Special Sauce with Ed Levine

On this episode of Special Sauce we talk chef cookbook collaborations with the extraordinary James Beard Award-winning food writer JJ Goode. JJ has collaborated with everyone from Iron Chef Morimoto to Sam Kass, who cooked for the Obamas at the White House. JJ has accomplished it all in spite of physical limitations that might have held him back. JJ's essay in Gourmet magazine about trying to cook...

When I interviewed Milk Bar co-founder Christina Tosi last summer we talked about her extraordinary journey from home baker to pastry chef to entrepreneur. Tosi had an inspirational story to tell, and we thought it was a story worth repeating. Of course the peripatetic businesswoman has hardly been resting on her laurels since then. Boxes of Milk Bar soft baked cookies are coming to a grocery stor...

On this episode of Special Sauce Kenji, The New Yorker's Helen Rosner, and I dig further into the first season of ‘The Bear’ and also muse about what we'd like to see in the second season of the show, which is coming to FX this summer. We're all rooting for Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) to find some peace so that Sydney (Ayo Edibiri) can do her thing without being driven crazy. Learn about your ad ch...

Kenji and The New Yorker's Helen Rosner reflect on the first season of the compelling TV show The Bear, now streaming on Hulu. J. Kenji Lopez Alt is of course the author of bestselling cookbooks like the Food Lab and the Wok and who cooks on-camera for his own YouTube series, Kenji's Cooking Show. He worked in restaurant kitchens in Boston for many years, and he did a silly thing and opened his ow...

This week I decided to revisit my interview with the extraordinary Grace Young, Why? Well, for starters Grace, cookbook author, cultural anthropologist, and wok therapist, is a wonder, a Chinese-American treasure. And when someone else might be resting on their laurels Young, who has won every award a cookbook author can win, has embarked on a new career and quest as a Chinese-American community a...

On this episode of Special Sauce we take a deep dive into scrambled eggs with eggspert egg maker J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. He tells us about his latest eggprerimentation with one of the world's favorite egg preparations. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this episode of Special Sauce The New York Times’s Pete Wells and Brett Anderson, and The New Yorker's Hannah Goldfield all weigh in on what serious eaters are likely to see (and taste) when they walk into restaurants in 2023. They all tell us both what they're excited about and what they're worried about moving forward. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this episode of Special Sauce I talk to The New York Times's Pete Wells and Brett Anderson, and the New Yorker's Hannah Goldfield about what and where they ate in 2022, and where they think restaurants and the food culture in general are headed. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In 2022 I got a chance to chew the fat with so many interesting people on Special Sauce. I couldn't possibly pick a favorite episode to leave you with, but I can certainly say with confidence that my conversation with NYT food writer Eric Kim is right up there. Eric is thoughtful, a fine recipe developer, and a lovely writer. His book Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home, is terrific. So as...

On this episode of Special Sauce I talk holiday food with Kenji. In Kenji's case we get to hear about holiday traditions in his Colombia-born wife's family. And we also get to hear about his own family's holiday traditions growing up. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On part 2 of our extraordinary conversation with Harlem Seafood Soul's Tami Treadwell you will hear that Tami's success is bittersweet. Why? Because she's had to overcome so many heartbreaking obstacles to discover that being on the street, and feeding people, is where she truly belongs. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Food truck Harlem Seafood Soul's Tami Treadwell tells her truly remarkable story in this week's episode. I first heard part of her story on the N.Y. episode of Netflix's ‘Street Food’ series. It's a story that features so many setbacks that would have stopped many people, but not the indomitable and resilient Ms. Treadwell. What you'll hear is a story that will stay with you for a long time. Learn...

This week on Special Sauce it's Claire Saffitz part two. She gives us her take on holiday baking. Cookies will be discussed, of course. Purple Black and White cookies, anyone? Claire also digs deep into her new book ‘What's For Dessert’. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

With the holiday season upon us I thought it would be great to talk to the great baker and YouTube star Claire Saffitz, whose new book is called What's For Dessert: Simple Recipes for Dessert People. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

This time on Special Sauce we talk turkey and everything else Thanksgiving-related with Kenji just in time for the holiday this year. He adds a little bit of soy sauce to his gravy! And he gives us his unexpected takes on Stovetop Stuffing and instant mashed potatoes. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

This time on Special Sauce, another helping of Thanksgiving cooking tips from our podcast archive. This was a special call-in episode with Kenji and Stella Parks , who intelligently and empathetically handled every question from serious eaters. We talk turkey of course, but also pies, stuffing and holiday cookies. Hope you enjoy! Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this episode of Special Sauce I’ve gone into the podcast vaults to fetch you this classic Thanksgiving themed episode of Special Sauce. Listeners emailed us vexing Turkey Day questions that Kenji and Stella Parks answered in typically wise and funny fashion. Think of it as Special Sauce Reserve. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this episode of Special Sauce serious eaters will hear all about Christine Ha's post MasterChef life. That life includes owning or co-owning two restaurants in Houston and advocated on behalf of people suffering from NMOSD. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this episode of Special Sauce serious eaters will hear the first part of blind chef-restaurateur Christine Ha's incredible story. She wins Gordon Ramsey's MasterChef competition TV show without being able to see. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this episode of Special Sauce we check in with Kenji, who tells us about the magic of mayo as a marinade. He also talks about all things guacamole and avocados. Plus he explains his love affair with the mortar and pestle. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this episode of Special Sauce Anson Mills founder Glenn Roberts takes us on his wild journey through the preservation of Ancient Grains that started with his family losing everything. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this episode of Special Sauce food blogger Kristina Cho (Eat Cho Food) details her unlikely career path from architectural designer to two time James Beard Award-winning author. In her book, Mooncakes and Milk Bread, Kristina re-creates re-imagines both sweet and savory staples of Chinese bakeries and cafés. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this episode of Special Sauce Vishwesh Bhatt, James Beard Award-winning chef and author of ‘I Am From Here: Recipes and Stories from a Southern Chef’, details his remarkable journey from India to Oxford, Mississippi. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this episode of Special Sauce Fly by Jing founder Jing Gao talks about finding herself through the foods her company makes, things like chili crisp and soup dumplings. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this episode of Special Sauce chef (Late August in Houston) and former world champion track star Dawn Burrell talks about her greatest leap of all, from Olympic broad jumper to Top Chef finalist. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices