Grease, PR, and Deep-Fried Dreams with Rebecca Palkovics

Chef Sam Yoo joins the crew for a freewheeling conversation that veers from pancake engineering and Korean fried chicken techniques to the realities of running restaurants post-pandemic. The founder of Golden Diner and Golden HOF breaks down the logistics of high-volume brunch, dry-aged steak precision, and operating a new concept in the same space as his parents’ former restaurant. The team also covers everything from vacuum-fried steaks to risotto starch hacks and late-summer berry dreams.• Diner to Dynasty – Sam walks through launching Golden Diner and converting his parents’ former Midtown restaurant into Golden HOF, a Korean pub and steakhouse hybrid with upstairs-downstairs service models and dual menus designed for post-pandemic dining patterns.• Pancakes and Porterhouse – Sam unpacks the precise workflow behind Golden Diner’s viral honey maple butter pancakes, explains the reasoning behind Korean fried chicken’s glassy crust, and shares how his team cooks a porterhouse steak with separate zone timing to nail both the strip and filet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former Booker and Dax collaborator Rebecca Palkovics returns to the studio for a loose and wide-ranging discussion that covers restaurant PR, vintage ice cream freezers, Sly Stone’s legacy, and fried tortilla technique. With no guest chef in the hot seat, the team slips into classic Cooking Issues chaos, fielding live calls, reminiscing about busted van tours, and detailing the sensory nightmare of hot dog water.• Fryer Survival 101 – Dave and caller Jacob from Des Moines dissect the maintenance, filtering, and storage of commercial deep fryer oil, especially in shared kitchen settings. Plus, a bonus rant on tortilla chip texture and a defense of gas fryers.• From PR Myths to Zoo Tears – Rebecca gives a candid breakdown of when restaurant PR makes sense, why good messaging starts internally, and how misaligned expectations tank ROI. Also covered: orangutan sadness, Flappy’s nachos, and the horror of cryo-fried fish.

Chef Suzanne Cupps of Lola’s NYC joins Dave and the crew for a wide-ranging conversation about her culinary evolution—from a math major with zero kitchen experience to leading her own restaurant in Manhattan. They dig into the reality of building a restaurant, fried chicken technique, and the rigors of fine-dining criticism, all while celebrating Lola’s recent inclusion in the New York Times Top 100.• From Aiken to Anisa – Suzanne shares her journey from boiled peanuts and George Foreman grills in South Carolina to formative years under Anita Lo and Michael Anthony. Her unexpected path to professional cooking included stints in hospitality HR and six years learning every station at Anisa.• Lola’s Layers: Cabbage, Cornbread, and Crispy Chicken – Cupps explains how Lola’s menu balances Asian and Southern influences with seasonal precision. Highlights include grilled Conehead cabbage, a blue cornmeal dessert with whipped buttermilk, and a signature Filipino-style double-fried chicken with fermented Fresno hot honey.

This week on Cooking Issues, Dave welcomes back Matt Sartwell from Kitchen Arts & Letters for a special “Classics in the Field” episode. They dig into historic cookbooks, from Mrs. Marshall’s 1890s ice cream innovations to early 20th-century Russian preservation techniques involving millet, pig bladders, and cellars. Dave recounts recent culinary misadventures—including purging a pantry, misidentifying whiskey as tequila, and investigating black garlic from the early pandemic era—while fielding listener questions about ancient wheat, Spinzall butter math, sturgeon spinal cords, and more. Plus: a deep dive into American barbecue lore, McGee’s nut superiority, and how Star Trek IV changed the whaling conversation forever.Deep Freeze and Dairy Experiments – Dave and Matt explore Fancy Ices by Mrs. Marshall, dissecting her unconventional custards, starch-thickened ice creams, and patented rapid-freezing contraptions from 1890s England.Pantry Purges and Questionable Bottles – The crew shares horror stories and small victories from cleaning out ancient ingredients, including black garlic, forgotten miso, and mystery whiskey in fancy tequila decanters.

This week on Cooking Issues, the crew goes deep on unforgettable meals, kitchen gadgetry, and the enduring legacy of experimental cooking. Dave revisits the lessons of the "molecular gastronomy" era and breaks down his latest cream syrup experiments, while the team debates service etiquette, restaurant value, and the emotional weight of food memories. Plus: anesthetizing crabs, carbonating cocktails without a freezer, and why it might be time to resurrect original soy-based Worcestershire.• Highs and Lows of Dining Culture – Michelin stars, pajama dress codes, and the eternal question of whether anyone actually wants their dish described at the table.• Kitchen Workarounds and Technical Deep Dives – Clove oil protocols for humane shellfish prep, DIY cold plates for carbonation, and what Dave regrets calling “milk washing.”

On this episode of Cooking Issues, Dave and the crew reconnect for a sprawling, high-energy session that ranges from centrifuge butter failures to 24-hour pumpernickel experiments, with diversions into the nightmare of strawberry seeds, giant pretzels, and the strangest tips ever left in bars and restaurants. Along the way: raspberry beret brainworms, peeling strawberry heresy, and why changing your water filter matters more than you think.• Centrifuge Butter Problems and Strawberry Seed Disgust – Quinn’s stalled butter dehydration project leads to a deep dive into centrifugal puréeing, why strawberry seeds ruin everything, and a passionate argument about why peeling strawberries is a crime against food.• Westphalian Pumpernickel and Giant Pretzels – Dave details his attempt at real Westphalian pumpernickel—pure rye, 24 hours of low-temperature steam baking, and 48 hours of aging—plus recommendations for Pennsylvania butter pretzels, massive local potato chips, and surviving blistered hands from slicing bricks of bread.• The Craziest Tips Ever Received – The crew shares the most bizarre tips they’ve encountered, from stacks of $2 bills to fortune cookie fortunes to a memorable crack rock offering—plus a rant about Bible-verse tippers and the fine line between generosity and insult.

On this episode of Cooking Issues, the crew reunites for a wide-ranging, hilariously chaotic discussion that moves from Coachella cuisine to centrifuge-based butter experiments, press duck, and Ricardo Montalbán’s chest. Dave is joined by John, Joe, Quinn, Jack, and Nastassia for musings on celebrity behavior, culinary nomenclature, and obscure French cheeses—all with a healthy dose of sarcasm and science.• Celebrity Chef Ego and Dining Etiquette – The group discusses how fame distorts behavior, including chefs and musicians, and the joy of witnessing celebrities treat restaurant staff with kindness—plus a few namedrops of not-so-gracious guests.• Naming the Centrifuge Butter Creation – Quinn recaps his Instagram poll on what to call the high-fat cream spun in a centrifuge. Ideas like “Heavy G,” “Astro Butter,” and “Roto Butter” are floated—and mostly rejected by Dave, who wants a name that doesn’t mislead consumers into thinking it’s traditional butter.• Paris Food and Shopping Recommendations – The episode wraps with a deep dive into Paris: cheese shops (Barthélemy, La Coop), restaurants (Tour d’Argent’s pressed duck, Chez L’Ami Jean, Le Repaire de Cartouche), and kitchenware store Dehillerin. Plus, Dave warns against raw mussels on Parisian seafood platters—twice burned, forever cautious.• Bonus Tangents – Includes musings on ambergris, legal cheese presses, and why Dave never wants to pluck a bird again. Also: why “Pepe Le Pew” absolutely should be canceled.

Dave and the team go guest-free for a No Tangent Tuesday that turns into a full-on tangent marathon. From musical instruments to experimental butter alternatives and water buffalo burgers, the crew dives deep into cooking experiments, ingredient terminology, and personal kitchen disasters. As always, the show blends humor, curiosity, and a fair share of chaos.• Anti-Butter & the Philosophy of Naming – Quinn shares his centrifuge-based “hyper cream” experiment, prompting a spirited discussion about emulsions, accurate naming conventions in cooking, and whether terminology shapes perception and understanding.• Water Buffalo, Focaccia, and Crotchless Pants – A deep dive into dry-aging local water buffalo, the challenges of focaccia dough structure, and Dave’s bike-seat-induced wardrobe malfunction all spiral into reflections on margarine, genetics, and salt substitutes.• From Tailored Pork Roll to Chef Boyardee – The crew waxes nostalgic about childhood food hacks, underrated meats like Taylor Pork Roll, and the pitfalls of using imperial measurements, pinches, and cups in recipe writing.

