ChopChop Podcast

Do you like soup? We like eating it, but we love making it even more. In this episode, Stella and Harry imagine their perfect soup recipe. Plus, we hear from listener Kai about his favorite type of soup: Ramen.If you want to see full recipes and more, check out this episode’s companion piece at chopchopfamily.substack.com.Music in this episode includes modified versions of: “Kitchen” by The Marian Circle Drum Brigade, “Kerplunk” by Mr. Smith, and “Cheesy Radio Ballad” by Lisa Hammer.Thank you to Wyatt and Kai for adding your voices to our show.Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift.And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

If you were President, would you ban the foods you don’t like from the White House? This week Harry and Stella speak with Eddie Gehman Kohan. Eddie is a photographer and writer who worked closely with the Obama Administration studying all things food. Plus, we learn about Presidential likes and dislikes, from the founding fathers to modern Presidents.If you want to see full recipes and more, check out this episode’s companion piece at chopchopfamily.substack.com.Music in this episode includes modified versions of: "Kerplunk" by Mr. Smith and “Cheesy Radio Ballad” by Lisa Hammer.Thank you to Lola for adding your voice to our show.Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift.And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and we’re celebrating by imagining an entirely red dinner menu. Then Nidhi joins Stella and Harry to tell us why some foods have a deep red color, and what that means for their nutritional content.If you want to see the full recipes, check out this episode’s companion piece at chopchopfamily.substack.com.Music in this episode includes modified versions of: “Cheesy Radio Ballad” by Lisa Hammer.Thank you to Wyatt for adding your voice to our show.Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift.And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

What would you do if you got snowed in? In this episode, Stella and Harry explore their kitchen pantries to see what kinds of meals they could make. Plus, they share their favorite pantry snacks, and Stella recommends ”The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats.If you want to see the full recipes, check out this episode’s companion piece at chopchopfamily.substack.com.Music in this episode includes modified versions of: “Trapped in the Upside Down” by Jim Hall, “Into Toast Squares” by Mole, and “Cheesy Radio Ballad” by Lisa Hammer.Thank you to Wyatt and Frank for adding your voices to our show.Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift.And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

This week we’re talking Lasagna. Stella and Harry discuss their favorite ways to eat this comfort food and try pulling cheese to see which types are the stretchiest.If you want to see the full recipes, check out this episode’s companion piece at chopchopfamily.substack.com.Music in this episode includes modified versions of: “Kitchen” by The Marian Circle Drum Brigade as well as “Cheesy Radio Ballad” by Lisa Hammer.Thank you to Frank and Lola for adding your voices to our show.Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift.And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

This week we’re talking all about Chili. Chili is a great cold-weather stew that’s very flexible: you can make it more or less spicy, combine meats or leave them out entirely, or switch up the beans. We also discuss how we plan recipes, and play a round of our “Mystery Sound” game. If you want to see the full recipes, check out this episode’s companion piece at chopchopfamily.substack.com.Music in this episode includes modified versions of: “Strange Italian Song” by Juanitos, as well as “Cheesy Radio Ballad” and “Jazzy Inquisitors” by Lisa Hammer.Thank you to Frank for adding your voices to our show.Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift.And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

Happy New Year! It’s the last dinner of 2025, so we’re planning a nice set of recipes. We’ve got Risotto, Roasted Broccoli, and Garlic Bread. Along the way, we learn some kitchen science about Maillard reactions. Finally, we go through a writing exercise where we talk about the best ways to teach a skill to someone else.If you want to see the full recipes, check out this episode’s companion piece at chopchopfamily.substack.com.Music in this episode includes modified versions of: “Cheesy Radio Ballad” by Lisa Hammer and “Kerplunk” by Mr. Smith.Thank you to Lucy, Reuben, Emilia, and Nizhoni for adding your voices to our show.Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift.And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

This episode is all about a bread called Matzo. Also spelled Matza, Matzoh, Matzot, or Matze, it’s often eaten around this time of year in Matzo Ball Soup. Harry and Sally discuss the history of this dish and their favorite ways to prepare it. We also hear from Stella and her sister, Lola, who tried a mindfulness exercise with one of our all-time favorite ingredients: eggs.If you want to see the full recipes for Matzo and Matzo Ball Soup, check out this episode’s companion piece at chopchopfamily.substack.com.Music in this episode includes modified versions of: “Cheesy Radio Ballad” by Lisa Hammer and “Horizons” by Beat Mekanik.Thank you to Lola, Emilia and Audrey for adding your voices to our show.Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift.And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

Happy Thanksgiving from everyone at ChopChop! To celebrate, Harry and Sally chat with Stella and Matt about our holiday traditions, favorite foods, and what we're thankful for this year. We also talk with author Jenny Shea Rawn and her daughter, Lexi, who have  co-written the New England Kids Cookbook, which will come out next Fall. Together we learn about Cranberries and some of their favorite holiday recipes. Music in this episode includes modified versions of: "Cheesy Radio Ballad" by Lisa Hammer and "Kerplunk" by Mr. Smith.Thank you to Hope, Lexi, Alastair, Maddie, and Reuben for adding your voices to our show. Thank you to SI Kids for sponsoring The ChopChop Podcast. Learn more at si.com. Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift. We’ve just launched the ChopChop Substack newsletter, which is for grownups, and hope you’ll join us there. Go to chopchopfamily.substack.com and join the conversation. And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe

This week we finish out our series about pumpkins with the Great Glass Pumpkin patch which takes place at MIT. Every year the students make and sell more than 1800 pumpkins to fund the glass laboratory. Plus, Nidhi is here to tell us about pumpkins and nutrition, and we have a recipe for all those pumpkin seeds you’re bound to have when carving pumpkins. Salt and Pepper Pumpkin SeedsHere are two different ways to make a scrumptious snack: one starts with seeds with the shells on, right out of a fresh pumpkin; the other uses raw green pumpkin seeds without their shells, also called "pepitas" which you can buy at the store.Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 45 minutesMakes 1 cup (4 servings)Ingredients:1 cup raw, unshelled pumpkin seeds3⁄4 teaspoon olive or canola oil1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper or chili powderInstructions:Turn the oven on and set the heat to 325 degrees.Put the pumpkin seeds on the baking sheet in a single layer and add the oil, salt and if you like spicy, the chili powder. Mix everything together.Once the oven temperature has reached 325 degrees, put the sheet in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 30-45 minutes.Use the wooden spoon or spatula to stir them every 10 minutes or so. Set aside to cool. Serve right away or store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.Music in this episode includes modified versions of: "Cheesy Radio Ballad" by Lisa Hammer, "Strange Italian Song" by Juanitos, and an excerpt of "Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Pickett & The Crypt Kickers.Thank you to Frank and Reuben for adding your voices to our show. Thank you to SI Kids for sponsoring The ChopChop Podcast. Learn more at si.com. Want to hear yourself on air? Send a joke, a “did you know,” or anything else you’d like to share! You can find materials for upcoming shows and more information about how to record yourself at this link. Email us your recordings at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and your address. If we use your voice on the show we will send you a special gift. We’ve just launched the ChopChop Substack newsletter, which is for grownups, and hope you’ll join us there. Go to chopchopfamily.substack.com and join the conversation. And if you’re enjoying the show and want even more great food content, follow us @chopchopkids. Get full access to ChopChop Family at chopchopfamily.substack.com/subscribe