Your Last Meal With Rachel Belle

Actor and Food Network star Valerie Bertinelli's happiest childhood memories are set in her Aunt Adeline’s basement kitchen, where pots bubbled with marinara for her mom's lasagna and her nonnie stood at the counter expertly rolling out gnocchi. But her favorite meal, her most comforting meal, her last meal is a delicate Italian dish that traces back to medieval times and was commonly served on Christmas. Which dish? You'll have to listen to find out!In honor of Valerie's beloved, late nonnie, host Rachel Belle interviews Vicky Bennison, creator of the "Pasta Grannies" YouTube channel and James Beard Award winning cookbook. Vicky travels around Italy, documenting elderly Italian housewives responsible for keeping the daily pasta making tradition alive. It's the most charming and delicious combination of floral house dresses and luscious looking hyper-regional pastas.Watch the new season of Valerie's Food Network show, Valerie's Home Cooking!Follow Rachel and "Your Last Meal" on Instagram!Check out these food

The affection that Best Coast's singer, songwriter and guitarist, Bethany Cosentino, has for suburban chain restaurants is not ironic. A musician who's (almost) always on the road (thanks, quarantine), she finds it comforting to experience the same decor, menu and flavors no matter what city she's in.Bethany's favorite chain of all is The Cheesecake Factory, so host Rachel Belle chats with chief culinary officer and executive Vice President, Donald Moore, about how the restaurant's menu expanded from a small cafe in 1978 to the mammoth 250 item, 21 page tome we know today. He shares behind-the-scenes R&D secrets, like how simply tweaking the name of a burger can make it a best seller, and reminisces over dishes he loved and painstakingly developed...but nobody ordered.Bethany and Rachel also dive into The Internet's favorite topics: cats and pizza! Treat yourself to Best Coast's wonderful new album, Almost Tomorrow and support artists!Follow along on Instagram where you can join Rachel's Quarantine Cookin

Actor Laura Prepon (That 70s Show, Orange is the New Black) is the mother of two tiny children and just released a book called You and I, as Mothers: A Raw and Honest Guide to Motherhood. But in her conversation with host Rachel Belle she opens up about her own mother, who was a serious, eccentric home cook who also taught Laura how to have an eating disorder.Laura's last meal is a dish she grew up eating at her family's east coast vacation home and a meal she hasn't enjoyed in years because she's either been pregnant or breast feeding.In honor of Laura's role as Alex, a federal prison inmate on the TV show Orange is the New Black, we revisit a 2016 interview Rachel did with the late rapper Prodigy, who passed away from complications due to sickle cell anemia in 2017. Prodigy wrote a book called Commissary Kitchen: My Infamous Prison Cookbook, featuring recipes he cooked while locked up at various New York state jails. He reveals how inmates procured various ingredients and where they whipped up the sodium de

Betsey Johnson has been a fashion designer since the 1960s and her clothes are just as colorful and vivacious as the true stories in her new book, Betsey, A Memoir. From her courthouse wedding to the Velvet Underground's John Cale to years of eating nothing but Red Vines and almonds, she is the most free spirited, joyful, foul mouthed punk rock grandma the world did ever see.Betsey is teeming with creativity, but she has no interest in channeling it into cooking. A true creature of habit, she eats the same thing, day in and day out, and prefers to dine at a restaurant each night. She's been in the habit of eating salmon two meals a day, so host Rachel Belle checked in with the world famous Pike Place Fish Market, where they sell schools of salmon and famously throw fish to the delight of a pre-quarantined cheering crowd.Perhaps the most infamous intersection of fashion and food is the raw meat dress Lady Gaga wore to the 2010 MTV VMAs. The dress's creator, creative director Franc Fernandez, joins the show to

