The Sporkful

After escaping Cambodia's Killing Fields, Ted Ngoy built a donut empire in California. Then he lost it all, and disappeared. This week we're searching for the Donut King and his legacy. (This is part one of a two-part series. The second part comes out on Friday.)Additional info:Chad Phuong's Cambodian-Texas Battambong BBQ (Southern California)Dary and Sreyrot Chan's gourmet donut shop Sweet Retreat (Long Beach, CA)Greg Nichols' piece, "Dunkin and the Donut King" (California Sunday Magazine)Frank Shyong's piece, "In Cambodia Town, moving beyond the ‘killing fields’ and into success" (The Los Angeles Times)This episode originally aired on April 23, 2018, and was produced by Anne Saini and Dan Pashman, with editing by Peter Clowney. The Sporkful team now includes Emma Morgenstern, Andres O’Hara, Jared O’Connell, Nora Ritchie, and Ella Barnes. Publishing by Shantel Holder and transcription by Emily Nguyen.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

Molly Baz shares her innate confidence in taste and style, revealing her recipe development process and visual aesthetic. From signature dishes to her career evolution, she discusses baking the perfect cornbread, leaving Bon Appetit to start The Club, and embracing personal branding. The episode dives into Molly's journey from private dining to cookbook authorship, highlighting her unique flavor combinations and creative freedom in culinary exploration.

Adrienne Cannon, African-American history specialist at the Library of Congress, shares Rosa Parks' pancake recipe with peanut butter. Visit Mrs. Parks' nieces in Detroit to cook her favorite recipes. Dan makes peanut butter pancakes with Nicole Taylor. Unveil Parks' personal documents beyond activism and legacy in the kitchen.

For years, chef Yia Vang operated his restaurant Union Hmong Kitchen in a trailer outside of a brewery in Minneapolis. Last year, he finally opened his first brick-and-mortar restaurant, and it already feels like a neighborhood institution — especially in the region of the U.S. with the largest community of Hmong refugees from southeast Asia. Over a meal of whole grilled branzino, Hmong sausage, purple sticky rice, and a lot more, Yia tells Dan about his mission to tell his parents’ story — and the story of the Hmong people — through his cooking. Yia also talks about his own journey: he was born in a Thai refugee camp, moved with his family to Amish country, and then worked as a church “lunch lady” before breaking out on his own. Now he’s fighting tooth and nail to open a new restaurant that will fully celebrate Hmong food the way he envisions.The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, and Jared O'Connell. Publishing by Shantel Holder and transcription by Emily Nguyen.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

In the second half of our Best of the Book Tour series, we’re answering your questions! We’ll tackle the most frequently asked questions Dan got on the tour, and the ones he never saw coming. Plus we’ll hear from other folks who worked on Anything’s Pastable about the recipes that were cut from the book, and the ones that created the most conflict between Dan and his collaborators. Finally, Dan answers the question on everyone’s mind: Now that he’s conquered pasta, which food will he take on next?The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, and Jared O'Connell, with production this week by Johanna Mayer and editing by Tomeka Weatherspoon. Publishing by Shantel Holder and transcription by Emily Nguyen.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

The comic, actor, writer, and podcast host, best known as Conan O’Brien’s late night TV sidekick, tells us why he chose a really nice refrigerator over a sports car. And he traces his issues with weight back to a childhood ice cream outing with his grandmother. This episode originally aired on July 29, 2019 and January 31, 2017, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, and Ngofeen Mputubwele. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, and Jared O'Connell.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.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

Guests like Claire Saffitz and Lindy West ask host Dan questions about his cookbook and food opinions. Topics include ruining pans, pasta enchiladas, and a not-so family-friendly game. The episode covers pasta shapes, cookbook creation, culinary reflections, American food evolution, and flexible food rules.

Flavor chemist Marie Wright discusses the secrets of natural flavors, the challenges of flavoring plant-based burgers, and teaches Dan how to taste food like a pro. They debate the rise of natural and artificial flavors in processed foods and their impact on the obesity epidemic.

Comedian and Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr. is known for his thoughtful and pointed takes on race. He joins us to discuss McRib conspiracy theories, the dangers of touring the South as a black comic, and the advantages of bad service and Confederate flags. Plus Roy talks about what he learned about food from his father over the course of their conflicted relationship.This episode originally aired on February 11, 2019, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, and Ngofeen Mputubwele, with editing by Gianna Palmer and mixing by Jared O'Connell. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Nora Ritchie, and Jared O'Connell. Transcription by Emily Nguyen.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.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

“Tell me about your mama’s kitchen.” That’s how Michele Norris, former host of NPR’s All Things Considered, starts conversations with the likes of Michelle Obama and Matthew Broderick on her podcast Your Mama’s Kitchen. So naturally, Dan turns the tables and asks Michele about her own mama’s kitchen — and how those earliest food memories shape us. Then Michele and Dan take a call from a woman who’s struggling with her mother’s food choices since her mom developed dementia, and they respond to listeners’ hot takes and food disputes, including from a caller who has strong feelings about cooked fruit.The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Shantel Holder, Nora Ritchie, and Jared O'Connell. Transcription by Emily Nguyen.Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.