Your Last Meal With Rachel Belle

Glen Phillips recently released his first solo album in 6 years; a collection of love songs to counter his last album, written following a divorce. Glen and host Rachel Belle talk about what foods he’s drawn to when he’s sad and what he tends to eat when he’s happy.   Glen grew up on his mom’s microwave cooking, so we’ll learn the connection between microwaves and feminism and why acclaimed food writer Barbara Kafka wrote (and was mocked for writing!) The Microwave Gourmet cookbook.   Glen’s last meal is a food Indians have been eating for thousands of years. Ayurvedic chef/owner of New York City’s Divya’s Kitchen joins the show to tell us more about kitchari.  Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers! Support the show by becoming a paid subscriber!Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati

It's Cheech & Chong's 50th anniversary! The epic comedy duo is best known for their cinematic pot smoking antics, but Cheech's palate is far more sophisticated than stoner snacks. The enthusiastic cook first tasted chicken marbella, from the legendary Silver Palate cookbook, at a dinner party and he swore he heard angels singing. The Silver Palate cookbook "changed the way Americans ate" when it came out in 1982, and host Rachel Belle chats with its editor, Suzanne Rafer about the impact it had.  And chef, cannabis cookbook author, and founder of Laurie + Mary Jane edibles, Laurie Wolf, joins the show to talk about how far we've come from the ubiquitous potent pot brownie. Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers! Support the show by becoming a paid subscriber! Get tickets to the SF Sketchfest Tribute to Cheech & Chong: 50th Anniversary Celebration on January 31, 2023

Duff is famous for baking and building thousands of big, bonkers cakes, like the giant R2-D2 robot cake he baked for Star Wars director George Lucas and a lifelike elephant cake that stood taller than him. So you know the Food Network star, and longtime owner of Baltimore’s Charm City Cakes, baked his own wedding cakes. Cakes! Plural! Including a four-tiered meat cake topped with hot dog bride and groom.   We’ll learn the fascinating history of the wedding cake with Claire Stewart, author of As Long As We Both Shall Eat: A History of Wedding Food and Feasts.  Duff grew up in a town that shares its name with a very popular food. We’ll explore some of the country's most ridiculous (and tasty!) town names and, of course, reveal the name of Duff’s hometown!  Pick up Duff’s new cookbook, Super Good Cookies For Kids!  Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to my  newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.ca

My first exposure to Eden Grinshpan was a photo on Instagram: she was extremely pregnant and her bare, bulging belly was wall-papered with huge slices of pizza. I instantly wanted to be her friend. Eden is host of Top Chef Canada and author of the cookbook Eating Out Loud, where she shows off her contemporary middle eastern cooking chops with dishes like tahini Caesar salad and Sesame Schnitzel Sandwich with Harissa Honey and Tarter Slaw. Eden is tahini obsessed, so I chat with the CEO and co-founder of Soom Foods (makers of delicious tahini) about the history of the ancient condiment and what to do with the half empty jar in your fridge after using it to make hummus. 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.

Yuna is an internationally acclaimed R&B pop star, born and raised in Malaysia. But after a decade of living in LA, and missing her mother’s homemade nasi lemak and banana leaf rice, she and her husband finally succumbed to learning to cook the Malaysian dishes they miss most! Award-winning London chef and cookbook author Mandy Yi says it’s common to eat six meals a day in Malaysia, and walks us through a day of meals, snacks, street food and night markets. Yuna talks about what it was like trying to get a record deal, as a Muslim woman who wears a hijab, and she shares a hilarious story about how a late night snack attack nearly got her into deep trouble with the Canadian government. 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.

Surprise! It's a Thanksgiving treat: a bonus episode featuring actor Aimee Carrero, who stars in the new culinary thriller (yes, I invented a new film genre, no big whoop) The Menu, in theaters now. The Menu is about twelve wealthy food snobs who travel to a secluded island for an exclusive dining experience prepared by a revered chef. But the dinner...doesn't go as planned.  Aimee elaborates on her own, personal dinner party disaster, talks about what it was like waiting on Larry King when she worked at a restaurant, and shares her family's Puerto Rican and Dominican holiday traditions! 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.

