This Is TASTE

Bryan Washington is a writer from Houston whose latest novel, Family Meal, is an intimate portrayal of friendship, queerness, and pastries. He also writes about things like Japanese curry bread and queer bars for the New Yorker, and today we’re thrilled to have him on the show to talk about food as a plot device, his favorite okonomiyaki spots in Osaka, 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 BRYAN WASHINGTON: Server [The New Yorker] In Bryan Washington’s ‘Family Meal,’ Food Is a Language [Eater] Buy: Family Meal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show we have a really fun conversation with Jon Kung, a Detroit-based chef and TikTok creator we’ve fallen hard for over the past couple years. We wanted to have Jon in the studio to talk a little bit about his cooking videos on YouTube and his life online and off, but mostly we wanted to dig into his terrific new book, Kung Food: Chinese American Recipes from a Third-Culture Kitchen. We hope you enjoy this conversation.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us onSpotify. We'd love to hear from you.MORE FROM JON KUNG: Baba Ghanoush: The Perfect Twist for Your Toast [YouTube] Jon Kung, the Self-Taught Chef Who Went Viral [Financial Times] Marriage Proposal Hidden in the Detroit Chef’s Debut Cookbook [Hour Detroit] This Is TASTE 223: Abra Berens [TASTE] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leah Koenig is the author of six cookbooks, including The Jewish Cookbook and Modern Jewish Cooking. Her latest book, Portico, is one of my favorites of the busy fall and taps into the rich history of Jewish food in Rome. On this episode Leah and I talk about the iconic dishes from Rome's Jewish ghetto, and talk about the years she took reporting this wonderful book. I hope you enjoy our conversation.Also on the show, Matt has a great talk with New York Times reporter Amelia Nierenberg. Amelia has long written compelling pieces that tie together food and current events, and we speak about her journalism career before digging into her latest story: How to Hijack a Quarter of a Million Dollars in Rare Japanese Kit Kats. It’s great catching up with Amelia.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 LEAH KOENIG: This Cookbook Is a Must-Read Love Letter to Roman Jewish Cuisine [Saveur] Stop Being a Snob and Use Onion Powder [TASTE] Beef and White Bean Stew With Cumin [Bon Appetit] Abambar [Epicurious] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show, we have Claire Saffitz back in the studio for a really entertaining conversation. Claire is the author of a great recent cookbook, What’s For Dessert, and she’s truly one of our favorite cooking instructors and personalities on the internet. We talk about how to visualize a recipe before baking it, as well as some of the common bakeware mistakes we are all making. Dark bakeware is a big no-no! We also hear a little bit about her journey from Harvard to the kitchens of France to millions of YouTube streams. We all love Claire Saffitz at TASTE, and we hope you enjoy this talk.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 Claire Saffitz: Claire Saffitz Makes Tiramisu Icebox Cake [Youtube] The Life and Death of Tart Frozen Yogurt [TASTE] Claire Saffitz Goes Outside Her Comfort Zone to Embrace Ours [TASTE] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maurizio Leo is the big bread brain behind The Perfect Loaf, an incredibly popular online community of bread fans and home bakers. He’s also the author of The Perfect Loaf: The Craft and Science of Sourdough Breads, Sweets, and More, winner of both James Beard Foundation and IACP awards and an instant classic. On this episode we talk about what excites Maurizio in bread today, and his unique journey to teaching and writing cookbooks. Also on the show Aliza and Matt go over three things they each are feeling, including: New releases from Alaya Tea, McDonald's Crocs, the many birthdays at 99 Flavor Taste, New York's Don Don is the Korean barbecue restaurant of our dreams, the Send Chinatown Love cookbook, Abi Balingit's Mayumu: Filipino American Desserts Remixed, and happy 10 years to our friends at PUNCH.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 MAURIZIO LEO: 7 Easy Steps to Making an Incredible Sourdough Starter From Scratch [official] The Case for Making Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough [Salon]  Meet the Man Behind the Sourdough Bread Craze [YouTube] A Look Back at 10 Years at PUNCH [PUNCH] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fly By Jing is one of the most exciting brands in food, and we were lucky to have the company’s founder, Jing Gao, live in conversation at Rizzoli Bookstore in New York City. This conversation was part of our TASTE Live at Rizzoli author series, and we had Jing speaking about her amazing new cookbook, The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp.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 FLY BY JING: Sleek Suá Superette From the Chile Crisp Queen Is Now Open in Larchmont Village [Eater LA] Fly By Jing and Shake Shack Ready a Chili Crisp Menu [Hype Beast] This Chili Oil Is So Good, Even My Taiwanese Mom Is Obsessed With It [F&W] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sanaë Lemoine is a novelist and cookbook author whose work is united in its ability to make you very, very hungry. Before she wrote her novel The Margot Affair, Sanaë was a cookbook editor at Martha Stewart Books and Phaidon Press; now she combines her love of food and literature in her own writing and through cowriting cookbooks, like Make It Japanese with Rie McClenny. It’s a joy to have Sanaë on the show to talk about her creative process, her favorite spots for croissants in the city, and more. MORE FROM SANAE LEMOINE: Mathilde’s Tomato Tart [Smitten Kitchen] A Japanese Homestyle Meatball Clinches The Comfort Food Crown [TASTE] Buy: The Margot Affair, Make It Japanese, Hot SheetThis episode is supported by Parmigiano Reggiano USA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Co-founders of Burlap & Barrel, Ethan Frisch and Ori Zohar, discuss their approach to sourcing spices, including Guatemalan cardamom and Turkish black Urfa chili. They also delve into the risks of purchasing cheap spices and the benefits of investing in high-quality options. The episode covers topics such as the spice industry's resurgence, their initial friendship and Gorilla Ice Cream business, collaborations, spice shortages during the pandemic, cultural connection, the importance of supporting smallholder farmers, and the intriguing nature of spices.

Abena Anim-Somuah is the James Beard Award–winning host of The Future of Food Is You, a Cherry Bombe podcast network show in which she interviews rising talent in the food space. She’s also behind the Eden Place, a food-focused community series, and always has her eye out for what’s new and next. We had her on the show to talk about the future of food podcasting, spending time in Mexico City, and much more.Also on this show Matt catches up with Margie Nomura. Margie is a UK chef and the host of a great podcast and Instagram, Desert Island Dishes. We talk about what is good right now in London, and what makes a great desert island dish.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 ABENA ANIM-SOMUAH & MARGIE NOMURA The Future of Food Is You [Cherry Bombe] Cool Stuff NYC: Abena Anim-Somuah [Cool Stuff NYC] Dinner Tonight [Substack] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Featuring James Hoffmann, Nigel Price, and James Freeman, this podcast covers topics such as coffee brewing techniques, understanding coffee preferences, different brewing methods, taste variations in coffee sold in stores, the challenges of appreciating espresso, the fascination with culinary history, leaving the corporate world for the coffee business, the importance of slowing down and enjoying the coffee experience, barista reputations, cookbook ideas, creating a book on coffee origins, the significance of filter paper in coffee brewing, understanding sweetness in coffee, the evolution of espresso in the industry, and the emotional connection with coffee experiences.