Logo for Special Sauce with Ed Levine

Special Sauce with Ed Levine

Ed Levine

Serious Eats' podcast Special Sauce enables food lovers everywhere to eavesdrop on an intimate conversation about food and life between host and Serious Eats founder Ed Levine and his well-known/famous friends and acquaintances both in and out of the food culture.

Serious Eats ©2023

Serious Eats' podcast Special Sauce enables food lovers everywhere to eavesdrop on an intimate conversation about food and life between host and Serious Eats founder Ed Levine and his well-known/famous friends and acquaintances both in and out of the food culture.

Serious Eats ©2023
224hr 6min
Thumbnail for "Ann Kim: A Working Actor's Unusual Path to James Beard Award-winning Chefdom".
The James Beard award winning chef Ann Kim talks to Ed Levine about her unusual path to success.
Thumbnail for "Jim Lahey's No Knead Bread Explained".
Thumbnail for "Kenji's Almost Foolproof Pan Pizza Recipe".
Thumbnail for "An African-American Rice Farmer Who's Reclaiming His Roots".
Thumbnail for "Ozempic for Food Writers with Adam Platt".
Thumbnail for "Kenji Potatoes Reheat".
Thumbnail for "The Pasta Whisperers".
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce Re-heated: Veggie Grilling with Kenji".
Thumbnail for "Everything You'd Want To Know About Pasta".
Thumbnail for "Lior Lev Sercarz: Spice Advice".
Well seasoned tips
Thumbnail for "Kim Severson on Kamala Harris and Presidential cooking".
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce Re-heated: Anajak Thai".
Thai Taco Tuesdays
Thumbnail for "Lior Lev Sercarz, the Spice Whisperer".
Thumbnail for "Tony Gemignani: 13 Time World Pizza Champion".
Thumbnail for "James Ehnes - Seattle CMS: Tasting Notes".
Thumbnail for "Laura Tillman and Lalo Garcia".
Thumbnail for "Antonio De Loera-Brust - California Farm Workers".
Thumbnail for "Kevin Caplicki and Woodthrush Farm".
The Life of a Greenmarket Farmer
Thumbnail for "Kenji's Summertime Grilling Tips".
Thumbnail for "Pete Wells and Scott Weiner on Totonno's Pizzeria".
The iconic, century-old Coney Island Brooklyn pizzeria is up for sale.
Thumbnail for "Jaques Torres on Chocolate Chip Cookies ".
Thumbnail for "Sulieman Mleahat - Anera".
Humanitarian Sulieman Mleahat on the desperate hunger situation in Gaza
Thumbnail for "NYT's Kim Severson on Jose Andres' WCK".
NYT's Kim Severson on Jose Andres' WCK
Thumbnail for "Channing Frye: NBA Champ and Wine Guy, Part 2".
More with former NBA Champion and "wine guy" Channing Frye
Thumbnail for "Channing Frye: NBA Champ and Wine Guy".
An interview with Chosen Family Wines founder and former NBA champion Channing Frye.
Thumbnail for "Anajak: Thai Taco Tuesday & More".
Chef Justin Pichetrungsion the origins of Thai Taco Tuesday
Thumbnail for "Anajak Thai - Justin Pichetrungsi".
Los Angeles Chef Justin Pichetrungsi on choosing his family's restaurant over Disney animation.
Thumbnail for "Phil Rosenthal: Live & Much More".
Phil Rosenthal: Live & Much More
Thumbnail for "Kenji: Teriyaki in Seattle".
Kenji's quest to visit every chicken teriyaki joint in Seattle.
Thumbnail for "Jacques Torres - Hot Chocolate".
Mr. Chocolate, Jacques Torres, on hot chocolate.
Thumbnail for "Kenji and Deb: The Recipe Podcast".
Food authors Deb Perelman and J. Kenji Lopez Alt on their new podcast, The Recipe.
Thumbnail for "Slow Noodles: A Story of Love, Loss, and Resilience".
Chantha Nguon shares her remarkable story.
Thumbnail for "Dorie Greenspan's Cookie Advice".
Dorie Greenspan's Cookie Advice
Thumbnail for "Nancy Silverton: Foolproof Baker's Recipes".
Nancy Silverton: Foolproof Baker's Recipes
Thumbnail for "Dorie Greenspan's Low Key Baking Brilliance".
Baking advice from baking wizard Dorie Greenspan.
Thumbnail for "Burlap and Barrel - Dried Spices".
We continue our deep dive into the world of dried spices with Ethan Frisch and Ori Zohar.
Thumbnail for "Jacques Torres, Mr. Chocolate Redux".
A classic interview with Mr. Chocolate, Jacques Torres.
Thumbnail for "Crystal Wilkinson On Kitchen Ghosts".
Kentucky Poet Laureate
Thumbnail for "Burlap and Barrel: Socially Conscious Spices".
Good guy spice whisperers Ethan Frisch and Ori Zohar of Burlap and Barrel
Thumbnail for "Toni Tipton Martin 2: African American Cocktails and More".
Toni Tipton Martin on African American cocktails and more.
Thumbnail for "Toni Tipton Martin: African-American Cookbooks".
Cook's Country editor in chief, food historian, and writer Toni Tipton Martin on African American Cookbooks.
Thumbnail for "Harlem Seafood Soul's Tami Treadwell Redux, Part 2".
Harlem Seafood Soul's Tami Treadwell Redux, Part 2
Thumbnail for "Harlem Seafood Soul's Tami Treadwell Redux, Part 1".
Harlem Seafood Soul's Tami Treadwell Redux, Part 1
Thumbnail for "George Motz: What Makes A Great Burger".
George Motz: What Makes A Great Burger
Thumbnail for "George Motz: Hamburger America".
George Motz: Hamburger America
Thumbnail for "Fuschia Dunlop on Chinese Cuisine, Part 2".
Fuschia Dunlop on her book ‘Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food’
Thumbnail for "Fuchsia Dunlop on Chinese Cuisine".
Invitation to a Banquet
Thumbnail for "Thanksgiving Leftovers with Kenji and Deb".
Thanksgiving Leftovers with Kenji and Deb
Thumbnail for "Thanksgiving: Kenji and Deb Reduce Your Stress".
Thanksgiving: Kenji and Deb Reduce Your Stress
Thumbnail for "Hetty McKinnon: The Vegetable Whisperer Part 2".
Hetty McKinnon: The Vegetable Whisperer Part 2
Thumbnail for "Hetty McKinnon: The Vegetable Whisperer".
Hetty McKinnon: The Vegetable Whisperer
Thumbnail for "Hunger Pangs Part 2: A Father and Son Connect Through Food".
Hunger Pangs and A Very Chinese Cookbook
Thumbnail for "Hunger Pangs Part 1: A Chinese-American Family Food Saga".
Food writer Kevin Pang and his dad Jeffrey on how they bridged their generation gap through their shared love of cooking.
Thumbnail for "Chrissy Kinsman Part 2: Pie Baking Tips For All of Us".
Chrissy Kinsman is back with pie tips for amateur baking.
Thumbnail for "Chrissy Kinsman: A Life of Pie ".
Chrissy Kinsman: A Life of Pie
Thumbnail for "Dorie Greenspan Redux: Reflections of a Legendary Baker".
legendary baker and cookbook author Dorie Greenspan
Thumbnail for "Ann Kim 2: A Korean-American Chef's Story".
Ann Kim 2: A Korean-American Chef's Story
Thumbnail for "JJ Goode on Hot Dogs Part 2".
JJ Goode on Hot Dogs Part 2
Thumbnail for "JJ Goode on Hot Dogs Part 1".
On this episode of Special Sauce we go deep into dogs, hot dogs that is, with JJ Goode.
Thumbnail for "Grilling Veggies with Kenji".
Grilling Veggies with Kenji
Thumbnail for "Grilling Chicken and Fish with Kenji".
Grilling Chicken and Fish with Kenji
Thumbnail for "Grilling Pizza with Kenji ".
Advice and tips
Thumbnail for "Natasha Pickowicz: Baker & Activist".
This week on Special Sauce we talk to pastry chef extraordinaire Natasha Pickowicz.
Thumbnail for "Hamissi Mamba Part 2".
Part 2 of Ed Levine's conversation with chef Hamissi Mamba.
Thumbnail for "Hamissi Mamba Part 1: From Burundi to Detroit".
Hamissi Mamba discusses his journey to success from his native Burundi to the vibrant food scene in Detroit.
Thumbnail for "Kenji Live at the Bell House Redux Pt 2".
Kenji Lopez-Alt and Ed Levine and cook eggs and tomatoes in a wok onstage at the Bell House in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Thumbnail for "Kenji Live at the Bell House Redux".
Revisiting our first live event with J. Kenji Lopez Alt.
Thumbnail for "Rodney Scott: How to Throw a Kick-Ass July 4th Barbecue".
Barbecue evangelist Rodney Scott gives serious eaters great tips for our July 4th backyard barbecues.
Thumbnail for "Ali Slagle: The Life of a NYT Recipe Developer".
NYT Cooking contributor Ali Slagle about her path to becoming a recipe developer.
Thumbnail for "Rick Easton: Eat Bread, Don't Make It".
A chef who suggests you DON’T try his recipes at home.
Thumbnail for "Rick Easton: How To Eat Bread Pt. 1".
This week's guest on Special Sauce is the extraordinary bread baker, chef and pizzaiolo Rick Easton.
Thumbnail for "High on the Hog's Jessica Harris Redux ".
A conversation with one of our greatest food writers, Jessica Harris.
Thumbnail for "Kenji and Deb on the movie Fresh".
On this episode of Special Sauce we're talking about the film 'Fresh'.
Thumbnail for "Jing Gao Redux".
Founder of Fly by Jing
Thumbnail for "Beverly Kim Part 2: From Cooking to Parenthood to Activism".
Chicago Chef Beverly Kim tells us how how she went beyond serving food to serving her community.
Thumbnail for "Beverly Kim: A Chicago Chef's Delicate Balancing Act".
This week on Special Sauce, the James Beard Award-winning chef Beverly Kim on the difficulties of maintaining a work-life balance in the restaurant business.
Thumbnail for "The Menu: Kenji and the NYT's Glenn Kenny".
food on film
Thumbnail for "Anthony Mangieri & Brian Koppelman Redux".
"Billion" of pizza lovers can't be wrong
Thumbnail for "Kenji on Foolproof Pan Pizza".
Kenji goes deep into his foolproof pan pizza recipe.
Thumbnail for "Kenji on Thin Crust Chicago Pizza".
Kenji on Thin Crust Chicago Pizza
Thumbnail for "Raghavan Iyer: The Healing Power of Comfort Food".
Indian food evangelist Raghavan Iyer's insights on curry history and how living with his cancer diagnosis changed his outlook on food and life.
Thumbnail for "Raghavan Iyer: The Curry Whisperer".
Raghavan Iyer on his personal food journey, from the family table in Mumbai to a publishing lunch at Betty Crocker that changed his life.
Thumbnail for "Kenji on Potatoes".
Kenji shares his secrets to both seriously delicious french fries and perfect roasted potatoes.
Thumbnail for "JJ Goode: America's Best Worst Cook".
JJ Goode is back to explain why he insists he is "America's best worst cook."
Thumbnail for "The Korean Vegan Redux".
A conversation with "The Korean Vegan".
Thumbnail for "JJ Goode Part 1: A Cookbook Writer with No LImits".
Food writer JJ Goode on overcoming physical limitations that might have held him back from success.
Thumbnail for "Christina Tosi Redux".
Milk Bar co-founder Christina Tosi on her extraordinary journey from home baker to pastry chef to entrepreneur
Thumbnail for "'The Bear' Part 2 with Kenji and Helen Rosner".
On this episode of Special Sauce Kenji, The New Yorker's Helen Rosner, and I dig further into the first season of 'The Bear'.
Thumbnail for "The Bear Reflections".
Kenji and The New Yorker's Helen Rosner reflect on the first season of the compelling TV show The Bear.
Thumbnail for "Grace Young Redux With An Update".
Revisiting the extraordinary Grace Young.
Thumbnail for "Kenji on Scrambled Eggs ".
On this episode of Special Sauce we take a deep dive into scrambled eggs with eggspert egg maker J. Kenji Lopez-Alt.
Thumbnail for "Restaurants Now: Critic's Roundtable Part 2".
Pete Wells and Brett Anderson of The New York Times and The New Yorker's Hannah Goldfield on what what they're excited about and worried about for restaurants in 2023.
Thumbnail for "Restaurants Now: Critic's Roundtable Part 1".
The New York Times's Pete Wells and Brett Anderson, and The New Yorker's Hannah Goldfield about what and where they ate in 2022.
Thumbnail for "Eric Kim Redux".
Revisiting a conversation with New York Times' food writer Eric Kim
Thumbnail for "Kenji on the Holidays".
On this episode of Special Sauce I talk holiday food with Kenji.
Thumbnail for "Tami Treadwell Part 2: Her Success is Bittersweet".
Part 2 of our extraordinary conversation with Harlem Seafood Soul's Tami Treadwell.
Thumbnail for "The Harlem Seafood Soul Story".
Food truck Harlem Seafood Soul's Tami Treadwell tells her truly remarkable story in this week's episode.
Thumbnail for "Claire Saffitz Part 2 - Holiday baking".
Claire Saffitz on holiday baking and her new book 'What's For Dessert'.
Thumbnail for "Claire Saffitz Part 1: What's for Dessert?".
The great baker and YouTube star Claire Saffitz on holiday baking
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: 2022 Kenji on T-Day".
We talk turkey and everything else Thanksgiving-related with Kenji
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce Classic: Kenji & Stella's Thanksgiving Advice".
Thanksgiving cooking tips from our podcast archive
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce Reserve: Kenji & Stella on Thanksgiving".
On this classic Thanksgiving themed episode of Special Sauce, listeners emailed us vexing Turkey Day questions.
Thumbnail for "Christine Ha Part 2: Life After Winning MasterChef".
On this episode of Special Sauce serious eaters will hear all about Christine Ha's post MasterChef life.
Thumbnail for "Christine Ha Part 1: A Blind Chef Wins MasterChef? ".
The first part of blind chef-restaurateur and MasterChef winner Christine Ha's incredible story.
Thumbnail for "Kenji on Avocados & the Magic of Mayo ".
Plus a love affair with a mortar and pestle
Thumbnail for "Glenn Roberts on the Freighted History of Rice in America".
Anson Mills founder Glenn Roberts takes us on his wild journey through the preservation of Ancient Grains.
Thumbnail for "Kristina Cho: Sweet & Savory Recipes Inspired By Chinese Bakeries".
Food blogger Kristina Cho details her unlikely career path from architectural designer to two time James Beard Award-winning author.
Thumbnail for "Vish Bhatt: How A Southern Chef Connects to his Indian Roots".
Chef and author Vishwesh Bhatt details his remarkable journey from India to Mississippi.
Thumbnail for "Entrepreneur Jing Gao: Finding Herself Through Food ".
Fly by Jing founder Jing Gao talks about finding herself through the foods her company makes.
Thumbnail for "Chef & Track Star Dawn Burrell: The Leap From the Olympics to Top Chef".
Chef & Track Star Dawn Burrell: The Leap From the Olympics to Top Chef
Thumbnail for "NYT's Eric Kim on his book Korean American:Food That Tastes Like Home".
NYT's Eric Kim on his book 'Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home'
Thumbnail for "Milk Bar's Christina Tosi on the Power of Dessert".
Milk Bar founder Christina Tosi talks about her new book Dessert Can Save the World
Thumbnail for "Pizza Talk w/UPN's Anthony Mangieri & Billions' co-creator Brian Koppelman".
We continue the pizza conversation with pizzaiola Anthony Mangieri and Billions co-creator Brian Koppelman.
Thumbnail for "Provocative Takes on Pizza From Former Microsoft CTO and Current Pizzaiolo Nathan Myrvhold".
Some health problems derailed our Special Sauce production schedule this week, so serious eaters will just have to wait two more weeks before you get to listen to more fresh pizza talk with Una Pizza Napoletana's Anthony Mangieri and Billions...
Thumbnail for "Razza's Dan Richer on the Joy of Pizza".
On this week's Special Sauce Dan Richer, chef and owner of Jersey City's Razza, one of the country's best pizzerias, talks to us about his obsessive Joy of Pizza, which just so happens to be the title of his new book. And because NYT restaurant critic...
Thumbnail for "Devita Davidson, Food Lab Detroit and Ji Hye Kim".
On this week's Special Sauce Detroit food activist and Food Lab Detroit founder Devita Davidson has a lot to say about how government, entrpreneurs, and the private sector can and should work together to form a better food system. Plus...
Thumbnail for "Kenji Live 2: We Cooked And A Wok Q&A".
On Part II of our live Special Sauce, Kenji and I successfully cooked eggs and tomatoes in a wok onstage and I didn't get fired as his sous-chef for inadequately chopping the scallions. We also revived the Ask Kenji feature as he talks about...
Thumbnail for "Kenji Live on the Wok, Family & McCartney".
For our first ever live Special Sauce Kenji and I talked about his new #1 NYT Best-Seller The Wok, how family life has become the center of his existence, and how Sir Paul McCartney gave him an autograph after McCartney's security team tackled him on...
Thumbnail for "Justice Activist Jessica Ramos On the Dignity of Work & Kenji On His Wife's Favorite Soup".
On this week’s episode of , NY State Senator and Food and Labor Activist returns to talk about the next set of problems she's tackling. And tells us about the Colombian soup that is his wife's favorite. 
Thumbnail for "Michelle Zauner on Screenwriting and her Grammy Nominations & Kenji Weighs in on the Kinship Between Food & Music".
On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, Japanese Breakfast's  returns to talk about her two Grammy nominations and writing the script for a  Crying in H Mart feature film. Plus, weighs in on the natural kinship between food and music. 
Thumbnail for "Laurie Woolever Second Helping: On Bourdain & Her New Life".
On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, Ed catches up with writer Laurie Woolever, author of Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography. Like many people during the pandemic she's turned to sourdough bread baking because she's writing a bread...
Thumbnail for "Jessica Harris On the Netflix Adaptation of High on the Hog, Plus Marcus Samuelsson on Jessica's OG Status".
On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, writer and national treasure Jessica Harris talks about what's new in her world, including the wild ride she has been on since the Netflix adaptation of her book High on the Hog became a hit show. Plus, tv...
Thumbnail for "Grace Young On Saving Chinatowns from Extinction During the Pandemic".
On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, cookbook author and now independent Chinese restaurant advocate Grace Young talks about both the pandemic-related dire straits Chinatowns all over America are in, and the terrifying spike in...
Thumbnail for "Simply Julia author Julia Turshen and the Washington Post's Daniela Galarza On the Many Pleasures of Simple Cooking".
On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, Ed talks about the many pleasures, gustatory and otherwise, derived from cooking simply with Simply Julia author and the Washington Post's , who writes and edits the Post's free newsletter.  And...
Thumbnail for "Holiday Memories and More from the Korean Vegan, Rodney Scott, and Others, Plus Some Last Minute Gift Ideas from Ed".
On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, Ed talks about the holidays with Pulitzer Prize winning author ; YouTube and Tik Tok Star The Korean Vegan, AKA ; James Beard Award-winning chef and pitmaster ; and Washington Post Food Editor . And if you're...
Thumbnail for "Former Microsoft CTO Nathan Myrvhold: The Modernist Cuisine Founder's 1000+ Page-long, Myth-Busting Take on Pizza".
On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, Ed talks with former Microsoft CTO and Modernist Cuisine founder about why his new collection Modernist Pizza required 3+ volumes and 1000 plus pages.  Spoiler Alert: New Haven and New York pizza lovers...
Thumbnail for "T-Day Stories From The Korean Vegan, Rodney Scott, Marcia Chatelain, and Joe Yonan".
On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, we hear moving Thanksgiving stories from the Korean Vegan (), pitmaster and chef-owner , Pulitzer Prize winner , and the Washington Post's .   
Thumbnail for "Joanne Lee Molinaro, AKA the Korean Vegan, Her Journey from Litigator to TikTok Superstar To NYT Best-Selling Author".
On this episode of Special Sauce, Ed talks with Joanne Lee Molinaro, AKA The Korean Vegan, about her unlikely journey from corporate litigator, to TikTok and YouTube superstar, and now to NYT best-selling author.   
Thumbnail for "Joshua Weissman: An Unapologetic YouTube Star With 5M Subscribers and A Bestselling Cookbook".
On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, Ed talks with best-selling author (An  Unapologetic Cookbook) Joshua Weissman, a YouTube star with more than 5M subscribers, about life in the social media fast-lane. And the Washington Post's Daniela...
Thumbnail for "Dorie Greenspan: On Getting Fired From Her First Kitchen Job & Her New Book".
On this episode of Special Sauce, Ed talks with Dorie Greenspan about her new book Baking with Dorie and her inauspicious start baking for a living. Plus, the Washington Post's Becky Krystal weighs in on softening butter.  Dorie Greenspan | | |...
Thumbnail for "Laurie Woolever: Life alongside Anthony Bourdain".
Plus WaPo's Emily Heil on plant-based "chicken" nuggets
Thumbnail for "Diversity in Food Media, The Truth About MSG, and Sick Food with the WaPost's Aaron Hutcherson and Kenji".
On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, we talk to the  Washington Post's about diversity and his deep dive into MSG. It's the first segment in Special Sauce's new collaboration with The Washington Post. Plus, , Aaron and Ed all weigh in...
Thumbnail for "Best-selling writer Laura Lippman Talks About Her New Books + Kenji Weighs in on Kids' Eating Habits".
The terrific crime writer Laura Lippman (My Life as a Villainess, Dream Girl) talks about why she's afraid of not being afraid when she writes. Plus Kenji and Laura both weigh in on how they get their kids to eat their vegetables.
Thumbnail for "Food, Music & Memoirs with Japanese Breakfast's Michelle Zauner and Kenji".
On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, we talk about joyful music and an incredibly moving memoir with Michelle Zauner, the leader of the band Japanese Breakfast. She’s the author of the heart-rending . Plus, Kenji weighs in on the...
Thumbnail for "Celebrating Colombia with Author Mariana Velásquez and Kenji Lopez-Alt".
On this week’s Special Sauce, we’re joined by Colombiana author Mariana Velásquez who talks about the incredible cultural and culinary diversity of her beloved native country. Plus, Kenji shares his love of Colombia, gained from his...
Thumbnail for "Katie Quinn and Kenji Lopez-Alt on Fermentation".
On this episode of Special Sauce, we’re joined by the incredible youtuber, podcaster and  author Katie Quinn who says that metaphorically speaking, people ferment just like cheese wine and bread. Plus, Kenji adds his two cents about Katie and...
Thumbnail for "Author Reem Kassis on Palestinian Cooking, Plus Kenji on Making Falafel at Home".
On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, we’re joined by Reem Kassis, the thought provoking author of The Palestinian Table and her new book, The Arabesque Table. Plus, Kenji gives us some helpful tips of making falafel at home, courtesy of the...
