Ken Albala

Ken Albala, a food historian and author, dives deep into the fascinating world of offal and nose-to-tail eating. He explains its historical significance and surprising uses, like Lancashire calamari and Mrs. Beeton’s tripe cures. Ken shares stories of extreme culinary experiments, including cooking moose nose jelly. The conversation touches on the cultural distancing from meat, the tragic waste of animal parts, and the legal ban on haggis in the U.S. Finally, Ken offers insights on how to start cooking offal, recommending heart as a tasty entry point.

Casey Highsmith, food writer and historian exploring cake histories, and Ken Albala, culinary historian and professor, dive into what counts as a pancake. They compare batter versus dough, global flatbreads like dosa and injera, leavening and texture differences, Pancake Day traditions, and the fraught history behind a famous syrup brand.