This Is TASTE Aliza Abarbanel & Matt Rodbard

Melissa King is a Top Chef icon—but she’s also much more. The champion turned judge is also the host of Tasting Wild, a far-out outdoor cooking show, and she still finds time to be in the kitchen with pop-ups. It’s so fun to have her on the show to talk about cooking with her Top Chef crew, plus career-defining gigs like appearing on Sesame Street and cooking for the Met Gala.

Also on the show Matt has a live interview with British author and TikTok chef Julius Roberts. He’s releasing his debut cookbook, The Farm Table, in February and we were lucky to get a preview at a recent live conversation in New York City. Julius will be back in our studio next year, so let this serve as just the beginning of our interest in this extremely talented and cool star in food. 

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MORE FROM MELISSA KING AND JULIUS ROBERTS:Hong Kong Milk Tea Tiramisu [Food & Wine]Tasting Wild [YouTube]Leek, Potato and Chorizo Stew [TikTok]A Lunch With: Julius Roberts [Inigo]

We’re big fans of Marissa Mullen and super excited to have her back in the studio to talk about the keys to winning the holiday entertaining game (mostly through cheese), and also reveal some details about an exciting trip to France we are planning for next summer. Our latest TASTE Travels has Marissa joining TASTE editor Matt Rodbard for a week of cheese, wine, and castles in Normandy. Limited spots are filling up quickly. Marissa is the author of two books revolving around modern entertaining and the art of the cheese plate. Her latest, That Cheese Plate Wants to Party, is a sharp and highly enjoyable guide to buying cheese for all sorts of occasions, including a solo evening at home. We hope you enjoy this talk.

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MORE FROM MARISSA MULLEN:TASTE Travels France: Exploring Camembert, Calvados, and The French Countryside [TASTE]That Cheese Plate Turns 10! [Ticket link]How to Cut Every Type of Cheese [Salon]Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Cheddar [F52]

Shelly Fireman is the owner of several New York City restaurants of acclaim and heritage, including Redeye Grill, Bond 45, and Cafe Fiorello. He’s also a very accomplished sculptor with a studio in Tuscany. On this truly amazing episode, we hear some great stories from an industry legend, like about opening the first stand-alone bagel shop in New York in the early 1960s, the Hip Bagel, as well as many more from over 50 years in the business. Get to know Shelly Fireman in this great episode.

Also on the show we have a fun interview with Lorenzo Espada, a 25 year old self-taught chef who has blown up on TikTok and has a cool debut cookbook, Somethin' Outta Nothin': 100 Creative Comfort Food Recipes for Everyone.

MORE FROM SHELLY FIREMAN AND LORENZO ESPADA:Why Shelly Fireman Is the King of Pre Theater Dining [Town and Country]The Hip Bagel Menu Is AMAZING [Vintage Menu Art]Local Chef Turned His Cooking Into a Viral Sensation [Spectrum]

Bryan Washington is a writer from Houston whose latest novel, Family Meal, is an intimate portrayal of friendship, queerness, and pastries. He also writes about things like Japanese curry bread and queer bars for the New Yorker, and today we’re thrilled to have him on the show to talk about food as a plot device, his favorite okonomiyaki spots in Osaka, and more. 

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MORE FROM BRYAN WASHINGTON:Server [The New Yorker]In Bryan Washington’s ‘Family Meal,’ Food Is a Language [Eater]


Buy: Family Meal

Today on the show we have a really fun conversation with Jon Kung, a Detroit-based chef and TikTok creator we’ve fallen hard for over the past couple years. We wanted to have Jon in the studio to talk a little bit about his cooking videos on YouTube and his life online and off, but mostly we wanted to dig into his terrific new book, Kung Food: Chinese American Recipes from a Third-Culture Kitchen. We hope you enjoy this conversation.

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MORE FROM JON KUNG:Baba Ghanoush: The Perfect Twist for Your Toast [YouTube]Jon Kung, the Self-Taught Chef Who Went Viral [Financial Times]Marriage Proposal Hidden in the Detroit Chef’s Debut Cookbook [Hour Detroit]This Is TASTE 223: Abra Berens [TASTE]

Leah Koenig is the author of six cookbooks, including The Jewish Cookbook and Modern Jewish Cooking. Her latest book, Portico, is one of my favorites of the busy fall and taps into the rich history of Jewish food in Rome. On this episode Leah and I talk about the iconic dishes from Rome's Jewish ghetto, and talk about the years she took reporting this wonderful book. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Also on the show, Matt has a great talk with New York Times reporter Amelia Nierenberg. Amelia has long written compelling pieces that tie together food and current events, and we speak about her journalism career before digging into her latest story: How to Hijack a Quarter of a Million Dollars in Rare Japanese Kit Kats. It’s great catching up with Amelia.

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MORE FROM LEAH KOENIG:This Cookbook Is a Must-Read Love Letter to Roman Jewish Cuisine [Saveur]Stop Being a Snob and Use Onion Powder [TASTE]Beef and White Bean Stew With Cumin [Bon Appetit]Abambar [Epicurious]