The Taste Podcast

Today on the show we are talking all about one of the world’s great foods: Maine Lobster, harvested directly from the cold waters of Maine, which give it its unique and sweet taste. First up is a great conversation with Ham El-Waylly. Ham is the chef-owner of the buzzy Brooklyn restaurant Strange Delight, and he tells us how Maine Lobster has been a big part of his culinary career. We talk about how he thinks about cooking with lobster and where he is spotting it on menus around the world. We also sent Ham a box of Maine lobsters to cook with at home. The results were pretty amazing. Also on the show, we speak with journalist Luke Pyenson. Luke traveled to Maine to report a story for TASTE, and we find out where he went and who he met—and, of course, hear about all the Maine Lobster he ate. We discuss Maine Lobster’s deep commitment to sustainability and how chefs both in Maine and around the world are cooking the sweetest lobster on earth in an exciting way. Finally we catch up with a Maine lobsterman, Curt

Jess Eng is a food writer based in New York City. She’s a regular contributor here at TASTE alongside a great roster of publications like the Washington Post and the New York Times. It’s so fun to have her on the show to expand on some of her favorite stories, her latest experiments with home fermentation, and her recent reporting trip in Fuzhou, China. And, at the top of the show, it’s the return of Three Things, where Aliza and Matt talk about what is exciting them in the world of restaurants, cookbooks, and the food world as a whole. On this episode: It's fall cookbook season and Matt previews Measure with Your Heart by Hannah Taylor, The Ex-Boyfriend's Favorite Recipe Funeral Committee by Saki Kawashiro, Script Notes by John August and Craig Mazin, and Obsessed With the Best by Ella Quittner (not fall but worth a mention). Aliza jumps in with a visit for Thai chicken wings at Sam Yan in Clinton Hill, a preview of Ruby Tandoh’s new book, All Consuming, and a special shoutout to LA Taco’s ongoing coverage i

Matt was so excited to invite his friend Maurizio Leo to New York City to walk the streets and eat a lot of pizza. Maurizio is the author of The Perfect Loaf, an incredible cookbook and online community dedicated to all things sourdough. Matt and Maurizio visited seven pizzerias and, along with lead producer Clayton Gumbert, tasted their way through the city’s best (and maybe not best) slices. So what did they think of Joe’s, L’industrie, Mama’s TOO!, Lucia, Upside, Scarr’s, and F&F? Tune in! Also on the episode, Matt catches up with Anthony Falco. Falco is a global pizza consultant and a true pioneer in the pizza world. He just returned from a three-week trip to Italy, and we talk about all the pizza styles and trends he spotted there. We also move beyond pizza to discuss the modern trattoria scene, good and great gelato, and how Anthony’s appreciation for art dovetails with his interest in the culinary world.  For more, listen to This Is TASTE 344: Pizza Week with Anthony Falco.

Have you ever eaten prune whip pie? How about pickle cheesecake? Well, B. Dylan Hollis absolutely has. The popular TikTok and YouTube creator has racked up millions (and millions) of views by baking his way through vintage cookbooks that fit his “three Ws”: wacky, weird, and wonderful. Dylan is back with a new book, Baking Across America, which had him visiting dozens of states to track down recipes and stories from America’s amazing baking past. We talk about the crazy travel that went into this unique book project and what he’s baking in his Montana kitchen. We loved catching up with one of the sharpest minds in the baking game. Subscribe to This Is TASTE: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube 

Marc-Kwesi Farrell is the founder of Ten to One, a contemporary Caribbean rum brand. Born in Trinidad, he’s passionate about broadening and celebrating global perceptions of rum through premium blends and storytelling, including drawing from his experience as the youngest vice president in Starbucks history. Today on the show, Marc goes deep on rum distillation and culture, bringing on the legendary singer Ciara as a co-owner, and plans for the future of the brand. And, at the top of the show, it’s the return of Three Things, where Aliza and Matt talk about what is exciting them in the world of restaurants, cookbooks, and the food world as a whole. On this episode: Blueberries from West Michigan, a visit to Harana Market in Accord, NY, new water discoveries: Freebird Southern Spring Water and Yuzu Mandarin Spindrift. Also: Hailee Catalano’s cold shrimp rolls with celery salad is perfect for right now, Three Cheers is a refreshing new cocktail book, Lei is a very cool new wine bar in NYC’s Chinatown, and it’s

