This week, Brendan talked with self-professed food nerd J. Kenji López-Alt about his new book, "The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science." It's a thousand-page book on every food in the world... and how most people are cooking them wrong. The chef and Serious Eats managing culinary director explains his method of bringing science to the kitchen and busting that myth about searing meat.
Phil Rosenthal, creator of the megahit sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," famously fed his staff better than anyone in show business. These days, he invests in restaurants from chefs like Mario Batali... and starting this week he hosts his own food travel series on PBS: "I'll Have What Phil's Having. He talks to Rico about his foodie awakening and the worst lasagna in history.
Despite Brendan's efforts against coffee, tea remains just a sad bag, bobbing on the surface of a tepid cup of neglect. But there's hope in the form of "oocha." Learn all about the cold drink, brewed from oolong tea, that'll make you forget about its bolder, trendy cousin matcha.
LA Weekly writer Jim Thurman gives Rico the rundown on grass jelly, the Southeast Asian gelatin dessert that, despite its name, is not made of grass.
While abroad in Denmark, Brendan learned all about the Danish national lunch dish from Øl & Brød chef Emil Bjerg.
Move over chia seeds! Tiger nuts, as we have learned, have nothing to do with tigers or nuts. Brendan explores the origins and legends of the trendy tuber and tries out tiger nut-based horchata.
Rico gets a lesson from food writer Bill Esparza on piedrazos, a dish typically served around Oaxaca during the time of the Guelaguetza in July.
What is an imbiss? Brendan learns exactly that when he gets a lesson on Austrian food culture from BierBeisl Imbiss chef Bernhard Mairinger and tries a few delectable dishes.
USC Associate Professor Josh Kun recently curated an exhibition for The L.A. Public Library on the vast history of the city's menus called, "To Live and Dine in L.A." He gives Rico a peek at the some of the tens of thousands of menus they have in their collection, ranging from the subtle to the absurd.
Last week, the New York state legislature passed a bill that, if signed into law, would allow dogs to hang out with their owners at eateries. Brendan discusses the pros and (mostly) cons of the possibly soon-to-be law.