Your Last Meal With Rachel Belle

D'Arcy Carden is on fire! Best known as Janet, the Siri-esque robot (not a robot) concierge on NBC's hit show "The Good Place," the veteran Upright Citizen's Brigade performer played Gemma on Comedy Central's "Broad City" and just happens to be old pals with our very own Rachel Belle! Rachel talks to Alan Finklestein, McDonalds owner and American success story, about one of the world's most perfect foods: The McDonald's french fry. And, things get real sweet with Lauren Wilson, owner of Sweet Lo's Ice Cream, who gives us the scoop on Rocky Road. Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the *new* Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is nothing celebrity chef Paula Deen won't put butter on, and that includes her last meal, which is topped with a big ol' dollop. She tells host Rachel Belle that her love of cooking blossomed during the two decades she spent in her house, dealing with agoraphobia. Plus, a little history lesson from the Idaho Potato Commission on how steak became best friends with the baked potato. And Rachel takes us on a field trip to Seattle's Wedgwood Broiler, her favorite place in the world to get a fully loaded spud. But the thing you really don't want to miss is Paula's signature cackle, which is liberally sprinkled across the episode like bacon bits on a baked potato. Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the *new* Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Controversial "shock jock" Tom Leykis has been on the air for decades and made his fair share of enemies with his polarizing views on women and relationships. But nobody is one-dimensional, and in her effort to get to the bottom of why Tom is the way he is, Rachel discovered a man who makes his own wine, loves to experiment in the kitchen, and refuses to buy meat from a grocery store. We talk to Tom's butcher, Lou DeRosa of Marconda's Meats, the oldest standing meat market in Los Angeles, where 3 generations of DeRosa butchers have been working since 1941. Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the *new* Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The "Clueless" star admits that although she's been vegan since 1998, she's most tempted by delicious cheese, so we talk to Youssef Fakhouri, owner of Alicia's (and LA's) favorite vegan cheese shop, Vromage. And remember that 2012 video of Alicia feeding her child like a baby bird? It caused quite the stir, so Rachel gets to the bottom of "premastication" with Melanie Martin, post-doctoral associate at Yale University in the field of Biological Anthropology. Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the *new* Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scoop up this slice of Your Last Meal featuring Seattle Seahawks center Justin Britt, featuring the food Rachel's been dying to delve into: pizza. You'll learn the history of pizza in the United States with Scott Weiner of New York Scott's Pizza Tours and find out buckets of fascinating food info morsels about the world of Major League Eating with Crazy Legs Conti. Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the *new* Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singer Mary Lambert, made famous by her stunning vocal accompaniment to the smash hit "Same Love" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, is now a solo star in her own right. Mary brings pure joy and candor to her music and everything she does -- and she is very passionate about food. Tuck into one of the most delightful interviews you'll ever hear, and learn the not-so-true origins of chicken fried steak. Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the *new* Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Beard Award Nominated Episode for Best Podcast! Jenny Slate (Landline, Obvious Child, Parks & Rec, Marcel the Shell) exposes her sweet tooth on this edition of YLM: her last meal includes a slice of cherry pie and a Shirley Temple! What comes to mind when you think of cherry pie? If you're like Rachel, two things: that famous Warrant song, and Twin Peaks. So we've got both! Rachel talks to Warrant's guitar player, Joey Allen, about the history behind their iconic song "Cherry Pie," and why he can no longer eat it. Also, we're live from Twede's Cafe in North Bend, WA, better known as the Double R Diner in David Lynch's "Twin Peaks," for Rachel's first ever slice of cherry pie and she talks to owner Kyle Twede about what goes into their famous dessert. Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the *new* Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995

Mary Roach writes brilliant nonfiction books about science and the human body that are gripping, hilarious, and usually really gross. Which is why we weren't surprised that the reason Mary wants oysters for her last year...is also kind of gross! Host Rachel Belle digs into the myths behind oysters with Rowan Jacobsen, author of "The Essential Oyster," and food & science collide as we meet Tom Ryan: CEO of Smashburger, and the inventor of McDonalds' Flury, McGriddles, and Pizza Hut's stuffed-crust pizza. Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the *new* Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cat expert Jackson Galaxy (Animal Planet's My Cat From Hell) is basically the male version of Rachel. On this episode of YLM, these two feline-obsessed friends discuss Jackson's rise to animal-expertise, his roots as a Jewish New Yorker, and why cats are so different from dogs. Also, we explore the next level in vegan food science with Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown whose company is making plant-based meat that bleeds. And David Sax, author of "Save the Deli" tells us about the slow death of the Jewish delicatessen in America. Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the *new* Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fran Drescher (The Nanny) is an actor, cancer survivor, and LGBTQ activist. On this episode of YLM, Host Rachel Belle dishes with the New York native about being a gay icon, how she uses her celebrity to advocate for important causes, and why Fran was the first guest to object to sharing her last meal. We also dig into the habits of picky eaters. Rachel talks to a woman who has never let a vegetable pass her lips, and chats with Stephanie Lucianovic, author of Suffering Succotash: A Picky Eater's Quest to Understand Why We Hate the Foods We Hate. To support the Cancer Schmancer movement visit www.cancerschmancer.org. Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the *new* Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Allison (Risk!, MTV's The State) is a freaking delight. Whether it's his infectious laughter, his willingness to be honest no matter the cost, or a shared love of eating Doritos with milk, Rachel may have found her new best friend. And we think you will too! Exclamation point! On the latest YLM, we learn about Kevin's early life as a gay kid in Ohio, explore his imperfect veganism, and in honor of Risk!, Rachel and Producer Aaron share stories about some of the weird & risky foods they've eaten. Rachel also talks to "Cocktail Evangelist" Robert Hess about the history of, and how one should make, the perfect martini. (HINT: James Bond has it all wrong.) Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the *new* Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson is a celebrity astrophysicist, Director of The Hayden Planetarium in NYC, host of "Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey" and the "Star Talk" radio show, and the guy we love to blame for Pluto not being a planet anymore. On this episode of YLM, Rachel talks with one of the greatest scientific voices of our time about his love of melted butter, the time he almost became a stripper, and what foods Neil would take with him if he could travel to space. Speaking of space travel, former NASA Astronaut & Hubble Space Telescope repairman Mike Massimino tells Rachel all about eating in zero gravity, the last meal he ate before his first shuttle launch, and what food options are available for a crew orbiting Earth. Thanks also to lobster expert Barton Seaver, author of "For Cod and Country." Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the *new* Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support Cascade PBS: https://s

