Alexis Nikole Nelson: A Foraged Feast ( + 1 Pop Tart!)

More than nine million people have their eyes glued to Alexis Nikole Nelson’s BlackForager videos, to watch her frolic through forests, fields, urban neighborhoods & her own backyard, foraging and cooking plants, flowers and funghi with exuberance, joy, silliness and humor. Her brand-new, debut cookbook Happy Snacking Don’t Die! is out now!  Alexis tells me:  Why there are so few Black foragers in America today & the importance of naming her social accounts BlackForager.  The most magical recipe in her cookbook (actual science magic – she can turn your lemonade hot pink using plants!)   What it was like testing, photographing and writing recipes for a cookbook when your star ingredients are highly seasonal and not available in grocery stores!   And much more!  Then we’ll learn the history of the Pop Tart from junk food journalist, Carolyn Wyman.  Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media!   Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle.    Sign up for Rachel’s (free!) biweekly Cascade PBS newsletter.   Follow along on Instagram.    Order Rachel’s cookbook Open Sesame. 

If there is a new TV show or movie, D'Arcy Carden is probably in it! She stars in the new show The Five-Star Weekend and many others like Barry, The Handmaid’s Tale, A League of Their Own, Broad City and the show that kicked off her career, her first big role, playing Janet on The Good Place. But Rachel has known D’Arcy since college, so they do a little walk down memory lane! D’Arcy shares some behind-the-scenes tidbits on how food props worked on The Good Place and they bond over a shared love for a Bay Area ice cream shop from childhood.  Rachel talks to Alan Finkelstein, who has worked at McDonald’s since 1971, about the history of their famous fries. And, things get real sweet with Lauren Wilson, owner of Sweet Lo's Ice Cream, who gives us the scoop on Rocky Road.  Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media!  Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle.   Sign up for Rachel’s (free!) biweekly Cascade PBS newsletter.  Follow along on Instagram.   Order Rachel’s cookbook Open Sesame.   

This week on "The Leftovers," never-before-heard audio from bestselling, award-winning humor writer David Sedaris, to celebrate his new book of essays, "The Land and Its People." David tells me: What snacks he stops for on his daily 10+ mile walks About the incredible, homemade dessert his husband makes for his birthday The type of person he loves to share a meal with Where to find the best doughnut in New York City Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal with David Sedaris here. Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media!    Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle.  Sign up for Rachel’s (free!) biweekly Cascade PBS newsletter for more food musings.  Follow along on Instagram.  Order Rachel’s cookbook Open Sesame. 

Bestselling author David Sedaris has been writing our favorite funny books for more than 30 years, and his newest book of essays is called "The Land and Its People."  David tells me: Why he never orders room service, even though he stays at hotels all the time How his childhood dinner table helped him become a better storyteller  How many boxes of Jello he eats every day (!!) His husband can recreate any meal, even one of David's favorite childhood dishes, despite never having tried it himself!  And more! Then I chat with Sarah Masoni at the Food Innovation Center in Portland, Oregon, who The New York Times has called "The Million Dollar Palate." Sarah can pick out every single ingredient in a dish she tastes, and uses her skills to help some of the country's most popular brands formulate tasty products.  Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media! Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle. Sign up for Rachel’s (free!) biweekly Cascade PBS newsletter. Follow along on Instagram. Order Rachel’s cookbook Open Sesame. 

This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from 4x Grammy-nominated artist Grace Potter!Grace talks about: Her disdain for wet foods and her high tolerance for dry ones! Her favorite diner foods, as a touring musician who stops at a lot of them! What she prefers to eat instead of sweets! Her deep love for Gilligan's Island! And more! Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal with Grace Potter here. Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media!    Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle.  Sign up for Rachel’s (free!) biweekly Cascade PBS newsletter for more food musings.  Follow along on Instagram.  Order Rachel’s cookbook Open Sesame. 

Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and musician Grace Potter grew up in a tiny Vermont mountain town with hippie artist parents who encouraged her and her siblings to live highly creative lives! Grace tells me about: The most ambitious cooking she's done on a tour bus The food that is currently banned from the tour bus! The meal that turned her chips & dip loving son into a restaurant appreciator at age seven The story behind her childhood kitchen table   Her favorite road trip snack And lots more! Then we meet a British chef who cooks intricate meals in hotel rooms using the tools it comes with: an iron, hair dryer and electric kettle! Grace Potter's new album is called Trespasser.  Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media! Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle. Sign up for Rachel’s (free!) biweekly Cascade PBS newsletter. Follow along on Instagram. Order Rachel’s cookbook Open Sesame. 

This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from award-winning singer-songwriter Lukas Nelson!Lukas talks about: The unusual way he got over his fear of flying. His favorite restaurants in Maui and Austin, Texas -- the two places he splits his time.  Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal with Lukas Nelson here. Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media!    Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle.  Sign up for Rachel’s (free!) biweekly Cascade PBS newsletter for more food musings.  Follow along on Instagram.  Order Rachel’s cookbook Open Sesame. 

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lukas Nelson descends from country music royalty: his dad is Willie Nelson! Lukas' new record is called American Romance.Lukas tells host Rachel Belle about: Growing up on a tour bus, crisscrossing the country with his family. His love for Americana diners, as someone who is on the road touring up to 250 days a year. How he likes his eggs cooked, and how challenging it can be to get them right. Regenerative farming in Austin, Texas and deer hunting on Maui. And so much more! Then Rachel chats with America's most-published diner expert about how the buildings got their iconic architectural style, the oldest remaining diner in America and more.  Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media! Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle. Sign up for Rachel’s (free!) biweekly Cascade PBS newsletter for more food musings. Follow along on Instagram. Order Rachel’s cookbook Open Sesame. 

This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from award-winning singer-songwriter, and Lilith Fair founder, Sarah McLachlan!Sarah talks about: Why she wouldn't put on another, modern day Lilith Fair Her favorite farmer's market Her favorite ice cream flavor, as someone with a hit song called "Ice Cream" And more! Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal with Sarah McLachlan here. Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media!    Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle.  Sign up for Rachel’s (free!) biweekly Cascade PBS newsletter for more food musings.  Follow along on Instagram.  Order Rachel’s cookbook Open Sesame. 

She created Lilith Fair! She's sold more than 40 million albums! She's a 90s music icon, but her new album “Better Broken” just won Adult Contemporary Album of the Year at the JUNO Awards (Canada's version of the Grammy’s)!Sarah McLachlan tells me: About the cookbook she wrote in the 90s, and what recipes she still makes today! The story behind her Writer's Block Oatmeal Raisin Cookies! Which food her daughters say she made way too much when they were kids! How many times a year she eats a Thanksgiving dinner! About the homemade "pig's breakfast" Green Goddess dressing she always keeps in her fridge! Between its healthy green, herbaceous glow and its hippie dippie sounding name, Green Goddess dressing gives off big 1970s health food store vibes. But it was actually invented in 1923 at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco! You'll learn the dressing's star-studded history & the controversy surrounding its name. Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media!    Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle.  Sign up for Rachel’s (free!) biweekly Cascade PBS newsletter for more food musings.  Follow along on Instagram.  Order Rachel’s cookbook Open Sesame.