Razza the best New York City pizza (not in New York), and the 2017 assessment brought a swell of pizza freaks across the river to sample Richer’s pie. In this interview, we talk about the review that changed everything, and we dig into how Richer describes his pizza, his obsession with bread, and his great cookbook, The Joy of Pizza: Everything You Need to Know. We loved having Dan in the studio to kick off our week of pizza talks. 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 DAN RICHER: Is New York’s Best Pizza in New Jersey? [NYT] Dan Richer’s Everyday Pizza Dough [Ooni] Franco Pepe and Dan Richer Share Deep Pizza Thoughts [Appetito]

Here are two classic conversations. Tina Choi is the Seoul-based genius behind one of our favorite food YouTube channels around, Doobydobap. Pierce Abernathy 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 hope you enjoy these talks. 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 TINA CHOI AND PIERCE ABERNATHY: How Koreans Meal Prep [YouTube] How Koreans Kimchi [YouTube] Leek Butter [TikTok]

Peter Luger is Brooklyn history and one of the most iconic New York City restaurants. Between hand-selected steaks, a signature bacon and burger service, and a tight-knit family that has run the place since 1950, it’s a rich topic to talk about. And talk we did with Daniel Turtel, who works alongside his family at the Williamsburg institution. Daniel is involved in the daily selection of steaks that are served to hungry guests each day, and we talk about the restaurant’s legacy as well as its bright future in Las Vegas. We also discuss what it took to come back from a tough New York Times review. Daniel is a really interesting guy, and I hope you enjoy this conversation. 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 PETER LUGER: How to Get a Table at Peter Luger [Forbes] The One Peter Luger Dish You Can Only Get in Vegas [Tasting Table] Peter Luger Merch Is Good [official]

Jermaine Stone has an extraordinary story about how a fluke job at a wine warehouse led him to his unique place in the wine world. He’s the host of Street Somm on Tastemade, a show in which he interviews some of the biggest names in hip-hop about all things wine. He’s also the founder of Cru Luv Selections, a New York–based wine branding and marketing agency dedicated to engaging hip-hop fans in the world of wine. It’s really fun having Jermaine in the studio, and I hope you enjoy this conversation. 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 JERMAINE STONE: On His Podcast ‘Wine and Hip Hop,’ Jermaine Stone Aims to Bridge Cultures [NYT] Wine and Hip Hop [Apple Podcasts]

There aren’t a lot of things on the internet that have been around since 1999. But David Lebovitz’s blog (and now Substack), full of quips, stories, and recipes from his life in Paris, is one of them. David is the author of many cookbooks, including The Perfect Scoop, Ready For Dessert, Drinking French, and the iconic My Paris Kitchen. This is such a fun conversation, full of life and stories about pastry in San Francisco and Paris. David is one of our all-time favorites, and it was so fun having him in the studio. We hope you enjoy this conversation.  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 DAVID LEBOVITZ: Chocolate Chip “Kitchen Sink” Cookies [David Lebovitz] TASTE Travels France: Exploring Camembert, Calvados, and The French Countryside This Is TASTE 323: We ❤️ Saveur with Dorothy Kalins [TASTE] The Making of My Paris Kitchen [David Lebovitz]

Alison Cayne is the founder of Haven's Kitchen, a pioneering culinary school, café, and consumer brand that has been at the center of the New York City food world for nearly a decade. We absolutely loved catching up with Alison about her journey to launching the company and some of the wild events she has hosted over the years. We also talk about her pivot to the world of consumer packaged goods and how she makes it all work in this very competitive world.  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 HAVEN’S KITCHEN: How the Haven’s Kitchen Team DIY’d Their Way to a New Test Kitchen [AD] How Alison Cayne Handles a Cooking School, a Café, a Sauce Business, and Five Kids [BA] In The Sauce [Apple Podcasts]

