The Sporkful

New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells discusses the challenges of being an anonymous reviewer and how he decides which places deserve bad reviews. The evolving role of restaurant critics and the impact of anti-immigrant sentiment on the culinary world are also explored. The power of negative reviews and the debate surrounding the critique of Guy Fieri's restaurant are discussed. The hosts delve into personal food preferences and the role of professional critics in understanding and appreciating dishes.

The podcast explores the history and impact of hibachi restaurants in America, focusing on the life of Rocky Aoki. It discusses the art of hibachi cooking and features interviews with hibachi chefs who share their perspectives. The episode also dives into the struggle of Asian Americans to be recognized as truly American and highlights a former hibachi chef's journey to open his own food truck.

Ji Hye Kim, chef and owner of Miss Kim in Ann Arbor, Michigan, explores the history and evolution of tteokbokki, a popular Korean rice cake. She shares her childhood love for the dish and reveals its surprising history as a delicacy of the royal court. The chapter also discusses the importance of seasonality in Korean food, the need for historical justification when altering traditional dishes, and the connection between complaints about a restaurant's food and nostalgia for mom's cooking.

Chefs Sohla and Ham explore the story of Delta tamales and how Detective Charles Sledge became the Tamale King. They discuss receiving and trying the tamales, the importance of sharing family recipes, and hint at upcoming episodes.

The podcast discusses the battle for shelf space in grocery stores between big brands and small startups. It highlights the challenges faced by smaller brands in paying slotting fees and getting their products on shelves. The chapter also explores the strategy of Olipop, a healthy beverage brand, to expand market presence and compete with other products. It discusses the rise in online shopping and better-for-you products during the pandemic, as well as the evolution of a soda brand and the importance of taste.

A Mormon seeks help in finding non-alcoholic beverages to pair with his meals. The podcast explores the history of a unique soda store in LA and the ongoing debate over regional terms for carbonated beverages. They also discuss New Year's resolutions, the origins of 'soda' and 'pop', and pairing non-alcoholic beverages with specific dishes.

Aubrey Gordon, a fat activist and writer, discusses the stigmatization of the term 'fat' and the pressures faced by fat individuals in relation to body image and weight loss during the New Year. They reflect on their decision to go public with their experiences and debunk myths about fat people. The podcast also explores the limitations of body positivity and the need for conversations about structural barriers and biases toward fat individuals.

Food scientist Harold McGee and cookbook author Nik Sharma discuss the world of smells, flavor components, and texture in food. McGee explains the connection between smells and food, while Sharma delves into the six components of flavor. They also bond over potato chip selection strategy and discuss the concept of textures in food.

What foods do Sporkful listeners resolve to eat more of in the new year, and why? And what’s Dan’s New Year’s food resolution for 2024? All is revealed in our annual year-end spectacular. Plus we replay one of the Sporkful crew’s favorite episodes of the year, with the comedian Zarna Garg, who found her voice during turbulent times in her life. Zarna spent 16 years as a stay-at-home mom. Now she sells out shows across the country and has her own special on Prime Video. In her stand-up and her social media videos, food is often a main character. But Zarna has mixed feelings when it comes to cooking. As a teenager, she wasn’t always sure where her next meal would come from. And as a parent, she came to resent the burden of feeding her family of five. She talks with Dan about her frustration with American parenting, why her kids eat steamed broccoli for breakfast, and how Indian Americans fought to bring back Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza.The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, and Jared O'Connell.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

Samin Nosrat, author of the best-selling cookbook Salt Fat Acid Heat, joins Dan to talk about feeling like an outsider, sexism and pretentiousness in food, and the finer points of toast.This episode originally aired on October 8, 2018. It was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, and Aviva DeKornfeld, with editing by Gianna Palmer, and mixing by Dan Dzula. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, and Jared O'Connell.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.Every other Friday, we reach into our deep freezer and reheat an episode to serve up to you. We're calling these our Reheats. If you have a show you want reheated, send us an email or voice memo at hello@sporkful.com, and include your name, your location, which episode, and why.