690: Eating Along the Many Silk Roads with Anna Ansari

Samin Nosrat is a chef, teacher, and author of the bestselling, James Beard Award–winning cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, and the star of the very popular titular documentary series on Netflix. Now, she’s back with a truly excellent new cookbook: Good Things. Today on the show, we go deep on the journey that led her to Good Things, why recipes are like rituals, and the dishes she makes at home on repeat. And, at the top of the show, it’s the return of Three Things, where Aliza and Matt talk about what is exciting them in the world of restaurants, cookbooks, and the food world as a whole. On this episode: Aliza visits Wild Cherry and Matt visits the new Babbo. Also, we hung out with Shy Burgers, Bad Food from Vittles looks great, and we are cooking with Uncles Big Green Curry and Cumin Club. Subscribe to This Is TASTE: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anna Ansari is a former New York international trade and customs attorney and now lives in East London. She's written a fascinating debut cookbook, Silk Roads: A Flavor Odyssey with Recipes from Baku to Beijing. It covers Anna's life growing up in an Iranian American family in Michigan and traveling throughout Asia from a young age on what she describes as the many silk roads. And, at the top of the show, it’s the return of Three Things, where Aliza and Matt talk about what is exciting them in the world of restaurants, cookbooks, and the food world as a whole. On this episode: Matt visits the great Guamanian restaurant Family Friend in Seattle, and makes stops for Korean coffee at Park at Kims and there’s a new pita shop in town at Shifka in New York. Aliza celebrates her birthday at World Spa, Si n'shpi, and dinner at Strange Delight. And we shout out Zola Gregory’s latest column and a recipe for a Nutella pie worth celebrating. Subscribe to This Is TASTE: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom Colicchio is a longtime chef who has operated some of America’s iconic restaurants, including Craft, Gramercy Tavern, and dozens more. He’s also the head judge on the show Top Chef. We welcomed Tom back to the studio to talk about the current restaurant landscape as well as the release of Think Like a Chef, the 25th anniversary edition of his debut cookbook. The book is a classic and so worth reading today. Tom talks about his technique and the mistakes home cooks often make that are easily fixable. And before that, we have a great conversation with Johanna Hellrigl. She is the chef-owner of Ama in Washington, DC. Ama is a special restaurant with exceptional Northern Italian cooking and a mission to further sustainability practices in a living, breathing restaurant. Johanna completes the Resy Questionnaire as part of a memorable conversation. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers – not of Resy—and do not constitute professional advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gabrielle Hamilton is the chef/owner of Prune restaurant in New York’s East Village and is the author of the New York Times best-selling memoir Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef and the cookbook Prune. Her moving new memoir Next of Kin is an unflinching portrait of her dynamic family and its dramatic dissolution through death, betrayal, and time. It is a chef’s memoir with barely any food but plenty of propulsive writing. Today on the show, Gabrielle shares how she wrote this deeply personal book, how Prune is operating as a private restaurant today, and much more. Also on the show, we catch up with Nicola Olivieri, the CEO of Italian bakery Olivieri 1882. The topic is panettone, which is one of our favorite holiday traditions. Nicola runs the bakery with his brother Andrea and has an amazing story about growing their business and making our favorite panettone around. The Wirecutter agrees.    Subscribe to This Is TASTE: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠  For a limited time, visit AuraFrames.com and get $45 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames. https://on.auraframes.com/TASTE. Promo Code TASTE at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the return of Food Writers Talking About Food Writing. Every couple of weeks, Matt invites a journalist to talk about some favorite recent food writing as well as their thoughts on the industry as a whole. In today’s episode, we talk with Maggie Hoffman. Maggie is a cookbook author, editor, and founder of the terrific Substack The Dinner Plan (and podcast). We talk about her days working at Serious Eats and Epicurious, and we dig into some recent food writing that got us talking. Featured on the episode: What