Podcast

Nobody makes cake—or cookies, or tarts, or anything else in the pastry case—quite like Natasha Pickowicz. The former pastry chef at Flora Bar and Altro Paradiso, who now helms the acclaimed pop-up Never Ending Taste and organizes mega bake sales raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for reproductive health justice, Natasha makes extremely cool pastries, like crackly shoyu peanut cookies and cakes crowned with radicchio. Now she’s releasing a debut cookbook to share her recipes with the world, More Than Cake, and we’re stoked to have her back in the studio to talk about bringing her distinct pastry style to life, baking as activism, and the state of dessert in restaurants right now. MORE FROM NATASHA PICKOWICZ:How I Protest with Pastries [Bon Appetit]How to Make Delicious Scones at Home [Desert People]TASTE Podcast 16: Natasha Pickowicz [TASTE] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW:instagram.com/natashapickowiczinstagram.com/alizaraeinstagram.com/taste

Alex Prud’homme’s new book, Dinner with the President, is a history of American food, politics, and 26 presidents, from George Washington starving at Valley Forge in 1777 to Donald Trump’s burger banquets. It was such a good time having Alex on the show to talk about how food has been used as a diplomatic tool since the founding of the United States, as well as some underrated cooks living in the White House. Finally, Grace Coolidge gets the respect she deserves. We also talk with Alex about his journalism, how he wrote a New Yorker article that would go on to inspire the Soup Nazi character on Seinfeld, and the book he wrote with his great-aunt Julia Child that would inspire many movies and TV shows. Alex is such a great guest, and I hope you enjoy our talk. Also on the show, Aliza and Matt talk about their recent trips to Miami and Tel Aviv, while discussing the value of fresh-cut tropical fruit and raspberry yogurt. MORE FROM ALEX PRUD’HOMME:The Man Behind the Soups [The New Yorker]    Alex Prud’homme Wishes He Was in the Room Where It Happened [NYT]Jacques Pépin and Alex Prud'homme on entertaining Julia Child-style [GBH]The Israel Issue [TASTE] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW:instagram.com/alex.prudhommeinstagram.com/mattrodbardinstagram.com/taste

Delia Cai is a journalist, the newsletter savant behind the popular Deez Links send, a Vanity Fair staffer, and the author of a great debut novel, Central Places. On this episode, we cover many excellent topics, including her Midwestern upbringing, her thoughts on the state of the Food Internet, and learning about the customs of dining out the hard way.  Also on the show, international food and travel writer Sylvie Bigar was born in Geneva, Switzerland, and is based in New York City, where we caught up in the studio for this wonderful conversation. We find out what inspired Sylvie’s new memoir, Cassoulet Confessions. We also talk about how cassoulet, a traditionally French stew, has ties to her Jewish heritage. I hope you enjoy getting to know Sylvie a lot better. MORE FROM DELIA CAI AND SYLVIE BIGAR:Is TikTok Turning Fashion into Pure Chaos [Vanity Fair]September Stuff [Deez Links]It’s Barbie’s World Now. We Just Live Here [Vanity Fair]In the Kitchen with Sylvie Bigar [WSJ] FOLLOW, FOLLOW, FOLLOW:instagram.com/deeeliacaiinstagram.com/sylviebigarinstagram.com/mattrodbardinstagram.com/taste

The U.K. superstar Katie Melua sits down with Carmel Holt to discuss her ninth album Love & Money, and the road that led her here.

Nate, Dave, and Demone talk to producer and label head Meaty Ogre