It’s the return of a special video podcast series: Food Writers Talking About Food Writing. It’s available on the TASTE YouTube channel, so make sure to subscribe and check out the video version of this podcast. Every couple of weeks, Matt invites a journalist to talk about some favorite recent food writing as well as their thoughts on the industry as a whole. On today’s episode, we have an amazing conversation with Mahira Rivers. Mahira is a journalist and former Michelin Guide inspector. She’s also the author of the must-read Substack Sweet City, which covers the bakery and dessert scene in New York City with a critical eye. In this episode we discuss so many terrific recent stories in the food world, including Mahira’s epic quest to name the 21 best croissants in New York City right now. We go behind the scenes on her five-plus years at Michelin and talk a bit about writing on Substack. We’re all big fans of Mahira’s work, and it was a joy having her in the studio. Subscribe to This Is TASTE: Apple Podcast

Jodi Moreno is a chef, culinary consultant, and food stylist based in Mexico City. She’s the author of the James Beard–nominated cookbook More with Less and a new cookbook, Simple Pleasures. It’s so fun to have Jodi on the show to talk about developing Simple Pleasures in Mexico City, the joys of summer salads, entertaining, and more. Also on the show is Tim Spector. He’s a professor of epidemiology at King’s College London, a cofounder of the science and nutrition company ZOE, and the author of The Food for Life Cookbook, a guide to the science of living well for home cooks. Tim addresses all our burning food science questions: probiotics, ultraprocessed foods, protein maxxing, and more. Subscribe to This Is TASTE: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube 

This is such a great conversation with Max Shapiro, co-host of the Air Jordan podcast and a guy who knows what he likes. We’ve enjoyed Max’s very active, and sometimes blessedly candid, Instagram reviews of restaurants around the world. While he’s based in Los Angeles, his recent trip to Spain, particularly a dozen stops at legendary restaurants and new places around San Sebastián, got us interested. Max shares an action-packed road trip around the Basque region, including stops at Gresca, Casa Julián, Asador Etxebarri, and Kaia Kaipe. And why you should most certainly not book at Arzak. He also tells what is good in his hometown of Los Angeles including Dunsmoor, Budonoki, Horses, Shunji, and Muse.      Read more about Air Jordan and the Los Angeles podcast scene. It’s interesting. Subscribe to This Is TASTE: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube 

Leo Schaltz is a cofounder of BonBon, a Swedish candy store with five locations in New York City (six total) and a cult following on TikTok. The pick-and-mix bulk candy selection is entirely imported from Sweden, from salty licorice to sour strawberry cream skulls. Today on the show, Leo talks about growing BonBon’s candy empire, meeting viral demand, and building a candy library. And before that, Matt shares some of his discoveries from the recent Fancy Food Show in New York. These aren’t the “best” products at the show per say, and lord was it a big show. These are simply some of Matt’s favorites, including: Vietnam’s Marou Chocolates, Baris frozen dipped raspberries, Gamsa Foods savory instant oatmeal, Rotten “better for you” candy, Long Weekend freeze-dried instant soup, Pari zero-proof, Michigan pies in the grocery store from Achatz Pie Company, Salad Sprinkles is really smart. Subscribe to This Is TASTE: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube 

Hailee Catalano is a trained chef, a former restaurant cook, a recipe developer, and one of our favorite voices in all of food. She is the author of a great new cookbook, By Heart. In this episode, we talk about her early years in Chicago, growing up in an Italian American household, and her later years working the line as a cook before launching her social media account on a lark. If you follow Hailee, you know her unique take on home cooking is absolutely mesmerizing, and we discuss how she thinks about developing recipes for Instagram Reels and TikTok. Also on the show we have a great conversation with David Nayfeld. He’s the chef and co-owner of Che Fico in San Francisco, among other restaurants, and the author of a great new book, Dad, What's for Dinner? We talk about restaurant life and how cooking for his daughter inspired him to write this unique book. Subscribe to This Is TASTE: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube 

Aimee France is a cake baker and internet personality based in Brooklyn. Her distinctly bumpy cakes and elaborate eating habits have won over many fans online, and it’s so fun to have her in the studio to go deep on her singular perspective on food, from her three-drink-minimum breakfasts to her unexpected sources of inspiration. And, at the top of the show, it’s the return of Three Things, where Aliza and Matt talk about what is exciting them in the world of restaurants, cookbooks, and the food world as a whole. On this episode: An amazing meal at Ultramarinos Marin in Barcelona, Santo Taco in NYC is really exciting, Vila Viniteca is a great non-tourist food shop in the Barcelona tourist center, Tashkent Halal Supermarket in Brighton Beach caused a blackout in the pastry section, Thattu in Chicago is the place for Keralan food, Natoora does amazing event catering. Subscribe to This Is TASTE: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube 

Jerry Williams Jr. has performed under the pseudonym Swamp Dogg since 1970 and has been described as “one of the great cult figures of 20th century American music.” I would agree, and it was an absolute honor to welcome the R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer to the studio to talk about visiting restaurants on the road while touring in the Jim Crow South and working with iconic artists like Patti LaBelle, Doris Duke, and Dr. Dre. We also discuss his new cookbook, which is a real treasure. It’s called If You Can Kill It I Can Cook It, and I absolutely love it. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Swamp Dogg. Subscribe to This Is TASTE: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube 

Norma Listman and Saqib Keval are the chefs and co-owners of Masala y Maíiz, a Mexico City restaurant rooted in a mestizaje exploration of culinary traditions from India, East Africa, and Mexico. It was great to have them in the studio to talk about creating a more equitable restaurant that puts their workers first, expanding into a new location, shooting an episode of Chef’s Table, and their favorite spots in Mexico City. Also on the show, Aliza shares her first visit to Houston! What a town. Stops included: Tacos Tierra Caliente, Nam Giao, Truth BBQ, Ninfa’s on Navigation, Tiny Champions, Basket Books, and the Eldorado Ballroom. Subscribe to This Is TASTE: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube 

We’ve all long been major fans of Ligaya Mishan, who last month was named co–chief restaurant critic at the New York Times. Working alongside Tejal Rao, Ligaya will be reviewing restaurants in New York City as well as around the country—and compiling the now iconic (and much-debated) 100 Best Restaurants in New York list. So what does it feel like to take over for Pete Wells? We went right to the source for this wonderful conversation. We discuss personal taste, mining history books, and what exactly makes a one-star restaurant. We also go back to Ligaya’s days writing the Hungry City column and talk about how this big job was truly more than a decade in the making. We love this fresh direction for the NYT Food section and were happy to have one of its new chief critics in the studio. Subscribe to This Is TASTE: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube  Read some of Ligaya’s memorable writing: Taking a Turn in the Restaurant That Makes New York Go Round [NYT] A Bid to Maintain One of the World’s Oldest Culinary T

Eddie Huang hardly needs an introduction, but here’s a shot. Eddie is a gifted writer, rap encyclopedia, film director, podcast host, best-selling author, and a pretty nice chef, too. Matt has known Eddie since his days coming up in New York City in the 2000s, running the iconic Baohaus and shaking up the food writing world in the process. Today he’s back living in New York after spending years in California, and we get into his new restaurant project, Gazebo, which is running as a monthly pop-up series at The Flower Shop. We also talk about NYC dining culture then and now, and Eddie takes the TASTE Check. Legendary.  Read some of Eddie’s recent writing on Canal Street Dreams: The Long Island Iced Tea Can Save Us The Restaurant Review Thing Gazebo July Menu Get your tickets to our live event on July 23 at the Bell House in Brooklyn. Featuring conversations with Padma Lakshmi, Hailee Catalano & Chuck Cruz, and a live taping of Bon Appétit Bake Club with Jesse Szewczyk and Shilpa Uskokovic. Ticket sales be