Dave welcomes Belgian chef Michaël Vrijmoed of Restaurant Vrijmoed in Ghent for a conversation about seasonal cooking, ingredient precision, and the evolving world of fine dining. Alongside the regular crew, the episode moves from personal diet challenges to deep dives on fries, caviar, and the philosophy of hospitality.• From Brussels Waffles to Michelin Plates – Jean recounts dining at three two-star restaurants, including Vrijmoed, highlighting standout dishes like crayfish mousse with caviar and crispy veal sweetbreads with black truffle. Michaël explains his approach to refined vegetable-focused plates and balanced tasting menus.• Frites, Mayo, and Carbonade – A spirited debate on ideal fry size (10–12mm preferred), oil technique, and the superiority of mayo unfolds. Michaël outlines his two-step method and defends Belgium’s fry traditions, while Dave proposes U.S. carbonade fries and laments America’s sugary sauces.

Dave chats with Nastassia, Quinn and Jack for a classic No Tangent Tuesday. From wisdom teeth and frozen vegetables to guanciale curing and the merits of multiple centrifuges, the crew bounces between home cooking habits and deep technical dives.• Quick Dinners and Frozen Food Quality – Nastassia shares her weeknight meal of pre-seasoned Whole Foods chicken breast, frozen broccoli, and pre-cooked rice. Dave explores the merits of frozen vegetables and the shelf-stable rice market. Peas and corn are praised; frozen Brussels sprouts are dismissed. Dave discusses his chicken saltimbocca technique and the ups and downs of using essential oils in cooking.• DIY Guanciale and Curing Techniques – Quinn details a home-cured guanciale project using sage essential oil. Dave critiques the use of essential oils due to limited flavor diffusion in fat and questions whether the result matches the flavor of fresh herbs. The discussion expands into dry vs. wet styles of guanciale, optimal moisture loss, and terminology (e.g., “unctuous”).• Frozen Fruit and At-Home Pizza – The crew discusses best uses for frozen fruit and Quinn describes a weekend pizza session using a gas-fired Ooni oven and homemade guanciale.• Why Dave Avoids Homemade Cocktails and Pizza – Dave explains why he no longer makes cocktails or pizza at home, preferring to enjoy professional results (e.g., Wiley Dufresne’s pizza spot). He still enjoys home cooking for non-work-related food, like chicken pot pie.• Spinzall Centrifuge Sale – Dave announces a temporary price drop on the Spinzall 2.0 centrifuge due to warehouse clearance. He explains the advantages of multiple small centrifuges versus one large industrial model, citing reliability, flexibility, and clarification performance. He also clarifies the technical differences between various centrifuge types (swinging bucket vs. fixed angle).• Cane vs. Beet Sugar – In response to a listener question, Dave breaks down the minor but real differences between cane and beet sugar, including pH levels, crystallization behavior, and potential impacts on jelling and caramelization. Taste tests suggest differences are detectable when dry but vanish in solution.• Goat Cream and Centrifuge Separation – Dave explores whether a Spinzall can separate cream from goat milk. He notes goat milk has smaller fat globules that make it naturally homogenized and explains how traditional cream separators work using spinning disks. He suggests testing the top fat layer from Spinzall output for reconstitution into cream.• Durum Wheat and Semolina – Mike C writes in about baking with coarsely ground semolina. Dave and Quinn explain distinctions between semolina and fine durum flour (semola rimacinata), touching on hydration needs and flour properties.• Clarification on Nitrogen Use in Cocktails – Dave stresses clear terminology when discussing nitrogen (N₂) versus nitrous oxide (N₂O). He warns against confusion when referring to “nitro” cocktails, noting that nitrogen creates microfoam textures while nitrous is used for rapid infusion.