Special Sauce with Ed Levine

Today on Special Sauce we welcome back writer and former assistant to both Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain, Laurie Woolever. Laurie has just published 'Care and Feeding', a candid, funny, and often devastating memoir about her adventures and misadventures making her way through the food world while navigating addiction, motherhood, a cultural reckoning, and an unexpected tragedy. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

With the passing of legendary pizzaiolo Patsy Grimaldi, the pizza world has lost one of its true giants. I discuss his legacy with Scott's Pizza Tours founder and pizza scholar Scott Wiener, and another great pizzaiolo, Una Pizza Napoletana's Anthony Mangieri on this episode of Special Sauce. For more on the show, visit thespecialsaucepodcast.com. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this episode of Special Sauce we talk to the Los Angeles Times' Bill Adddison and Jenn Harris about the calamitous effect of the recent devastating fires on the L.A. food community. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this episode of Special Sauce, Adam Chandler talks about his new book '99% Perspiration' which explores the history of work in America.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this episode of Special Sauce we revisit our chocolate-centric conversation with Mr. Chocolate himself Jacques Torres just in time for Valentine's Day. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Kenji Lopez-Alt, a culinary expert and author of "The Food Lab," shares his passion for Super Bowl party food, particularly chicken wings and pizza, with a humorous twist on his indifference to football. He reveals tips for achieving perfect crispy wings using air-chilled chicken and offers a simple, no-knead pizza recipe made in a cast iron pan. The discussion also includes innovative veggie recipes, the evolution of pepperoni preferences, and delightful snack ideas to elevate any game day celebration.

After falling in love with Italy, my good friend engineer and serial entrepreneur Bob Lang and his wife, environmental writer Alice Outwater, decided to buy a three acre vineyard called La Collina Delle Amici (The Hill of Friends) in Piedmont in 2021. How's it going for them so far?  Well, we're going to find out in this week's episode of Special Sauce. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this episode of Special Sauce, grassroots food activist and farmer Karen Washington joins us to spread her message of food justice, the concept that healthy, nutritious food is a human right. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this episode of Special Sauce we go deep into the definition, history, and evolution of the New York pizza slice with Scott's Pizza Tours founder Scott Wiener.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this episode of Special Sauce we pay tribute to the great author, chef and cooking teacher Raghavan Iyer. He introduced much of America to the joys of cooking and eating Indian food.  We talked to Raghavan last in March of 2023 about his life, his work, and the last book he ever wrote, "On The Curry Trail". Raghavan talked openly and movingly about his terminal Stage 4 cancer diagnosis and the work he was doing on healing comfort food. His voice occasionally wavered -- you could hear the pain in it -- but he was clear-headed and just as articulate as ever. Raghavan had so much to say, we devoted two episodes to his story, which we have condensed into one. Tragically, he died just as the two episodes dropped. So give a listen to the wit and wisdom of Raghavan Iyer.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices