The Sporkful

Professor Steven Alvarez believes you can read a taco. Look at the meat, the spices, and the tortilla. Each ingredient has a story that unlocks something about Mexican and American history and culture. This idea is the basis for Steve’s “Taco Literacy” course at St. John’s University in New York City. This week, we go on an end-of-semester taco crawl with Steve’s class. Turns out, you can judge a taco by its tortilla. This episode originally aired on May 21, 2018, and December 6, 2021, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, and Peter Clowney. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, Jared O'Connell, and India Rice. This update was produced by Gianna Palmer. Every Friday, we reach into our deep freezer and reheat an episode to serve up to you. We're calling these our Reheats. If you have a show you want reheated, send us an email or voice memo at hello@sporkful.com, and include your name, your location, which episode, and why. Right now, Sporkful listen

For decades, Carlos Rafael owned the biggest fleet of boats in the most valuable fishing port in America: New Bedford, Massachusetts. He was so powerful in the fishing industry there, he became known as The Codfather. That is, until an IRS sting brought it all crashing down. This is the first episode of a brand new series from Ian Coss and WGBH News called Catching The Codfather. Episode 2 is up now! Search for The Big Dig on your favorite podcast app and look for Season 3: Catching The Codfather. The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell.Right now, Sporkful listeners can get three months free of the SiriusXM app by going to siriusxm.com/sporkful. Get all your favorite podcasts, more than 200 ad-free music channels curated by genre and era, and live sports coverage with the SiriusXM app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dan and his wife Janie are both white and Jewish, both raised in the New York area. In many ways it's an easy fit. But not so much with food, because Janie grew up kosher and Dan didn't. In this episode, they talk about navigating food tension in their relationship and ask Janie's mom how she feels about the choices they've made. This episode originally aired on August 10, 2017, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, and Dan Charles. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, Jared O'Connell, and India Rice. This update was produced by Gianna Palmer. Every Friday, we reach into our deep freezer and reheat an episode to serve up to you. We're calling these our Reheats. If you have a show you want reheated, send us an email or voice memo at hello@sporkful.com, and include your name, your location, which episode, and why. Right now, Sporkful listeners can get three months free of the SiriusXM app by going to siriusxm.com/sporkful. Get all your favorite podc

The writer Aymann Ismail, a practicing Muslim, grew up not eating pork. But as he got older, he became curious about why eating pork was a line that even less observant Muslims wouldn’t cross. So when a new loophole product hit the market, Aymann was faced with a choice — one that brought up questions of faith, tradition, and whether changing your food habits changes who you are.Aymann’s memoir is Becoming Baba: Fatherhood, Faith, and Finding Meaning in America. Leah Koenig’s latest cookbook is Portico: Cooking and Feasting in Rome's Jewish Kitchen, and her newsletter is The Jewish Table.This episode originally aired on March 7, 2022, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O’Hara, Johanna Mayer, Tracey Samuelson, Jared O’Connell, and Fernanda Aguero. The Sporkful production team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell.Right now, Sporkful listeners can get three months free of the SiriusXM app by going to siriusxm.com/sporkful. Get all y

Dan’s dreams come true when he visits The Simpsons writers’ room to talk about the role food plays on the show and behind the scenes. Turns out the writers are just as obsessed with food as all of the show’s food jokes suggest. Plus, Simpsons creator Matt Groening explains how new technologies have changed the show’s food jokes over time.This episode originally aired on August 13, 2018, and May 30, 2022, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, and Aviva DeKornfeld. It was mixed by Dan Dzula and Jared O'Connell. The Sporkful production team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O’Hara, Jared O’Connell, Kameel Stanley, and India Rice. This update was produced by Gianna Palmer.Every Friday, we reach into our deep freezer and reheat an episode to serve up to you. We're calling these our Reheats. If you have a show you want reheated, send us an email or voice memo at hello@sporkful.com, and include your name, your location, which episode, and why.Right now, Sporkful listeners can get three months

This week, The Sporkful plays matchmaker! We put out the call for Sporkful listeners looking for love, and many of you responded. We used our proprietary algorithm (i.e. a producer looking at a spreadsheet) to set up and record two blind dates — one in New York and one in Chicago. Will their love smolder like a kebab on a hot grill? Or will they repel each other, like oil and vinegar in a salad dressing that hasn’t been properly emulsified?The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, Jared O'Connell, and India Rice. Special thanks this week to Shantel Holder, Andrea Quinn, and Shawn Allee.Right now, Sporkful listeners can get three months free of the SiriusXM app by going to siriusxm.com/sporkful. Get all your favorite podcasts, more than 200 ad-free music channels curated by genre and era, and live sports coverage with the SiriusXM app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal

When Gustavo “Goose” Alvarez was 18, he was sent to prison for the first time. When he arrived, the other incarcerated men wanted to know if they could trust him — so they handed him a plate of cheesy tacos, and got to know him over that shared meal. From there, Goose learned all kinds of prison cooking tips, including how to use razor blades to boil water and the recipe for a coffee drink called a “Cadillac.” This week Goose shares some of the recipes from his cookbook, Prison Ramen: Recipes and Stories from Behind Bars — and the harrowing story of how that title dish saved his life.Check out Goose’s novel, The Pawn, and a couple other great stories about cooking in prison:The Great Ear Hustle Cookoff” on the Ear Hustle podcast“Fixed Menu: Meet the cellblock chefs of Westville Correctional Facility” by Kevin PangThis episode originally aired on April 16, 2018, and May 31, 2021, and was produced by Dan Pashman and Anne Saini. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel

Michael Ian Black and Tom Cavanagh are great comedic actors and friends who love to analyze snacks in extreme detail on their podcast, Mike and Tom Eat Snacks. In this special crossover episode ahead of the Super Bowl, Dan tells Mike and Tom about the time his overly ambitious Super Bowl snack idea went very wrong. They also get into a fiery debate about chicken wings and put different shapes of tortilla chips to a taste test.The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell.Right now, Sporkful listeners can get three months free of the SiriusXM app by going to siriusxm.com/sporkful. Get all your favorite podcasts, more than 200 ad-free music channels curated by genre and era, and live sports coverage with the SiriusXM app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dan gives up the hosting chair and becomes a contestant in our most popular (and only) Sporkful game show, 2 Chefs And A Lie! The game is simple. Dan talks with three “chefs.” Two are real, and one is a faker with a made-up resume. Dan gets five questions per chef to determine who’s legit, and who doesn’t know their bass from their elbow. The best part: You can play along! Can you spot the fake chef?This episode originally aired on July 11, 2022, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Tracey Samuelson, and Jared O'Connell. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. This update was produced by Gianna Palmer.Every Friday, we reach into our deep freezer and reheat an episode to serve up to you. We're calling these our Reheats. If you have a show you want reheated, send us an email or voice memo at hello@sporkful.com, and include your name, your location, which episode, and why.Right now, Sporkful listeners can get t

Veteran comic Tom Papa’s love of food began as a kid, when his dad recruited him for over-the-top food challenges — including eating a massive steak that won Tom a t-shirt. As an adult he became obsessed with bread baking after his daughter gave him a sourdough starter for Christmas. Tom explains how baking bread is like comedy, and what his fridge says about his current stage of life. Plus, he and Dan indulge in one of Tom’s favorite pairings: wine and potato chips.Find Tom Papa's upcoming tour dates and check out his collection of bread baking tools. Also, Simply Wine in Manhattan is having a special tasting inspired by this episode! More info on their Instagram.The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell.Right now, Sporkful listeners can get three months free of the SiriusXM app by going to siriusxm.com/sporkful. Get all your favorite podcasts, more than 200 ad-free music channels curated by genre and era, and live sports coverage

Elle Simone Scott recently died of ovarian cancer at the age of 49. This week's Reheat is our conversation with Elle from 2021.Elle once said that a food stylist’s job is to tell the story of the food — and in her work on shows for Bravo, Food Network, and America’s Test Kitchen, she went to great lengths to do just that. Combing through boxes of cereal for the best-looking cornflakes? Check. Throwing ice cubes across the room to capture the perfect splash? No problem. Elle joined us to share some food styling secrets — and got real about her background in social work, why representation matters in food photography, and her battle with cancer.Read Elle's obituary in The New York Times.This episode originally aired on January 4, 2021, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Tomeka Weatherspoon, Tracey Samuelson, and Jared O'Connell. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. This update was produced by Gianna Palme

Jacques Pépin just turned 90, and he’s spent his career defying expectations. By 1958, at the age of 23, he had cooked for three French presidents. But he left that life to work at a high-end restaurant in New York, then gave that up to cook at Howard Johnson’s, making food for the masses. After a life-altering accident, Jacques found his next love: teaching other people how to cook. By the early ‘90s he was one of America’s best-known TV chefs. This week, Dan visits Jacques at his home in Connecticut, where the chef shares his recipe for SPAM, talks about his pivot to Instagram, and discusses the pleasures of a life spent experimenting.Jacques Pépin's latest book is The Art of Jacques Pépin: Favorite Recipes and Paintings from My Life in the Kitchen.This episode originally aired on January 24, 2022, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O’Hara, Johanna Mayer, Tracey Samuelson, and Jared O’Connell. The Sporkful production team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kame

The Sporkful Family Food Court is back in session. A husband and wife debate when to eat movie popcorn, and a mother and daughter argue over whether eating salad dressing makes you an adult. This episode originally aired on February 8, 2016, and was produced by Dan Pashman and Anne Saini, and enginnered by Bill O'Neill. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. This update was produced by Gianna Palmer.Every Friday, we reach into our deep freezer and reheat an episode to serve up to you. We're calling these our Reheats. If you have a show you want reheated, send us an email or voice memo at hello@sporkful.com, and include your name, your location, which episode, and why.Right now, Sporkful listeners can get three months free of the SiriusXM app by going to siriusxm.com/sporkful. Get all your favorite podcasts, more than 200 ad-free music channels curated by genre and era, and live sports coverage with the SiriusXM app. Hosted by Simplecas

French podcaster Samia Basille loves going to the movies. And she enjoys popcorn. But she doesn't think the two should ever be combined. (Many other French people feel the same way.) When Samia spent a few months living in New York, it left her wondering: Why do Americans insist on chowing down on popcorn while watching a movie? This simple question sent her on a quest to understand the history of popcorn in both the U.S. and France, and to see if she could be convinced that noisy, messy popcorn is acceptable at the cinema. What she encounters along the way leads her to question her preconceived notions about popcorn, movies — and herself.Samia’s the host of the new podcast Star System. Check out this episode of A People’s History of Kansas City for more on the American history of popcorn.This episode was reported by Samia Basille. The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. Special thanks to Mackenzie Martin.Right now, Sporkful list

We follow one woman's attempt to recover from an eating disorder and hear what it’s like to wake up each morning and have to fight a battle not only with food, but more importantly, with yourself. It's a rare look inside one person’s struggle. We also hear from her husband and explore her decision, early in recovery, to become a baker.If anything this episode sounds familiar, you can get more information and help from the National Eating Disorders Association online, or by calling their helpline: 1-800-931-2237. For 24/7 crisis support, text 'NEDA' to 741741.This episode originally aired on January 15, 2018, and September 23, 2020, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, Emma Morgenstern, and Andres O'Hara, with editing by Margaret Kelley, Peter Clowney, and Tracey Samuelson, and engineering by Andrea Kristinsdottir. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. This update was produced by Gianna Palmer.Every Friday, we reach into our de

Should you rinse ice before you pour a carbonated drink over it? What’s the best way to store fresh bread? And is there a reason to drink room temp water between bites of ice cream? Daniel Gritzer, editorial director of Serious Eats, and Swetha Sivakumar, who writes a food science Substack, join Dan to answer your food science questions. They also help Grace in Minneapolis, whose fresh bread dispute is threatening her marriage. Put on your nerd glasses and fire up your Bunsen burners!The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell.Right now, Sporkful listeners can get three months free of the SiriusXM app by going to siriusxm.com/sporkful. Get all your favorite podcasts, more than 200 ad-free music channels curated by genre and era, and live sports coverage with the SiriusXM app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s Elkhart, Indiana, 2001. Two inches of Heather Coleman's turkey club disappear from her office fridge. The thief is nowhere to be found. And Heather’s life will never be the same. In this tribute to the hit podcast Serial, we investigate the shocking true story of an office fridge food theft.This episode originally aired on March 12, 2015 and May 9. 2022. It was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, Johanna Mayer and Andres O'Hara, with editorial help by Chris Bannon and Leital Molad.  The Serial theme song was composed by Nick Thorburn. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell.Every Friday, we reach into our deep freezer and reheat an episode to serve up to you. We're calling these our Reheats. If you have a show you want reheated, send us an email or voice memo at hello@sporkful.com, and include your name, your location, which episode, and why.Right now, Sporkful listeners can get three months free of the SiriusXM app by going to sir

Stanley Tucci nearly broke the internet in 2021 when he made a Negroni on Instagram. But long before that, the award-winning actor built his career around his love of food. He created the iconic food film Big Night, he’s written best-selling cookbooks, and now he eats his way through Italy on the show Tucci In Italy. In 2021 he released a memoir, Taste: My Life Through Food, which includes the revelation that a few years ago he battled oral cancer. The experience changed his relationship with food forever. He and Dan discuss that and much more, including the art of eating on camera.This episode originally aired on October 11, 2021, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O’Hara, Tracey Samuelson, and Jared O’Connell. The Sporkful production team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. Right now, Sporkful listeners can get three months free of the SiriusXM app by going to siriusxm.com/sporkful. Get all your favorite podcasts, more than 2

“So often when we talk about veganism, we don't imagine Black people,” says Bryant Terry, the James Beard Award-winning cookbook author, chef, and educator. But Bryant sees veganism as deeply rooted in Black communities and traditions. And, he points out, veganism is growing faster among Black Americans than among any other group. After publishing another popular vegan cookbook in 2020, Bryant released a book in 2021 that he edited: Black Food, which includes recipes, playlists, art, poetry, and essays from more than 100 contributors. Bryant joins Dan to talk about the many influences that guided him towards veganism, what it took to get the wider publishing community to take his work seriously, and why Black Food will be his last book.This episode originally aired on November 15, 2021 and was produced by Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Tracey Samuelson, and Jared O'Connell. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. This upd

What foods do Sporkful listeners resolve to eat more of in the new year, and why? And what’s Dan’s New Year’s food resolution for 2026? All is revealed in our annual year-end spectacular. We also replay one of the Sporkful crew’s favorite episodes of the year. Scott Wiener, founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours, has made a name for himself as one of the most knowledgeable and passionate pizza experts in America. (He has the Guinness Record for the world’s largest collection of pizza boxes — nearly 2,000.) This week, Dan and his family join Scott on one of his famous Sunday tours, in which pizza pilgrims board a school bus not knowing what pizzerias Scott plans to take them to. On the tour, Dan gets to watch Scott in action: figuring out his route on the fly, taking the temperature of pizza ovens with an infrared thermometer, and debunking NYC pizza myths. Plus, we have a big update on Scott’s personal life since he was on the show in 2018.The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'