I Changed My Mind with Dan Souza

Katie Lee Biegel loves spicy food, but there's one kind of heat she can't stand: wasabi. Dan puts three dishes to the test, hoping to change her mind. Along the way, Katie looks back on growing up in a family of passionate home cooks, the seven years she spent trying to land a job at Food Network, and how a peanut butter and jelly sandwich helped her get the gig on The Kitchen. Does Dan finally win her over on wasabi?

Recipes Mentioned: 

Scallop with Wasabi-Soy Dressing

Fried Chicken Sandwich with Wasabi Mayo

Wasabi Ice Cream

Marcus Samuelsson grew up in a Swedish fishing village surrounded by seafood, but salt cod is one ingredient he still can't stand. Dan puts three dishes to the test hoping to change his mind. Along the way, Marcus reflects on his journey from Ethiopia to Sweden, the French chef who tried to discourage him from pursuing his restaurant dreams, and how a failed restaurant helped shape the success of Red Rooster. Does Dan finally win him over on salt cod?

Recipes Mentioned: 

Baccalà Mantecato

Guanimes con Bacalao

Salt Cod Fried Fish Sandwich

Murray Hill hates tomatoes, to the point that even looking at one makes him gag. Dan puts three dishes to the test hoping to change his mind. Along the way, Murray explains how performing helped him find himself, why Somebody Somewhere gave him the chance to feel seen, and how writing his memoir helped him reckon with his past. But will Dan win him over on tomatoes?

Recipes Mentioned:

Marinated Cherry Tomatoes w/ Mozzarella

Pimento Cheese BLT

Salmorejo (Spanish Chilled Tomato Soup)

Restaurateur, author, and long-time chef Geoffrey Zakarian has dined across the world – and yet – he can’t escape one pesky ingredient: mackerel. Dan pulls out all stops in three mackerel-packed dishes, determined to change Geoffrey’s mind. Between bites, Geoffrey shares tales from his year abroad in France and on The Kitchen, and discusses the importance of keeping yourself busy.

Amber Ruffin says she hates almost all food, broccoli included. Dan puts three dishes to the test, hoping to change her mind. Along the way, Amber explains how being the youngest of five turned her into a lifelong picky eater, the gut-punch call that came three days after losing out on SNL, why bombing on stage cured her of fear, and the unforgettable night a sleeping audience member stole the show. Does Dan finally win her over on broccoli?

Rick Bayless is celebrating 40 years of his restaurant, Frontera Grill and a lifetime of avoiding celery. In this episode, Dan puts three creative dishes to the test, hoping to change the mind of this restaurateur legend. Along the way, Rick recounts how a childhood in his family's Oklahoma barbecue joint shaped his love of cooking, the trip to Mexico City that changed his life, why he still stands at the front door of his restaurant every day before opening, and the advice from Jacques Pépin that he's never forgotten. Will Dan's dishes be enough to turn this lifelong skeptic? 

Neil deGrasse Tyson questions everything—except maybe his hatred of yogurt. Dan puts three wildly different yogurt dishes to the test, hoping to change the mind of the evidence-based astrophysicist. Along the way, Neil reveals how the Hayden Planetarium sparked his career, why the kitchen is everyone’s first laboratory, what evidence it would take to prove aliens exist, and why he’d still love to be abducted by one. Will Dan finally crack the case for yogurt?

Recipes Mentioned: 

Zucchini Chips with Taziki

Tanabour (Armenian Yogurt and Barley Soup)

Ginger Frozen Yogurt with Salted Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chef, writer, and director Eddie Huang takes on the candy he’s spent a lifetime avoiding as Dan serves up three bold takes on licorice. Between bites, Eddie reveals the movie that reshaped his childhood, how a brutal New York Times review helped launch his bestselling memoir and hit TV series Fresh Off the Boat, and why writing his novel Coming Undone proved an even bigger challenge than writing his memoir.

Recipes Mentioned:

Chocolate Guinness Cake with Malted Cream Cheese Frosting

Braised New Mexico–Style Pork in Red Chile Sauce (Carne Adovada)

Licorice No-Churn Ice Cream

Wrestling and strongman legend Braun Strowman steps into the ring to face his ultimate culinary nemesis: green peas. As Dan puts Braun through three pea-packed dishes, the conversation gets surprisingly personal. Braun opens up about why he’s grateful to the bullies who shaped him, how he turns adversity into fuel for success, and why hosting Everything on the Menu with Braun Strowman is his latest title-worthy role.

Recipes Mentioned:

Creamy Pea Soup with Crab and Crème Fraîche

Lemony Pea and Pistachio Pesto (from this recipe)

Comedian and writer Phoebe Robinson challenges Dan to change her mind about green peas—her least favorite food. Between bites, Phoebe shares how grit and optimism carried her through the years before fame, reflects on her time on the cult-hit TV show Portlandia, and reveals what she eats on the road as she gears up for her next comedy tour, Feral & Fired Up!

Recipes Mentioned:

Spring Pea Salad  

Keema Matar served with basmati rice

Crispy Pea Fritters