Life and Art from FT Weekend

Welcome to our summer Food & Drink-themed mini-series! Every Wednesday for the next four weeks, an expert will teach us something new. Lilah’s first guest is the chef and well-known food writer Andy Baraghani, who recently came out with a cookbook called 'The Cook You Want to Be'. He teaches us how to take the food that excites us, the food we grew up on and the food that we like now, and build it all into a personal home cooking style.--------------Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.--------------Links and mentions from the episode: – Andy’s cookbook is called The Cook You Want to Be– Andy’s Kuku Sabzi recipe: https://youtu.be/OJFoIfzY7eI – “I Hid Who I Was for So Long. Until I Became a Cook.” https://www.bonappetit.com/story/andy-baraghani-cooking-and-identity – The series on Iranian cooking that Andy worked on with his mother for Saveur in 2012: https://www.saveur.com/article/Kitchen/Behind-the-Story-Iran/ —-------------Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcastWant to join us at the FT Weekend festival in London on September 3rd? Buy a ticket at ft.com/ftwf. And here’s a special £20 off promo code, specifically for FT Weekend listeners: FTWFxPodcast22--------------This episode was produced by Molly Nugent. Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we look at the dark side of professional tennis, where underpaid players are selling matches just to break even. Ranked around 200th in the world, a player named Nicolás Kicker was found guilty of match-fixing in 2018. His story reveals a lot of systemic problems within the sport. Then, we hear about the phenomenon of 'vice signalling' from columnist Stephen Bush. It’s similar to 'virtue signalling,' but instead of publicly gesturing towards altruism the vice signaller panders by promising cruelty. Think Donald Trump’s border wall, or Boris Johnson’s threats to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.--------------Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.--------------Links and mentions from the episode: – William Ralston’s piece ‘The fixer, the cheat and the corruption crisis in global tennis’: https://on.ft.com/3v9nW9L – Nicolas Kicker fixing a match at the 2015 Barranquilla Challenger: ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcF9hq668Ow – Stephen Bush’s piece ‘How ‘vice-signalling’ swallowed electoral politics’: https://on.ft.com/3BqNtzd   – Stephen Bush’s piece ‘Failed Rwanda asylum flight puts all of the UK on a rocky course’: https://on.ft.com/3BccmhW – Christopher Grimes’ column ‘Disney chief’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ drama is a crisis of his own making’: https://on.ft.com/3IYQ98D —-------------Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcastWant to join us at the FT Weekend festival in London on September 3rd? Buy a ticket at ft.com/ftwf. And here’s a special £20 off promo code, specifically for FT Weekend listeners: FTWFxPodcast22--------------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Lilah talks to Martin Wolf about having the confidence to change your mind. Martin is our chief economics commentator and one of the most influential economics journalists in the world. He reflects on how he forms a worldview, and how his opinions have shifted over the past half-century. Then, we hear about the 'gentle parenting' craze on Instagram from Washington correspondent Courtney Weaver. There are no punishments, no bribes, and it encourages your child to have big feelings. But is it asking too much of parents?--------------We’re collecting your questions about feedback for an upcoming episode! Are you looking for advice on how to give or receive difficult feedback? Send your questions to us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.--------------Links and mentions from the episode: –Martin’s upcoming book is called The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/305263/the-crisis-of-democratic-capitalism-by-wolf-martin/9780241303412–Martin’s most recent column, ‘Inflation is a political challenge as well as an economic one’: https://on.ft.com/3ciWO1m–Martin’s economics book picks for the summer: https://on.ft.com/3yHzuSo –Courtney Weaver’s piece, ‘Inside gentle parenting’: https://on.ft.com/3APRpZS —-------------Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast--------------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week is our summer books and films spectacular, full of recommendations of things to read and watch. First, Lilah is joined by literary editors Fred Studemann and Laura Battle to explore the FT's Summer Books special. They suggest a range of light summer reads, sharp non-fiction, deep dives, thrillers and classics to take on your summer holiday, and talk trends in book publishing. Then, deputy arts editor Raphael Abraham recommends the top films to look out for this summer. After watching 24 films in less than a week at the Cannes film festival, he's filtered the new releases down to a must-see list.