

This Is TASTE
Aliza Abarbanel & Matt Rodbard
If you're a fan of smart and lively conversations about food, home cooking, and culture, this is the place. We interview the most interesting characters in the world of food, media, and cookbooks and release episodes several times a month. The program is hosted by TASTE editors Aliza Abarbanel and Matt Rodbard, and is sometimes recorded live at Rizzoli Bookstore in New York City. Visit TASTE online: tastecooking.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 26, 2025 • 1h 12min
580: Big James Beard Thoughts and Buttery Baking Trends with Nicole Rucker
We love catching up with Nicole Rucker. She’s a Los Angeles–based chef and owner of the wildly creative pie shops Fat + Flour. She’s also the author of a new cookbook, which covers some of the iconic pies at the shop and so much more. In this episode, we catch up about her favorite Los Angeles restaurants, have a blast debating fruit fillings, and cover all the big decisions a home baker needs to make.Also in the episode, we have a terrific conversation with Shaily Lipa. She’s the author of a really cool new cookbook, Yassou: The Simple, Seasonal Mediterranean Cooking of Greece. We talk about all the foods she ate traveling through Greece while growing up and so much more.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. See more:
This Is TASTE 40: Nicole Rucker [TASTE]
The Founder of Fat + Flour Busts the Biggest Baking Myth [LA Times]
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Apr 25, 2025 • 32min
579: Say Yes to Michigan Produce and Spirits with Eli Sussman
The meme can be funny, biting, poignant, and oftentimes ubiquitous. Eli Sussman, a talented chef and cookbook author, has mastered the art of the culinary meme with his IG account, @TheSussmans. Eli is a proud Michigander, and on this special episode, we talk about the state’s bounty and how Michigan’s sustainably farmed, artisanal spirits brand Thatcher's Organic Artisan Spirits is channeling the state’s produce in its line of liqueurs. We discuss how Eli mixes and cooks with Thatcher’s, and we go over some of his favorite Michigan restaurants.Also on the show is a fun conversation with Matt DeLong. Matt leads Thatcher’s commitment to organic ingredients and sustainable practices as well as its unique portfolio of flavors. We talk about the process of flavor development—and how hibiscus is actually quite versatile in the kitchen.This episode was supported by Thatcher’s Organic Artisan Spirits.
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Apr 23, 2025 • 1h 24min
578: Rick Martinez Is Salsa Daddy
It’s so special having Rick Martinez on the show to talk about his very fun new book, Salsa Daddy. Rick is the author of the best-selling cookbook Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture from My Kitchen in Mexico, and Salsa Daddy is just as delicious. It’s a salsa-first approach to cooking, with more than 70 salsa recipes that anchor 24 meals, from torta de Milanesa to pozole verde de pollo, and I can already tell it’s going to change my cooking for the better. Also on the show, I chat with author Emma Christensen about the joy of brewing boozy drinks at home with help from her great new cookbook: Hard Seltzer, Iced Tea, Kombucha, and CiderDo you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you.
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Apr 21, 2025 • 1h 5min
577: Open-Sesame Minded with Seed + Mill's Rachel Simons
Driven by her passion for food and travel, Rachel Simons traded her corporate law career for an entrepreneurial adventure, cofounding Seed + Mill, New York’s first store devoted entirely to sesame products. Located in the iconic Chelsea Market, the business quickly captured the hearts of locals and tourists alike, evolving into a nationally celebrated brand. Today on the show, we speak with Rachel about her growing business and her terrific new cookbook, Sesame: Global Recipes + Stories of an Ancient Seed.Also on the show, Aliza chats with fashion writer Emilia Petrarca about the rise of the resSTOREaunt, aka restaurants attached to luxury brands in NYC and beyond.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. READ MORE:
Would you eat at a reSTOREant? [Shop Rat]
Give Printemps un Moment [The Cut]
Seed + Mill Halva [official]
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Apr 19, 2025 • 1h 7min
576: TASTE Travels: Eating Really Well In Philadelphia with Tyler Akin and Muhammad Abdul-Hadi
We are excited to bring you this episode. Recently Matt headed out of the studio to visit Philadelphia, one of America’s great food cities, to check out the scene and report back on his findings. He visited bakeries and coffee shops and stopped by a really cool cookbook store. He felt the incredible spice and vibes at Kalaya and met a bunch of new friends along the way. In this episode, we speak with Tyler Akin, the chef of Bastia, an exciting tribute to the food of Sardinia and Corsica. We also catch up with Muhammad Abdul-Hadi, who runs the mission-driven Down North Pizza and is the author of a terrific new cookbook, We the Pizza. Throughout the episode, Matt and Aliza chat about some exciting food and drink discoveries.Mentioned on the episode: Bastia, Down North Pizza, Fork, New June, Mighty Bread, Kalaya, Isgro Pastries, Loratta's, Binding Agents.Save our Google Map of all the places mentioned in the episode.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you.
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Apr 18, 2025 • 1h 21min
575: Fennel For Days with Top Chef's Eden Grinshpan
Eden Grinshpan is a Canadian chef and television host based in Toronto, Ontario. She has hosted Top Chef Canada since 2017, and she is the author of a very cool new book, Tahini Baby. In this episode, we talk about Eden’s career both on and off television. We dig into her New York City restaurant takes — the good, the bad, and the labneh — and how she developed her unique recipe style and vibe. Also on the show we have a terrific conversation with Gena Hamshaw, author of the new book, A Grain, a Green, a Bean. We talk about her work as a nutritionist, and how her book cracks many codes when it comes to eating a plant-based diet.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you.
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Apr 16, 2025 • 43min
574: Understanding Our Protein Era with Chef Daniel Holzman & Sports Dietitian Christina Chu
On today’s episode, we talk about protein, one of the biggest topics in food today. First up is a really fun conversation with our friend Daniel Holzman. Daniel is the chef and owner of Danny Boy’s Pizza in Los Angeles and cofounder of The Meatball Shop in New York City. This is a guy who knows about cooking with beef while balancing his diet for optimal health. We also talk about the pizza game and the creative ways he cooks to maximize his daily protein intake.Also on the show, we have a fascinating talk with sports dietitian Christina Chu. Christina works with professional athletes and actors on building programs to balance their diets and compete at the highest level. We talk about Christina’s favorite sources for protein (beef included) and how she likes to think visually about the plate, balancing carbs, vegetables, and protein. This special episode was brought to you by Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. On behalf of the Beef Checkoff. USDA recommends a safe minimum internal temperature of 145ºF for steaks and roasts, and 160ºF for ground beef.
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Apr 14, 2025 • 1h 25min
573: The Food That Built Adam Richman
The one and only Adam Richman joined us in the studio for a really memorable conversation. Adam has been a fixture of food TV for over two decades, and he is one of the sharpest minds in the game. His series The Food That Built America just returned for season six, and we talk about Adam’s career exploring the foods of the world on shows like Man v. Food and many other food TV hits. What an interesting guy! Also on the show we have a great conversation with Lyndsay C. Green. She's the restaurant and dining critic at the Detroit Free Press and discusses here recent feature on the top 10 new restaurants in Detroit.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you.
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Apr 12, 2025 • 55min
572: The Choi of Cooking with Roy Choi
Roy Choi is known as one of the architects of the modern food truck movement through Kogi BBQ. He is cohost of the Netflix cooking series The Chef Show along with Jon Favreau and has written a terrific new book, The Choi of Cooking. In this episode, we talk all about Roy’s philosophy around cooking with foundation, balance, and compassion in mind. We hear about how he reinforces these concepts through smart recipes, and about his connection to the rise of Korean food in America. (For you dakdoritang lovers out there, this is the episode for you.)Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. Buy: The Choi of Cooking
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Apr 11, 2025 • 1h 8min
571: Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants with San Francisco Chronicle's MacKenzie Chung Fegan
MacKenzie Chung Fegan is the restaurant critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, which has just released its top 100 restaurants list. It’s the first time in six years the publication has done a big list like this, and in this episode, MacKenzie goes over how she chose the restaurants and why the Bay Area food scene is absolutely on fire. We go over many of the picks, including the top ten. Also on the episode, Aliza and Matt talk about a recent trip to San Francisco and a number of exciting restaurant discoveries. Some of the places were on the Chronicle’s list, while others may have slid under the radar. Matt visited bakeries and coffee spots and had a number of memorable meals. Places visited include: Bodega, Neighbor's Corner, The Coffee Movement, Hi NRG, El Mil Amores, Che Fico, Outerlands, Aziza, Maison Nico, Timbri Hotel.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you.
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