Special Sauce with Ed Levine

Ed Levine

About

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.

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382 episodes

Kenji and Deb Thanksgiving Leftovers Reheat

Thanksgiving leftovers can sometimes be a freighted topic for serious eaters. Last year, trying to quell my own Thanksgiving leftovers anxiety and confusion, I had Deb Perelman and J. Kenji Lopez Alt, longtime friends and co-hosts of their own podcast The Recipe, on Special Sauce. We covered a lot of ground in our discussion, everything from the joys of eating leftover cold pie for breakfast to the wisdom of waffling your leftover stuffing. We had so much fun that I decided it was worth reheating and serving to serious eaters again this year. Enjoy!

19m
Nov 29
Erin McDowell On Pie

Thanksgiving and the holiday season are upon us and that means this serious eater's thoughts turn to pie! And so I thought I would perform a public service by inviting perhaps our greatest pie baking teacher, Erin Jeanne McDowell from the YouTube series 'Happy Baking', to come on Special Sauce and talk about all things pie.

31m
Nov 22
Deb Perelman

If you're like me, you're probably already worrying about holiday dinners and parties that you might have to bring stuff to. And at least some of us might be a little punchy at the thought of cooking or baking for friends. So to the rescue comes friend of Special Sauce, Smitten Kitchen's Deb Perelman. 

29m
Nov 15
Eric Asimov: The NYT wine writer's democratic approach to his subject.

On this episode of Special Sauce The New York Times's wine writer Eric Asimov shares his democratic and unsnobby approach to both food and wine, which invites newcomers and longtime enthusiasts to explore their own wine experiences.

27m
Nov 08
50 Pies, 50 States: An Immigrant's Love Letter

On this episode of Special Sauce I talk to author and fellow pie lover Stacey Mei Yan Fong about her new book '50 Pies, 50 States, An Immigrant's Love Letter to the U.S. Through Pie'.

25m
Nov 01
Ruth Reichl Part 2: The Politics of Food

In part two of our discussion, Ruth Reichl and I get into how the American government has played a major role in corrupting our food system.

21m
Oct 25
Ruth Reichl on her first movie Food and Country

On this episode of Special Sauce legendary food critic Ruth Reichl talks about the documentary film "Food & Country" which she stars in and co-produced.  

23m
Oct 19
Jim Lahey's No Knead Bread Explained

On this episode of Special Sauce we talk to Sullivan Street Bakery founder Jim Lahey about his revolutionary no-knead bread making technique.

38m
Oct 11
Kenji's Almost Foolproof Pan Pizza Recipe

On this episode of Special Sauce, Kenji and I dig deep into his (almost) foolproof pan pizza recipe. 

25m
Oct 04
An African-American Rice Farmer Who's Reclaiming His Roots

On this episode of Special Sauce we meet Rollen Chalmers, a third-generation African-American rice farmer based in South Carolina, who is reclaiming his roots one grain of Carolina Gold rice at a time. 

26m
Sep 27
Ozempic for Food Writers with Adam Platt

What happens when food writers take Ozempic? New York Magazine's Adam Platt and I discuss our experiences with the weight loss drug on this episode of Special Sauce. 

41m
Sep 20
Kenji Potatoes Reheat

Ah potatoes! How do we love them? Let me count the ways. Perfectly crispy, salty french fries, golden brown herb coated roasted potatoes, creamy smooth mashed potatoes. The not so lowly spud has  been an intense field of inquiry for our friend Kenji Lopez Alt for years now.  For this week’s re-heated episode, he and I take a deep dive into some of the now famous posts he wrote for Serious Eats back in the day. In one, he delves into the mystery of McDonald’s French fries and in another he unlocks the secrets of oven roasted potatoes.

14m
Sep 13
The Pasta Whisperers

For this episode of Special Sauce Sasha Marx and Katie Leaird return for more pasta wisdom and pleasure.

39m
Sep 06
Special Sauce Re-heated: Veggie Grilling with Kenji

For this episode of Special Sauce we’re re-heating our conversation with Kenji Lopez-Alt from last summer about veggie grilling tips. And we'll be back this fall with fresh episodes featuring Alice Waters, Kenji, and the latest trends in pizza.

19m
Aug 30
Everything You'd Want To Know About Pasta

On this episode of Special Sauce we're talking all things pasta with Chefsteps.com's editorial director Sasha Marx and Martha's Vineyard Pasta's Katie Leaird, who makes the best fresh bucatini I have ever tasted. 

39m
Aug 23
Lior Lev Sercarz: Spice Advice

The Spice Whisperer LIOR LEV SERCARZ https://www.laboiteny.com/pages/about-lior?srsltid=AfmBOorS7hZnaGGUYpmtPAN8FPtknNZur10W1Uqv3hBB9D_v0d4HDFRz is back on Special Sauce this week to school serious eaters on how to spice up our food in our own kitchens.  You can find all our episodes at THESPECIALSAUCEPODCAST.COM https://www.thespecialsaucepodcast.com/.

26m
Aug 16
Kim Severson on Kamala Harris and Presidential cooking

This week on Special Sauce the NYT's Kim Severson gives us the lowdown on Kamala Harris' passion for cooking. Plus we discuss the history of presidential cooking in the White House.

30m
Aug 09
Special Sauce Re-heated: Anajak Thai

This week we're re-sharing our episode with Justin Pichetrungsi, chef-owner of the award-winning Anajak Thai in Sherman Oaks, California.  There was a technical glitch the first time we published it, so here's another chance to listen to it. Enjoy!

24m
Aug 02
Lior Lev Sercarz, the Spice Whisperer

This week on Special Sauce we talk to the Spice Whisperer, chef and owner of the online spice store La Boite NY, Lior Lev Sercarz. Lior is on a mission to inform people about where spices come from, how they grow, what they look like in their natural environment, and ultimately, how to be inspired by them in the kitchen.

34m
Jul 26
Tony Gemignani: 13 Time World Pizza Champion

This week on Special Sauce you'll meet 13 time world pizza champion Tony Gemignani, who is determined to spread his good pizza gospel to every corner of the U.S. 

39m
Jul 19
James Ehnes - Seattle CMS: Tasting Notes

This week on Special Sauce violin virtuoso Jame Ehnes dishes on his live cooking and musical collaboration with Kenji that's coming up in Seattle on July 19th. 

36m
Jul 12
Laura Tillman and Lalo Garcia

This episode of Special Sauce is particularly special. You'll hear the remarkable life story of celebrated Mexican chef Lalo Garcia as told by Lalo himself and his biographer Laura Tillman. 

38m
Jul 05
Antonio De Loera-Brust - California Farm Workers

Ever wonder what's happening with the United Farm Workers union? I did, so I interviewed the UFW Communications Director Antonio De Loera-Brust. It turns that there's a lot happening, actually. 

36m
Jun 28
Kevin + Woodthrush Farm

On this episode we go deep into the life of a Greenmarket farmer, Kevin Kaplicki of Woodthrush Farm. Kevin's lettuce is the stuff that dreams are made of. 

27m
Jun 21
Kenji's Summertime Grilling Tips

Grilling season is here and Kenji offers up some great grilling tips so that even the most casual backyard cook can up their game. Who knew that mayo can be your secret grilling weapon. 

21m
Jun 14
Pete Wells and Scott Weiner on Totonno's Pizzeria

Totonno's, the iconic, century-old Coney Island Brooklyn pizzeria, has been put up for sale by the family who founded it. On this episode of Special Sauce we talk about Totonno's pizza, legacy, and future prospects with NYT restaurant critic Pete Wells and the eminent pizza scholar Scott Weiner, the owner of Scott's Pizza Tours. 

42m
Jun 07
Jaques Torres on Chocolate Chip Cookies

The great pastry chef and chocolate maker Jacques Torres wrote one of my all time favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes. On this episode we chat about that recipe, the role of salt, and what chocolate to use. Plus we hear from some serious eaters on the crispy vs. gooey cookie debate.

22m
May 31
Sulieman Mleahat - Anera

On this episode of Special Sauce we take a deep dive into the beyond desperate hunger situation in Gaza with humanitarian Sulieman Mleahat who has been working in the Middle East for more than twenty years. 

38m
May 24
NYT's Kim Severson on Jose Andres' WCK

NYT's Pulitzer Prize-winning food culture reporter Kim Severson gives Special Sauce listeners fascinating insights into Jose Andres' World Central Kitchen operations in Gaza and elsewhere. 

32m
May 17
Channing Frye: NBA Champ and Wine Guy, Part 2

Channing Frye had so much to say about wine, hoops, and life we decided to devote a second episode to him and his company Chosen Family Wines.

27m
May 10