--------------Tell us about your own favourite new books and films! We’ll share them alongside the episode on our social platforms. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.--------------Here’s Laura’s list of the best fiction summer reads: ​​https://on.ft.com/3AvtuPg. The whole summer books special is at http://ft.com/summerbooks.Books mentioned:–Audiobooks: Bad Actors by Mick Herron and Ulysses by James Joyce–Novels that span centuries: To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara and Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel–Beach read: You Made a Fool of Death with your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi–Fun non-fiction: Circus of Dreams by John Walsh–Empire books: Legacy of Violence by Caroline Elkin and In the Shadow of the Gods by Dominic Lieven–BRussian influence: Putin’s People by Catherine Belton and Butler to the World by Oliver Bullough–AI simulation: The Anomaly by Hervé Le TellierStories mentioned: –Marriage in all its divine tedium: https://on.ft.com/3KXOBfm–Edward Luce on whether America is headed for another civil war: https://on.ft.com/3yJ43azFilms to watch this summer, from Raph:–Aftersun: https://on.ft.com/3uUt9lJ–Nitram: https://on.ft.com/3auhgvs–Hit the Road–McEnroe–Three Thousand Years of Longing: https://on.ft.com/3nMshLK–Elvis: https://on.ft.com/3P1Uaeu—-------------Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast--------------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we return to one of our favourite episodes to ask the question: what does it mean to defy death? Rock climber Leo Houlding tells us about his terrifying family holidays, scaling vertical cliff-faces with his two young kids. We also explore radical life extension with science writer Anjana Ahuja. How close are we scientifically to extending the human lifespan to 150 or 200? What are the implications when we get there? And do we really want to live forever? Links from the episode: — Leo Houlding’s extreme family holiday in Wyoming’s wild west: https://www.ft.com/content/0bcba30a-bb46-4bc1-8a7d-9166dc43a5e8  — Anjana Ahuja on whether we can live forever: https://www.ft.com/content/60d9271c-ae0a-4d44-8b11-956cd2e484a9 — Inside the life extension market, with Tiffanie Darke: https://www.ft.com/content/867e647b-c0e8-4aeb-9777-fedff7ec3476 Want to say hi? Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. If you want a great discount on an FT subscription or a $1/£1/€1 month-long trial, we’ve got you: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner, with original music by Metaphor music.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we speak with Michael R. Jackson, playwright of A Strange Loop, which just won the Tony award for Best Musical and Best Book. Jackson is a queer, black writer whose musical is about a queer, black writer writing a musical about a queer, black writer.. Hence the strange, but incredibly entertaining loop. Then, we learn about the dark side of Copenhagen's world-famous fine dining restaurant scene from Imogen West-Knights. Denmark seems to be turning a blind eye to abuses in its hottest – and extremely lucrative – hospitality industry.  --------------Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. --------------Links and mentions from the episode: – Imogen’s article ‘Fine dining faces its dark truths in Copenhagen’: https://on.ft.com/3NlO6Mq .  – Lilah’s article ‘How far does a chef have to go to be truly good?’: https://www.ft.com/content/246cdc2a-f135-4d3d-9d74-e524e9217699. – Michael’s musical A Strange Loop is on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre.– Imogen is on Twitter @ImogenWK, and Michael is @TheLivingMJ.