This Is TASTE

Ben McKean is the founder of Hungryroot, an online grocery retailer that has changed the way millions of Americans cook dinner (and lunch, and breakfast) and taught them to love plant-based cookie dough. On this episode, Ben shares his journey to launching Hungryroot, and we dig into how the modern grocery store is quite broken. We also talk about what it’s like running his company nearly a decade in. Interested? Use promo code TASTE30 for 30% off the first box.MORE FROM BEN MCKEAN: How I Turned My Hobby Into a Career [Medium] Hungryroot Review: Is This Popular Meal Kit Service Worth the Hype? [Real Simple] Hungryroot: Our Honest Review [CNet]

Chandra Ram is the associate editorial director at Food & Wine and coauthor of cookbooks like Korean BBQ and The Complete Indian Instant Pot Cookbook. On this episode, Chandra takes us into the test kitchen at Food & Wine, and we hear about some of the cool stories she’s been working on. We also talk about how postwar and post-pandemic times share similarities in the way the events have changed the way we cook forever. It’s really great catching up with Chandra.MORE FROM CHANDRA RAM: It’s Time to Start Pickling at Home [F&W] After 8 Years of Marriage, I’m Teaching My Husband How to Cook [F52] Decoding Carmy’s Cookbook Shelves on ‘The Bear’ [F&W]

Susan Spungen is an author, a food stylist, and a real food media legend. She was the founding food editor at Martha Stewart Living, and she has worked in television and film, including teaching Meryl Streep how to flip an omelet. On this episode, we learn about food in 1980s New York, about Susan’s job interview process with Martha, and about her famous sister. We also talk about her wonderful new book, Veg Forward, and why tomatoes will always be our favorite vegetable. Or is it a fruit?MORE FROM SUSAN SPUNGEN: Food Stylist Susan Spungen Releases New Cookbook [Forbes]  Tomato, Pickled Melon and Burrata Salad [Bon Appetit] Grilled Cheese with Apples and Apple Butter [NYT] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/susanspungen instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste

Becca Millstein is cofounder and CEO of Fishwife, one of the buzziest brands in not just the emerging tinned seafood market but all of food. We had such a fun time catching up with Becca to talk about her brand’s journey from big idea to big-time retail. We also find out where the tinned fish movement is heading and hear about some of the bumps along the road that the company has had to overcome. Finally, we talk about the company’s now-iconic branding—such great branding! We hope you enjoy this conversation.Also on the show, Matt recaps his recent trip to Seattle, including stops at The Walrus and the Carpenter, Hood Famous, Watson’s Counter, Book Larder, Camber, Hamdi, and Saint Bread.MORE FROM BECCA MILLSTEIN: Wait, Canned Salmon Is Good? [TASTE] Creating America’s First Chic Tinned Fish Company [Eater]  Meet Fishwife, the Stylish, Sustainably Sourced Tinned Fish You Want in Your Kitchen [Vogue] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/bbmillstein instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste

Today’s special episode is from our recent conversation with baking cookbook authors Natasha Pickowicz and Claire Saffitz, live at Rizzoli Bookstore in NYC. Natasha is a chef, the founder of the pop-up Never Ending Taste, and the author of More Than Cake. Claire is a recipe developer and the author of the best-selling cookbooks Dessert Person and What’s for Dessert. It’s a fun conversation about developing cult recipes, the cake renaissance, summer baking, and more. Stay tuned for more live events by subscribing to our newsletter, including book release events with Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen (October 24) and Jing Gao (November 2).MORE FROM NATASHA PICKOWICZ AND CLAIRE SAFFITZ : Yes, You Can Make These Stunning Layer Cakes at Home [Bon Appetit] Claire Saffitz Goes Outside Her Comfort Zone to Embrace Ours [TASTE] Claire Saffitz & Natasha Pickowicz Make a Delicious Pineapple Galette [Dessert People] How to Make Delicious Scones at Home [Dessert People]