Banza is the chickpea pasta with the bright orange boxes that have become nothing short of a phenomenon, changing the way we think about gluten-free pasta forever. Matt is a legit fan of the rotini and the penne, as well as the brand’s expansion into pizza, and he invited Banza’s founder, Brian Rudolph, into the studio. They talk about the founding of the company, how Brian landed on the iconic branding, and what makes a great pasta sauce. We hope you enjoy this conversion. 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 BANZA: Olive Oil and Chickpea Pasta Got Cool. You Can Blame This Agency. [TASTE] Banza’s Founder Is Growing a Household Brand by Betting Big on Chickpeas [Forbes] Solving the Pasta Problem [Emory Wheel]

We welcome back our good friend Akira Akuto to the show. Akira is the Los Angeles–based chef who was behind the acclaimed LA sandwich and pastry counter (and so much more) Konbi, which closed up shop in early 2023. In this episode we speak with one of the more clairvoyant voices in the restaurant world. Akira is brutally honest about why a seemingly successful restaurant was anything but. We talk about the difficulties chefs and operators face on a daily basis and why California in particular is a challenging landscape for small-business owners. We also chat about what he’s been up to recently and the Japanese citrus he’s backing in a major way.  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 AKIRA AKUTO: Konbi, Home to the Best Egg Salad Sandwich in L.A., to Close Both Locations [LA Times] America's Best New Restaurants 2019 [Bon Appetit] This Is TASTE 164: Akira Akuto [TASTE]

Eunjo Park doesn’t necessarily need kimbap, but kimbap most certainly needs her—or fans of kimbap need her, at least. When Eunjo, a veteran of Per Se and the three-Michelin-starred Gaon in Seoul, was opening the first Momofuku restaurant to explicitly focus on Korean food, Momofuku Kāwi, located on the far west side of New York in Hudson Yards, one of the very first dishes she and her boss, David Chang, wanted to focus on was kimbap. And focus she did, which we talk about on this great episode. We also talk about her amazing career, and how she is thinking deeply about modern Korean cooking. We love Eunjo and hope you enjoy this talk. 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 EUNJO PARK: BLT Kimbap [YouTube] One of Momofuku’s Top Chefs Is Leaving the Restaurant Group [Eater] Pre-order: Koreaworld: A Cookbook [Now Serving]

Rie McClenny is a video host and cookbook author who rose to acclaim in the test kitchen at BuzzFeed, where she hosted video series including Make It Fancy. On this episode, we find out about her journey from Japan to professional kitchens in Los Angeles to YouTube stardom. We also talk about her terrific debut cookbook, Make It Japanese: Simple Recipes for Everyone. We hope you enjoy this conversation.  Also on the show, Matt catches up with his old friend Evan Wittenberg. Evan is passionate about the Philadelphia food scene, the Netflix works of Phil Rosenthal, Cormac McCarthy novels, and playing the drums. He is also 13. It’s fun catching up with one of our younger listeners to find out what is good. 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 RIE MCCLENNY: A Japanese Homestyle Meatball Clinches the Comfort Food Crown [TASTE] Let’s Make Gyoza [TikTok] Phil Rosenthal vs. a 7-Year-Old [TASTE]

Sana Javeri Kadri is the founder of Diaspora Co., an equitable—and highly useful—spice company paying an average of six times the commodity price to 150 farm partners across India and Sri Lanka. On this episode Sana unpacks exactly how Diaspora Co. has expanded their scope and scale while remaining true to their mission, plus moving back to Mumbai and much more.  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 SANA JAVERI KADRI: In Los Angeles, an Indian Chinese Feast Celebrating Female Founders [New York Times] It’s 2023. Do You Know Where Your Spices Come From? [Afar]

Klancy Miller is the author of For the Culture: Phenomenal Black Women and Femmes in Food, a fantastic new anthology pairing recipes and reflections that began as a magazine with the same name. Klancy is also a trained pastry chef, a recipe developer, and the author of Cooking Solo: The Fun of Cooking for Yourself. We’ve long admired Klancy’s work, and it’s a thrill to have her on the show to talk about creating the book she wished she had access to when coming up in the industry, her love of Paris, and much more. 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 KLANCY MILLER: A Juneteenth Menu from Chef Klancy Miller [Vogue] Klancy Miller's Favorite NYC Spots Run By Black Women [The Infatuation]

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 debut 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 to life’s biggest burning Chinese home cooking questions.  Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you.  Read more from the Woks of Life: How to Make Wontons [The Woks of Life] Behind the Blog: The Woks of Life [The Food Network] Pulling Noodles at Xi’an Famous Foods [Food Network]

Dan Frommer is the founder and editor in chief of the New Consumer, an influential publication that covers the intersection of technology and consumer brands—and many of these brands live in the food world. We wanted to have Dan on the show to talk about his year-end consumer trends report, as well as just to shoot the shit about the big stories of 2023: the big moves in consumer packaged goods and retail, and what the future holds for our current United States of Ozempic. It’s so great catching up with Dan in the studio.  Also on the show, Aliza and Matt go over some of their cooking resolutions for 2024, including making bread, working that pizza, and much more. 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 DAN FROMMER: Consumer Trends 2024 [The New Consumer] What Happened to Blue Apron? [The New Consumer] This Is TASTE 234: Dan Frommer [TASTE]

Emily Sundberg has a knack for writing stories that get people talking. The freelance writer and mind behind the business newsletter Feed Me has an expert eye for trends in the food space and beyond, like the return of whole milk and the rise of the “shoppy shop”—you know, those cute, curated grocery stores that all seem to carry the same made-for-Instagram products. We wanted to have Emily back into the studio to talk about the year in food and drink retail—the products, the trends, and all the media that flows around them. We also talk about the future of Bon Appétit, and how food media is struggling to fight for your "time and your tabs." Emily is truly one of our favorite voices on the food internet (and really online as a whole), and we were excited to have her on the show.  Also on the show, Aliza and Matt discuss the year in new (and kind-of-new) products and call out their favorites. These include Diaspora Co. pumpkin spice mix, Confusion Snacks popcorn, Cabi Foods dashi soy sauce, OLIPOP everything, Taiwanese soy paste, and Lexington Bakes brownies.         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 EMILY SUNDBERG: Welcome to the Shoppy Shop [NY Mag] Ultimate New York Beauty Black Book [Feed Me] The Dinner Party Is Over [NY Mag] Ranked: the 42 Secret Puppet Masters of Food [The Supersonic] This Is TASTE 253: Ben Leventhal [TASTE]

Cake Zine is an independent print magazine exploring society through sweets, cofounded by Tanya Bush and TASTE contributing editor Aliza Abarbanel. Their fourth issue, Tough Cookie, presents a hearty batch of trials and triumphs, all in the context of cookies. On the show, Aliza and Tanya unpack how they made the issue, the many cultural connotations of cookies, and their latest trip to London.  Also on the show, Aliza and Matt catch up about the trip to London and where Aliza ate and drank so well! MORE FROM CAKE ZINE: This Is TASTE 244: Cake Zine Fennel Fronds and Fine Lines: Food Tattoos Take Root Buy: Tough Cookie

A writer, editor, illustrator, cookbook author, children’s book author, and really fun guy to get to know, Joshua David Stein has got the goods, and we welcome him back into the studio. We catch up about all things cookbooks and food media, including his soon-to-be-published Korean cookbook, collaborating with Tom Colicchio, and his work on the wonderful Esquire Best New Restaurants list. It’s so great talking with JDS, and we hope you enjoy this conversation. 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 JOSHUA DAVID STEIN: Three Days on a Boat with Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio [Esquire] The Best New Restaurants in America, 2023 [Esquire] How Lilia Chef Missy Robbins Is Reimagining the Restaurant Model [Fast Company]

Nasim Lahbichi is a recipe developer based in Brooklyn, where he’s built a big following creating videos that blend craveable recipes drawing from his Moroccan and Puerto Rican heritage with highly relatable dating escapades. His roots in interior design and New York City inform his work in exciting ways, and we’re excited to have him on the show today to talk about the future of food content creation.  Also on the show Matt catches up with Kyle Newman, the co-author of a very cool and unique new cookbook, Heroes' Feast Flavors of the Multiverse: An Official D&D Cookbook. They talk about translating themes from the iconic game to real recipes, and how Kyle’s career in film has led to this path. We also talk about him directing several Taylor Swift videos, and what food was like on set. MORE FROM NASIM LAHBICHI: I’m a Food TikTok Star. Here’s What I Wish My Followers Knew. [Eater] Orange Blossom Snickerdoodles [Washington Post]

Olive Odyssey is a Palestinian olive oil collective working to build demand, supply chains, and economic power for Palestinian farmers since 2022. Today cofounder Aya Faour, a professional olive oil taster, is on the show to share how Olive Odyssey is working to build collective power and partnering with groups like Rose Los Angeles to create special collaboration products that are funding aid in Gaza. Los Angeles listeners! Reserve a ticket for Koreaworld x Caldo Verde on August 15. Matt will be joined by chefs Deuki Hong and Suzanne Goin for a really fun collaboration dinner. 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 OLIVE ODYSSEY: Olive Odyssey [official] Foragers [official] High-Minded Edibles for the Farm-to-Table Era  [TASTE]

On this episode we bring together some of the smartest and most opinionated voices in the world of drinks. We welcome Jon Bonné, Alice Feiring, Jancis Robinson, and Talia Baiocchi. Jon Bonné is an erudite observer of food and culture trends and the author of a monumental new book, the two-volume The New French Wine. Alice Feiring is a journalist and celebrated wine writer, and she’s also the author of many great wine books, including 2019’s Natural Wine for the People, a prophetic look at the natural wine movement that has swept the drinking world. Jancis Robinson is a legendary wine critic and the host of a pioneering wine show on the BBC. And, last but not least, Talia Baiocchi is the founding editor of PUNCH and the author of books about drink and food. Talia is one of our go-to resources for all things drinking. What a lineup! We hope you enjoy it.  Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We'd love to hear from you.

In our final episode of a weeklong tribute to Saveur, we speak with the magazine’s current editor and CEO, Kat Craddock. Kat has a long history at the publication, including serving as Culinary Director. In 2022 she was able to buy the publication full stop, and she is currently in the process of bringing back a print edition. We were so happy to hear this news, and Kat shares with us what the next generation of Saveur will look like, as well as some of her favorite stories. 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 KAT CRADDOCK: Print Is Back! [Saveur] How I Got My Job: Editing Legendary Food Publication Saveur [Eater]

Next up in our weeklong tribute to Saveur is Colman Andrews, one of the publication’s founding editors, who also served as editor in chief from 2001 to 2006. Colman’s travel writing and recipe-based reporting had him traveling the world in search of the “good stuff” (well before Anthony Bourdain coined the term), and he served as the publication’s beating heart for nearly a decade. He’s a former Gourmet restaurant columnist and the author of a great memoir, My Usual Table: A Life in Restaurants, among other titles. On this episode we talk about some of Colman’s earliest stories at Saveur and how he and his fellow editors changed the face of food writing forever.   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 COLMAN ANDREWS: 25 Best Bars in the World [24/7 Wall Street] Book Review: My Usual Table [NPR]

We kick off a weeklong tribute to Saveur magazine, past and present, with a colorful interview with the one and only Dorothy Kalins, Saveur’s founding editor. Dorothy’s career in magazines and cookbooks is hall-of-fame-worthy—and in fact, she was inducted into the American Society of Magazine Editors’ Hall of Fame in 2018. She was founding editor in chief of Metropolitan Home, a leading baby boom design publication that inspired many magazines to follow. She launched Saveur in 1994, and the publication went on to receive 17 nominations and three National Magazine Awards while inspiring a generation of food editors and writers, as well as the founding of food magazines like TASTE.  In this conversation we speak with Dorothy about her career and what led her out of the photo studio and into real life with the documentary-style journalism that made Saveur so important. We talk about creating the Saveur 100 and hear many stories from her decades in food media. We hope you enjoy following along this week as we pay tribute to Saveur.  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 DOROTHY KALINS: A Founding Editor of Saveur Shares What She Learned [NYT] Dorothy Kalins Elected to ASME Hall of Fame [ASME]

Today on the show we have a really, really, really great conversation with two of the most respected people in food: Ruth Reichl and Nancy Silverton. We came together earlier this week at Rizzoli Bookstore in Manhattan to talk about Nancy’s great new cookbook, The Cookie That Changed My Life. Ruth and Nancy have been friends for decades, and we cover a wide variety of topics including what is in fact the best cookie ever, as well as favorite restaurants in New York, Los Angeles, and Italy. 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 RUTH REICHL AND NANCY SILVERTON: What’s Cooking With Nancy Silverton [Beverly Press] Who Decides Style? [La Briffe] The Sushi Effect [La Briffe]

Today on the show we have a really great conversation with Alice Luo and Elaine Mao, two staffers at the New York City–based nonprofit Send Chinatown Love. As the name suggests, the volunteer-run organization provides financial and resource-based aid to NYC’s Asian businesses. Alice and Elaine have helped put out one of our favorite cookbooks of the year, Made Here: Recipes and Reflections From NYC’s Asian Communities. It’s a super savvy book, beautifully photographed and featuring recipes from some of NYC’s institutions, including Cho Dang Gol, Punjabi Deli, and Pecking House. Best of all, ​100% of this cookbook’s net proceeds will fund Send Chinatown Love’s community-building efforts. You should buy a copy of the book now, and we hope you enjoy this conversation. Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We'd love to hear from you. This episode is supported by Parmigiano Reggiano USA. MORE FROM SEND CHINATOWN LOVE: Make a Year-End Donation [official] “Made Here” Is a Love Letter to NYC’s Asian Communities [Print] A New Book Explores the Delicious Diversity of NYC’s Asian Restaurants [Vogue]

Melissa King is a Top Chef icon—but she’s also much more. The champion turned judge is also the host of Tasting Wild, a far-out outdoor cooking show, and she still finds time to be in the kitchen with pop-ups. It’s so fun to have her on the show to talk about cooking with her Top Chef crew, plus career-defining gigs like appearing on Sesame Street and cooking for the Met Gala. Also on the show Matt has a live interview with British author and TikTok chef Julius Roberts. He’s releasing his debut cookbook, The Farm Table, in February and we were lucky to get a preview at a recent live conversation in New York City. Julius will be back in our studio next year, so let this serve as just the beginning of our interest in this extremely talented and cool star in food.  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 MELISSA KING AND JULIUS ROBERTS: Hong Kong Milk Tea Tiramisu [Food & Wine] Tasting Wild [YouTube] Leek, Potato and Chorizo Stew [TikTok] A Lunch With: Julius Roberts [Inigo]

We’re big fans of Marissa Mullen and super excited to have her back in the studio to talk about the keys to winning the holiday entertaining game (mostly through cheese), and also reveal some details about an exciting trip to France we are planning for next summer. Our latest TASTE Travels has Marissa joining TASTE editor Matt Rodbard for a week of cheese, wine, and castles in Normandy. Limited spots are filling up quickly. Marissa is the author of two books revolving around modern entertaining and the art of the cheese plate. Her latest, That Cheese Plate Wants to Party, is a sharp and highly enjoyable guide to buying cheese for all sorts of occasions, including a solo evening at home. We hope you enjoy this talk. 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 MARISSA MULLEN: TASTE Travels France: Exploring Camembert, Calvados, and The French Countryside [TASTE] That Cheese Plate Turns 10! [Ticket link] How to Cut Every Type of Cheese [Salon] Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Cheddar [F52]

