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The Sporkful
The Sporkful
Dan Pashman and Stitcher

We obsess about food to learn more about people. The Sporkful isn't for foodies, it's for eaters. Hosted by Dan Pashman, who's... more

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Episodes

Reheat: These Chefs Want You To Talk Politics At Dinner

Tunde Wey learned to cook at home with his family in Nigeria. Sean Sherman grew up on the Pine Ridge... more

22 Nov 2024 · 35 minutes
A Salty Medical Mystery

A couple years ago, Abigail Keel started having debilitating attacks of vertigo. Once she got a diagnosis, the treatment seemed... more

18 Nov 2024 · 34 minutes
Reheat: Can A Restaurant Be For Everyone?

"White people are comfortable anywhere," says restaurateur Andy Shallal. "In order for a black person to walk into a space,... more

15 Nov 2024 · 44 minutes
How Judith Jones Changed Cookbooks Forever

What do Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking and The Diary of Anne Frank have in common? A... more

11 Nov 2024 · 44 minutes
Reheat: The Rice Cooker That Changed Jake Cohen’s Life

Jake Cohen didn’t care much about Jewish food when he went to culinary school and worked in high end restaurants.... more

08 Nov 2024 · 33 minutes
Who Really Was James Beard?

Before the James Beard Awards, there was the man himself. Beard was the first celebrity chef of the TV era,... more

04 Nov 2024 · 41 minutes
Reheat: The Pasta That Won Obama Re-Election

Sam Kass shares stories of his time as the Obama family’s chef — cooking on Air Force One, smuggling special... more

01 Nov 2024 · 30 minutes
Bobby Flay Wins A Lot — But Also Knows How To Lose

Bobby Flay has competed in more than 700 TV cooking challenges and written a dozen cookbooks. But at heart, he... more

28 Oct 2024 · 40 minutes
Reheat: A Very Trini Punjabi Diwali (with DJ Rekha)

We cook up a Diwali feast with a Trinidadian mother and daughter and discuss straddling cultures with the Indian-American DJ... more

25 Oct 2024 · 25 minutes
“Super Size Me,” Twenty Years Later

Twenty years ago, Morgan Spurlock released his low-budget documentary Super Size Me, and achieved success that most documentary filmmakers can... more

21 Oct 2024 · 54 minutes
Reheat: Jet Tila Cooks Pad Thai For 20,000 People

Food Network star Jet Tila’s parents opened the first Thai market in the US in 1972. Now he’s trying to... more

18 Oct 2024 · 28 minutes
Ed Gamble Is More Than A Diabetic Comedian (Live)

Comedian Ed Gamble calls himself a “very greedy boy.” That’s because he’s always loved food, from the diary entry he... more

14 Oct 2024 · 37 minutes
Reheat: What Rock Star Sammy Hagar And Chef Jacques Pepin Have In Common

Dan eats fresh mozzarella with the former Van Halen frontman and drinks beer out of paper cups with the legendary... more

11 Oct 2024 · 26 minutes
How Cascatelli Ended Up In A German Museum

In honor of National Pasta Month, Dan shares the story of how his pasta shape, cascatelli, ended up in a... more

07 Oct 2024 · 39 minutes
Preserving Jewish Food And Pushing It Forward, With Joan Nathan And Jeremy Salamon

Ahead of the Jewish High Holidays, we’re talking with two cookbook authors about how Jewish food around the world has... more

30 Sep 2024 · 41 minutes
Reheat: A Brief History Of Cereal And Milk

We explore the history of an iconic American food couple — cereal and milk — with help from New York... more

27 Sep 2024 · 35 minutes
The Inside Story Of How Taco Bell Created The Big Cheez-It

Today we're bringing you a rare behind-the-scenes look at a collaboration between two giant American food brands: Taco Bell and... more

23 Sep 2024 · 38 minutes
The Enslaved Man Who Taught Jack Daniel How To Make Whiskey

In 2016, Jack Daniel’s announced the company would make changes to its official history. They planned to honor Nathan “Nearest”... more

16 Sep 2024 · 33 minutes
Reheat: Why You Should Listen To Your Food

In cooking and eating, sound is the forgotten sense. But you can tell whether you're cutting scallions correctly, or how... more

13 Sep 2024 · 24 minutes
The Pashman Family Takes Your Calls 2024

Dan brings his whole family on the podcast this week to answer your questions, just as they did in an... more

09 Sep 2024 · 33 minutes
Hitting The Taco Trail With José Ralat

José Ralat’s job at Texas Monthly magazine is so unique that when he got it five years ago, it made... more

02 Sep 2024 · 35 minutes
Reheat: Beyond Pot Brownies (with Radiolab's Jad Abumrad)

Dan and Radiolab's Jad Abumrad explore the new frontier of weed-infused foods with a pastry chef. They'll tell you how... more

30 Aug 2024 · 29 minutes
Bea Ojakangas, From Finnish Food To Pizza Rolls

As the Minnesota State Fair kicks into high gear, we’re talking with one of the state’s most iconic food personalities.... more

26 Aug 2024 · 37 minutes
When Is A Taco Legally A Sandwich?

Why are politicians trying to ban lab-grown meat? Is Chipotle secretly serving smaller portions? And just how good is that... more

19 Aug 2024 · 36 minutes
Reheat: Christopher Kimball Finds Pleasure In Pain

The founder of Milk Street hates celebrations and says pleasure is annoying. This week, Chris Kimball tells us why he... more

16 Aug 2024 · 33 minutes
A Car Crash Saved Jameela Jamil’s Life

Jameela Jamil may be best known for her role on the NBC show The Good Place. On the show, her... more

12 Aug 2024 · 27 minutes
We Can Do Better Than “Obligation Salads”

Pretty much every restaurant has salads, and yet how often do you get really excited to eat one? In restaurants... more

05 Aug 2024 · 37 minutes
Reheat: How To Be A Good Ice Cream Citizen

Is it unethical to sample an ice cream shop's flavors and not buy anything? A married couple calls in for... more

02 Aug 2024 · 33 minutes
When Celery Was More Expensive Than Caviar

Celery doesn't get a lot of love these days. But it was the avocado toast of the late 1800s and... more

29 Jul 2024 · 26 minutes
Cookbooks That Need ‘The Grandma Disclaimer’ (Live)

Food writer Khushbu Shah and chef Edy Massih each released their first cookbooks this spring. Both works are part of... more

22 Jul 2024 · 38 minutes
Reheat: Confessions of a Ballpark Food Vendor

In this episode of the Sporkful, a former Shea Stadium food vendor tells Dan about the worst gig in the... more

19 Jul 2024 · 23 minutes
2 Chefs And A Lie: Deconstructed Coney Dog Edition

We’re back with our annual game show Two Chefs And A Lie! Dan talks with three “chefs.” Two of them... more

15 Jul 2024 · 31 minutes
Why Does Gluttony Get Such A Bad Rap?

Recently, a friend of restaurant critic Tim Hayward called him a glutton. This week, our friends at the Life and... more

08 Jul 2024 · 39 minutes
Searching For The Donut King Part 2

After months of searching, we finally meet Ted Ngoy, aka "the Donut King," and learn what happened to him. He's... more

05 Jul 2024 · 38 minutes
Searching For The Donut King Part 1

After escaping Cambodia's Killing Fields, Ted Ngoy built a donut empire in California. Then he lost it all, and disappeared.... more

01 Jul 2024 · 30 minutes
Molly Baz Has Confidence In Her Taste

Everything Molly Baz puts out — from her best-selling cookbooks Cook This Book and More Is More, to her Instagram... more

24 Jun 2024 · 39 minutes
Reheat: In Search Of Rosa Parks' Pancakes

In 2016, the Library of Congress posted Rosa Parks' personal documents online for the first time. Buried under postcards from... more

21 Jun 2024 · 34 minutes
Yia Vang Says Hmong Food Is His Family's Legacy

For years, chef Yia Vang operated his restaurant Union Hmong Kitchen in a trailer outside of a brewery in Minneapolis.... more

17 Jun 2024 · 29 minutes
Book Tour 2: How’d You Get So Good At Failure?

In the second half of our Best of the Book Tour series, we’re answering your questions! We’ll tackle the most... more

10 Jun 2024 · 35 minutes
Reheat: Andy Richter Bought A Midlife Crisis Fridge

The comic, actor, writer, and podcast host, best known as Conan O’Brien’s late night TV sidekick, tells us why he... more

