The Taste Podcast

The weather is cold and the produce selection in the grocery store is smaller, but that's no reason to despair! Chris, Jesse, and Shilpa have the recipe for winter cooking optimism—and the answers to listener questions about homemade broth, frozen veggies, and more. Listen to and follow Bon Appétit's Dinner SOS here.

It was incredible to sit down with Dana Cowin, a creative force and an important figure in the history of food media. Dana served as the editor in chief of Food & Wine for over two decades, and she’s the founder of Progressive Hedonist, an organization that looks to find joy in purposeful action. In this episode, we go back to hear about the early days of Food & Wine and how Dana had a vision for placing chefs at the center of a magazine’s coverage. Great idea, Dana. We talk about the magazine’s transition from print to digital and what she finds interesting in the world of cooking and restaurants today. Also on the show, it’s the return of Three Things where Aliza and Matt discuss what is exciting in the world of restaurants, cookbooks, and the food world as a whole. On this episode: Mariscos el Submarino is opening in Clinton Hill, a visit to Hani's bakery in the East Village, Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley is the 2000s indie rock novel you always wanted, Funny Bar is a new downtown bar, and steak frites spot,

Kristina Cho is an award-winning cookbook author, recipe developer, home cook, baker, food stylist, and photographer. Her terrific debut cookbook, Mooncakes and Milk Bread, won her two James Beard awards, and her follow-up, Chinese Enough, is a big favorite of all of us at TASTE. We were so happy to have Kristina in the studio, where we found out about how she pivoted from a career in architecture to work on food full time. It was a bet that paid off, and we dig into Kristina’s family history and how she writes her incredibly inspired recipes. Kristina and Matt are appearing together at the Tucson Festival of Books on March 15. Also on the show we have a really fun conversation with Eleanor Wilkinson. She is the author of a very cool new book, One Pot, One Portion. Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. 

Tyler Zielinski is a London-based drinks professional. He’s best known for his work in drinks journalism, writing about bars, cocktails, and other subjects for an array of publications including Punch, Eater, and Food & Wine. In this episode, we talk about his very cool debut book, Tiny Cocktails. What makes a tiny cocktail exactly? Tyler will explain. We also dig into where Tyler likes to drink in his hometown of London and what makes an extraordinary cocktail experience. Also on the show, we have a great conversation with Bonny Reichert. Bonny is a journalist and author of an incredible memoir, How to Share an Egg: A True Story of Hunger, Love, and Plenty. Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. 

Jeremy Robinson-Leon is the founder of Moonburger, an ambitious chain of restaurants whose core focus is bringing high-quality fast food to the masses. We personally love Moonburger and have visited locations in Kingston and New Paltz, and it’s now operating in Poughkeepsie and Brooklyn. In this episode, we hear about Jeremy’s journey to opening these restaurants and how he enlisted the help of some big-name talent to assist him in developing a signature plant-based patty. We also hear about the company’s pivot to serving beef and what this all means for future expansion plans. We're rooting for Moonburger, and had a great time catching up with its very cool founder.  Also on the show, it’s the return of Three Things where Aliza and Matt discuss what is exciting in the world of restaurants, cookbooks, and the food world as a whole. On this episode: Cake Zine's Raffle for LA Fire Relief, Care and Feeding by Laurie Woolever is a book you need to read (read twice if you work in food media), you can freeze pancak

Today on the show, we’re doing something a little different: a special travel episode, featuring Aliza and her girlfriend, Shirley Chan. Shirley's a talented cinematographer and also a favorite travel partner. They just came back from a month in Asia visiting Thailand and Shirley's family in Taiwan. In this episode, they dive deep into recs for Taipei, Kaohsiung, Taichung, and Tainan, with a stopover in Chiang Mai and Bangkok too. It’s a must listen if you’re planning a trip to either country, and even if you’re not, it’s still a lot of fun.  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 ALIZA AND SHIRLEY’S AVENTURE: Here’s a Google Map for all the places mentioned on the episode. Buy: Made In Taiwan

Kiera Wright-Ruiz is a food writer and recipe developer based in Tokyo. She’s the author of the very cute children’s book I Want to Be Spaghetti! and now a debut cookbook, My (Half) Latinx Kitchen. It’s a culinary journey of discovery, blending memoir and lots of recipes connecting Kiera’s Ecuadorian and Korean heritage and the extended family of caregivers from across Latin America who helped raise her. Today, in Aliza’s interview, they dig into what it’s like developing Latin American recipes on the other side of the world, Kiera’s favorite restaurants in Tokyo, and more. Also on the show, Matt has a fun conversation with Anna Hezel. She’s a writer and the former cohost of this very show, and she has launched (with some friends) a cool new project: Best Food Blog. They talk about some of the memorable stories in Best Food Blog’s young life, and some of Anna’s favorite stories from the early days of TASTE. Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from yo

Caroline Eden is a writer and literary critic. She’s also the author of many terrific food and travel books, including Samarkand, Black Sea, and Red Sands. She has been awarded both the Art of Eating Prize and an André Simon Award, and Red Sands was a book of the year for the Financial Times, the Sunday Times, and the New Yorker. In this episode, we talk about Caroline’s terrific new book, a memoir titled Cold Kitchen. The book is a real journey through parts of Eastern Europe, the Baltic region, and beyond, and it dives into Caroline’s travels through Russia, Bulgaria, Georgia, and many other locations that perhaps don’t get the time they deserve. Caroline is a brilliant reporter and we had such a great time catching up with her. Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. 

