Comedian Cameron Esposito wants to be clear: she's not from Illinois, she's from Chicago. Specifically, Little Italy, where her Italian American family has lived and ate red sauce and melted mozzarella for generations. Cameron is sentimental about Chicago's famed Italian beef sandwich, a big, sloppy, drippy, delicious mess that she has given up for a vegetarian lifestyle in Los Angeles.
Chicago's Al #1 Italian Beef claims to be the inventor of the Italian beef, and host Rachel Belle gets the history from owner Chris Pacelli, who has worked in his family's business in some capacity for more than 60 years.
Plus! Cameron and Rachel ponder the age-old question: "Is guacamole a lesbian food?" and Cameron reveals the unorthodox midnight snack she invented while working long, late hours on the road.
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Cameron Esposito: Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich

YOUR LAST MEAL is a James Beard Award finalist for Best Podcast hosted by National Edward R. Murrow award-winning reporter Rachel Belle. Each episode Rachel asks a celebrity (Jewel, Isaac Mizrahi, John Waters, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Danny Trejo, etc) what they would choose to eat for their last meal. Then she consults with chefs and culinary anthropologists, ice cream scientists and hungry astronauts to uncover the history, science and culture of these dishes.

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The legendary riot grrrl and punk rock singer for Bikini Kill and Le Tigre has a reputation for crying over a delicious meal. As far as we know, she's shed tears over sushi, birthday cake, and gelato. Why does food make her so emotional? She breaks it down (but doesn’t break down!) for host Rachel Belle. 
Kathleen, who got her start in the punk scene in Olympia, WA in the early 90s, is best known for being an outspoken feminist and activist; at her early shows she’d speak out about domestic violence and sexual violence between songs.  
While Kathleen took her rage to the stage, cookbook author and James Beard Award winning journalist Kathy Gunst, released her outrage through flour, sugar, butter, fruit, and chocolate. We talk about her cookbook, Rage Baking: The Transformative Power of Flour, Fury, and Women's Voices.  
Pick up Kathleen's new memoir Rebel Girl!
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Watch Rachel's new Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle!  Support the show: http://rachelbelle.substack.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kathleen Hanna: A Giant Buffalo Chicken Eggroll

Today on The Leftovers, a speed round with Jesse Tyler Ferguson; Modern Family star and Tony Award winning Broadway actor. Jesse reveals his bougiest, most cliche LA indulgence and creates a menu for a hypothetical dinner party with Barbra Streisand.  
If you missed last week’s full interview with Jesse, listen here!
Thanks to Visit Kitsap Peninsula for sponsoring this episode!
Watch Rachel's new TV show, The Nosh, on Cascade PBS!
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The Leftovers with Jesse Tyler Ferguson

The Modern Family star grew up in New Mexico (the Chile Capital of the World!) where the native green chiles find their way into everything from burgers to mac & cheese.
Jesse hasn’t lived in Albuquerque since high school, but he keeps his freezer full of New Mexico green (Hatch) chiles and green chile enchiladas are his forever favorite comfort food. 
The retired director of the Chile Pepper Institute tells host Rachel Belle about the history and migration of spicy peppers from the Americas to the rest of the world, which involves everything from bird poop to Christopher Columbus.  
Then Jesse tells us about his lunch with Weird Al at one of the country’s most woo-woo restaurants!
Thanks to Visit Kitsap Peninsula for sponsoring this episode!
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Watch Rachel's new TV show, The Nosh, on Cascade PBS! Support the show: http://rachelbelle.substack.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson: Green Chile Enchiladas

If waiting two whole weeks for a new episode of Your Last Meal is way too long, we’ve got something to tide you over.  
On the weeks we’re not releasing a full-length episode of Your Last Meal, we’re airing The Leftovers: audio left on the cutting-room floor, interviews that host Rachel Belle really wants to do that don’t fit into the show’s usual format and, as you’ll hear today, a speed round with last week’s guest.     
Which means you will now be getting a little taste of Your Last Meal every single Thursday!   
Today’s episode features a never-before-heard interview with Tom Papa; comedian, writer, and sourdough-obsessed bread baker.  
If you missed last week’s full interview with Tom, you can listen here. 
Thanks to Visit Kitsap Peninsula for sponsoring this episode!
Watch Rachel's new TV show, The Nosh with Rachel Belle on Cascade PBS! Support the show: http://rachelbelle.substack.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Leftovers with Tom Papa

Tom Papa is a bread nerd. The comedian, author and podcast host is quick to point out that he got obsessed with baking sourdough bread long before the pandemic sourdough craze. He loves to talk about sourdough, read about sourdough and, of course, bake and eat sourdough. So host Rachel Belle chats with the owner of a Seattle bakery that uses a sourdough starter that’s more than 150 years old.
Pasta with butter and Parmesan may be the meal of choice for picky American children, but in Italy the simple, comforting dish has an entirely different context. Rachel calls Katie Parla, a Rome-based food and beverage writer and cookbook author, to learn more, and in the process learns the history of fettuccine Alfredo.
Follow along on Instagram!
Watch Rachel's new Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle! Support the show: http://rachelbelle.substack.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cameron Esposito: Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich

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