07 Jun 2024 · 22 minutes
Book Tour 1: Do You Really Need That Many Recipe Tests?

For six weeks this spring, Dan hit the road for the biggest tour in Sporkful history, all in celebration of... more

03 Jun 2024 · 40 minutes
How You Can Taste Food Like A Flavor Chemist

“Natural flavors” show up on ingredient lists for all kinds of foods. But what does that mean exactly? We get... more

27 May 2024 · 32 minutes
Reheat: Why Roy Wood Jr. Sees Pros To Bad Service And Confederate Flags

Comedian and Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr. is known for his thoughtful and pointed takes on race. He joins... more

24 May 2024 · 29 minutes
When Mom Forgets Her Favorite Foods, With Michele Norris

“Tell me about your mama’s kitchen.” That’s how Michele Norris, former host of NPR’s All Things Considered, starts conversations with... more

20 May 2024 · 30 minutes
Bridgerton’s Claudia Jessie Likes Life At A Low Simmer

Actor Claudia Jessie is just as nonconformist as Eloise, her character on the hit Netflix show Bridgerton. She lived on... more

13 May 2024 · 31 minutes
Reheat: What Dumplings Can’t Fix

How do parents who adopt kids from other countries use food to connect their children to their birthplace? And what... more

10 May 2024 · 38 minutes
Bringing Georgia O’Keeffe To Life With Her Recipes

Sotheby’s is about to put a trove of Georgia O'Keeffe items up for sale. While the auction will include paintings... more

06 May 2024 · 37 minutes
benny blanco Says Apple Fritters Are Better Than Sex

Music producer and artist benny blanco has credits on 29 number one songs, working with stars such as Katy Perry,... more

29 Apr 2024 · 32 minutes
Reheat: Jim Gaffigan Lies To His Kids About Food

The food-obsessed comic discusses eating with his five children, navigating birthday parties and buffets, his dad's steaks, and when it's... more

26 Apr 2024 · 27 minutes
Priya Krishna Writes The Kids Cookbook She Wished She'd Had

Cookbook author Priya Krishna was a world traveler as a kid. Because of her mom’s job in the airline industry,... more

22 Apr 2024 · 29 minutes
Alyse Whitney Brings Big Dip Energy

Dips are having a moment — from a dips-only restaurant in Atlanta to Martin Short playing a character who only... more

15 Apr 2024 · 33 minutes
Reheat: LeVar Burton Even Reads Recipes Dramatically

You may think you know LeVar Burton. After starring in the seminal 1977 mini-series Roots, he hosted Reading Rainbow and... more

12 Apr 2024 · 26 minutes
Jewish Food Is More Than Matzoh Balls

Naama Shefi remembers visiting her husband’s grandmother for the first time, and being astonished by the stories tucked into each... more

08 Apr 2024 · 32 minutes
In Defense Of Picky Eating

Laura and Beth Winters are fraternal twins who come from a family of proud picky eaters. But after high school,... more

01 Apr 2024 · 35 minutes
Reheat: Guy Fieri Hates That Flame Shirt

You probably know Guy Fieri from his TV shows: Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and Guy's Grocery Games. Or maybe you... more

29 Mar 2024 · 33 minutes
Anything’s Pastable 4 | A Cookbook Is Born

In the final episode of “Anything’s Pastable,” the recipes are done — but they’re all in Google Docs. Now Dan has... more

18 Mar 2024 · 43 minutes
Anything’s Pastable 3 | Searching For A Spark

As Dan’s cookbook deadline approaches, recipe testing kicks into high gear — and he attempts to develop a few recipes... more

11 Mar 2024 · 33 minutes
Anything’s Pastable 2 | Eat Sauté Love

In part two of “Anything’s Pastable,” Dan embarks on an epic trip across Italy in search of lesser-known pasta dishes... more

04 Mar 2024 · 38 minutes
Anything’s Pastable 1 | Every Grain Of Salt

After Dan’s pasta shape, cascatelli, went viral, people everywhere were cooking with it and sending him photos of what they... more

04 Mar 2024 · 44 minutes
Gary Gulman’s Ice Cream Joke Was A Cry For Help

Gary Gulman did so many food bits early in his stand-up career that he joked he was "a strictly food-based... more