Shelly Fireman is the owner of several New York City restaurants of acclaim and heritage, including Redeye Grill, Bond 45, and Cafe Fiorello. He’s also a very accomplished sculptor with a studio in Tuscany. On this truly amazing episode, we hear some great stories from an industry legend, like about opening the first stand-alone bagel shop in New York in the early 1960s, the Hip Bagel, as well as many more from over 50 years in the business. Get to know Shelly Fireman in this great episode. Also on the show we have a fun interview with Lorenzo Espada, a 25 year old self-taught chef who has blown up on TikTok and has a cool debut cookbook, Somethin' Outta Nothin': 100 Creative Comfort Food Recipes for Everyone. MORE FROM SHELLY FIREMAN AND LORENZO ESPADA: Why Shelly Fireman Is the King of Pre Theater Dining [Town and Country] The Hip Bagel Menu Is AMAZING [Vintage Menu Art] Local Chef Turned His Cooking Into a Viral Sensation [Spectrum]

Bryan Washington is a writer from Houston whose latest novel, Family Meal, is an intimate portrayal of friendship, queerness, and pastries. He also writes about things like Japanese curry bread and queer bars for the New Yorker, and today we’re thrilled to have him on the show to talk about food as a plot device, his favorite okonomiyaki spots in Osaka, and more.  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 BRYAN WASHINGTON: Server [The New Yorker] In Bryan Washington’s ‘Family Meal,’ Food Is a Language [Eater] Buy: Family Meal

The title of this episode is “the last original food blogger,” and this is no exaggeration. Titus Ruscitti has been writing his influential blog Chi BBQ King for more than a decade, publishing dispatches from the Chicago food scene on the no-frills Blogspot platform. It’s a throwback publication, tipping to Chowhound and the original Serious Eats, and it’s so fun catching up with Titus about all the exciting restaurants he’s visited around the Midwest. We talk about Chicago beef, tavern pizza, tacos, barbecue, The Bear (naturally), and his intense interest in Midwestern foodways that has had him visiting Wisconsin, Indiana, and West Michigan regularly. This is a great conversation about one of the world’s greatest food cities, and I hope you enjoy it.   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 TITUS RUSCITTI OF CHI BBQ KING: Empanadas in Chicago Big Eating in Southwest Michigan Indienne

Today on the show we have a really fun conversation with Jon Kung, a Detroit-based chef and TikTok creator we’ve fallen hard for over the past couple years. We wanted to have Jon in the studio to talk a little bit about his cooking videos on YouTube and his life online and off, but mostly we wanted to dig into his terrific new book, Kung Food: Chinese American Recipes from a Third-Culture Kitchen. We hope you enjoy this conversation. Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us onSpotify. We'd love to hear from you. MORE FROM JON KUNG: Baba Ghanoush: The Perfect Twist for Your Toast [YouTube] Jon Kung, the Self-Taught Chef Who Went Viral [Financial Times] Marriage Proposal Hidden in the Detroit Chef’s Debut Cookbook [Hour Detroit] This Is TASTE 223: Abra Berens [TASTE]

Leah Koenig is the author of six cookbooks, including The Jewish Cookbook and Modern Jewish Cooking. Her latest book, Portico, is one of my favorites of the busy fall and taps into the rich history of Jewish food in Rome. On this episode Leah and I talk about the iconic dishes from Rome's Jewish ghetto, and talk about the years she took reporting this wonderful book. I hope you enjoy our conversation. Also on the show, Matt has a great talk with New York Times reporter Amelia Nierenberg. Amelia has long written compelling pieces that tie together food and current events, and we speak about her journalism career before digging into her latest story: How to Hijack a Quarter of a Million Dollars in Rare Japanese Kit Kats. It’s great catching up with Amelia. 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 LEAH KOENIG: This Cookbook Is a Must-Read Love Letter to Roman Jewish Cuisine [Saveur] Stop Being a Snob and Use Onion Powder [TASTE] Beef and White Bean Stew With Cumin [Bon Appetit] Abambar [Epicurious]

Today on the show, we have Claire Saffitz back in the studio for a really entertaining conversation. Claire is the author of a great recent 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 YouTube streams. We all love Claire Saffitz at TASTE, and we hope you enjoy this talk. 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 Claire Saffitz: Claire Saffitz Makes Tiramisu Icebox Cake [Youtube] The Life and Death of Tart Frozen Yogurt [TASTE] Claire Saffitz Goes Outside Her Comfort Zone to Embrace Ours [TASTE]