658: Novelists Ed Park & Jason Diamond Get the Food Details So Right
Today is a really special episode for Matt in that we dive into two of his great loves: food and fiction. In this episode, he catches up with two authors and journalists he has deep respect for: Ed Park and Jason Diamond. Ed is the author of the terrific new short story collection An Oral History of Atlantis and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. We talk about the 1990s and Ed’s past life working at the Village Voice. Food is at the center of Ed’s life (it’s why we love Ed so much), and we talk about his Korean American household in Buffalo and the modern Korean restaurant scene.
On to Jason Diamond. The guy wrote a terrific debut novel, Kaplan’s Plot. It’s a story set in Chicago in both modern times and the 1920s, and yes, there are gangers—but also some amazing food scenes. We get into what drives Jason to write deeply researched scenes that celebrate Chicago’s Jewish diaspora. Yes, liverwurst and the classic Chicago hot dog get some ink.
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657: Eater’s Fall Cookbook Preview with Bettina Makalintal
Bettina Makalintal is a senior reporter at Eater and helps lead the publication’s cookbook coverage. Today Eater released a list of its favorites from the busy season, and we talk all about it, as well as some trends Bettina is seeing in book publishing. I always look forward to Eater’s robust and well-considered lists of books each season, and this one is no different. Bettina fills us in, and I hope you enjoy our talk.
And, at the top of the show, it’s the return of Three Things, where Aliza and Matt talk about what is exciting them in the world of restaurants, cookbooks, and the food world as a whole. On this episode: Some Hudson Valley fall recommendations, including the Hudson Valley Apple Project, Zinnia’s Dinette, and fresh eyes on Tivoli including stops at GioBatta Alimentari and Fortunes Ice Cream, and Club Sandwich looks great. Also, Eyval might be our favorite NYC restaurant meal of the year, the Library 180 image archive is for true magazine lovers, and Ninhao in South Park Slope is worth a visit.
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656: Real Talk About Cervos and Eel Bar with Aaron Crowder
Today on the show, we have a great conversation with Aaron Crowder. Aaron is the chef-partner at two of New York’s buzziest restaurants, Cervos and Eel Bar. In fact, these restaurants are often mentioned on this show’s TASTE check segments. I had a wonderful talk with Aaron about his Florida upbringing and what he is excited to cook this fall.
At the top of the show, Gilberto Cetina, chef at the iconic restaurant Holbox in Los Angeles, completes the Resy Questionnaire. We talk about desert island kitchen appliances, food movies, and the best taco in LA. It’s part of a new segment where Resy’s editors, writers, and partner chefs will share compelling stories and discuss the latest in food and dining culture.
The views expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers – not Resy - and do not constitute professional advice.
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655: Top Chef Melissa King Doesn’t Need a Restaurant
Melissa King is a chef, entrepreneur, television personality, activist, model, tastemaker, and author of the incredible new cookbook Cook Like a King. She is the winner of Bravo’s Top Chef: All-Stars L.A. and holds more challenge wins than any other competitor in the history of Top Chef. As mentioned previously on the show, I love Cook Like a King. It really speaks to me, and Melissa shares about what inspired the recipes as well as why she is 100% okay with not working in restaurants.
Also on the show, Aliza and Matt go over some of their favorite chef and restaurant cookbooks from this busy fall season. These include: Soju Party, Russ & Daughters: 100 Years of Appetizing,The Pasta Book, Six Seasons of Pasta, House of Nanking: Family Recipes from San Francisco's Favorite Chinese Restaurant, Family Thai, Franco Pepe: Pizza Chef, Le Bistrot Paul Bert: French Comfort Food from the Parisian Restaurant.
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654: Who Made Bon Appétit’s Best New Restaurants List? Joseph Hernandez Helped Make the Tough Calls.
Today on the show, we have a great conversation with Joseph Hernandez. He’s the associate director of drinks & lifestyle at Bon Appétit and Epicurious, and we talk about BA’s best new restaurants of 2025 list that drops today. It’s a terrific list that covers the United States with ambition and great taste, including stops in Pittsburgh, Honolulu, Miami, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Who made the list? We go over all of it.
Also on the show, Aliza and Matt go over some of their favorite baking cookbooks from this busy fall season. These include: Pastry Temple, The Art of Gluten-Free Bread, Lebanese Baking, Baking and the Meaning of Life, The Secret Life of Chocolate Chip Cookies, Dorie’s Anytime Cakes, Dobre Dobre, 108 Asian Cookies. This is a really fun episode, and we hope you enjoy it.
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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
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