Comedian Judy Gold's email signature reads "Sent while thinking about my next meal"...but what about her last meal?! A stand-up comic for nearly 40 years, Judy won two Emmy's for writing and producing The Rosie O'Donnell Show, has countless TV acting credits and, the highest honor of all, a bagel sandwich named after her at New York City's famous, and now defunct, Carnegie Deli.When describing her last meal, Judy speaks passionately, occasionally emitting a guttural moan of pleasure at the mere thought of one of her favorite foods. She craves a procession of comforting and sentimental dishes she grew up eating in her mother's New Jersey kitchen. Judy was raised kosher, but as an adult she's slowly welcomed forbidden foods like shellfish and bacon onto her plate.To properly explain kosher law, host Rachel Belle welcomes Rabbi Menachen Genack to the show. He's the CEO of OU Kosher, the world's oldest and largest kosher certification agency, responsible for giving products like Heinz Ketchup and Coca Cola the of

Hello, friends! Normally we would be releasing a new episode today. But a certain pandemic, of which we will not name, has complicated things a bit. We are still working on making new episodes, because we believe it's important to take a break from the news and spend 30 minutes talking about Lucky Charms or Banoffee Pie or Chicken Katsu, but it's just coming along a bit more slowly.In the meantime, follow along on Instagram to join in on this weekend's Your Last Meal Quarantine Cooking Club!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie, Postal Service) hates brunch. But heck, so did Anthony Bourdain! Host Rachel Belle explores the history of the mid-morning weekend meal and asks New Yorker writer Sadie Stein what's not to like about bottomless mimosas and Instagrammable #yolkporn. Ben is an ultramarathon runner who runs 100 mile races and, in turn, consumes a whole lot of calories. But what (and how??) does one eat while running for 23 hours straight? Ben shares his pregnancy-level food cravings and the drink that must be present at all races to keep the runny people from rioting. BURRITOS! We also talk about burritos! Ben's last meal takes us to the epicenter of burrito fanaticism: San Francisco's Mission District. Turns out, Ben and Rachel have been equally obsessed with the same burrito at the same taqueria for the past 20 years. And writer Gustavo Arellano, author of the book Taco USA, joins the show to share the history of the burrito. Follow Your Last Meal on Instagram!See omnystudio.com/listener for p

Comedian and writer Guy Branum (Chelsea Lately, The Mindy Project) grew up on an almond farm in the northern California farming community of Yuba City, where he was forced to hunt pheasant with his dad and ate a steady diet of dishes his mom plucked from the trusty church cookbook.The centerpiece of Guy's last meal is his mom's juicy, cakey peach cobbler, a fairly untraditional recipe that he loves so much he included it in his (decidedly not food focused) memoir, My Life As A Goddess. But what is a cobbler versus a crisp versus a buckle versus a brown Betty? Seattle pastry chef, and lifelong baker, Brittany Bardeleben (Dahlia Lounge, Dahlia Bakery) enlightens us.Guys home town, Yuba City, CA, is the prune capitol of the world! But how did the innocent little dried plum get its not-so-savory association to grannies and staying regular? I consult the California Prune Board and food writer, and Big Time Prune Lover, Gabriella Gershenson, who urges you to give prunes a chance.FollowYour Last Meal on Instagram!Se

Legendary radio DJ, Marco Collins, was the first disc jockey in the world to play records by Nirvana, Weezer, Beck, Pearl Jam, Garbage, and many others, when he was music director and DJ at Seattle's 107.7 The End in the '90s. Breaking these bands earned him a spot in the Rock & Rock Hall of Fame. Marco loves breakfast, so host Rachel Belle takes a field trip to Glo's, one of Seattle's long standing diners, to try his favorite eggs Benedict and learn the secret of their hallowed hollandaise.And everybody knows, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," but did you know that phrase was actually a marketing ploy by General Mills to get Americans to eat cold cereal in the morning? Culinary historians Ken Albala and Heather Arndt Anderson join the show to explore the fascinating history of American breakfast. And! The even more fascinating history of cereal, via the Kellogg's brothers, who believed corn flakes could curb one of the world's great evils: masturbation.Subscribe to the podcast! Leave us