Thumbnail for "NY State Senator Jessica Ramos, Plus Kenji on his Wife's Favorite Colombian Dish".
On this week's Special Sauce, we're joined by NY State Senator and Colombian-American Jessica Ramos who talks about her fearless approach to food activism as she fights for both her diverse constituents and the rights of migrant farm workers. ...
Thumbnail for "Susie Essman on Pandemic Cooking and Comedy".
On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, we’re joined by the brilliant and hilarious comedian, actor, writer and producer Susie Essman. Essman explains how her pandemic cooking increased her husbands ardor, plus she gives us a special sneak peak...
Thumbnail for "Chef Nina Compton on Women of Color in Restaurant Kitchens & the dire situation in her native St. Lucia, Kenji on Jerk Chicken".
On this week’s episode of Special Sauce we’re joined by Chef Nina Compton who talks about her experience working in fine dining as a woman of color, how her restaurants have grappled with the pandemic, and the imperiled hospitality industry in her...
Thumbnail for "Nigella Lawson As You've Never Heard Her, Plus Kenji Gives Her Major Props".
On this week's episode of Special Sauce legendary food writer and television cook Nigella Lawson gets real about both her new book "Cook, Eat, Repeat," and the remarkable arc of her life and career. Then Kenji stops in to sing Nigella's praises and...
Thumbnail for "Rodney Scott & Lolis Eric Elie on BBQ And Fathers & Sons, Plus Kenji’s Pork Shoulder".
On this week’s Special Sauce, we’re joined by the great pit master and James Beard Award-winning chef Rodney Scott and his coauthor Lolis Eric Elie talking about their new book "Rodney Scott's World of BBQ." They talk about whole hog BBQ,...
Thumbnail for "Lolis Eric Elie on New Orleans food & diversity in Hollywood, Kenji on Red Beans & Rice".
On this week's episode of Special Sauce, we're joined by TV and food writer Lolis Eric Elie who dishes on diversity -- or the lack thereof -- in Hollywood and tells us about the joys of eating in and out in his native New Orleans....
Thumbnail for "Fast Food: Good and/or Evil with Marcia Chatelain, Adam Chandler & Kenji".
On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, we continue our deep dive into the world of fast food. This time  Franchise Author Marcia Chatelain, Drive-Thru Dreams Author Adam Chandler, and Kenji discuss the unique good vs. evil...
Thumbnail for "Marcia Chatelain, Adam Chandler, Bill Oakley and Kenji Lopez-Alt on Fast Food".
On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, we ponder the highs and the lows of fast food culture with Marcia Chatelain, Georgetown University Professor of history and African American studies and author of Franchise, and Adam Chandler who wrote...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Mashama Bailey & Johno Morisano On the Birth of The Grey".
When the ultra-talented chef Mashama Bailey collaborated with first-time restaurateur John Morisano to open The Grey in an old abandoned Greyhound bus depot in Savannah Georgia, they knew that their partnership was not going to be easy.  On this...
Thumbnail for "Cookbook Author Grace Young on Saving Chinatown & Wok Therapy".
On this week's Special Sauce we talk to Grace Young, renowned Chinese cookbook author, self-described wok therapist, and New York Chinatown advocate  during the Pandemic #SaveChineseRestaurants. Plus, we check in with Kenji about Grace and his...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Jessica Harris, Marcus Samuelsson & Kenji on Fries".
On this week's episode of Special Sauce we celebrate one of the greatest food writers, Jessica Harris, who introduced many of us to the food of the African Diaspora. Jessica talks about her new book Vintage Postcards from the African World, her twelve...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Two Food Writers on Surviving Covid & Kenji Offers a Comfort Soup Recipe".
On this week’s episode, we talked with Washington Post food writer Tim Carman and his wife, spirits writer Carrie Allen, about their scary battle with the Coronavirus and the lasting impact it has had on them. Later in the episode, Kenji stops in to...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: A Restaurateur's Harrowing Yet Hopeful Covid-19 Story".
On this week's Special Sauce, host Ed Levine talks to Brooklyn restaurateur (BK Jani) Sibte Hassan. Hassan contracted the Coronavirus in April, and his long road (including a 12 day stint in the hospital) to recovery and redemption takes him through...
Thumbnail for "Holiday Baking with Kenji Lopez-Alt, Amanda Mack and Adam Ragusea.".
This week, host Ed Levine is joined by the Baltimore-based baker Amanda Mack, who defied the odds when she opened up her family-inspired bakery, Crust By Mack, in the middle of the pandemic. Then, former journalist and podcaster turned Youtube food...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Kenji on His Children's Book, Cookbook, and Gift Giving This Year".
Kenji Lopez-Alt tells all about his new New York Times best seller children's book Every Night is Pizza Night on this week's episode of Special Sauce.  It turns out that for Kenji writing a 48 page picture book for his daughter was in many ways...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Kenji, Jamelle Bouie on Thanksgiving vs. the Pandemic".
Special Sauce, Serious Eats founder Ed Levine's podcast, is back to stay (with new theme music, no less) with a Thanksgiving episode that explores the seemingly antithetical nature of the pandemic and Turkey Day. After all, Thanksgiving is all about...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Kenji on Salting Vegetables; Farmer Maggie Cheney on CSAs and Social Justice".
Much has been written during the pandemic about the increased popularity of community supported agriculture, commonly referred to as CSA. On this week's Special Sauce, we had a far-reaching conversation with Maggie Cheney, one of the owners of , which...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Kenji on Smashed Burgers; Susan Spungen on Sprezzatura [2/2]".
On this week's Special Sauce, Susan Spungen, author of  and other books, regales us with her experiences in Hollywood as a food stylist and culinary consultant for movies like Julie and Julia and Eat, Pray, Love. What's it...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Kenji on Dried Herbs; Dan Barber on the Outlook for Small Farmers".
On this week's Special Sauce we talk to Dan Barber, executive chef and co-owner of , about the huge changes being brought about in the food culture by the Covid-19 pandemic. The startling conclusions he's come to are the result of . The farmers'...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Kenji on Butter; Anne Saxelby and Sheila Flanagan on Being Optimistic [2/2]".
On this week's Special Sauce we're once again talking about selling cheese during the pandemic with cheesemonger Anne Saxelby of and cheesemaker Sheila Flanagan of . Without a hint of self-pity, Anne and Sheila talk about the nimbleness and the...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: “Ask Kenji” Is Back! And Anne Saxelby and Sheila Flanagan on Selling Cheese During the Pandemic [1/2]".
This week on Special Sauce we are returning to the topic of the horrendous toll the pandemic has taken on the food culture. Today, we’re talking cheese. In the first of two far-ranging interviews, I spoke to cheesemaker Sheila Flanagan, co-owner of...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Alexander Smalls on How Food and Music Nurture Hope and Connection [2/2]".
"A jukebox is the musical equivalent of a well-stocked pantry," says Alexander Smalls. Poetic riffs on the relationship between food and music are just par for the course with Smalls, who's both a Grammy and a James Beard Award winner (not to...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: After a Tony, a Grammy, and a Beard, Alexander Smalls on What’s Next [1/2]".
The last Special Sauce I recorded in a studio before the coronavirus pandemic hit was with the multi-talented chef, opera singer, and restaurateur Alexander Smalls. He was just about to publish his new book, . It was March 11th, and after an hour-long...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Cookbook Author Susan Spungen on Craving Togetherness [1/2]".
Special Sauce has obviously changed a lot with the advent of the pandemic. But before we changed the format a couple of months ago to adapt to the times, we'd already recorded a couple of great interviews. One of them was with my old friend, cookbook...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: NYT’s Pete Wells on the Future of Restaurant Criticism [2/2]".
On this week's Special Sauce, New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells, who's been used to eating out six nights a week, tells us about cooking lunch and dinner for his two teenaged sons now that he's home every day. Pete explains that he's really...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: NYT Restaurant Critic Pete Wells on the State of the Industry [1/2]".
What does a restaurant critic do when there are no restaurants to review? The San Francisco Chronicle's Soleil Ho has shifted to primarily covering how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting the restaurant industry in the Bay Area, while also writing...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Why DC-Based Restaurant Owner Ezekiel Vázquez-Ger Is Feeling Optimistic".
According to Ezekiel Vázquez-Ger, my guest on this week's Special Sauce, everything was going swimmingly at his new Washington, DC, restaurant, Seven Reasons. The place was packed almost from the minute it opened its doors in April of 2019. A rave...
Thumbnail for "Small Businesses Need More Help Now, Says Ovenly Co-Founder Agatha Kulaga".
In 2010, Agatha Kulaga and Erin Patinkin founded , which they originally envisioned as a bar-snack business, providing bars with better alternatives to beer nuts and potato chips. Over the course of ten years, Ovenly transformed into a combination...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Will Xi'an Famous Foods Survive the Coronavirus Lockdown?".
As part of our special Special Sauce series on the pandemic's effects on the various constituents of the food community, I reached out to Xi'an Famous Foods co-founder Jason Wang. Jason had told his remarkable story , so I was confident...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Tom Colicchio on How to Save Restaurants".
As we all try to deal with the crisis confronting us, I thought we'd follow up on the Special Sauce episodes that focused on Kenji's stories with other voices from the food and beverage industry. In the coming weeks you're going to hear the stories of...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Kenji on His Food Safety Article".
It's obviously still not business as usual at Serious Eats (or anywhere else in the world, for that matter), so we're going to continue to produce Special Sauce episodes that deal with the coronavirus pandemic. On this week's episode, we once again...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Kenji on Coronavirus and Its Impact on Restaurants".
Editor's note: The Coronavirus story is unfolding at a breakneck pace. That means that something said that was true at the time may no longer be so. On this episode please note that Lola, the Tom...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Claudia Fleming on the Pitfalls of Your Passion [2/2]".
On this week's Special Sauce, I continue my conversation with visionary pastry chef Claudia Fleming. But before we get to Claudia's captivating story, Kenji fields a question from Serious Eater Joan Moore, who wants to know how long the blade on her...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Kenji on Vegetarian Chile Verde, Claudia Fleming on Lego Desserts [1/2]".
There are forgotten giants in the food world, people who have profoundly influenced what we eat, but whose names we barely know. James Beard Award-winning pastry chef Claudia Fleming is one of those people. She is the author, along with Melissa Clark...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Misha Collins on Pasta With Jam Sauce and Random Acts of Kindness [2/2]".
In part two of my conversation with Supernatural star Misha Collins, we dive into his family's eating habits, which eventually lead to , which he wrote with his wife, Vicki. Their children Maison and West had adopted the chicken nuggets-centric diet...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Supernatural Star Misha Collins [1/2]".
One of the things I love about Special Sauce is how often I am surprised and moved by my guests. And this episode, in which I interview Supernatural star Misha Collins, who, with his wife Vicki, just published , is a perfect example. Collins had a...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Maangchi on Being the Korean Julia Child [2/2]".
This week's Special Sauce features part two of my conversation with the online cooking star Maangchi, but first we get to hear from Kenji, who answered a question from Serious Eater Kyle Johnson about whether or not you can freeze the base for his ....
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Kenji on Cooking for His Kid, and Maangchi on Becoming a YouTube Sensation [1/2]".
Maangchi. Maangchi. Maangchi! Need I say more? On this week's Special Sauce I had a chance to sit down with YouTube cooking sensation , who, in addition to being an inspiration to all of us here at Serious Eats, is our associate producer Grace's hero....
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Sean Brock on the Distinction Between Happiness and Success [2/2]".
On this week's far-ranging Special Sauce we cover a lot of territory- and I mean a lot- of territory. We've got Sean Brock on the highs and lows of an extended stay in rehab, and the joys of parenthood; Kenji on being a Juicy Lucy skeptic;...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Chef Sean Brock on the Perils of Working Too Hard [1/2]".
On the first new Special Sauce episode of 2020, we go deep and wide on a whole range of topics. First the insanely talented chef Sean Brock, whose new book, , has just been published, takes us on part of his extraordinary journey as a chef. Brock...
Thumbnail for "Ask Special Sauce: Kenji and Stella Answer Your Holiday Questions".
This year, my wife and I managed to get through Thanksgiving without any major mishaps or blow-ups. That domestic and culinary tranquility was thanks (at least in part) to the answers Kenji and Stella gave on our special episode of “Ask Special...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Kenji on Eggs, Plus Wisdom From Two Master Bakers [2/2]".
In part two of my conversation with the extraordinary bakers Amy Scherber of Amy's Bread and Melissa Weller of High Street on Hudson, we take a deep dive into what makes a proper (and I would say perfect) bagel, keeping wholesale bread fresh and...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Kenji on Pizza Dough; Amy Scherber and Melissa Weller on the Business of Baking [1/2]".
This week's Special Sauce episode unintentionally turned into a carb fest. Although I knew I was having on a couple of the finest bakers in the land- Amy Scherber, the founder of , and Melissa Weller, a baker and partner at - I had not anticipated...
Thumbnail for "Ask Special Sauce: Kenji and Stella Answer Your Thanksgiving FAQs".
I don't know about the rest of you Thanksgiving hosts out there, but my wife and I tend to become increasingly stressed as the holiday approaches each year. On more than one occasion, I've reached out to Kenji and Stella to help relieve my...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Kenji on Competitive Cooking; Ivan Orkin and Chris Ying on Being Gaijin [2/2]".
On this week's Special Sauce, we take a deep dive into , the new cookbook from Ivan Orkin and Chris Ying. We pick up where we left off in last week's conversation, and Chris and Ivan talk about how this new project came about. They said that while...
Thumbnail for "Special Sauce: Ivan Orkin and Chris Ying on The Gaijin Cookbook [1/2]".
Sometimes, my Special Sauce interviews are the best way to catch up with old friends and colleagues. I was reminded of that when Chris Ying and Ivan Orkin, co-authors of , walked into the studio. The first thing you have to know about Ivan and...