If you're one of Tieghan Gerard's 6.6 million social media followers, or you've drooled over the come-hither food photos in one of her Half Baked Harvest cookbooks, chances are you're familiar with her cozy, comforting (read: so much melted cheeeeeeese!) recipes. But how much do you know about the woman behind the camera?  Tieghan pulls back the curtain on what a day-in-the-life of a full-time recipe content creator looks like. And if you still don't believe that being a social media influencer is a real job, Tieghan will put you in your place!   If we're talking about groundbreaking culinary content creators in 2022, we'd be remiss not to talk about Justine Doiron, known as Justine Snacks online. Justine started the viral butter board trend, both beloved and reviled by millions! Why did bread and butter make people so mad? We discuss! What's the strategy behind creating a viral video? We discuss! How was she able to quit her job within months of starting a TikTok page? We...you know what we're going to do. 

We absolutely adore actor Zosia Mamet in Girls and The Flight Attendant and now she's dipped her toe into our favorite world: food! She just released her first book, My First Popsicle: An Anthology of Food and Feelings, a collection of food-centered essays written by folks like Katie Holmes, Ted Danson, David Sedaris and Rosie Perez.In the book, Zosia writes about her favorite holiday meal, which includes a couple of hot button, controversial American dishes: sweet potato marshmallow casserole and canned, jellied cranberry sauce. Zosia and host Rachel Belle opine on these holiday classics, and then Rick Rogers, author of Thanksgiving 101, joins the show to share the history of the sweet potato marshmallow casserole, and the folks at Ocean Spray pop in to talk about the origins of canned cranberries. Do you snack snack snack your little butt off every time you fly? Zosia always packs a carry-on full of food, and insists there must be science behind her airplane hunger. Turns out, there is! We will discuss with

Jewel has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and this year she released Freewheelin' Woman, her first album in seven years! But fame and fortune is a stark contrast to the way she grew up in the wilds of Alaska. Jewel tells host Rachel Belle how her family gathered food, growing up on a remote Alaskan homestead without plumbing, electricity or a grocery store, and what it was like trying processed food for the first time after she moved out of her family's home. Then Clay Newcomb, host of Bear Grease podcast, joins the show to talk about cooking with bear meat and bear fat, an ingredient that was once a huge part of American tradition. 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.

Phil Rosenthal is the creator, co-producer and writer of Everybody Loves Raymond (yo, that show got 69 Emmy nominations!) but now his passion is introducing Americans to fantastic foreign food destinations as the host of his Netflix show, Somebody Feed Phil (and a new book coming out October 18th!). Phil enthusiastically eats al pastor in Mexico City and pastéis de nata in Lisbon, but his last meal would be a collage of classic American childhood favorites, including the humble hot dog. We head to Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs in Coney Island, home of the annual 4th of July Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, to learn the history of both. Next stop: Copenhagen, where hot dog carts have been a street food staple since 1920. Host Rachel Belle consults with Danish food and wine journalist Rasmus Palsgard about traditional Copenhagen hot dog toppings and is surprised to learn what drink is commonly paired with a street dog. Follow along on Instagram!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Support Cascade PBS:

Jack Johnson just released his 8th studio album, Meet The Moonlight, but after twenty years of touring the world, his values remain the same. A lifelong surfer, and Hawaiian, Jack is an environmentalist focused on keeping plastics out of our oceans. He tells host Rachel Belle the lengths he goes to to reduce waste and support local farms when he's out on tour. Zero Waste Chef, Anne Marie Bonneau, joins the show to share her tips for a zero-waste home kitchen. Have you even dehydrated fruit in your car, bro?And Jack has been married to his wife, Kim, for nearly 29 years and his last meal, and the story behind his song Banana Pancakes is a sweet little slice of their love story. Follow along on Instagram! Listen to our episode with another lovely Hawaiian musician, ukulele player Jake Shimabukuro! 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.

