Join baker Samantha Seneviratne, known for her teaching style in 'Bake Smart', as she reveals a butter trick for her delicious Gooey Cranberry Crumb Cake. Chef Jon Kung shares his experience as a third-culture kid through his debut book, 'Kung Food,' featuring a fusion recipe for Hong Kong-style Chicken and Waffles. Restaurateur Rose Previte discusses her culinary travels and her passion for live-fire cooking, spotlighting dishes like Omani Grilled Shrimp Kebabs. Dive into a delightful mix of baking tips and cultural culinary explorations!
Samantha Seneviratne shares innovative baking techniques, including a microwave butter trick for achieving creamy textures in desserts.
Chef Jon Kung discusses his culinary identity as a third-culture kid, blending diverse cuisines in creative dishes like Hong Kong chicken and waffles.
Rose Previte's cookbook showcases the cultural influences behind her award-winning restaurant, focusing on the art of cooking over fire with recipes like Omani Grilled Shrimp Kebabs.
Deep dives
Travel Trends for 2025
The discussion emphasizes the importance of travel trends as presented in the Unpack 2025 report by Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo. This report highlights diverse travel inspirations, from off-the-beaten-path destinations to hotels featuring award-winning restaurants. It caters to various types of travelers, whether they seek comfort or unique experiences, such as the joy of missing out, known as JOMO. The report encourages people to explore these trends and book their next getaway to prevent missing opportunities for enriching travel experiences.
Creative Cooking with Eggs
The podcast introduces a contest aimed at encouraging creativity with egg-based recipes, celebrating their versatility in cooking. Participants are invited to reimagine traditional holiday dishes, bringing innovative twists to family favorites by incorporating eggs. For example, listeners are inspired to enhance classic recipes like deviled eggs or eggnog, aiming to elevate these dishes with surprising flavors. The contest not only highlights the significance of eggs in festive cooking but also promotes community engagement through shared culinary creativity.
Cookbook Recommendations for the Holidays
During the episode, there is a focus on the surge of cookbooks released in the fall, making them ideal gifts for the holiday season. Notable guests include chefs like Rose Previtt and John Kung, who discuss their cookbooks that showcase unique cultural influences and travel inspirations. Their works highlight personal narratives, recipes, and cooking techniques drawn from their diverse backgrounds and experiences. The appeal of these cookbooks lies in their ability to spark curiosity and inspiration in the kitchen during the festive period.
Samantha Senavaratna's 'Bake Smart'
Samantha Senavaratna’s new cookbook, 'Bake Smart', offers innovative baking tips and approachable strategies for both novice and experienced bakers. The conversation sheds light on her teaching style, where she shares valuable insights alongside her recipes, making the baking process feel collaborative. For instance, she provides a clever method to achieve perfectly softened butter using the microwave, showcasing her emphasis on practicality in the kitchen. Additionally, her recipes allow for happy accidents, demonstrating how unexpected outcomes can lead to delightful dishes.
John Kung's Culinary Fusion
John Kung’s work exemplifies the fusion of cultural identities through food, particularly as he discusses his cookbook 'Kung Food'. He reflects on his experiences as a third culture kid, highlighting how this upbringing informs his culinary creations, such as the Hong Kong chicken and waffles. Kung creatively combines elements from various cuisines, showcasing dishes like jerk chicken chow mein, which reflects the influence of Caribbean-Chinese diaspora. Through his cooking, he emphasizes the unity and uniqueness found in blending different cultural flavors and traditions.
It’s our favorite time of year – Fall Cookbook season! We’re joined by baker Samantha Seneviratne, author of Bake Smart, who tells us about her favorite baking techniques, including a butter trick that creates the creamy texture in her Gooey Cranberry Crumb Cake. Then, chef and content creator Jon Kung talks about his debut cookbook, Kung Food: Chinese American Recipes from a Third-Culture Kitchen. He tells us about his cultural identity as a “third-culture kid,” how he experienced multiple cultures at once while growing up, and how he applies that experience to his fusion cooking. He shares a recipe for reimagined Hong Kong Style Chicken and Waffles. Then, Rose Previte, author of the new book Maydan: Recipes from Lebanon and Beyond, talks about travels and her cultural background that influenced her award-winning restaurant and her interest in dishes cooked over fire like Omani Grilled Shrimp Kebabs.