podcast

"Every show is life and death for me."

Living Colour and fascism expert Dr. Ruth Ben-Ghiat talk personality cults, propaganda and the fascism playbook

We welcome back our good friend Akira Akuto to the show. Akira is the Los Angeles–based chef who was behind the acclaimed LA sandwich and pastry counter (and so much more) Konbi, which closed up shop in early 2023. In this episode we speak with one of the more clairvoyant voices in the restaurant world. Akira is brutally honest about why a seemingly successful restaurant was anything but. We talk about the difficulties chefs and operators face on a daily basis and why California in particular is a challenging landscape for small-business owners. We also chat about what he’s been up to recently and the Japanese citrus he’s backing in a major way.  Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. MORE FROM AKIRA AKUTO:Konbi, Home to the Best Egg Salad Sandwich in L.A., to Close Both Locations [LA Times]America's Best New Restaurants 2019 [Bon Appetit]This Is TASTE 164: Akira Akuto [TASTE]

Olive Odyssey is a Palestinian olive oil collective working to build demand, supply chains, and economic power for Palestinian farmers since 2022. Today cofounder Aya Faour, a professional olive oil taster, is on the show to share how Olive Odyssey is working to build collective power and partnering with groups like Rose Los Angeles to create special collaboration products that are funding aid in Gaza. Los Angeles listeners! Reserve a ticket for Koreaworld x Caldo Verde on August 15. Matt will be joined by chefs Deuki Hong and Suzanne Goin for a really fun collaboration dinner. Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. MORE FROM OLIVE ODYSSEY:Olive Odyssey [official]Foragers [official]High-Minded Edibles for the Farm-to-Table Era  [TASTE]

The title of this episode is “the last original food blogger,” and this is no exaggeration. Titus Ruscitti has been writing his influential blog Chi BBQ King for more than a decade, publishing dispatches from the Chicago food scene on the no-frills Blogspot platform. It’s a throwback publication, tipping to Chowhound and the original Serious Eats, and it’s so fun catching up with Titus about all the exciting restaurants he’s visited around the Midwest. We talk about Chicago beef, tavern pizza, tacos, barbecue, The Bear (naturally), and his intense interest in Midwestern foodways that has had him visiting Wisconsin, Indiana, and West Michigan regularly. This is a great conversation about one of the world’s greatest food cities, and I hope you enjoy it.   Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. MORE FROM TITUS RUSCITTI OF CHI BBQ KING:Empanadas in ChicagoBig Eating in Southwest MichiganIndienne

Singer, songwriter, guitarist, and bandleader Shana Cleveland returns to SHEROES to celebrate the release of the fifth full length album from her longtime band La Luz, called News of the Universe. Carmel Holt and Shana discuss the themes of change on the new album, the first following her cancer diagnosis and treatment, birth of her son, and departure of two of her longtime bandmates.