Forty years ago, disco queen Gloria Gaynor won a Grammy for I Will Survive, a universally relatable anthem that's still blasted and belted out at pride parades and karaoke parties and inside showers and cars the world over. Now she's back with a new album, Testimony, that's been nominated for two Grammys. Gloria grew up surrounded by good music and good food and despite being poor, neighbors would crowd around her dining room table to enjoy the humble spread and fantastic company her mother provided.Gloria wants chicken wings for her last meal, so we dig into the history of the Buffalo wing with Anchor Bar, an 85 year old institution in Buffalo, New York. Anchor Bar's owner took a seemingly worthless chicken part and turned it into a finger lickin' snack that Americans can't get enough of, especially over Super Bowl Weekend.Make sure you're subscribed to Your Last Meal and follow host Rachel Belle on Instagram!For the first time in two years, Your Last Meal has space for new sponsors! To learn more, contact T

Director and actor Greta Gerwig chatted with host Rachel Belle two years ago, after her award winning coming-of-age film Lady Bird came out. Now she's back with a new movie, the Louisa May Alcott classic Little Women, so we decided to spruce up the old episode and re-release it, nice and fresh and funky for 2020.When it comes to food, Greta has a soft spot for sentimental childhood favorites, including the ubiquitous 1990s birthday party staple: boxed Pillsbury Funfetti cake.But some folks are, ahem, thinking outside the box. Molly Yeh, host of Food Network's Girl Meets Farm, tirelessly recipe tested nine different types of sprinkles and three cake batters to perfect her homemade 'sprinkle cake.' She chronicled her journey on her popular blog, My Name Is Yeh, and joins the show to talk all things sprinkles...including how to make your own.Follow along on Instagram, and feel free to email host Rachel Belle anytime (any hour! any day!) at rbelle@bonneville.com with your feedback, stories, and guest suggestions!

It's Hanukkah, friends! And in an attempt to build a human menorah, host Rachel Belle invited Mark Oppenheimer, Stephanie Butnick and Liel Leibovitz into the studio, hosts of the world's leading Jewish podcast, Unorthodox! (We are still five "candles" short, if you know anyone). Together, we attempt to tackle the most important Jewish food topics of our time: is it more Jewish to wrap your leftovers in tin foil or plastic wrap? Is it a good idea to blend schnitzel and Israeli salad into a savory smoothie? And the most shocking topic of all: are bagels even a Jewish food anymore? Food writer and cookbook author, Leah Koenig joins the show to share the history of bagels, cream cheese and lox in America. And we revisit the biggest bagel scandal of 2019, the tweet that rocked the nation: Bagelgate! A couple of St Louis food writers weigh in on the St Louis tradition of "bread slicing" bagels. All this and, of course, the last meal reveals of Mark, Stephanie and Liel! Buy Mark, Liel & Stephanie’s new book, The

Alison Roman is everywhere these days. She's been zipping around the world promoting her new, New York Times best selling cookbook, Nothing Fancy, never without her signature orange-red lips and matching nail polish. Opinionated and sassy, with a penchant for lemons and anchovies and a fuss-free approach to cooking, the Internet goes absolutely wild for a Roman recipe. Honestly. Just Google 'The Cookie' or 'The Stew.' I'll wait.And how many times have you heard someone say, "It's the water!" while trying to justify why pizza and bagels are only at their peak deliciousness within the boundaries of New York City? Well, turns out this is not an urban legend. Paul Errigo owns New York Watermaker, a company that can convert any tap water in the world into New York City tap water. He did it for Tony D'Aiuto, a New York City restaurateur who struggled to produce high quality pies when he tried to open a pizzeria in Los Angeles. Pizzerias, bagel shops and bakeries in 30 American cities are using this technology. It.