A couple weeks ago, Rachel Belle hosted a LIVE Your Last Meal show at THING, an arts + music festival in historic Port Townsend, Washington. Her first guest is blues rock musician Ian Moore, who's put out 11 full length albums, and toured with folks like the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and ZZ Top over the span of his 30 year career. Ian's from Austin, Texas and, living in the Pacific Northwest, he desperately misses Tex-Mex food, something Rachel can relate to as a burrito obsessed, native northern Californian who still hasn't found one she loves in Seattle. Up next, Jon Heder, best known for his starring role in Napoleon Dynamite! The film is famous for its references to tots and mispronounced quesadillas and a llama named Tina who refuses to eat her food. Jon regales us with tasty behind-the-scenes stories and shares his experiences with eating competitions while living in Japan. Follow along on Instagram! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmed

At 21 years old, a baby faced and baritone Brit named Rick Astley released his first single, and "Never Gonna Give You Up" was an instant #1 hit in 25 countries. In 2021, the song surpassed a billion streams thanks to Rickrolling, a viral Internet prank. On this episode of "Your Last Meal," we propose a theory: Rickrolling is the culinary equivalent of molecular gastronomy! You think you're getting one thing and POOF! you get something completely different. Culinary technologist and modernist cooking enthusiast Scott Heimendinger joins the show to exhibit how he uses molecular gastronomy to create culinary humor. Plus, Rick shares his favorite European road snacks (he loves to drive)! 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.

There must have been a magical elixir flowing from the drinking fountains at Seattle's Garfield High School. Alumni include Jimi Hendrix, Quincy Jones, Macklemore and our very special guest Ishmael Butler, rapper and founding member of Shabazz Palaces and Grammy Award winning hip-hop group Digable Planets.Host Rachel Belle first met Ish eight years ago, when she interviewed him at his house for a column called Show Us Your Fridge. So, it felt right to indulge in another round of culinary voyeurism and take a peek into the healthy home cook's refrigerator.Ish and Rachel discuss the Shabazz Palace song Chocolate Soufflé, so Seattle pastry chef Brittany Bardeleben joins the show to walk us through how to make the fussy French dessert, and opines on why you rarely see it on menus these days.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.

Sona Movsesian has been Conan O'Brien's assistant for 13 years, and podcast co-host for five, but their relationship feels more like brother and sister. Sona loves snacks, and Conan loves to manically knock them out of her hands. Sona likes to watch TV at her desk, and Conan likes to tell the world what an awful assistant she is. And her new book, The World's Worst Assistant, is an up close and personal look at just this sort of high jinks. A card carrying, native Californian, it is Sona's birthright to love In-N-Out Burger -- and she does! So professional hamburger expert, George Motz, joins the show to do a deep dive on the iconic hamburger chain. Why isn't there an In-N-Out in your town? What does it mean to order your fries Animal Style? Why do the employees smile so much? George tells all! Sona loves chocolate. She eats it every day. And if she doesn't? She gets a headache. Neuroscientist Dr Nicole Avena is an expert on this topic and tells host Rachel Belle why humans are born to be addicted to sugar. F

In this spirited interview with host Rachel Belle, comedian Hannah Berner realizes her true calling: talking excitedly about how much she loves to eat! And she has what many of us dream of, a spunky Italian grandmother who cooks up a big pot of sauce every Sunday, has a pantry full of pasta, and feeds her family plate after plate of Italian-American food until they're unbuttoning their pants at the table. Nana Vera joins the show to tell us how she makes her famous eggplant parmesan, and shares an old Italian wives' tale about why it's always important to salt your eggplant before cooking. Hannah went to college in Wisconsin, where it's perfectly normal for a Bloody Mary to hit the table garnished with a fragrant bouquet of hamburgers, corn dogs and egg rolls. Rachel chats with the owner of Milwaukee's Sobelman's Pub and Grill, who believes he was the one who started this deliciously gimmicky national trend. Follow along on Instagram! This episode is sponsored by Ooni Pizza Ovens, the world's first portable p

When John Rzeznik is on tour, he only requests one thing: a plain, grilled chicken breast. But, to his frustration and amusement, chefs can't resist zhuzhing up the bird with their own brand of pizzazz. He shares his long, arduous chicken-y journey with host Rachel Belle, including the story of a celebrity chef who tried to come to his rescue. John wants to cap off his last meal with a deep dish apple pie from Sweet Lady Jane, a Los Angeles institution frequented by folks like Barbra Streisand and the Kardashians, so Rachel calls them up to find out what makes the pie so special. And while we're on the subject of pie, John has plenty to say about pizza -- his favorite pizzerias just so happen to be two of the oldest in the United States. Host Rachel Belle chats with the owner of NYC's Lombardi's, America's first pizzeria. 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

Lola Kirke isn't particularly interested in modern day restraint and Instagram wellness trends. She stays up late, likes to drink, eats whatever she wants and just released a Jane Fonda era workout video as a companion to her new album, Lady For Sale. Lola loves Phish Food, a Ben & Jerry's collab with the jam band Phish, that just-so-happens to be celebrating its 25th anniversary! Host Rachel Belle chats with the iconic ice cream company, and Phish's long-time manager, about the history of the flavor and why it's the only product Phish has ever put its name on. Do you drink Fernet? If so, you're either a bartender or you impressed your bartender by ordering it. Rachel interviews a San Francisco bartender, whose bar sells more Fernet than anywhere else in the country, to learn more about the history of the drink they call the "bartender's handshake." Follow along on Instagram! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Support Cascade PBS: https://secure.cascadepublicmedia.org/page/133995/donate/1

Taylor Hanson is the middle brother in Hanson, the band he's been performing in with his brothers Isaac and Zac since he was nine years old. So it's not surprising that this Oklahoma boy had a palate changing culinary epiphany while touring in Europe when he was 15. That epiphany revolved around a perfectly ripe, locally grown tomato, and anyone who's ever picked a pink, mealy tomato slice off their burger knows that commercially grown tomatoes leave much to be desired. Host Rachel Belle chats with Dr. Harry Klee, a horticulture professor who has worked for nearly three decades to develop a flavorful, affordable grocery store tomato. And he answers the question: why are supermarket tomatoes so bad?? And the Oklahoma Historical Society joins the show to share the story behind Oklahoma's official state meal. Follow Rachel Belle on Instagram! This episode is sponsored by Ooni Pizza Ovens, the world's first portable pizza oven company! Rachel Belle has been making incredible, chewy, bubbly, melty pizzas in her Oo

Dan Harris is Type A, self-help skeptical and looks the part of a TV anchorman. But he recently quit his 20 year career at ABC News to fully embrace his side hustle: convincing Americans to meditate. Dan wrote a memoir, 10% Happier, about his unlikely journey to mindfulness, that has since expanded into a podcast and meditation app. Dan loves sweets, specifically cookies, and even more specifically, warm cookies delivered by Insomnia Cookies. Host Rachel Belle speaks with Insomnia's founder and CEO, who started the company nearly 20 years ago when he was a 20 year old living in a college dorm room. And we'll do some cookie detective work: what's going on when a batch of cookies spread in the oven or come out dry and cakey? Cookbook author and host of Zoe Bakes, Zoë François, joins the show to troubleshoot the most common cookie baking mistakes and shares how she became a professional baker after growing up in communes and cults that forbade sugar. Follow along on Instagram! See omnystudio.com/listener for pri