No Substitutions, Please

By Noah McKinnon and Louisa Herron

A show about food and the things people do to it. Every week, Noah McKinnon and Louisa Herron pick a dish, define its most important elements, and then sit down to find out what the Internet thinks ab... more

5

44 ratings

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FAQs about No Substitutions, Please:

How many episodes does No Substitutions, Please have?

The podcast currently has 143 episodes available.

No Substitutions, Please episodes:

February 22, 2026 Episode 142: Ranch Dressing
The sauce that launched a thousand bar fights, at least in the City of Buffalo. Noah and Louisa, not for the first time, get down with the cool herbs.
Join our Patreon!
Our theme is Street Food, by FASSounds, and is governed by the Simplified Pixabay License.
...more
54min
February 01, 2026 Episode 141: Crispy Chickpeas
Can you really transform a simple legume into a transcendent experience by drying it out and frying it in some hot oil? Or is Noah just looking for his newest personality replacement? We discuss.
Join our Patreon!
Our theme is Street Food, by FASSounds, and is governed by the Simplified Pixabay License.
...more
1h 7min
January 18, 2026 Episode 140: Minnesota Hotdish
One of those great and comforting Midwestern dishes that's best enjoyed with, or given for, people you love. Best served without ice.
(Noah thought he'd be less angry when he sat down to write this description, but he's not. We promise the episode is funnier.)
Relevant links:
Fundraiser for Marimar Martínez ($6.6K / $10K)
Fundraiser for Keith Porter's Daughters ($302.9K/$350K)
Fundraiser for Becca Good ($1.5M/$50K)
Compilation of various funds defending Minneapolitans from the occupation:
Stand With Minnesota
...more
1h 3min
January 04, 2026 Episode 139: Chocolate Cake
How come it took us this long to get around to chocolate cake? Well, we heard you say your favorite episodes are the ones where Louisa loves the food and Noah hates it. So really, we did this for you. You're welcome.
Join our Patreon!
Follow us:
@[email protected] on Mastodon.
@NoSubsPlease on BlueSky.
Noah: @[email protected] on Mastodon, @nsmckinnon.bsky.social on BlueSky.
Louisa: @[email protected].
Our theme is Street Food, by FASSounds, and is governed by the Simplified Pixabay License.
...more
1h 7min
December 14, 2025 Episode 138: Blackened Chicken
Do you ever want to burn food on purpose? Then have we got news for you! Noah and Louisa talk about the surprisingly versatile Cajun classic that finally frees you to let the intrusive thought win.
Join our Patreon!
Follow us:
@[email protected] on Mastodon.
@NoSubsPlease on BlueSky.
Noah: @[email protected] on Mastodon, @nsmckinnon.bsky.social on BlueSky.
Louisa: @[email protected].
Our theme is Street Food, by FASSounds, and is governed by the Simplified Pixabay License.
...more
56min
November 30, 2025 Episode 137: Biryani
What do you do when you want to cook a protein, and rice, and vegetables, and you only have one pot to work with? You stuff it all in there and let it socialize for a few hours. Louisa and Noah talk about the Persian-Indian dish that lets you have a little bit of everything with each bite.
Join our Patreon!
Follow us:
@[email protected] on Mastodon.
@NoSubsPlease on BlueSky.
Noah: @[email protected] on Mastodon, @nsmckinnon.bsky.social on BlueSky.
Louisa: @[email protected].
Our theme is Street Food, by FASSounds, and is governed by the Simplified Pixabay License.
...more
51min
November 23, 2025 BONUS: Proximate Foods Trivia!
Since we're asking you to donate to our triviathon fundraiser, here's a little taste of what it's like when we pit our knowledge against each other . . . and, not coincidentally, of what you get when you join our Patreon. Enjoy!
Follow us:
@[email protected] on Mastodon.
@NoSubsPlease on BlueSky.
Noah: @[email protected] on Mastodon, @nsmckinnon.bsky.social on BlueSky.
Louisa: @[email protected].
Our theme is Street Food, by FASSounds, and is governed by the Simplified Pixabay License.
...more
1h 27min
November 16, 2025 Episode 136: Pecan Pie
Good news, everyone: we found a Thanksgiving food we hadn't covered yet! Noah and Louisa talk about the perfectly acceptable custard pie whose adherents, for some reason, keep trying to make sound grosser than it is.
Participate in our fundraiser!
Join our Patreon!
Follow us:
@[email protected] on Mastodon.
@NoSubsPlease on BlueSky.
Noah: @[email protected] on Mastodon, @nsmckinnon.bsky.social on BlueSky.
Louisa: @[email protected].
Our theme is Street Food, by FASSounds, and is governed by the Simplified Pixabay License.
...more
51min
November 02, 2025 Episode 135: Red Velvet Cake
If you want to roll out the red carpet for dessert . . . you should probably make something with less frosting. Noah and Louisa talk about a classic cake, and Noah discovers that he is, in fact, an easy mark.
Join our Patreon!
Follow us:
@[email protected] on Mastodon.
@NoSubsPlease on BlueSky.
Noah: @[email protected] on Mastodon, @nsmckinnon.bsky.social on BlueSky.
Louisa: @[email protected].
Our theme is Street Food, by FASSounds, and is governed by the Simplified Pixabay License.
...more
51min
October 19, 2025 Episode 134: Maduros
Noah and Louisa prove that even when you think the plantains sitting on your counter couldn't possibly be usable, they find a way to surprise you. Also, Noah gets his Puerto Rican tarjeta revoked.
Join our Patreon!
Follow us:
@[email protected] on Mastodon.
@NoSubsPlease on BlueSky.
Noah: @[email protected] on Mastodon, @nsmckinnon.bsky.social on BlueSky.
Louisa: @[email protected].
Our theme is Street Food, by FASSounds, and is governed by the Simplified Pixabay License.
...more
53min

FAQs about No Substitutions, Please:

How many episodes does No Substitutions, Please have?

The podcast currently has 143 episodes available.

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