26 Feb 2024 · 35 minutes
Deep Dish With Sohla And Ham: Bagels

Violence, death threats, and bagels, oh my! In this final episode of Deep Dish season one, Sohla and Ham explore... more

22 Feb 2024 · 39 minutes
Can A Restaurant Makeover Make Diners Spend More?

One table in New York's Adda Indian Canteen is underperforming the others. And in a business with razor-thin margins, that's... more

19 Feb 2024 · 28 minutes
Can A Stanley Drinking Cup Really Withstand A Car Fire?

Stanley cups are all the rage, but did you know they’ve been around for decades? So what happened to make... more

12 Feb 2024 · 34 minutes
Deep Dish With Sohla And Ham: Tacos Al Pastor

Tacos al pastor are an iconic Mexico City dish — but a relatively new addition to Mexican cuisine. And they... more

08 Feb 2024 · 39 minutes
Undercover Dining With NY Times Restaurant Critic Pete Wells

New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells has been called the most feared food writer in America. He can make... more

05 Feb 2024 · 36 minutes
Why Hibachi Gets Complicated

In 1964 Rocky Aoki, a Japanese immigrant, created hibachi restaurants in America when he opened his first Benihana. Rocky later... more

29 Jan 2024 · 28 minutes
Deep Dish With Sohla And Ham: Tteokbokki

Today on Deep Dish, Sohla and Ham explore the history of Korea through the story of a rice cake. Tteokbokki... more

25 Jan 2024 · 37 minutes
Deep Dish With Sohla And Ham: Delta Tamales

Introducing Deep Dish, a new podcast from The Sporkful hosted by Sohla and Ham El-Waylly! Sohla and Ham are chefs,... more

22 Jan 2024 · 31 minutes
The Hidden Battle Over Grocery Store Shelves

Over the past few years there has been an explosion in new products in grocery stores, from barbecue sauces to... more

15 Jan 2024 · 34 minutes
Reheat: A Soda Jerk And A Mormon Walk Into A Podcast

Ben Abbott wants to pair his meals with drinks, but as a Mormon, he doesn't drink alcohol. So Dan journeys... more

12 Jan 2024 · 26 minutes
Ozempic Isn’t So Great For Fat People, Says Aubrey Gordon

The most common New Year’s resolution Americans make is to lose weight. For many years, that was Aubrey Gordon’s resolution,... more

08 Jan 2024 · 40 minutes
Reheat: Two Books For The Food Science Nerd In Your Life

From tortilla chips to tree bark, from fancy cheese to toe cheese, there’s a world of smells all around us... more

29 Dec 2023 · 35 minutes
New Year’s Food Resolutions 2024

What foods do Sporkful listeners resolve to eat more of in the new year, and why? And what’s Dan’s New... more

18 Dec 2023 · 42 minutes
Reheat: Samin Nosrat Drinks Milk With Her Chocolate Soufflé

Samin Nosrat, author of the bestselling cookbook "Salt Fat Acid Heat," joins Dan to talk about feeling like an outsider,... more

15 Dec 2023 · 36 minutes
How Do Michelin Stars Actually Work?

Since the Michelin Guide was created in 1926, it has awarded about 3,000 stars to select restaurants around the world.... more

11 Dec 2023 · 26 minutes
Rise Of The Foodie Bro (The Year In Food 2023)

We are back with another Salad Spinner, and this time it’s our year end edition! Remember when Starbucks debuted olive... more

04 Dec 2023 · 39 minutes
Reheat: Comic Maria Bamford Risked Her Life For Ice Cream

The native Minnesotan explains why a little internal bleeding can't keep her from a treat, and why the way she... more

01 Dec 2023 · 28 minutes
What Westerners Misunderstand About Chinese Cuisine

Fuchsia Dunlop has written some of the best known English-language books on Chinese cooking, spending years at a time immersing... more

27 Nov 2023 · 37 minutes
The Grandma Chefs Of Staten Island

When Jody Scaravella lost his grandma, his mom, and his sister within a few years, he opened a restaurant in... more

20 Nov 2023 · 28 minutes
Reheat: The Last Sporkful Thanksgiving Special Ever

Starting this week we're pulling one classic Sporkful from the deep freezer every other Friday and sharing it with you!... more

