
The Adam Ragusea Podcast
YouTube cook Adam Ragusea offers his weekly views on food and food-adjacent topics, and occasionally talks to someone else.
Latest episodes

Jul 2, 2022 • 57min
Ask Adam: Is diet soda bad? Why do Westerners use forks? What's up with your 'explaining' voice? (E16)
Thanks to Surfshark for sponsoring this episode! Get Surfshark VPN at https://Surfshark.deals/adamragusea — Enter promo code ADAMRAGUSEA for 83% off + 3 extra months for free!Thanks to Tippsy Sake for sponsoring this episode! Use code ADAM 10% off all products, and code ADAM30 for $30 off your first Sake Box: https://www.tippsysake.com/discount/ADAM00:20 Is diet soda bad for you?26:55 Why do Westerners use forks?39:38 What's up with your "explaining" voice?

Jun 25, 2022 • 56min
Ask Adam: Is breakfast important? Salad AFTER dinner? Future of fake meat? (E15)
Thanks to Indeed for sponsoring this episode! Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post at http://indeed.com/RAGUSEA. Offer good for a limited time. Terms and conditions apply. Need to hire? You need Indeed.00:20 Is breakfast really the most important meal of the day?12:04 When will fake meat be fully accepted?22:32 Is it healthier when Italians eat salad after the main course, rather than before?36:35 Did you move from Georgia to Tennessee for tax purposes?

Jun 18, 2022 • 1h 16min
The actual science of the "industrial seed oil" panic (E14)
Thanks to Tippsy Sake for sponsoring this episode! Use code ADAM 10% off all products, and code ADAM30 for $30 off your first Sake Box: https://www.tippsysake.com/discount/ADAMThis episode summarizes a scholarly exchange in the journal Advances in Nutrition regarding polyunsaturated fats (such as those obtained from "industrial seed oils) and their impact on human health.We begin with this 2021 paper by Dr. Glen Lawrence: "The Saturated Fat-Unsaturated Oil Dilemma: Relations of Dietary Fatty Acids and Serum Cholesterol, Atherosclerosis, Inflammation, Cancer, and All-Cause Mortality": https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33693484/Next is this letter-the-editor rebutting Lawrence's paper by Dr. Martha Belury, Dr. Emilio Ros and Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton, "Weighing Evidence of the Role of Saturated and Unsaturated Fats and Human Health": https://academic.oup.com/advances/article-abstract/13/2/686/6556254And this rebuttal letter by Dr. Jeff Moore: "The Dietary Guidelines Are Correct: Saturated Fat Should Be Limited and Replaced with the Proposed Alternatives to Reduce Morbidity and Mortality": https://academic.oup.com/advances/article-abstract/13/2/688/6556255Finally, Dr. Lawrence's rebuttal to the rebuttals: "Reply to MA Belury et al. and J Moore": https://academic.oup.com/advances/article-abstract/13/2/690/6556307Here's an earlier (2018) scholarly article on this subject that I found to be very helpful general background: "Dietary fat and cardiometabolic health: evidence, controversies, and consensus for guidance": https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6053258/00:00 Introduction04:07 Definitions of key terms and other background17:58 Why the panic is spreading29:39 Deep dive on the science

Jun 11, 2022 • 57min
Ask Adam: Is eating cholesterol actually bad? Why are cold fries so gross? Is there fiber that's not gross? (E13)
Thank you to Future for sponsoring this episode! Work with a fitness coach who will keep you accountable. Try your first month for $19: https://tryfuture.co/AdamRagusea00:10 Is dietary cholesterol actually bad for you?14:17 How can I eat more fiber that isn't gross?16:10 Why are cold french fries so gross, and is there a good way to reheat them?36:08 What's up with your orange measuring cups?40:18 Can we preserve ethnic identity through food as we get more ethnically mixed?

Jun 4, 2022 • 51min
Ask Adam: Brits dumping metric? Why is white bread white? Best cookware for the car? (E12)
Thanks to Surfshark for sponsoring this episode! Get Surfshark VPN at https://Surfshark.deals/adamragusea — Enter promo code ADAMRAGUSEA for 83% off + 3 extra months & Antivirus for free!00:00 Is the UK really going back to imperial measurements?18:26 Best cooking gear if you're living in a car26:55 Is fresh-ground black pepper really better than pre-ground?37:31 If whole grains are better, why do we refine them into white flour, white rice, etc?

May 28, 2022 • 49min
Restaurant menus and the art of persuasion (E11)
"Mountain yam, caramelized white chocolate, popcorn, coconut." That's an actual restaurant dessert documented by Dr. Alison Pearlman in her book, "May We Suggest: Restaurant Menus and the Art of Persuasion." Check her out on the podcast, and check out her book: https://www.agatepublishing.com/9781572842601/may-we-suggest/Also on this episode of the pod, some more oddities from the book of 19th- and early-20th century menus I've been obsessing over, such as "diced buttered toast in cream."00:00 Introduction02:20 Dr. Pearlman on the how menus persuade29:38 More oddities from historic menus44:17 Failure of the week: the jammy egg

May 21, 2022 • 52min
Ask Adam: Carbon steel seasoning, why Adam left TikTok, Papa John's fail (E10)
Thanks to Honey for sponsoring this episode! Get Honey FREE now and start saving when you shop online: https://www.joinhoney.com/raguseashow00:04 Why can't I season my carbon steel pan?13:33 Why are you into bodybuilding?26:55 Failure of the week: Trusting Papa John's29:34 Why did you stop posting to TikTok?41:26 How is sound visualized?

May 14, 2022 • 54min
Ask Adam: What's wrong with American bread? Advice for picky eaters? Russian food boycott? (E9)
Thanks to Skillshare for sponsoring this episode! The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial: https://skl.sh/adamragusea05221Thanks to Helix Sleep for sponsoring this episode! Helix is offering up to $200 off all mattress orders AND two free pillows: https://helixsleep.com/ragusea00.10 Why does American bread spoil faster than German bread?15:51 Advice for encouraging picky eaters to try things?30:29 Tomato sauce or gravy?35:03 Failure of the week: No one is listening41:19 Thoughts on Ukraine invasion? Should we boycott Russian food?

May 7, 2022 • 48min
Why calorie counts are wrong, and what to do about it (E8)
On the pod this week, a conversation with Dr. Giles Yeo, obesity researcher at Cambridge University and author of "Why Calories Don't Count: How We Got the Science of Weight Loss Wrong": https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Why-Calories-Dont-Count/Giles-Yeo/978164313827500:00 Intro02:52 Interview with Dr. Yeo25:11 Fix it in the mix: a music metaphor about diets46:45 Failure of the week: about that chicken sandwich...

Apr 30, 2022 • 60min
Ask Adam: Cotton candy flavor, Trader Joe's, and why recipes call for HOT pans (E7)
Thanks to Trade Coffee for sponsoring this episode! Trade is offering new subscribers a total of $30 off your first order plus free shipping: https://drinktrade.com/adamshow00:00 Why cotton candy does just taste like sugar03:30 Why do pan manufacturers advise medium heat while recipe writers advise high heat?21:00 What one experience should everybody have before turning 30?26:49 Are you tired of hearing Rocky Top yet?27:54 New rules for submitting questions31:32 Opinions on Trader Joe's?37:44 How do you block out negativity while being receptive to criticism?49:15 Failure of the week: the green meatballs54:21 What's a "foreign" dish that has disappointed you?