The sudden and rather intense rise of Carla Lalli Music and her test kitchen crew at Bon Appétit to legit food-world celebs has been simply amazing to watch from the sidelines. Lalli Music is the longtime food director at the publication and stars in many of the YouTube videos BA puts out each month. On this highly entertaining episode of the podcast, Lalli Music talks about what’s in the special sauce for viral-video glory. And, oh yeah, she has written one of the year’s best cookbooks: Where Cooking Begins. It’s an argument for better and happier shopping, which ultimately leads to better cooking. This may seem a little abstract, but it all makes too much sense.

Also on the episode, contributor Max Falkowitz answers a reader’s burning food question: Do spices actually expire?

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