Does a 6-Foot-8 Pro Wrestler Eat? The Entire Menu [NYT] I Made Hundreds of Fried Chicken Batches as a Line Cook—Here’'s the #1 Way to Keep It Crispy and Juicy [Serious Eats] Peak Private Label [New Fare Partners] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cha McCoy is an entrepreneur, educator, and sommelier from Harlem. She is the founder of the wine event series the Communion and, later, the brick-and-mortar bottle shop the Communion Wine & Spirits. Now she’s sharing her wine knowledge in her first book: Wine Pairing for the People: The Communion of Wine, Food, and Culture from Africa and Beyond. It’s an invaluable guide to pairing wine with food, anchored by Cha’s own experience traveling in wine regions across the globe, and today on the show, we dig into the process of bringing the book to life. And, at the top of the show, it’s the return of Three Things, where Aliza and Matt talk about what is exciting them in the world of restaurants, cookbooks, and the food world as a whole. On this episode: Matt shares about his recent trip to Korea, including stops at Bium and Superpan in Seoul, a visit to Sokcho and Sokcho Kappo, and discovering a very special cafe, Cafe Gid. And Aliza shares about a visit to Kiko, her thoughts on Korea's Fritz Coffee, and the very cool Apartamento Cookbook #10: APHRODISIACS. Subscribe to This Is TASTE: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show we have a great conversation with Pablo Rivero, CEO of Resy and Tock. Along with running Resy and Tock, Pablo is a passionate supporter of the restaurant industry and a prolific diner. We hear about the recent Resy Retrospective and what the Resy team is spotting across the United States. We also get into Pablo’s personal history with restaurants as well as some of his favorite places to dine around the country.  The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers – not of Resy—and do not constitute professional advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anna Archibald and Kevin Serai are the couple behind Cabagges World, an online platform where they share recipes, travel guides, and more lifestyle inspiration.  Their respective backgrounds in graphic design and marketing helped turn a few viral home cooking videos into a career, and today on the show, we go deep on their backgrounds and perspective on creating cooking content online—plus what’s inspiring them today. Subscribe to This Is TASTE: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dorie Greenspan’s Dorie’s Anytime Cakes marks her 15th cookbook, which is a remarkable achievement in the world of cookbooks. Dorie is a former New York Times columnist and prolific recipe developer, particularly in the world of cookies, cakes, pies, and all things sweet. It was so much fun having Dorie in the studio to talk about her history and to dive into why cake might just be the most special dessert of all. And, at the top of the show, it’s the return of Three Things, where Aliza and Matt talk about what is exciting them in the world of restaurants, cookbooks, and the food world as a whole. On this episode: An early look at Carbone Riviera in Las Vegas, opening today, as well as a visit to Carbone at Aria. Also: Autumn vibes in New York, Samin Nosrat's buttermilk-brined roast chicken is the perfect recipe, Hamnet is worth reading before the movie drops, a great fundraiser for One Love Community Fridge is being held at Honey's on November 16. Get your tickets. Subscribe to This Is TASTE: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jordan Salcito is an award-winning sommelier turned entrepreneur based in Paris. After working as a somm at Eleven Madison Park and overseeing the beverage programs for the Momofuku group, she launched the canned spritz brand Ramona. Now, she’s sharing all her considerable wine wisdom in a new book: Smart Mouth. It’s so special to have Jordan in the studio to talk about her career and her distinct point of view on all things wine.  Also on the show we have a great conversation with Ari Kolender. Ari is a 20-year veteran of some of the top seafood restaurants in America, and opened his first restaurant, Found Oyster, in Los Angeles in 2019. Found Oyster is a Los Angeles sensation. Casual and precise, the cooking hones Ari's deep passion for serving some the finest seafood available, paired with interesting wines and service that is at the same time casual and finely pointed. He also operates Queen's Raw Bar & Grill and joins the show to talk about the Top Five restaurants that inspired his career.  The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers – not of Resy—and do not constitute professional advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices