Food with Mark Bittman

The prolific food writer and cook talks to Mark and Kate about having one foot in two cultures; the auntie whisperer network – or, how Indians in America learned to make do without some of their beloved staples, and how they learned to make do with what was readily available; and why and how the term "fusion" got a dirty rep. Find the recipe for Khushbu's Masala Smashed Potatoes on the Bittman Pro...

The chef and author talks to Mark and Kate about the dangers of simplifying reality; why we should recognize and champion origin, and how doing so is a lesson in humility; the effect the Israeli conflict has had, and continues to have, on agriculture; and his new book, which is a loving tribute to his home, Bethlehem.  We're sharing two recipes from  Bethlehem  on the Bittman P...

A rerun full of Southern charm! Ed and Ryan Mitchell, the dynamic father/son duo, talk to the father/daughter duo (Mark and Kate) about their respective paths to pitmaster, transforming the tradition of authentic barbecue into a pure labor of love, and why working together ended up being the best thing for both of them. Head here for the Mitchells' 'I Don't Eat Everybody's Potato Salad!'  htt...

Kendal Chavez, Food and Hunger Advisor in the office of New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham; Curt Ellis, co-founder of FoodCorps; and Stephanie Lip, Senior School Food Operations Specialist at the Chef Ann Foundation talk to Mark about all things school food – "the biggest restaurant chain in the country." Why what we feed our kids is fundamental to our democracy, why school food...

The author of  The Year of Living Constitutionally  talks to Mark and Kate about how he threw an 18th century dinner party and what we can all learn from it; the things that people in the 1700s got right when it came to elections; the reactions he got when he walked around Manhattan with a tricorne hat and carrying a musket; and his family's reaction to his year of attempting to follow t...

The author and cook talks to Kate about what she remembers about fleeing her home in Cambodia at the age of nine, five years before the genocide; how the memory of her mother's cooking saved her life; why, and how, she decided to reclaim her family's recipes; and what brings her true happiness now.  The recipe mentioned on today's show can be found on the Bittman Project, here:  https://...

Professor Ashley Gearhardt, of the University of Michigan Department of Psychology, talks to Mark and Kate about why she's so addicted to studying the science behind ultra-processed food addiction, and how she got into it; how ultra-processed foods are different from beer or cigarettes (and how they're not); what differentiates people who get addicted and people who don't; and exactly how foods ar...

The innovative chef talks to Kate about the importance of cultivating one's own identity, notably when it comes to food; why he's not in the business of nostalgia; his unique ability to read the taste of food; and his new memoir,  Good Taste.  PLUS: More from food stylist Barrett Washburne, who talks to Kate about wasted plate space, giving props to prop stylists, and how to style b...

Mark talks to the astute environmentalist and writer about climate: The good news and the bad, how we can stop setting things on fire, the most important thing an individual can do, and how to make good trouble. Plus: Is Earth Day still relevant? And Kate takes the next round of questions for food stylist Barrett Washburne: all about his essential styling tools and how to take better food pho...

Coming to you from Nagasaki, Japan! Mark and his partner, Kathleen Finlay, talk to each other about their trip to one of Japan's school lunch centers, a place that serves 1,750 students and serves as an excellent model for what a progressive lunch program looks like: carefully curated and delicious menu, cooked from fresh and seasonal ingredients; made affordable for everyone; no time limit; a foc...

Mark and Kate talk to food's most tireless champion about public education as the last bastion of democracy, thirty years of Edible Schoolyard, and tomato confit. PLUS: Food stylist Barrett Washburne is back, and talks to Kate about how much food is thrown out vs eaten on a shoot, the best way to make something look like it’s fresh out of the oven, and food styling tips and tricks.  To g...

Journalist Tom Philpott talks to Mark about how to decode wonky farm bill conversations (and why it matters), why we're having another erosion crisis, and how to turn farmers into conservationists without telling them what to do. PLUS: Food stylist Barrett Washburne talks to Kate about how he got into food styling and how he feels about it, why pots and pans always look so clean on TV, and ho...

Oral historian and journalist Von Diaz talks to Mark and Kate about the connections that tropical islands share, in general and as related to cooking; the urgency to perfect dishes, build a resilient pantry, and learn to cook sustainably when living on a tropical island; the culture of kindness that seems to emanate from island living; and what got her so interested in telling other peop...

Washington Post  columnist Allison Robicelli talks to Mark and Kate about the shame that comes with alcoholism, sobriety as a "trend" and watching things change, and why nonalcoholic beverages are so important. For the six nonalcoholic things Allison loves, head here:  bittmanproject.com/food-with-mark-bittman-allison-robicelli/ Subscribe to Food with Mark Bittman on Apple Podcasts, Spot...

Leading British social historian Patrick Joyce talks to Mark and Kate about the actual meaning behind the word "peasant" and why it's been co-opted so much, what we should be mourning about the near loss of peasant life and what we can learn from it, and the poignancy of seeing generations change. Subscribe to Food with Mark Bittman on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and p...

The thoughtful and talented chef talks to Mark and Kate about why she named her dinner series and new book  Code Noir , after a monstrous set of French regulations put into effect by Louis XIV; why some island cultures gradually veer towards the cultural homogeneity of the US; why pulling on heartstrings is sometimes the best way; and her showboat recipe. Find the recipe for Lelani Lewis's Pl...

The Dandelion Chocolate Chief Sourcerer talks to Mark and Kate about why there's massive volatility in the cocoa market right now, what sustainable and fair sourcing actually means in the cocoa industry, and how and why people should think about chocolate differently. Find the recipe for Dandelion Chocolate's "Maybe the Very Best Chocolate Chip Cookies" here:  https://bittmanproject...

Chef Mavis-Jay Sanders talks to Mark and Kate about how she got into cooking and why her parents were unsure about it, her transition from being a chef to being a chef-activist and the work she does in both areas, and why knowing how to give feedback successfully is one of the most important lessons a person can learn — in every field.  Subscribe to Food with Mark Bittman on Apple Podcasts, S...

The wildly popular chef and champion of good food talks to Mark about what's changed in his almost 25 years of cooking in the public eye, big picture food advice, and why there's room for optimism.  Find the recipes from today's episode at bittmanproject.com/recipe/jamie-olivers-charred-brussels/ and bittmanproject.com/recipe/jools-chocolate-dreams/ Subscribe to Food with Mark Bittman on Appl...

Tofu evangelist George Stiffman talks to Mark and Kate about working under a fifth-generation tofu master, the vast array of misconceptions Americans have about tofu, why the misunderstood protein is better than fake meat, and a personal favorite: exploding juice tofu. View this episode's recipe and show notes here: bittmanproject.com/recipe/broken-cuisines-mediterranean-cherry-tomato-chickpeas/ S...

Journalist Michele Norris talks to Mark about how she came to start her podcast, Your Mama's Kitchen; the standout moments in her (amazing) career; and how she preps for meals 30 days ahead.  View this episode's recipe and show notes here: https://bittmanproject.com/recipe/michele-norriss-zucchini-bread/ Subscribe to Food with Mark Bittman on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to l...

A perfect rerun for the new year: Chef and food stylist Aliza Sokolow, and  Top Chef Canada  host Eden Grinshpan chat with Kate about how we should be talking to kids about food, why kids will try the strangest things and eschew what seems like a natural win, and learning to just let go of the frustrations and roll with it. With very special guests Lily and Zoe Clark, Meera and Mari...

God's Love We Deliver executive chef Andre Daquigan talks to Mark and Kate about what the holidays are like at an organization that routinely prepares and delivers 13,000 meals a day; why he loves his job so much, and what makes others so passionate about the organization; and how God's Love has changed since it was founded in 1985, during the height of the AIDS crisis.  View this episode's r...

Professional climber and good food advocate Kate Rutherford talks to Mark and Kate about her childhood in Alaska (commuting by dogsled!); how Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard got her interested in regenerative agriculture and food activism; and why and how she's making it easier for rock climbers to source local food wherever they climb. Subscribe to Food with Mark Bittman on Apple Podcasts,...

A revisiting of beloved food writer Claudia Roden's conversation with Mark, in which she talks about her days living in Europe with a bubble of Jewish refugees from Egypt, how and why that experience got her interested in collecting recipes, and the meaning of "Jewish" food. View this episode's recipe and show notes here: https://www.bittmanproject.com/p/roden Subscribe to Food with Mark Bittman o...