C Pam Zhang is the author of the acclaimed novel How Much of These Hills Is Gold. Her new book, Land of Milk and Honey, is set in a near future where smog has choked out almost all agriculture, and where a chef is lured to cook at a reclusive mountain institute for the global elite with the promise of produce. It’s a gripping book about power and politics and, mostly, a love letter to food, and we’re thrilled to have her on the show to discuss it.Also on the episode, Aliza and Matt preview more fall cookbooks they are really enjoying including new books from Jon Kung, Sohla El-Waylly, two Italian wine experts, James Park, the Pie Hole in Los Angeles, and Alicia Kennedy. Don’t forget to smash that pre-order button. Fall cookbook season is here. MORE FROM C PAM ZHANG: See It Slant [The Cut] The Pen Ten: An Interview with C Pam Zhang [Pen America] Buy: Land of Milk and Honey

It’s really fun having Alex Delany back on the show and getting to know the food and drink writer (and rare book collector) a little bit better. You may know Alex from his time working at Bon Appétit as a writer covering home cooking, wine, cocktails, and naturally processed coffee (respect), as well as a series of memorable YouTube videos. But since leaving BA in early 2021, Alex has been busy working as a consultant, podcaster, wine educator, and most recently as the author of a really cool city guide called “Everything Good.” On this episode we talk about the summer of NA beer, the summer of Superiority Burger, love for Richmond, Karma vs. Mast, Andy Warhol’s lost cookbook, love for Beefeater, and what’s next. Cool catching up with Alex again. 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 ALEX DELANY: Everything Good: Tribeca Fidi [Google Docs] Everything Good on the Lower East Side [Google Doc] This Is TASTE 131: Alex Delany [TASTE] Andy Warhol’s Wild Raspberries [Biblio] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/alex_delany instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste

Here are two classic conversations from This Is TASTE featuring two literary titans. George Saunders is the author of many works, including the Booker Prize–winning Lincoln in the Bardo. Here we talk about pizza and Italian delis on the South Side of Chicago, as well as lunch in the Texas oil fields. We discuss success in the kitchen and how intuition crashes together with luck, and we speculate on the shape of food in the year 2300.Also on the show is Gary Shteyngart, a New York Times best-selling novelist and food writer who has written memorable books including The Russian Debutante’s Handbook, Super Sad True Love Story, and his most recent work, the rollicking pandemic satire Our Country Friends. In this episode, we talk about some of Gary’s world travels, both as a hired gun and for fun, as well as what he’s eating and drinking in his Upstate New York home. We also remember New York City restaurants from the 1990s and early 2000s, including fond memories of the long-lost Meatpacking District bistro Florent, which plays a role in Gary’s most recent novel.More from George Saunders & Gary Shteyngart:  Story Club with George Saunders [Substack] Eat, Memory: The Absolutely No-Anything Diet [New York Times Magazine] I Watched Russian Television for Five Days Straight [The Atlantic]

Today we have an amazing conversation with Naama Shefi. Naama is the founder of the Jewish Food Society, a nonprofit organization that works to preserve, celebrate, and revitalize Jewish cuisine to build and promote a meaningful connection to Jewish and Israeli culture. She is also the chair of Asif Culinary Institute of Israel.Also on the show, Aliza and Matt discuss three things they each are interested in right now. These include: Piñas at Connolly’s, Emily Sundberg’s Feed Me newsletter, Abi Balingit’s rose water meringue, Cherry Bombe is doing a WeFunder, Eric Kim tomato furikake sandwich, LA Chef Conference is October 30.   More From Naama Shefi: Schmaltzy [Apple] The Legacy of a 1970s Bar Mitzvah Cake [JFS] The New Magazine Taking a Different View on Jewish Food Culture [Vogue] Pre-order: Shabbat

Dirt Candy is a vegetarian restaurant on New York’s Lower East Side that has become famous over the past decade for making eggplant tiramisu, kimchi donuts, and tomato fruit leather. But its chef, Amanda Cohen, makes one thing very clear—the restaurant’s mission is not about vegetarianism or health or politics. It’s just about making vegetables taste really good. In this episode, we talk with Amanda about the 15-year run of one of New York’s most important restaurants. We discuss her early experiences working with Moby and her deep understanding of how to run a restaurant in these modern times. Also, cookbooks! Will she write another one? We find out.MORE FROM AMANDA COHEN: Dirt Candy: A Visual Veggie Cookbook With a Memoir Mixed In [NPR] For Chef Amanda Cohen, Everything Is Out in the Open [NRN] This Is TASTE 33: Amanda Cohen [TASTE] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/dirtcandynyc instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste