This Is TASTE

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. Now he has a book of his very own. It’s called Baking Yesteryear, and we’re thrilled to have him on the podcast to talk about the appeal behind historic baking and much more.Also on the show, Aliza has returned from a trip to Paris and Portugal and fills Matt in on all the cool things she ate and drank. And as you heard at the top, it's the return of TASTE Live, an IRL events series with our friends at Rizzoli Bookstore in Manhattan. Our next event is August 17 with authors Natasha Pickowicz and Claire Saffitz. Natasha and Claire will discuss what they are baking this summer, the making of their latest cookbooks, and much more. The event will be recorded live for this very podcast. Reserve a spot now, first come, first served.More From B. Dylan Hollis: 70 Years Later, This Is Still the Best Summer Dessert  [The Wall Street Journal[ Meet the TikToker Going Viral by Baking His Way Through Great Depression-Era Cookbooks [Eater] Food for the Gods - 1909 Recipe [YouTube] Reserve a spot for TASTE Live at Rizzoli on August 17.

Cal Peternell was the head chef of legendary Bay Area restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, for over 20 years, where he served celebrity patrons and trained a new generation of chefs. He’s the New York Times best-selling author of Twelve Recipes and A Recipe for Cooking. His most recent book is the revealing and erudite Burnt Toast and Other Disasters. On this episode, we hear some good Chez Panisse stories, and we talk about Cal’s move to the East Coast. We also discuss his cookbook career—and his interpretation of that “figs on a plate” incident from a few years back. Also on the show we have a fascinating conversation with Nasim Alikhani, the chef and cookbook author behind Brooklyn’s mega-popular Iranian restaurant, Sofreh. You should check out her new book.More From Cal Peternell and Nasim Alikhani: Celery, Radishes, and Anchovy Butter [official] A Berkeley Chef Feeds the Homeless [LA Times] Olives With Citrus Zests and Fried Herbs [Washington Post] Nasim Alikhani Is Leaving Her Mark [Eater]

Andrea Hernández, the muscle behind Snaxshot, discusses the millennial bodega, nonalcoholic beers, Walmart as the new pantry Kith, grocercore, and more. The podcast explores nostalgic McDonaldland characters, Walmart's cool factor, success of non-alcoholic beverages, CPG trends, and culinary experiences like homemade ceviche.

As the cofounder of online restaurant watchdog and chronicler Eater, as well as reservations booker Resy, Ben Leventhal has been at the center of all things dining out for nearly 20 years. On this episode we catch up with Ben about his latest company, Blackbird, a restaurant loyalty program that is rethinking the way hospitality and online culture converge. We talk about the founding of Blackbird and how restaurants are rapidly changing the way they make money through CPG and brand extension. We also discuss the early days of Eater, the future of controversial Los Angeles restaurant Horses, and the biggest story that nobody is covering. It’s great catching up with Ben!Also on the show we catch up with Food & Wine’s super talented Senior Drinks Editor Oset Babür-Winter. We talk about summer drinking, New York City restaurants, and what is exciting her in the world of spirits, wine, and cocktails. More From Ben Leventhal and Oset Babür-Winter: He Started Resy: Now He Wants You to Take Restaurant NFTs Seriously [Eater This Is TASTE 64: Ben Leventhal [TASTE] Why Is Everyone Drinking Chartreuse This Summer? [F&W] We're Calling It Now, the Espresso Tonic Is the Drink of the Summer [F&W] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/benleventhal instagram.com/baburoset instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste

Chitra Agrawal is an author and entrepreneur behind the beloved Brooklyn Delhi, a packaged foods brand that is based partially around achaar, a beloved and staple South Asian condiment. We talk about the founding of the company and our collective love of Indian spices and flavors, as well as a copycat product from one of the country’s most prominent grocery chains. We also discuss her cookbook, Vibrant India, in which Chitra takes readers on a journey to her mother’s hometown of Bangalore and back to Brooklyn, where she adapts her family’s South Indian recipes for home cooks.Also on the show, we catch up with Aadit Patel, founder of an amazing new company called Confusion Snacks. The name of the game now is black truffle masala, chili chaat, and chaat mint popcorn, and it’s one of our favorite new brands to jump into the field. We talk with Aadit about the challenges of launching a food company today, and we also find out how he works closely with his mother to exact the recipe for his wonderful snacks.MORE FROM CHITRA AGRAWAL AND AADIT PATEL: Chitra Agrawal on the Changing Grocery Landscape for Startups [Modern Retail] Can Brooklyn Delhi Take on Trader Joe's? [The Quint] Are You Ready for Hot Snack Summer? [TikTok] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/brooklyndelhi instagram.com/confusionsnacks instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste

The proud son of Filipino immigrants, Dale Talde grew up immersed in his family’s cultural heritage, while also enjoying the life of a typical American kid. Dale is the chef and owner of Goosefeather, a signature restaurant located in Tarrytown, outside New York City. He’s also the host of Tastemade’s “All Up in My Grill,” and he appeared as a three-time cheftestant and judge on Bravo’s Emmy Award–winning culinary show Top Chef. On this episode we talk to Dale about his life in and out of the kitchen, his Chicago upbringing, and what makes a great food TV competitor.MORE FROM DALE TALDE: Dale Talde goes from “Top Chef” to Pot Chef [Sun Times] Talde Grilling Tips [Uproxx] Buy: Asian-American: Proudly Inauthentic Recipes from the Philippines to Brooklyn

As the founder of Blue Bottle Coffee, James Freeman has seen the rise of specialty coffee from a very unique vantage point. Freeman joins us in the studio to talk about his company’s influence, as well as where coffee is heading today. We find out about his dream café project in Japan and what excites him most about making coffee at home. We also talk about James’s excellent book, The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee. This is a seriously interesting talk with one of the great characters in the world of food and drink.MORE FROM JAMES FREEMAN: Blue Bottle Studio Opens in Kyoto [Sprudge] This Is TASTE 144: Jimmy Butler and Ashley Rodriguez [TASTE] This Is TASTE 186: James Hoffmann [TASTE] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/wjamesfreeman instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste

Running one pastry program alone is a feat of organization and carbohydrates—but two? Well, that’s all in a day’s work for Camari Mick. She’s the executive pastry chef at the Musket Room, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Manhattan’s Nolita neighborhood, and she’s also creating breakfast pastries like candied orange almond croissants for the newly opened Raf’s up the block. Camari is a star in New York’s white-hot pastry scene, so Aliza’s thrilled to have her on the show to talk about developing dessert tasting menus, being nominated for a James Beard Award, and how she’s making the industry more equitable.  MORE FROM CAMARI MICK: Raf’s Conjures Swirling Abundance from a Wood-Fired Oven [NYT] Where the Musket Room's Camari Mick Goes in NYC [Michelin Guide] Raf’s Pastry Chef Camari Mick Is Perfecting the Classics [Airmail] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/camari_mick instagram.com/alizarae instagram.com/taste

For Rachel Karten, “link in bio” isn’t just a social media call to action—it’s a career. The former head of social at Bon Appétit and Epicurious is now a social media consultant and the creator of the newsletter Link in Bio, which dispenses insights and interviews on the cutting edge of social media in food and far beyond. Rachel is my go-to person for demystifying things like the TikTok and Instagram algorithms (well, as much as anyone can), so I’m thrilled to have her on the show to talk about the current state of brand social media, why Instagram matters for restaurants, and much more. Also on the show, Matt talks about the first, sold-out, and extremely fun TASTE Travels cookbook trip with author Suzy Karadsheh. They visited Puglia last month and ate a lifetime's worth of orecchiette. Not a bad thing at all.MORE FROM RACHEL KARTEN: Social Media Consultant Rachel Karten on Viral Trends and Social Strategies [Ad Age] Lean In or Log Off [Eater] Brand Social Trend Report [Link In Bio] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/milkkarten instagram.com/alizarae instagram.com/taste

John deBary is a bartender extraordinaire, a cookbook author, a spokesperson for the bar and restaurant world, and one of our favorite guests on the show. He’s back to talk about his really great new book, Saved by the Bellini: & Other 90s-Inspired Cocktails. In this episode we talk about deadstock sodas, muse on summer drinking, and dive into what he loves so much about the 1990s. Also on the show, Aliza and Matt share some of their discoveries while walking the floor at the Fancy Food Show, the annual grocery trade show at New York’s Javits Center. The mushroom chips flowed early and often. MORE FROM JOHN DEBARY: I’m a Bartender and Yes, I Use Gatorade in Cocktails [BA] Dunkaroos Alexander [Food52] Drag Legend Sherry Vine Calls Burbank the Next Queer Hotspot [Thrillist] Strawberry and Kiwi: Why? [TASTE]  FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW: instagram.com/jnd3001 instagram.com/mattrodbard instagram.com/taste