The Russ and Daughters Story

On this reheated episode of Special Sauce, former Serious Eats editor and writer Sho Spaeth talks to us about his book, Homemade Ramen, a 2026 James Beard Foundation Book Award nominee. Sho is the Lead Editor and Writer at ChefSteps, and the most passionate and knowledgeable ramen geek I know. He truly believes in the power of ramen!  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Are Yemeni coffee shops the next big thing? On this reheated episode from 2025 serious eaters will meet Mokhtar Alkhanshali who has braved gunfire and jail and AK-47s as he tries to bring single origin Port of Mokha Yemeni coffee to the world. His story is the stuff of movies! Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

This week on Special Sauce Dr. Dana Small, a professor at McGill University and one of the leading experts on the neuroscience of food decisions, and longtime friend of the podcast Pete Wells of The New York Times join us to explain how the pleasure and enjoyment of food can be the most important element in helping us stick to a healthier diet. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

How does a family business survive more than a century of selling smoked fish, bagels, and candy? Russ and Daughters' Niki Russ Federman explains all.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

If there is a smarter or better TV critic than The New York Times's James Poniewozik I have yet to come across him or her. So when I was dying to talk to someone about The Bear's moving final season I rang up James and he graciously agreed to come on Special Sauce to talk about it. We had a blast talking about Carmy and Sydney and all the other finely etched characters on the show.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Here at Special Sauce we love pie in all its forms: we love shepherd's pie, apple pie, key lime pie, lemon meringue pie, and our absolute favorite, peach pie. And given that we're coming up on America's 250th birthday and Americans love pie we thought we'd reheat one of our favorite pie episodes to get in the spirit of things. Stacey Mei Yan Fong catalogued her love of pie when she published 50 Pies, 50 States: An Immigrant's Love Letter. Even if you don't love pie her story is well worth listening to.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

This week on Special Sauce serious eaters get to eavesdrop on part 2 of my hilarious and informative conversation with burger mavens Kenji and Hamburger America's George Motz. Nobody knows more about cooking and eating burgers than these two burger mavens.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

As one of the millions of long-suffering Knicks fans I am still basking in the afterglow of the team's historical and magical run. I decided I had to devote another episode of Special Sauce to the team's amazing playoff run to the NBA championship. And who better to join me on mic than the The New York Times' terrific writer Matt Flegenheimer, who to my way of thinking has become the poet laureate of Knicks fandom. He explains that he too can't believe what we have all just witnessed.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

With grilling season underway I felt the time was right to talk burgers with Kenji and Hamburger America's George Motz. We talk burger history, burger cooking methods, and all things burger.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

As one of the millions of long-suffering New York Knicks fans, I decided I had to devote an episode of Special Sauce to the the team's amazing playoff run. Joining me on the pod is the The New York Times's Matt Flegenheimer, who wrote a great piece about NYC coming together to celebrate this magical run the team is on so far, and food writer Chris Crowley, a former Serious Eater who is now one of the founding editors of the new food newsletter Caper.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices