Special Sauce with Ed Levine

Anajak: Thai Taco Tuesday & More

26 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're back with more wit and wisdom from Justin Pichetrungsi, the chef-owner of the award-winning Anajak Thai in Sherman Oaks, California. We'll hear ...

Anajak Thai - Justin Pichetrungsi

19 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce we hang out with Justin Pichetrungsi, the James Beard Award-winning chef-owner of the justifiably heralded Anajak Thai in L...

Phil Rosenthal: Live & Much More

12 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce I talk to my old friend Phil Rosenthal about the new season of Somebody Feed Phil, his national tour, and Just Try It, the ...

Kenji: Teriyaki in Seattle

05 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce we talk teriyaki with Kenji, who is on a quest to visit every chicken teriyaki joint in Seattle. Learn about your ad choic...

Jacques Torres - Hot Chocolate

29 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce we talk hot chocolate with Mr. Chocolate himself, Jacques Torres. Jacques makes my favorite hot chocolate mix. Learn about...

Kenji and Deb: The Recipe Podcast

22 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce we get the backstory of Deb Perelman and J. Kenji Lopez Alt's brand new podcast The Recipe. Learn about your ad choices: d...

Slow Noodles: A Story of Love, Loss, and Resilience

15 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce we hear the remarkable story of Chantha Nguon, a Cambodian woman who suffers unbearable losses and unspeakable tragedies su...

Dorie Greenspan's Cookie Advice

08 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce Dorie Greenspan zooms in from Paris with lots of helpful cookie baking advice. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.o...

Nancy Silverton: Foolproof Baker's Recipes

01 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce, James Beard Award-winning chef and baker Nancy Silverton talks about her new book ‘The Cookie that Changed My Life’. A...

Dorie Greenspan's Low Key Baking Brilliance

24 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce we get some brilliant, common sense home baking advice from home baking wizard Dorie Greenspan. Learn about your ad choice...

Burlap and Barrel - Dried Spices

16 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special we continue our deep dive into the world of dried spices with Ethan Frisch and Ori Zohar, founders of Burlap & Barrel. And we...

Jacques Torres, Mr. Chocolate Redux

09 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For Valentine's Day I dug up this classic interview with Mr. Chocolate, Jacques Torres. He gives us a succinct master class in making bean to bar choc...

Crystal Wilkinson On Kitchen Ghosts

02 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce I talk with former Kentucky Poet Laureate Crystal Wilkinson, author of the culinary memoir, Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghos...

Burlap and Barrel: Socially Conscious Spices

26 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce we talk to the good guy spice whisperers Ethan Frisch and Ori Zohar, who are the founders of the socially conscious spice c...

Toni Tipton Martin 2: African American Cocktails and More

19 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce we delve deeper into Toni Tipton Martin's seminal research into African-American cooking and cocktails. Learn about your a...

Toni Tipton Martin: African-American Cookbooks

12 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce we talk African American Cookbooks with Cook's Country editor in chief, food historian, and writer Toni Tipton Martin. Lea...

Harlem Seafood Soul's Tami Treadwell Redux, Part 2

05 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce we hear part 2 of one of our favorite interviews of 2022 with the inimitable Tami Treadwell, the charismatic founder of Har...

Harlem Seafood Soul's Tami Treadwell Redux, Part 1

29 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce we're repeating the first of two great interviews with Harlem Seafood Soul's Tami Treadwell. Learn about your ad choices: ...

George Motz: What Makes A Great Burger

22 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce we hear more about what makes a great burger with Hamburger America's George Motz Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.pr...

George Motz: Hamburger America

15 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ths week on Special Sauce I catch up with my old running partner George Motz, America's first bona fide burger scholar. George has just opened his ver...

Fuschia Dunlop on Chinese Cuisine, Part 2

08 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce we go really deep into Fuschia Dunlop's latest book, ‘Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food’. It just got ...

Fuchsia Dunlop on Chinese Cuisine

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce, we’ll hear about Fuchsia Dunlop’s journey from her first Chinese cooking classes to the researching and writing of her...

Thanksgiving Leftovers with Kenji and Deb

24 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce Kenji Lopez Alt and Smitten Kitchen's Deb Perelman come to our rescue with some helpful hints about what to do with T...

Thanksgiving: Kenji and Deb Reduce Your Stress

17 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce Kenji and Smitten Kitchen's Deb Perelman give us some tips on how to cook up a Thanksgiving feast in a small space wi...

Hetty McKinnon: The Vegetable Whisperer Part 2

10 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce we hear more about the joy of vegetables and the importance of family with “Tenderheart” author Hetty McKinnon. Learn ...

Hetty McKinnon: The Vegetable Whisperer

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's Special Sauce I talk to food writer Hetty Liu McKinnon.With her five vegetarian cookbooks, her popular Substack newsletter, and her ing...

Hunger Pangs Part 2: A Father and Son Connect Through Food

27 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, we got an inside look at the father son relationship at the heart of the YouTube series, Hunger Pangs. This time we pick up our conversatio...

Hunger Pangs Part 1: A Chinese-American Family Food Saga

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce I talk to food writer Kevin Pang and his dad Jeffrey about how they bridged their substantial generation gap through ...

Chrissy Kinsman Part 2: Pie Baking Tips For All of Us

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce the great "pie-stress" Chrissy Kinsman is back with pie tips for amateur baking. Learn about your ad choices: doveta...

Chrissy Kinsman: A Life of Pie

06 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce the great pie baker Chrissy Kinsman of Pie Chicks on Martha's Vineyard tells us about the trials and tribulations of ...

Dorie Greenspan Redux: Reflections of a Legendary Baker

29 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce we revisit my nifty 2016 conversation with the legendary baker and cookbook author Dorie Greenspan, which became one ...

Ann Kim 2: A Korean-American Chef's Story

22 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce Ann Kim talks about the evolution of her relationship with her Korean parents. You won't believe what happened when A...

Ann Kim: A Working Actor's Unusual Path to James Beard Award-winning Chefdom

15 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce I talk to the James Beard award winning chef Ann Kim. Ann opened her first restaurant, Pizzeria Lola, in Minneapolis ...

JJ Goode on Hot Dogs Part 2

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special we dig still deeper into America's regional hot dog styles with food writer JJ Goode, who just wrote an entertaining and in...

JJ Goode on Hot Dogs Part 1

01 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce we go deep into dogs, hot dogs that is, with JJ Goode, who wrote a guide to regional hot dogs styles for the NY Times...

Grilling Veggies with Kenji

25 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce Kenji is back with some tips for grilling vegetables. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Grilling Chicken and Fish with Kenji

18 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce Kenji is back with some surefire (pun intended) tips for grilling chicken and fish. Learn about your ad choices: dov...

Grilling Pizza with Kenji

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce, we talk about the joys of grilling pizza with Kenji. J. Kenji Lopez Alt is a New York Times cooking columnist and t...

Natasha Pickowicz: Baker & Activist

04 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce we talk to pastry chef extraordinaire Natasha Pickowicz. Natasha is as the title of her new book More Than Cake implies, mu...

Hamissi Mamba Part 2

28 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce Part 2 of my conversation with chef Hamissi Mamba, who runs the amazing East African spot Baobab Fare in Detroit with his w...

Hamissi Mamba Part 1: From Burundi to Detroit

21 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week I'm talking with Hamissi Mamba about the long road to success from his native Burundi to the vibrant food scene in Detroit. Learn about you...

Kenji Live at the Bell House Redux Pt 2

14 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On the second Special Sauce episode Kenji and I did live from the Bell House in Brooklyn, NY last March we talked about his latest book ‘The Wok’,...

Kenji Live at the Bell House Redux

07 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Last March we did our first ever live to tape episode of Special Sauce with our great friend J. Kenji Lopez Alt. It was taped before a wildly apprecia...

Rodney Scott: How to Throw a Kick-Ass July 4th Barbecue

30 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce pitmaster, chef, and whole hog barbecue evangelist Rodney Scott gives serious eaters great tips for our July 4th backyard b...

Ali Slagle: The Life of a NYT Recipe Developer

23 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce I talk to NYT Cooking contributor Ali Slagle about her path to becoming a recipe developer. Slagle just published her first...

Rick Easton: Eat Bread, Don't Make It

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce, we have a chef who suggests you DON’T try his recipes at home.It’s part 2 of my conversation with Rick Easton, owner o...

Rick Easton: How To Eat Bread Pt. 1

09 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week's guest on Special Sauce is the extraordinary bread baker, chef and pizzaiolo Rick Easton, who owns the terrific weekends- only Bread and Sa...

High on the Hog's Jessica Harris Redux

02 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce, we’ll revisit my conversation with one of our greatest food writers, Jessica Harris, who introduced many of us to the fo...

Kenji and Deb on the movie Fresh

26 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce we're talking about the film ‘Fresh’, which Amy Nicholson in the New York Times described as a wickedly funny can...

Jing Gao Redux

19 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode we revisit our conversation with Fly by Jing founder Jing Gao. Jing has not been idle since we spoke to her last August. She's getting...

Beverly Kim Part 2: From Cooking to Parenthood to Activism

12 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce James Beard Award Winning Chicago Chef Beverly Kim tells us how how she went beyond serving food to serving her commu...

Beverly Kim: A Chicago Chef's Delicate Balancing Act

05 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce Ed Levine talks about the difficulties of work-life balance in the restaurant biz and much more with the James Beard Award-...

The Menu: Kenji and the NYT's Glenn Kenny

28 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce, Kenji and film critic Glenn Kenny dig into The Menu, the satirical horror comedy film set in an exclusive restaurant on a ...

Anthony Mangieri & Brian Koppelman Redux

21 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce, we're revisiting a great 2022 episode about pizza featuring the great pizzaiolo Anthony Mangieri and his friend and fellow...

Kenji on Foolproof Pan Pizza

14 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce Kenji goes deep into his foolproof pan pizza recipe, which is one of Serious Eats' most popular posts of all time. Learn a...

Kenji on Thin Crust Chicago Pizza

07 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kenji created quite a stir recently with his column on Chicago Thin Crust Pizza in the New York Times. We're gonna talk about that column and many oth...

Raghavan Iyer: The Healing Power of Comfort Food

31 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

*It is with much sadness that we acknowledge the passing of this week's guest on Special Sauce, Raghavan Iyer. Raghavan died just after we posted the ...

Raghavan Iyer: The Curry Whisperer

24 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Raghavan Iyer has written 6 influential cookbooks on Indian food, including the all-time classic 660 Curries. On this episode of Special Sauce we’re...

Kenji on Potatoes

17 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce Kenji waxes (pun intended) poetic on the secrets to both seriously delicious french fries that taste just like McDonald's w...

JJ Goode: America's Best Worst Cook

10 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce hilarious cookbook author JJ Goode is back to go into detail about why he insists he's "America's best worst cook." JJ expl...

The Korean Vegan Redux

03 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce, we're revisiting my conversation with Joanne Lee Molinaro, AKA The Korean Vegan. When we last spoke Joanne had already gon...

JJ Goode Part 1: A Cookbook Writer with No LImits

24 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce we talk chef cookbook collaborations with the extraordinary James Beard Award-winning food writer JJ Goode. JJ has co...

Christina Tosi Redux

17 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When I interviewed Milk Bar co-founder Christina Tosi last summer we talked about her extraordinary journey from home baker to pastry chef to entrepre...

'The Bear' Part 2 with Kenji and Helen Rosner

10 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce Kenji, The New Yorker's Helen Rosner, and I dig further into the first season of ‘The Bear’ and also muse about w...

The Bear Reflections

03 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kenji and The New Yorker's Helen Rosner reflect on the first season of the compelling TV show The Bear, now streaming on Hulu. J. Kenji Lopez Alt is o...

Grace Young Redux With An Update

27 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week I decided to revisit my interview with the extraordinary Grace Young, Why? Well, for starters Grace, cookbook author, cultural anthropologis...

Kenji on Scrambled Eggs

20 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce we take a deep dive into scrambled eggs with eggspert egg maker J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. He tells us about his latest eggp...

Restaurants Now: Critic's Roundtable Part 2

13 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce The New York Times’s Pete Wells and Brett Anderson, and The New Yorker's Hannah Goldfield all weigh in on what seri...

Restaurants Now: Critic's Roundtable Part 1

06 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce I talk to The New York Times's Pete Wells and Brett Anderson, and the New Yorker's Hannah Goldfield about what and wh...

Eric Kim Redux

30 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 2022 I got a chance to chew the fat with so many interesting people on Special Sauce. I couldn't possibly pick a favorite episode to leave you with...

Kenji on the Holidays

23 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce I talk holiday food with Kenji. In Kenji's case we get to hear about holiday traditions in his Colombia-born wife's f...

Tami Treadwell Part 2: Her Success is Bittersweet

16 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On part 2 of our extraordinary conversation with Harlem Seafood Soul's Tami Treadwell you will hear that Tami's success is bittersweet. Why? Because s...

The Harlem Seafood Soul Story

09 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Food truck Harlem Seafood Soul's Tami Treadwell tells her truly remarkable story in this week's episode. I first heard part of her story on the N.Y. e...

Claire Saffitz Part 2 - Holiday baking

02 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Special Sauce it's Claire Saffitz part two. She gives us her take on holiday baking. Cookies will be discussed, of course. Purple Black a...

Claire Saffitz Part 1: What's for Dessert?

24 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With the holiday season upon us I thought it would be great to talk to the great baker and YouTube star Claire Saffitz, whose new book is called What'...

Special Sauce: 2022 Kenji on T-Day

18 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This time on Special Sauce we talk turkey and everything else Thanksgiving-related with Kenji just in time for the holiday this year. He adds a little...

Special Sauce Classic: Kenji & Stella's Thanksgiving Advice

11 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This time on Special Sauce, another helping of Thanksgiving cooking tips from our podcast archive. This was a special call-in episode with Kenji and S...

Special Sauce Reserve: Kenji & Stella on Thanksgiving

04 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce I’ve gone into the podcast vaults to fetch you this classic Thanksgiving themed episode of Special Sauce. Listener...

Christine Ha Part 2: Life After Winning MasterChef

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce serious eaters will hear all about Christine Ha's post MasterChef life. That life includes owning or co-owning two re...

Christine Ha Part 1: A Blind Chef Wins MasterChef?

14 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce serious eaters will hear the first part of blind chef-restaurateur Christine Ha's incredible story. She wins Gordon R...

Kenji on Avocados & the Magic of Mayo

30 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce we check in with Kenji, who tells us about the magic of mayo as a marinade. He also talks about all things guacamole ...

Glenn Roberts on the Freighted History of Rice in America

16 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce Anson Mills founder Glenn Roberts takes us on his wild journey through the preservation of Ancient Grains that starte...

Kristina Cho: Sweet & Savory Recipes Inspired By Chinese Bakeries

02 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce food blogger Kristina Cho (Eat Cho Food) details her unlikely career path from architectural designer to two time Jam...

Vish Bhatt: How A Southern Chef Connects to his Indian Roots

19 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce Vishwesh Bhatt, James Beard Award-winning chef and author of ‘I Am From Here: Recipes and Stories from a Southern C...

Entrepreneur Jing Gao: Finding Herself Through Food

05 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce Fly by Jing founder Jing Gao talks about finding herself through the foods her company makes, things like chili crisp...

Chef & Track Star Dawn Burrell: The Leap From the Olympics to Top Chef

26 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce chef (Late August in Houston) and former world champion track star Dawn Burrell talks about her greatest leap of all,...

NYT's Eric Kim on his book Korean American:Food That Tastes Like Home

08 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce the NYT's Eric Kim talks about his new book ‘Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home’. Besides being a terrif...

Milk Bar's Christina Tosi on the Power of Dessert

24 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce Milk Bar founder Christina Tosi talks about her new book Dessert Can Save the World, which really is her guiding phil...

Pizza Talk w/UPN's Anthony Mangieri & Billions' co-creator Brian Koppelman

10 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Special Sauce we continue the pizza conversation with Una Pizza Napoletana founder and pizzaiola Anthony Mangieri and Billions co-c...

Provocative Takes on Pizza From Former Microsoft CTO and Current Pizzaiolo Nathan Myrvhold

27 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Razza's Dan Richer on the Joy of Pizza

13 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 J...

Devita Davidson, Food Lab Detroit and Ji Hye Kim

29 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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, a...

Kenji Live 2: We Cooked And A Wok Q&A

15 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 i...

Kenji Live on the Wok, Family & McCartney

01 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 existe...

Justice Activist Jessica Ramos On the Dignity of Work & Kenji On His Wife's Favorite Soup

18 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, NY State Senator and Food and Labor Activist Jessica Ramos returns to talk about the next set of problems ...

Michelle Zauner on Screenwriting and her Grammy Nominations & Kenji Weighs in on the Kinship Between Food & Music

04 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, Japanese Breakfast's Michelle Zauner returns to talk about her two Grammy nominations and writing the scri...

Laurie Woolever Second Helping: On Bourdain & Her New Life

18 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, Ed catches up with writer Laurie Woolever, author of Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography. Like many pe...

Jessica Harris On the Netflix Adaptation of High on the Hog, Plus Marcus Samuelsson on Jessica's OG Status

04 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 sh...

Grace Young On Saving Chinatowns from Extinction During the Pandemic

21 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, cookbook author and now independent Chinese restaurant advocate Grace Young talks about both the pandemic-r...

Simply Julia author Julia Turshen and the Washington Post's Daniela Galarza On the Many Pleasures of Simple Cooking

07 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On this week’s episode of Special Sauce, Ed talks about the many pleasures, gustatory and otherwise, derived from cooking simply with Simply Julia a...