17 Nov 2023 · 38 minutes
The Drinking Coach Has A Cocktail For You

Tiffanie Barriere is an award-winning bartender and cocktail educator who goes by the title “The Drinking Coach.” As the holidays... more

13 Nov 2023 · 35 minutes
How To Make A Battle-Ready Pizza

How did the U.S. military create a pizza that soldiers could eat on the battlefield? Our friends at the podcast... more

06 Nov 2023 · 39 minutes
Sohla El-Waylly Went To Culinary School To “Prove Everyone Wrong”

Sohla El-Waylly — chef, recipe developer, YouTube star — just released her first cookbook, Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a... more

30 Oct 2023 · 33 minutes
Big News About Dan’s Cookbook!

Major announcement! Dan’s first cookbook, Anything’s Pastable, is available for preorder wherever books are sold starting today! This collection of... more

25 Oct 2023 · 3 minutes
Rediscovering Nigeria By Becoming American

Back in 2018, we talked with chef and recipe developer Yewande Komolafe about her experience as an undocumented immigrant. She... more

23 Oct 2023 · 37 minutes
Can Bass Pro Shops Teach Grocery Stores Something?

We are back with the Salad Spinner! This is our rapid fire roundtable discussion of the latest food news, from... more

16 Oct 2023 · 36 minutes
Detroit Through A Chinese Restaurant Window

Curtis Chin was practically raised at Chung’s Cantonese Cuisine, his family’s restaurant in Detroit. It was a restaurant that served... more

09 Oct 2023 · 30 minutes
School Lunch Triumphs And Tragedies With Kenji López-Alt

School is back in session. And for kids, lunch period is the closest you get to being on your own... more

02 Oct 2023 · 30 minutes
Natasha Leggero And Moshe Kasher Give Dan Marriage Advice

Husband-and-wife comedians and podcast hosts Natasha Leggero and Moshe Kasher often perform standup together. In their Netflix special they offer... more

25 Sep 2023 · 30 minutes
What “Couscousgate” Tells Us About French Food

Back in 2017, a far-right politician in France angered his supporters and caused a small scandal. The faux pas? Enjoying... more

18 Sep 2023 · 35 minutes
A Chili Crisp Cookbook And An Ode To Shabbat

On today’s show, we’re featuring two new cookbooks that we’re excited about, and the stories of the authors behind them.... more

11 Sep 2023 · 38 minutes
How To Create A New Apple

Breeders at Washington State University spent 20 years developing a completely new variety of apple: Cosmic Crisp. What exactly does... more

04 Sep 2023 · 32 minutes
A Garlic Dispute 20 Years In The Making

We asked for your food fights and hot takes, and you delivered! We hear about a 20-year dispute over a... more

28 Aug 2023 · 39 minutes
A Forager's Life In Virginia

Foraged ingredients have become all the rage in high end restaurants, part of the move toward hyperlocal, farm-to-table ingredients. Of... more

21 Aug 2023 · 27 minutes
Searching For The Pickle King

While the villages to the east and west have charming Main Streets, the small town of Greenlawn, sandwiched in between,... more

14 Aug 2023 · 27 minutes
Instant Pot’s Bankruptcy And Thai Cheese “Burgers”

Today we tackle news in the world of food that’s at turns substantive, silly, and surprising in a new series... more

07 Aug 2023 · 34 minutes
Tommy Pico’s Food History Wasn’t Lost. It Was Stolen.

A few years ago, Tommy Pico, a queer indigenous American poet, and lover of junk food, set out to learn... more

31 Jul 2023 · 37 minutes
Why Barbie’s First Dreamhouse Didn’t Have A Kitchen

When the first Barbie Dreamhouse came out in 1962, it didn’t have a kitchen. Fast forward to today and there... more

21 Jul 2023 · 31 minutes
Why Ice Is This Summer's Hottest Trend

Once known for its glacial pace, ice news today is breaking. In the wake of Starbucks’ recent announcement that they’re... more

17 Jul 2023 · 34 minutes
2 Chefs And A Lie: Name That Mustard Edition

It’s time for our annual game show, 2 Chefs And A Lie! The game is simple. Dan talks with three... more

10 Jul 2023 · 31 minutes
The Sporkful
How To Create A New Apple
The Sporkful
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Description

Breeders at Washington State University spent 20 years developing a completely new variety of apple: Cosmic Crisp. What exactly does it take... more