This Is TASTE

Sonia Chopra joined Bon Appétit and Epicurious as executive editor in August 2020, previously working in various roles at Eater for nearly a decade. In this entertaining episode, we find out about Sonia’s journey through food media and how she and her colleagues are putting their own stamp on BA. We also talk about the world’s best toaster oven, as well as the magazine’s big Thanksgiving issue, and how it reflects a change in the way Americans are cooking the big meal this year and for years into the future. We really enjoyed catching up with our friend.

Also on the show, Cheryl Rodbard (aka Mombard) catches up with Matt in the studio. They talk about family holiday traditions, including some strong opinions about turkey, how to do the sides, and the famous “pink shit” (aka the best cranberry condiment) that lands on the Thanksgiving table each year—and, of course, we dive into Cheryl’s take on holiday English toffee. 

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Tina Choi is the Seoul-based genius behind one of our favorite food YouTube channels around, Doobydobap. In this episode, we find out how Tina grew her incredible following through hard work, a lot of style, and many trips to Korean Costco. We also talk about her food science education at Cornell, and why one of Matt’s favorite cities to visit, Seoul, South Korea, is full of energy and innovation that cannot be matched. We hope you enjoy this extremely fun conversation with Tina Choi.

Also on this episode, Matt catches up with writer Jordan Michelman to talk about the state of natural wine (#nattywine) and how his recent writing in Bon Appétit has shaken things up a bit. We always love having Jordan on, and he has lots to say.

More from Doobydobap and Jordan Michelman:

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How cool it is to have Gregory Gourdet on the show. Gregory is a chef and cookbook author based in Portland, Oregon. Many of you may know Gregory from his memorable appearances on Top Chef—as both a contestant and a judge. In this lively conversation, we discuss his ambitious new restaurant in Portland, Kann, his '90s raver past, and vintage Nike fits in the Kann dining room. We also talk about his plans for bringing the spotlight to Haitian cuisine, as well as living a fulfilled life of sobriety.

More from Gregory Gourdet: 

Buy: Everyone's Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health

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Pierce Abernathy is a really interesting and multitalented dude, and we were really happy to have him join us in the studio. Pierce is a trained cook, a big-time TikTok and Instagram creator, and a former Buzzfeeder, and he’s been known to model and work with fashion brands in interesting ways. We love the way Pierce thinks and talks about food, and we tap into his background living in Kentucky, cooking in New York, and walking the runway in Italy. Pierce is a rising star in food for all the right reasons, and we hope you enjoy getting to know him a bit better.

Also on the show, cookbook author Ixta Belfrage stops by to talk about her very cool new book, Mezcla: Recipes to Excite.

More from Pierce Abernathy:

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Osayi Endolyn is a journalist, cookbook author, and cultural commentator of the highest degree. In this action-packed episode, we talk about her latest cookbook project, Ghetto Gastro Presents Black Power Kitchen. We find out about what goes into writing a cookbook that isn’t structured like a typical cookbook, and we go back to hear about Osayi’s life growing up around California, her early work in TV and film, and her assessment of what the Ghetto Gastro authors describe as “hood Chinese” food. This talk is a long time coming, and we hope you enjoy getting to know one of food media’s great voices.

Also on the show, restaurateur and former Eleven Madison Park owner Will Guidara stops by to talk about his new book, Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect.

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Today on the show, we have Claire Saffitz stopping by for a really entertaining conversation. Claire is the author of a new cookbook, What’s For Dessert, and she’s truly one of our favorite cooking instructors and personalities on the internet. We talk about how to visualize a recipe before baking it, as well as some of the common bakeware mistakes we are all making. Dark bakeware is a big no-no! We also hear a little bit about her journey from Harvard to the kitchens of France to millions of YouTube streams. We all love Claire Saffitz at TASTE, and we hope you enjoy this talk.

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Kaitlin and Sarah Leung join us in the studio to talk about their long-running online food blog The Woks of Life. For anybody who has ever held a wok over high heat, The Woks of Life has been a steady hand helping you along the way. In this fun episode, we talk about how the pair went professional with their blog and how they wrote their new cookbook, The Woks of Life, with their parents. That’s four authors—two parents and two siblings—for those who are counting. We also find out some answers to life’s biggest burning Chinese home cooking questions.  

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It was really fun having Molly Yeh join us in the studio for an absolute riot of a conversation. Molly is legitimately one of the funniest writers (and guests) that we’ve encountered in a long time, and we get into all sorts of topics on the show. We talk about what makes a great Hallmark Channel movie, and we theorize about how she will possibly star in one one day. We also talk about Little House on the Prairie (the TV show) and how Molly is living her best life in North Dakota, and we dive into her truly incredible new book, Home Is Where the Eggs Are. What a fun conversation—I hope you enjoy it.

Also on the show, the return of Three Things. Aliza and Matt catch up about campfire s'mores injuries, a visit to '90s media power lunch spot Michael's, okonomiyaki, Matt's trip to Lysée, oat cortado vs. cow cortado, Aliza's barista past, the hot coffee era is here, Waffle House and losing bets, WWE Superstars, fantasy basketball picks, go Nets!  

More from Molly Yeh:

Buy: Home Is Where the Eggs Are

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If you’ve checked out Instagram lately, chances are you’ve spotted one of Hannah Ziskin’s slab cakes, princess cakes, and fruit custard tarts making the algorithm rounds. Hannah is the co-owner and pastry chef at Echo Park’s Quarter Sheets Pizza in Los Angeles. She runs Quarter Sheets with her partner, Aaron Lindell, and on this episode, we talk about the unlikely marriage of pan pizza and sheet cake. We also find out what it’s like running one of LA’s buzziest restaurants, and how she gets it all done with such a tiny staff. We really loved getting to know Hannah on this fun episode.

More from Hannah Ziskin:

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What a joy it is to have Claudia Fleming live in the studio. Claudia is the executive pastry director of Union Square Hospitality Group and the author of the new cookbook Delectable: Sweet and Savory Baking. But many listeners may know Claudia best from her iconic (and once out of print) first cookbook, The Last Course. In this episode, we dive into Claudia’s long career working in New York City restaurants and writing books. We find out how the pandemic brought a great opportunity to write Delectable, a book that I think should be considered a modern baking classic. I also pick her brain about some of life’s biggest baking mysteries. It’s so cool getting to know Claudia Fleming a bit better. 

Also on the show, we catch up with the cofounders of the amazing food magazine Cake Zine. Aliza Abarbanel and Tanya Bush talk about the theme of their latest issue and what makes their partnership so sweet. It’s a great talk with two rising stars in food media.

More from Claudia Fleming:

Buy: Cake Zine

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