Happy Mother's Day! To celebrate, we took a little time to talk to the woman responsible for bringing our beloved Rachel Belle into the world: her mom, Barbara. From the streets of Brooklyn, to digging through another Barbra (Streisand)'s garbage in LA, Barbara's life has never been boring. And speaking of moms, how 'bout that placenta?! Rachel talks to Heather Woskey of Seattle Placenta Encapsulation about the practice of mothers eating their placenta. (It's put into pills, so it's not as gross as it sounds. Unless you're already totally grossed out, then it might not get that much better...) Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the *new* Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New York Times Bestselling author Augusten Burroughs has written several deeply personal memoirs including "Running with Scissors," "Dry," and his newest "Lust & Wonder." Host Rachel Belle also talks with the delightful "Queen of the Cooking Infomercial" Cathy Mitchell (Dump Cakes!), and gets stuck between two warring sides over the hotly-debated origins of Brunswick Stew: a traditional dish in the American South created in either Brunswick, Georgia or Brunswick County, Virginia, depending on who you ask. 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.

Ann Wilson is widely considered one of the best vocalists in rock and roll history. On this week's YLM, she dishes about her favorite karaoke jams and her love for Kentucky Fried Chicken. Host Rachel Belle chats with Lori Eberenz, at KFC HQ in Kentucky, to learn the incredible true story of Colonel Sanders - a journey he began in his 60s while on social security. AND Rachel cooks and eats her first beef heart (get it?! "heart") with Crowd Cow founder, Ethan Lowry. Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the *new* Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Top Chef Season 14 winner Brooke Williamson talks about life behind the scenes on Rachel's favorite reality TV show, how much of the improvised cooking is truly off the cuff, and the simple joys of dough. Of course you can't talk about donuts without mentioning their biggest fans: Cops. So we've got three of Seattle's finest in-studio for a taste-test of their favorite beat treats. We get to the bottom of the (apparently true?) stereotype, and learn about the muddled history - and spelling - of America's favorite confection. Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the *new* Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2017 marks the 25th anniversary of Sir Mix-A-Lot's monster hit "Baby Got Back." (I know, right?!) Rachel asks the rapper/producer about his iconic tribute to tush, what the song really means, and why it was good getting banned from MTV. OH, BUT THE FOOD! YLM goes down to Louisiana to uncover the difference between Cajun and Creole (cuisine and culture) from Chef & TV host John Folse, author of The Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine, and Louisiana Eats' Poppy Tooker. Rachel also talks to Georgea Pappas, daughter of the founder of Pappadeux: the home of Texas Redfish Ponchartrain and a favorite of Hip Hop's finest. Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the *new* Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Pashman's podcast "The Sporkful" is one of Rachel's favorite shows and one of the most popular food podcasts on iTunes. On this week's YLM, Dan schools us on the most delicious way to eat pizza and burgers and explains why his six-and-a-half year old daughter is a better dinner date than his wife. Plus, the history of the tortilla with Jeffrey Pilcher, author of Planet Taco, and prepare to get hungry as we break down the Phorrito (pho + burrito!!) invented by Chef Erwin Tjahyadi at Komodo in Los Angeles. Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the *new* Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Known to millions as "Mary Ann," one of Gilligan's Island's seven iconic castaways, Dawn Wells is a television legend. So sit right back, and you'll hear a tale - a tale of Dawn's nostalgic past, a philosophy professor's take on the ethics of eating animals, and food facts from a precocious 9 year-old Ginger on this episode of YLM. Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the *new* Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matthew Inman's "The Oatmeal" is one of the most popular webcomics on the entire internet. His game "Exploding Kittens" holds the record for the most successful Kickstarter game campaign of all time ($8.8m of its $10k goal!), so for his last meal we had to bring in the big guns... Have you seen "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" about 91 year-old Jiro Ono, Japan's greatest sushi chef? His apprentice Shiro Kashiba was the man who brought sushi to Seattle, and he joins Host Rachel Belle in-studio to tell us about the history of sushi, the proper way to enjoy Matthew's final dish, and why he's still working 5 nights a week at his restaurant Sushi Kashiba at Seattle's Pike's Place Market. Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the *new* Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.