Special Sauce with Ed Levine

On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, Ed talks about the many pleasures, gustatory and otherwise, derived from cooking simply with Simply Julia author Julia Turshen and the Washington Post's Daniela Galarza , who writes and edits the Post's free Eat Voraciously newsletter.  And finally Ed chimes in with an urgent plea for supporting every link of the food chain during the Omicron outbreak, whic...

On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, Ed talks about the holidays with Pulitzer Prize winning author Marcia Chatelain ; YouTube and Tik Tok Star The Korean Vegan, AKA Joanne Lee Molinaro ; James Beard Award-winning chef and pitmaster Rodney Scott ; and Washington Post Food Editor Joe Yonan . And if you're stuck searching for the right gift for the serious eaters in your life, don't worry. Ed's...

On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, Ed talks with former Microsoft CTO and Modernist Cuisine founder Nathan Myrvhold about why his new collection Modernist Pizza required 3+ volumes and 1000 plus pages.  Spoiler Alert: New Haven and New York pizza lovers are in for a shock. Plus, Ed talks about three cool gifts for the pizza lover in your life.  Nathan Myrvhold  Learn about your ad choices: d...

On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, we hear moving Thanksgiving stories from the Korean Vegan ( Joanne Lee Molinaro ), pitmaster and chef-owner Rodney Scott , Pulitzer Prize winner Marcia Chatelain , and the Washington Post's Joe Yonan .    Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this episode of Special Sauce, Ed talks with Joanne Lee Molinaro, AKA The Korean Vegan, about her unlikely journey from corporate litigator, to TikTok and YouTube superstar, and now to NYT best-selling author.  The Korean Vegan The Korean Vegan YouTube   Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, Ed talks with best-selling author (An  Unapologetic Cookbook) Joshua Weissman, a YouTube star with more than 5M subscribers, about life in the social media fast-lane. And the Washington Post's Daniela Galarza tells us about the free cooking newsletter Eat Voraciously she writes four times a week.  An Unapologetic Cookbook by Joshua Weismann Joshua Weismann...

On this episode of Special Sauce, Ed talks with Dorie Greenspan about her new book Baking with Dorie and her inauspicious start baking for a living. Plus, the Washington Post's Becky Krystal weighs in on softening butter.  Dorie Greenspan | Site | Facebook | Twitter  " How to soften butter quickly, and why it matters for your baking " by Becky Krystal   Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.or...

On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, Ed talks with writer Laurie Woolever, author of Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography, plus Washington Post Food Reporter Emily Heil taste-tests plant-based “chicken” nuggets. Laurie Woolever | Site | Twitter Carbface podcast Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, we talk to the  Washington Post's Aaron Hutcherson about diversity and his deep dive into MSG. It's the first segment in Special Sauce's new collaboration with The Washington Post. Plus, Kenji , Aaron and Ed all weigh in on what they eat when they're not feeling well.  Aaron Hutcherson Twitter J. Kenji López-Alt Twitter Learn about your ad choices: dovetail...

The terrific crime writer Laura Lippman ( My Life as a Villainess, Dream Girl ) talks about why she's afraid of not being afraid when she writes. Plus Kenji and Laura both weigh in on how they get their kids to eat their vegetables. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, we talk about joyful music and an incredibly moving memoir with Michelle Zauner, the leader of the band Japanese Breakfast. She’s the author of the heart-rending   Crying in H Mart .  Plus, Kenji weighs in on the relationship between two of his favorite things, food and music.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this week’s Special Sauce, we’re joined by  Colombiana  author Mariana Velásquez who talks about the incredible cultural and culinary diversity of her beloved native country. Plus, Kenji shares his love of Colombia, gained from his many trips there with his Colombian wife, Adriana. There's much love for Colombia on this week’s episode!  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this episode of Special Sauce, we’re joined by the incredible youtuber, podcaster and  Cheese, Wine and Bread author Katie Quinn who says that metaphorically speaking, people ferment just like cheese wine and bread. Plus, Kenji adds his two cents about Katie and fermentation.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, we’re joined by Reem Kassis, the thought provoking author of The Palestinian Table and her new book, The Arabesque Table. Plus, Kenji gives us some helpful tips of making falafel at home, courtesy of the chef Einat Admony.  Kenji’s falafel recipe video on youtube can be found here:  https://www.youtube.com/kenjisfalafelrecipe Learn about your ad choices: do...

