Episodes

  • Alex Jung's Miyeokguk

    Alex Jung's Miyeokguk
    Jul 31 2023
    Today's patient, Alex Jung, is an accomplished journalist for New York Magazine and Vulture, who's profiled countless celebrities and been nominated for a National Magazine Award. He's currently got the best gig in the city, writing the column "The Year I Ate New York" for which he dines across all five boroughs, cataloguing his experiences every two weeks. In today's session, Alex talks all about growing up Korean in Florida, the pastrami sandwiches his mom would make him for lunch, the link between therapy and soup, and the tolls food writing take on the body. We also cover the ethics of dining at Chick-Fil-A, the $98 lobster pasta at Bad Roman, and whether he feels badly when he writes a bad review. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Rosie Schaap's Northern Irish Latkes

    Rosie Schaap's Northern Irish Latkes
    Jul 24 2023
    Raise your glass to this week's Lunch Therapy patient: Rosie Schaap, the author of two books (Drinking with Men, Becoming a Sommelier) and the former Drink columnist for The New York Times. In today's episode, we talk all about drinking, how to manage it, how to know when it's gone too far, and how everything changes as you get older. We also talk about her move to Northern Ireland, meeting her husband (and dog) there, being the only Jewish woman in her town, her famous sports writer father Dick Schaap, and which cocktail she uses to measure a bartender's skills. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Susan Spungen's French Vegetable Salad

    Susan Spungen's French Vegetable Salad
    Jul 17 2023
    My patient today is the illustrious food stylist and recipe developer Susan Spungen, the author of the brand new book Veg Forward, and the founding editor at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. You very likely have seen her work food styling for such films as Julie & Julia, It's Complicated, and Eat, Pray, Love. In today's session, we talk all about the tricks of the trade, what props to use when taking food pictures, how she photographed her whole book using her iPhone, and why an overhead shot is preferable to one from the side. Then we dig into the good stuff: I finally get to ask her the question I've been wanting to ask for over a decade... How is it possible that Meryl Streep cooks chocolate croissants from scratch for Steve Martin on a date in It's Complicated? How did she nail the Sole Meunière in Julie & Julia? And what's Martha Stewart really like? All of this and more in today's delightful session. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Anya von Bremzen's American Slice

    Anya von Bremzen's American Slice
    Jul 11 2023
    This week's Lunch Therapy patient, Anya von Bremzen, is the author of a brand new book, National Dish, that's been called "a fast-paced, entertaining travelogue" by The New York Times. In today's episode, we learn all about the ways Russia uses borsch for propaganda, the meat pie with ketchup she ate growing up (her family's version of "pizza"), living in Jackson Heights, and living part time in Istanbul. We also learn about the ways food and nationalism intersect, being a winner at the very first James Beard awards, and how beloved New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast came to do the cover of her book. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    56 mins
  • Jeff Gordinier's Asparagus and Mushroom Sandwich

    Jeff Gordinier's Asparagus and Mushroom Sandwich
    Jul 3 2023
    Jeff Gordinier is one of the most prolific, influential food writers in the biz: not only does he work on Esquire's Best Restaurants list every year, he contributes regularly to The New York Times as both a food writer and a poetry critic (!) AND he's the author of the book Hungry, for which he traveled around the world with René Redzepi, frequently hailed as the world's best chef. In today's session, we learn all about Gordinier's new interest in eating healthy (and the toll the Best Restaurants list took on his body), why the pandemic essentially ended fine dining as we knew it, and how a man who doesn't drink can choose the best bars in the US. We also cover growing up in Southern California, the impact (or lack of impact) René Redzepi had on his cooking, and his love for making tea. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Lee Sung Jin's Classic Shakshuka

    Lee Sung Jin's Classic Shakshuka
    Jun 26 2023
    Welcome back to Lunch Therapy! We start this brand new season with Lee Sung Jin, the creator of Netflix's hit show BEEF. I worked with Lee several years ago on the ABC sitcom The Real O'Neals and since then he's gone on to write for Dave, Tuca and Bertie, and now his breakout, runaway hit starring Steve Yeun and Ali Wong. In today's session, we talk all about Lee's name change (when I knew him, he was Sonny Lee), the road rage incident (and bathroom incident) that inspired the show, and the terrible eating habits that he has when he's on set. We also cover his favorite Korean dishes, why Ali Wong's picture isn't on the wall at Park's BBQ, the best Japanese restaurant in L.A., how you know when to stop rewriting, and the time that he ate a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts in the writer's room and raced to a Best Buy to use the bathroom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • The California Veggie Sandwich with Starlee Kine

    The California Veggie Sandwich with Starlee Kine
    Mar 6 2023
    My guest today is the creator of one of my favorite podcasts of all time, The Mystery Show with Starlee Kine. If you haven't listened to that, turn this off and go do that first. It's amazing. I asked Starlee if she had a favorite recipe and she didn't. I asked her if she had a favorite thing to eat in L.A. and she sent me to Griffith Park to eat the California Veggie Sandwich at The Trails in Griffith Park. Unfortunately, it was pouring down rain and I had a cold, so I couldn't actually make it there -- instead I recreated the sandwich at home. Find out how it went, why Starlee chose it, all about her childhood in California, how she forgets to eat, and the foods that she finds gross. We also cover her career, how she got started at This American Life, whether or not she wants to continue podcasting, and why, when I move to New York, I should live in Williamsburg. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr
  • Ramen Noodles with Mushrooms, Chiles, and Lime with Chris Tucker

    Ramen Noodles with Mushrooms, Chiles, and Lime with Chris Tucker
    Feb 27 2023
    Vegan chef Chris Tucker (@veganchefchristucker) is a private vegan chef -- he's making vegan desserts for Elton John's Oscar party in two weeks! -- who appeared on Season Four of The Great American Baking Show. In today's episode, Chris sends me Heidi Swanson's recipe for caramelized mushrooms with chilies and peanuts and lime and cilantro which I served up with ramen noodles. We talk all about how Chris got into veganism, his former career as a hair stylist, how he deals with difficult clients, and what he likes to serve at parties. We also cover the myths surrounding veganism (like the idea that it's automatically healthy), how he gets enough protein into his diet, and how some foods like noodles and kale actually have protein in them too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    56 mins