Chef Graham Elliot has a knack for creating delicious, wacky, highly Instagrammable dishes that are as effervescent as his big, bubbly personality. His lobster corn dogs are adored by Eminem, Rihanna and Dave Grohl and YLM host Rachel Belle is a big fan of his foie gras lollipops rolled in Pop Rocks. But for his last meal? Graham craves a humble, breakfast table staple that he grew up eating in his grandparent's home state of Maryland: scrapple!Rachel Belle welcomes William Woys Weaver, author of Country Scrapple: An American Tradition to the show to answer the age old question: what exactly is scrapple? And Mike Rassmussen, owner of Painted Stave Distillery in Smyrna, Delaware, tells us how and why he created his uber popular scrapple vodka.Make sure and subscribe to Your Last Meal, leave a review and follow along on Instagram!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Snack! It's not a full episode, just a quick & tasty bite where host Rachel Belle asks the previous week's guest a handful of lightning round style questions.  Rachel Belle and new episodes of the podcast will be back stateside soon! If you'd like to follow along while she kayaks with baby fur seals and cooks on the world's tiniest stove in a van, you can find her in New Zealand - or on Instagram!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Standup comedian Hari Kondabolu is known for his smart, political humor. But when it comes to what the self proclaimed "killjoy who does comedy" craves, this dude has a serious sweet tooth. According to Hari, his childhood was a fever dream of cookies and candy bars: chocolate milk sprayed from his shower, cars rolled around on Oreos instead of tires and colorful gummy worms wriggled around his garden. I mean, not really. But I was a creative writing minor in college and I really wanted to write that sentence. Hari reveals his favorite Halloween candy and what he believes is the tastiest treat when flying the friendly skies.But his last meal is far more savory, a southern Indian dish prepared by his mother. So host Rachel Belle calls upon Asha Gomez, an award winning Atlanta, Georgia chef and cookbook author, who talks about her unique style of cooking: south India meets the American south. Gomez doesn't want to be pigeonholed as an Indian cook. After 30 years living in the US, she is an American with a kid w

Iron & Wine sounds like a band but, in fact, there is just one man behind the music: a soft spoken, North Carolina singer songwriter named Sam Beam. Sam is the ideal conversation partner: he laughs generously and speaks with a warm southern drawl. He also happens to have excellent taste in food and drink.A true southern boy, Sam wants a stack of tomato sandwiches for his last meal. Just ripe, summer heirlooms, squishy white bread and mayonnaise. A simple summer snack so sacred in North Carolina, locals get good and riled up at the mere mention of adding bacon or lettuce to the mix. We called upon a couple North Carolina culinary queens to talk about the do's and don'ts of the tomato sandwich: veteran food journalist Kathleen Purvis and chef, restaurateur and cookbook author, Vivian Howard. And sticking with the southern theme, food historian Robert Moss joins the show to tell the true history of the boiled peanut.Lucky for us, tomatoes are still hanging heavy on the vines, because you'll be hankering for

John Oates is the mustachioed half of Hall & Oates, the best selling musical duo in history. Maneater! I Can't Go For That! Rich Girl! These dudes were hit making machines.So host Rachel Belle started thinking about famous food duos: Ketchup & Mustard. Peanut Butter & Jelly. But the best selling culinary duo of all time has got to be Salt & Pepper. When did they get together? And why do we automatically sprinkle them both on our food without questioning their coupling? Learn the history of salt & pepper from Ken Albala, professor of food history at the University of Pacific.And like so many other Your Last Meal guests before him, ice cream is a part of John's last meal; specifically Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. Rumor has it, owner Jeni Britton Bauer created the salted caramel ice cream flavor that pops up on boutique ice cream shop menus across the country. She tells Rachel how music influences every flavor they dream up.Hall & Oates are performing this Saturday, September 14th, 2019 at

Guns N' Roses bassist, Duff McKagan, is the dictionary definition of rock & roll: he's got the skull tattoo, the tight black jeans & a dramatic, alcohol-related near death experience under his belt. But Duff is more than just a pretty bass. He's a history buff who went back to school to get a degree in finance & he's been living sober for 20 years. Duff's last meal is a tribute to the family meal his Central American coworkers made for the staff when he worked at the Northridge, California Black Angus Steakhouse in 1984. So host Rachel Belle and producer Laura visit Canlis, Seattle's James Beard Award winning fine dining mecca, where family meal is treated with as much reverence as the food presented to guests in the dining room each night. At 4pm sharp they sat down with co-owner Mark Canlis and a huge team of cooks, dishwashers, servers and bartenders to enjoy the restaurant industry's most important meal of the day. Duff's new album, Tenderness, is available now. See omnystudio.com/listener for

Welcome to The Snack! It's not a full episode, just a quick & tasty bite where host Rachel Belle asks the previous week's guest a handful of lightning round style questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.