On this week's Special Sauce, we're joined by NY State Senator and Colombian-American Jessica Ramos who talks about her fearless approach to food activism as she fights for both her diverse constituents and the rights of migrant farm workers.  Plus, Kenji weighs in on his Colombian-American wife Adri's favorite dish and tells us about Temblores, an NGO that monitors state violence in Colombia. Lea...

On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, we’re joined by the brilliant and hilarious comedian, actor, writer and producer Susie Essman. Essman explains how her pandemic cooking increased her husbands ardor, plus she gives us a special sneak peak of what’s coming up on the upcoming season of Curb Your Enthusiasm.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this week’s episode of Special Sauce we’re joined by Chef Nina Compton who talks about her experience working in fine dining as a woman of color, how her restaurants have grappled with the pandemic, and the imperiled hospitality industry in her beloved St. Lucia. Plus, Kenji stops by to share a nifty hack for making jerk chicken, one of Nina’s favorite dishes at home.  Learn about your ad choic...

On this week's episode of Special Sauce legendary food writer and television cook Nigella Lawson gets real about both her new book "Cook, Eat, Repeat," and the remarkable arc of her life and career. Then Kenji stops in to sing Nigella's praises and reveals what happened when Nigella cooked at his restaurant.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this week’s Special Sauce, we’re joined by the great pit master and James Beard Award-winning chef Rodney Scott and his coauthor Lolis Eric Elie talking about their new book "Rodney Scott's World of BBQ." They talk about whole hog BBQ, fathers and sons, and a whole lot more. Plus, Kenji weighs in with his approach to smoking a pork shoulder. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choi...

On this week's episode of Special Sauce, we're joined by TV and food writer Lolis Eric Elie who dishes on diversity -- or the lack thereof -- in Hollywood and tells us about the joys of eating in and  out  in his native New Orleans. Later, Kenji stops by to give us his helpful tips for cooking red beans with rice.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, we continue our deep dive into the world of fast food. This time   Franchise  Author Marcia Chatelain,  Drive-Thru Dreams  Author Adam Chandler, and Kenji discuss the unique good vs. evil duality of fast food. The new-ish made-to-order McDonald's Quarter Pounder and the Popeye's Chicken Sandwich are definitely on the menu. Learn about your ad choices: dovet...

On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, we ponder the highs and the lows of fast food culture with Marcia Chatelain, Georgetown University Professor of history and African American studies and author of Franchise , and Adam Chandler who wrote Drive-Thru Dreams . Then, Bill Oakley shares a few of his fast food reviews from instagram and later, Kenji stops by to share his recipe for Smash Burgers. ...

When the ultra-talented chef Mashama Bailey collaborated with first-time restaurateur John Morisano to open The Grey in an old abandoned Greyhound bus depot in Savannah Georgia, they knew that their partnership was not going to be easy.  On this week's Special Sauce you will hear about the difficulties they encountered along the way related to race, class, and gender. The story of their unlikely p...

On this week's Special Sauce we talk to Grace Young, renowned Chinese cookbook author, self-described wok therapist, and New York Chinatown advocate  during the Pandemic #SaveChineseRestaurants. Plus, we check in with Kenji about Grace and his own upcoming Wok cookbook.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this week's episode of Special Sauce we celebrate one of the greatest food writers, Jessica Harris, who introduced many of us to the food of the African Diaspora. Jessica talks about her new book Vintage Postcards from the African World , her twelve cookbooks, and her friendship with Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, and Toni Morrison. For some added perspective on Jessica's extraordinary life and w...