Today on the show, we have a great conversation with Austin Tedesco. Austin is head of business development at Substack, but we think of him even more as an infinitely curious restaurant superfan. He’s worked as a line cook and dines out with the frequency of our best critics. He writes about it all on his own Substack, Bangers & Jams, and we talk about his journey from NBA reporter to restaurant professional to helping promote the growth of authors on the Substack platform. Is Substack the future of food media? It’s still early to say, and Austin gives some insight into how it all works.  Read: Knife myths and realities SUPPORT A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE FOOD SUBSTACKS: Snaxshot The Party Cut David Lebovitz  La Briffe Sweet City Home Cook with Karolyn Pho Vittles Everything Cookbooks The Angel Robert Sietsema's New York Nongluten A Newsletter by Alison Roman Express Checkout Kitchen Projects Cake Zine Food Time with Matt Rodbard Subscribe to This Is TASTE: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube 

It was a lot of fun having Bill Oakley in the studio. Bill is a writer and “professional food enthusiast,” as he says. He’s also a former head writer for The Simpsons and has also written for The Cleveland Show and Portlandia and created the series Mission Hill. We loved talking with Bill about all kinds of food topics and his latest obsessions. We discuss writing food into memorable episodes of The Simpsons and his unique way of touring the country for highly entertaining live events. Bill is a real original. And, at the top of the show, it’s the return of Three Things, where Aliza and Matt talk about what is exciting them in the world of restaurants, cookbooks, and the food world as a whole. On this episode: Larry's Ca Phe does refreshing matcha right, Chicago's Lula Cafe served the perfect asparagus dish, Aliza visited L'Industrie Pizzeria for the first time, Gary He, author of McAtlas, was on fire at the James Beard Awards. Also: Aliza is reading Butter: A Novel of Food and Murder, and Matt had a great ti

Kelly Mencin is the pastry chef and co-owner of Radio Bakery, a cult-followed destination for filled croissants and focaccia sandwiches with two locations in Brooklyn. Radio’s offerings—and its lines—are legendary, and today on the show Kelly talks about opening Rolo’s, transitioning to Radio, and their continued efforts to try and meet demand. Get your tickets to our live event on July 23 at the Bell House in Brooklyn. Featuring conversations with Padma Lakshmi, Hailee Catalano & Chuck Cruz, and a live taping of Bon Appétit Bake Club with Jesse Szewczyk and Shilpa Uskokovic. Ticket sales benefit One Love Community Fridge. Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. 

Noor Murad is a Bahrain-born, New York–trained, London-based chef and the author of the wonderful new cookbook Lugma. You may know her recipes from her time running the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen and contributing to the books Falastin, Shelf Love, and Extra Good Things. Now it’s time to get to know Noor herself through this delicious collection of traditional and re-imagined dishes from Bahrain and beyond. Also on the show we catch up with Brian Voll, the creative force behind the innovative cookbook series Menus By Brian. Get your tickets to our live event on July 23 at the Bell House in Brooklyn. Featuring conversations with Padma Lakshmi, Hailee Catalano & Chuck Cruz, and a live taping of Bon Appétit Bake Club with Jesse Szewczyk and Shilpa Uskokovic. Ticket sales benefit One Love Community Fridge. Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you.

It was so much fun having Chris Morocco in the studio for a wide-ranging conversation about cooking, media, and his nearly two decades working at Condé Nast. Chris is the food director of Bon Appétit and Epicurious, overseeing the test kitchen team and the recipes they develop. In this episode, we go back to Chris’s early career working at Vogue before landing an assistant job in the BA Test Kitchen. We go over how he currently leads the team and how they think about seasonality, taste, and getting people to cook more in this rapidly changing world. We’re big fans of Chris’s work, and it was exciting speaking with him. We're hosting a really cool live podcast event in Brooklyn on July 23, featuring Padma Lakshmi, Hailee Catalano & Chuck Cruz, and a live taping of Bon Appétit Bake Club with Jesse Szewczyk and Shilpa Uskokovic, visit the Bell House website. Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you.