—-------------Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast. --------------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last month, Andy Warhol's "Shot Sage Blue Marilyn" sold for $195mn, making it the second most expensive piece of art to sell at auction, ever. And as prices keep going up, the art market — auction houses, gallerists, dealers, collectors — want to keep it that way. On the heels of a ‘stonking’ art season, we invite two heavy hitters into the studio to walk us through it: arts editor Jan Dalley and art market columnist Melanie Gerlis. Then, Christie's head of 20th- and 21st-century art, Alex Rotter, pulls back the curtain on these record-breaking sales. --------------Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. --------------Links and mentions from the episode: – Melanie’s article ‘Art Basel’s Swiss fair defies gloomy economy with soaring sales’: https://on.ft.com/3QtSagn – Melanie’s auction season roundup: https://on.ft.com/38jn363 – Columnist John Gapper on how ‘The art market cannot get enough Andy Warhol Marilyns’: https://on.ft.com/3O3GeAm – Jan’s most recent art column, on whether we should send art back to Russia: https://on.ft.com/3OeLzF2 – Robert Armstrong’s profile of Larry Gagosian: https://on.ft.com/3IfT0sD – Melanie’s books are called The Art Fair Story and Art as an Investment? – Melanie is on Twitter @mgerlis, and Alex is on Instagram @rottweilernyc.—-------------Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast. --------------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we explore new scientific research behind: pigs! They have far more sentience and complexity than we give them credit for. Chief features writer Henry Mance joins to discuss how pigs and other animals think and feel, and the bigger questions around how we farm and eat them. Then, we look at a New York City architectural phenomenon: skinnyscrapers. Architecture critic Edwin Heathcote tells us about these new, super-thin towers that shoot up more than a quarter of a mile into the sky. How does a city’s architecture reflect its identity?--------------Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. --------------Links and mentions from the episode: – Henry Mance’s article: ‘What cutting-edge science tells us about pigs’: https://on.ft.com/3MEe6Cz  – Henry’s book is called How To Love Animals: In A Human-Shaped World– Edwin Heathcote on 111 W 57th and Manhattan’s skinnyscrapers: https://on.ft.com/3aMIehZ – Henry Mance is on Twitter @henrymance, and Edwin is at @edwinheathcote.—-------------Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast. --------------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A bonus episode! We’ve just launched a new podcast on porn, power and profit.When FT reporter Patricia Nilsson started digging into the porn industry, she made a shocking discovery: nobody knew who controlled the biggest porn company in the world. Now, she and her editor, Alex Barker, reveal who is behind it and much more. This eight-part investigative podcast reveals the secret history of the adult business and the billionaires and financial institutions who shape it. Brought to you by the Financial Times and Pushkin.To listen to Episode 2, search ‘Hot Money’ wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This weekend, we're marking the Queen's Platinum Jubilee with a spirited discussion on what’s next for the Windsors. Tina Brown, author The Palace Papers, speaks with historian Simon Schama and HTSI editor Jo Ellison about the state of the royal family. As Britain celebrates 70 years of Elizabeth II on the crown, what will the royal family look like over the next decade? We bring you this conversation from the recent US FT Weekend festival stage.--------------Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. --------------Links and mentions from the episode: – FT interview with Tina Brown, by Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson: ‘Nobody is remotely real around royals’ https://on.ft.com/3v19UqW – Tina’s new book is called The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor--the Truth and the Turmoil– Jo is on Twitter @jellison and Instagram @jellison22. Tina is On Twitter @TinaBrownLM. Simon is on Twitter @simon_schama.– You can watch the full interview with Tina, Jo and Simon by buying an on-demand pass to the FT Weekend festival: https://usftweekendfestival.live.ft.com/page/2064102/program  A few more great FT Weekend pieces on the Jubilee:– Simon Okotie: ‘Why, after all, I will celebrate the Jubilee’ https://on.ft.com/3xfTj3I – Sarfraz Manzoor: ‘A constant Queen for a changing realm’ https://on.ft.com/3zhkooK – Nilanjana Roy: ‘Elizabeth in India: the steel beneath the hats’ https://on.ft.com/38L5P1G —-------------Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast. If you have an iPhone and want to try FT Edit (eight pieces of journalism a day, handpicked by senior editors, for much less than an FT subscription), search ‘FT Edit’ in the App Store.--------------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.