Eric Kim has a signature style with his writing, which has appeared frequently in the New York Times, where he is a columnist for the magazine. Eric blends a truly lyrical style of prose with deep reporting chops and a knack for simple and highly focused recipe development—a rare triple threat! He’s also the author of the best-selling cookbook Korean American. This is a return visit to the show for Eric, and we talk about his reporting process, how he unpacks big topics in food and culture in his columns, and some of his recent work, including dumplings, Chicago pizza, the origins of Philadelphia cream cheese, and many other memorable stories. Also on the show, it’s the return of Three Things, where Aliza and Matt share what’s interesting in the world of restaurants, books, television, food products, and much more. On this episode: Birria La Flor is doing Tijuana-style birria in Brooklyn, Caroline Eden’s great memoir Cold Kitchen, Flour + Water dry pasta is terrific. Also, a Kingston, New York, scene check. M

Emily Wilson is a writer based in Los Angeles and runs the terrific publication The Angel, covering the city’s legendary restaurant scene. On this episode, recorded before the devastating wildfires, we hear about how Emily views her city’s technicolor restaurant scene. What are her favorite places to visit for all occasions? She has quite a list. And check out The Angel’s guide on how to support wildfire recovery efforts. Also on the show, Matt walks the floor of the Winter Fancy Food Show, an annual trade show featuring the best in grocery and CPG. He spotted a number of exciting discoveries, including: Joyus Non-Alcoholic Cabernet Sauvignon Spritz King Chipotle Smokey and Spice Tanglewood Ginger Spiced Chai Mauka Meats Veal Stock Island Sausage Belle Chevre Spreadable Goat Cheese Chalet Cheese  Eddy's Homemade Kitchen Maazah Magic Sauce Eataly CPG Vermont Creamery Marieke Gouda Uncle Waithley's  Frost Buttercream Tamarind Heads  Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Ap

Abi Balingit is the author of Mayumu: Filipino American Desserts Remixed, a delightful cookbook full of maximalist personality and transfixing sweets, like the adobo chocolate chip cookie. She’s a singular force in the NYC baking scene, and it’s so fun to have her on the show today to talk about what she’s been up to since publishing her first book, her love of kitsch, 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 ABI BALINGIT: Adobo Chocolate Chip Cookie [NYT] Ube Macapuno Molten Lava Cake and More Maximalist Filipino Desserts from 'Mayumu' [KCRW Good Food] Telling Delicious Filipino Food Stories With Chef Abi Balingit [Forbes]

Today’s episode is all about Dijon mustard, and it brings a couple of mustard lovers into the studio. First up is Jeremy Salamon. He’s the chef-owner of two singular and sensational restaurants in Brooklyn: Agi’s Counter and the newly opened Pitt’s. We talk about what he’s been cooking and all of the creative ways he thinks about using Dijon mustard, even with dessert. Next up is a real treat—we get to talk with a mustard sommelier. His name is Brandon Collins, and he helps develop recipes for Maille mustard, which is our personal favorite brand. Brandon takes us through some of the company’s history before giving us a taste of some rare Dijons. This special episode was made in partnership with our friends at Maille.

Chef Edward Lee is a good friend of ours and one of the most respected voices in American cooking. He’s also one of the stars of the breakout Netflix cooking show Culinary Class Wars, which has earned millions of fans for its unique approach to cooking competition on television. In this episode, we hear all about the production and about how Edward prepared for the competition. We also talk about his new Washington, DC, restaurant, Shia, and his time cooking in New York City in the ’90s at the pioneering restaurant Clay. It’s always so much fun catching up with Edward. Also on the show, Aliza is back from Asia! Her and Matt catch up about what they've been up to at the start of the year, and discuss how much boba you can drink in a month's time. Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. 

Michael McCarty is the owner of two restaurants, Michael’s in Santa Monica, which opened in 1979, and Michael’s on West 55th Street in Midtown Manhattan, which followed a decade later. McCarty is truly the father of California cuisine, at the center of a culinary movement that produced top Los Angeles chefs like Jonathan Waxman, Mark Peel, Nancy Silverton, and many others. I had so much fun having Michael back into the studio, and he was happy to go over his deep history in the American restaurant scene. He also talked about his early days cooking in Paris, and how he ended up in Santa Monica and helped establish the legendary farmers’ market there. It’s Michael, the early years, in this amazing episode. Also on the show we catch up with Eater Chicago editor Ashok Selvam. He recently wrote about the revival of Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago, and how Dylan Trotter is taking a big role in the rebirth. 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 F

Today on the show, we welcome one of our favorite writers in the game, Jason Diamond. Jason writes the wonderful newsletter The Melt and has written two books, Searching for John Hughes and The Sprawl: Reconsidering the Weird American Suburbs. He’s also worked on the truly amazing New York Nico’s Guide to NYC, which we talk about in this great episode. We get into what Jason has been eating and reading, and the Jason Diamond way of life. I always enjoy catching up with Jason, and I hope you enjoy this episode. Also on the show, we catch up with Vivian Song. Vivian wrote a terrific piece in the New York Times, “It’s Zinc Bar vs. Barista in a Paris Battle of the Buzz,” and we hear all about the shifting coffee scene in Paris. 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 JASON DIAMOND: The Many Garlics of My Childhood [TASTE] Shattering the Jarred Pasta Sauce Stigma [TASTE] Luncheon with a Zabar [TASTE]

Today we have a very special episode. Visit California invited us out of our New York City studio and over to the West Coast for a food-focused road trip around Orange County and the San Gabriel Valley. We start our journey at Mercado González at Northgate Market in Costa Mesa, where Aliza and Matt share an incredible afternoon walking around the mercado looking for pozole, churros, and many more surprises along the way. We hit the road for our next stop, a visit with Sara Lezama, the owner of Rye Goods, an acclaimed sourdough bakery and deli with three locations throughout Orange County in Newport Beach, Tustin, and Laguna Beach.  Next on our road trip, we head to the San Gabriel Valley, where journalist Kristie Hang gives us a tour of some of her favorite new and under-the-radar restaurants, including Banh Mi Hoa Phat, Good Alley, and Bistro Na’s. We stay in the SGV for a conversation with chef Chris Yang of Yang’s Kitchen, which has firmly become one of our favorite restaurants in all of California. To clo

Today we have a very special episode. Visit California invited us out of our New York City studio and over to the West Coast for a food-focused road trip around San Diego and North County, including stops in Carlsbad and Oceanside. We start our journey at the source at the legendary Chino Farm, where three generations of Japanese American Chinos have been growing incredible produce used by chefs throughout California.  Our next stop is a visit with Jeff Lozano, a brand ambassador at San Diego’s Ballast Point Brewing, one of the foundational craft beer makers in a city famous for its great beer.  The journey then heads up Interstate 5 to Carlsbad, where we catch up with Eric Bost, a prolific chef behind the newly opened Wildland and the soon-to-open tasting menu restaurant Lilo. To close, Aliza and Matt share many more discoveries from their road trip around Southern California. More places we visited: Rare Society, City Tacos, Tribute Pizza, Wayfarer Bread, Aisu Creamery, Little Fox Cups and Cones, Wrench & R

In her latest cookbook, Romy Gill’s India, chef and British TV personality Romy Gill shares more than 70 of her beloved family recipes, each a testament to the flavors that define her childhood. From the iconic butter chicken, a beloved staple in every Indian home, to the delicious simplicity of her masala omelette, Romy taps into her personal connection to India. In this episode, we talk about what drives her to write a perfect recipe and how her London home base informs so much of her work. Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. 

Over the last nine years, journalist Shane Mitchell has braved snakes, fire ants, floods, rallies, marches, protests, pageants, and near heat stroke to write the essays contained in her new collection of work published in The Bitter Southerner. The Crop Cycle: Stories with Deep Roots has Shane traveling throughout the South, uncovering history both past and modern and reporting on major topics such as farm labor, race, gender, and the history of the Georgia peach. Shane has incredible writing chops, and she has contributed memorable stories for TASTE as well. We go over all of it in this terrific episode. 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 Shane Mitchell: Odd Birds [The Bitter Southerner] Kiss My Grits [The Bitter Southerner] This Is TASTE 261: Cherry Bombe & The Bitter Southerner [TASTE] Buy: Far Afield.

David Joonwoo Yun has a great story to tell. As one of the partners of New York City Korean restaurants C as in Charlie and Kisa, he’s been at the center of Korean cooking in NYC for a minute. But how did he get here? And how did he and his partners eventually redefine Korean cooking one banchan at a time? We dig into his great story in this terrific episode. Also on the show we have a great conversation with journalist Mehr Singh, who speaks about her recent TASTE reporting digging into Gen Z cheesemakers. We also talk about her career, and some memorable 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 KOREAN FOOD EPISODES: This Is TASTE 391: Koreaword with Koreaworld with Cote and Coqodaq’s Simon Kim [Apple] This Is TASTE 390: Koreaworld with Eater LA Editor Matthew Kang [Apple] This Is TASTE 388: Koreaworld with Doshi's Susan Kim [Apple]