Expense Account

Marcus Samuelsson needs no introduction. He’s that guy, and he’s been that guy for a long time. He was the youngest chef ever to earn three stars from The New York Times, for his restaurant Aquavit. He’s the winner of Top Chef Masters, and you’ve probably seen him on Chopped. He has 15 restaurants around the world, and he looks great in a hat.

His new book, Back to Green, is full of healthy, diverse, exciting meals to cook for your family and friends. Marcus is someone who inspires me, and after listening to him, I think you’ll be a little inspired too.

Monica Padman was a Soul Cycle instructor during its heyday, she’s been a celebrity nanny, an actress, and now she is one half of the tremendously popular, Golden Globe nominated podcast Armchair Expert. We talked fast food, career changes, and Hillstone. Buckle up.

Luke Fortney is a friend of mine, a friend of the pod, but he missed our podcast launch party. I’m sure he has some reasonable explanation. He was probably somewhere eating a quesadilla. Or some momos. A cinnamon bun. Maybe some frozen yogurt. And this is a valid excuse, because this is Luke’s job. Luke Writes the Where To Eat column/newsletter for The New York Times. Nearly everyday Luke runs around the city, eating every delicious food imaginable, in every borough. Luke is one of just a handful of people who I trust to give me a restaurant recommendation. And of those few people, he’s the only one with a nose ring. I could talk to Luke all day about restaurants. This guy knows his stuff. He’s charming, funny, and incredibly handsome. To be honest, he mogs me in more ways than one.

I love all of my guests. They’re all special. They’re all brilliant, but there’s just something about Patti Jinich. There’s a warmth that feels like a hug, or a Patagonia puffer vest. You can feel it through the TV. You can feel it through her words. She’s the host of Pati's Mexican table, Pati Jinich Explores PanAmericana, and La Frontera With Pati Jinich, all on PBS. She’s doing god’s work. If you’ve not watched her shows you really should. It’s some of the best travel and food TV since Bourdain, IMHO. She has a new cookbook called Foods of La Frontera, and two new seasons of her TV shows. We talked about life on the road, bordertown burritos, Kewpie mayo, and how she manages to do it all, all the time.

Our guest today is none other than Tanya Sichynsky, writer of the fantastic New York Times newsletter The Veggie and now author of Veg Everything: Recipes for Weeknights, Parties, and the Bites in Between. Vegetables are beautiful and delicious, and Tanya will be the first to tell you that you don't need to be a vegetarian to cook vegetarian meals. We talk about Atlanta, where Tanya is from. We talk about sports and Magic City wings. We really go in on Trader Joe's. And we talk Shrimpmas, your new favorite holiday. Tanya, I promise I'll be there this year.

Molly Baz is a ray of light. Molly Baz is building an empire. Molly Baz can not be stopped. She has two bestselling cookbooks, a wine label, an insanely popular newsletter, a video series, her very own mayo line, and she has a third cookbook, “Less Is More” slated to come out early next year. She just announced a new line of ice cream sandwiches. There’s a bit of Baz for everyone. Molly joins me today to teach me how to not cook like a coward. We talk about bad weed experiences, and mixing beer with milk. We talk babies and condiments. Molly Baz contains multitudes. We dug deep.

Our first guest is carla lalli. FKA Carla Lalli Music. She’s lived many lives. From the first GM at the first Shake Shack, to a beloved chef in the Bon Appétit test kitchen. She’s been a YouTube star, recipe developer, Substacker, and James Beard Award winner. She is a legend. She recently published her new book, Food Is A Feeling. Half cookbook, half memoir, the book tells the story of her divorce, and the healing power of food. We talked about online dating, how she could have been rich, pepper jack cheese, the pesto pasta problem, and why you should never feel guilt about pleasure. Talking to Carla was a pleasure, and I feel no guilt about it.

Food critic J Lee is back, turning food into a doorway to the bigger conversations that define how we live. Each week, J sits down with a guest to talk about food and everything around it - society, identity, culture, and the way we move through the world. Sometimes it's a chef. Sometimes it's a writer, a tastemaker, or the bartender at his favorite bar. Because everyone eats, and everyone has a story.

We always start with food. But we always wind up somewhere else - because food is culture, and everybody eats.

New season, same appetite. Season 2 drops September 17th

Expense Account is currently between seasons, but we had an opportunity to speak to culinary legend Tom Colicchio at his home in New York. We have more exciting announcements about the show later this spring, but in the meantime, enjoy this intermission episode.

This week, J Lee spoke to Tom Colicchio. The restaurateur and TV star just celebrated the 25th anniversary of his iconic restaurant Craft. You might also know him as a judge on all 21 seasons of “Top Chef,” and as a co-founder of Gramercy Tavern. This episode covers:

* What it was like to shop at Union Square Farmer’s Market in the ‘90s

* How the cost of opening a restaurant in New York City has changed over the last three decades

* Training in restaurants vs. training in culinary school

* How Tom almost ended up in “The Sopranos”

Expense Account is a food podcast for everyone. Insiders, outsiders, your mom, your dad, New Yorkers, Angelenos and also people from Florida (we love you). Anyone who enjoys eating food. It’s even for people who hate food. Feed Me’s resident food critic, J Lee will be joined each week by interesting and noteworthy guests from various fields who will make you laugh, they might even make you cry, who knows. You’ll find us here each week. Subscribe to stay relevant.

It’s the season one finale of Expense Account!

This week, J Lee spoke Keith McNally, the legendary restaurateur behind Balthazar, The Odeon, Pastis, Minetta Tavern, Lucky Strike and more. He is also the author of “I Regret Almost Everything.” Topics discussed include:

* The ideal order for two people at Balthazar

* Keith’s love/hate relationship with social media

* Creating the perfect restaurant playlist

* and why restaurants are one of the last places you can achieve the American dream

If you’re interested in working with us on the next season of Expense Account, have an idea for a guest, or want to host us at your countryside farm in France, email [email protected]