Your Last Meal With Rachel Belle

Comedy legend, author, and actor Paul Reiser (Mad About You, Stranger Things) is a New York native whose last meal is as classic and old-school NYC as it gets! Barney Greengrass has been serving up scrambled eggs with sturgeon, bagels with lox, and black and white cookies since 1908. Rachel talks with 3rd-generation owner Gary Greengrass about the origins of his Upper West Side institution and how they've managed to stay in business, through wars and economic crashes, for 110 years. Rachel also digs into the history of another legendary NYC staple: the black and white cookie. And Paul tells us why he firmly believes that when it comes to food, simpler is better. See Paul Reiser on tour, follow his TV/movie appearances, and buy any of his best-selling books at paulreiser.com. If you don't live in "The Big Apple" (that's what the locals call it!!!!), you can still order the best smoked fish in the country at barneygreengrass.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for

Former teen crush Tiffani Thiessen has come a long way since her days at Bayside High. She's a mother, wife, cookbook author, and host of her own show "Dinner at Tiffani's" on The Cooking Channel. And her artistic outlet is also her last meal! We get tips from Tiffani on how to set up the perfect charcuterie board, and then Rachel heads down to Seattle's historic Pioneer Square neighborhood to learn all about the art of cured meats from Martinique Grig and Clara Veniard, owners of Salumi - a beloved salumeria and restaurant founded by Armandino Batali, father of celebrity chef Mario. Tiffani's characters on "Saved by the Bell" and "Beverly Hills 90210" spent a lot of time hanging out at diners, and when Rachel asks Tiffani if the food was better at The Max or The Peach Pit... it didn't bode well for either place. So Rachel tracked down one of Hollywood's favorite veteran food stylists, Chris Oliver, who has been making the iconic foods you've seen in TV and movies for over 30 years including Seinfel

Top o' the mornin' to ya! On this Emerald Isle themed episode of Your Last Meal, Rachel talks to Irish comedian and writer Maeve Higgins about why Irish butter is better, the food that confused her most at her first American Thanksgiving, and of course - her last meal! You'll get the history of the fish pie from Ireland's Michelin starred chef and food columnist JP McMahon. We also have a butter battle with Brian Cleer, marketing director for Kerrygold North America and Stella Parks, Senior Editor at "Serious Eats" and author of the James Beard Award-winning cookbook "BraveTart." Is European butter really superior or is store brand American butter just as good? Then, Rachel talks about one of the biggest Christmas traditions in Japan - getting a bucket of KFC fried chicken - with KFC Japan's Yuko Nakajima. All that... and why a single gal at a party should always stand by a crock pot full of Lil Smokies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Japanese-born, Berkeley-raised rapper/producer Lyrics Born has been in the music business for 25 years, but just the rich, deep purr of his speaking voice will make you swoon. LB (as his friends call him) is a blend of Asian and Western influences, and so is his last meal! Rachel also talks all things kimchi with four-time James Beard Award nominated Chef Rachel Yang. From the history of "bloody lettuce" to its ubiquity in Korea to tips on improving your store-bought kimchi, the two Rachels explore it all. Oh, and in the process of researching the history of chicken katsu, Rachel falls in love with a tanktasu sauce website. For reals. It's a little weird. Get Lyrics Born's latest album "Quite a Life" and go see him live - he's on tour now. Info at lyricsborn.com. And if you're in the Pacific Northwest, treat yourself to a delicious meal at any of Rachel Yang's three Seattle restaurants - Revel, Trove, and Joule - or Revelry in Portland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/lis

Emily Nokes and Bree McKenna are half of Seattle-based band, Tacocat! Host Rachel Belle chats with the owners of Pat's and Geno's, two much beloved, rival Philly Cheesesteak shops and we'll learn the history of the s'more! Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the *new* Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support the show: http://rachelbelle.substack.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Keiko Agena is best known for playing Rory's BFF, Lane, on Gilmore Girls, but when she's watching TV, she loves to snack on the couch while binging cooking competitions! A Hawaii native, Keiko's comfort food is a classic plate lunch, so host Rachel Belle will dig into the history of loco moco and, a Hawaiian favorite, SPAM. Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support the show: http://rachelbelle.substack.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Pfeiffer hosts the political podcast Pod Save America, but before that he was senior advisor to President Barack Obama. Dan tells Host Rachel Belle what it was like eating inside the White House, and what he would do to unwind on the weekends. Clarrisa Wei joins the show to share the history of dim sum and, although fun, explains why the carts are not the best vehicle to receive the delicious dumplings.Support the show: http://rachelbelle.substack.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allen Stone doesn't usually write songs about food, but one evening his wife cooked something so fantastic, he felt moved to sing about it! Allen tells Host Rachel Belle the story behind his song Voodoo, talks about the mobile kitchen his crew brings on tour and admits that his last meal wouldn't actually be his last meal. We'll learn the history and origin story of everyone's favorite late night snack: nachos! And Buenos Nachos cookbook author Gina Hamadey joins the show to share some of the wacky nacho recipes in her book. Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the *new* Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support the show: http://rachelbelle.substack.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

OG food blogger (since 2003!) Deb Perelman is the author of three best-selling cookbooks, but she does NOT want to cook her last meal! She talks about how she turned her blog into a career, the pressure she feels when it's her day to bring snacks to her kids' school & why she does not want to be called a Domestic Goddess. Travel writer Susan Van Allen shares the history of carciofi alla Giudia, the famous Roman artichoke dish. Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the *new* Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers!Support the show: http://rachelbelle.substack.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Rachel Belle grew up listening to Adam Carolla co-host the radio sex advice show Love Line, and in 2011 his podcast became the Guinness World Record holder for the most downloaded podcast of all time. Adam talks Hungarian food and his wine brand: Mangria! In this episode, we learn the history of Hungarian goulash, which is a WHOLE LOT different than the goulash one listener grew up with: pasta with tomato soup and ground beef. We'll discuss both! Follow along on Instagram! Please subscribe to the Your Last Meal newsletter so you can be the first to know about events, giveaways & content only available to subscribers.Support the show: http://rachelbelle.substack.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prepare to fall in (even deeper) love with John Hodgman! Rachel talks with the reliably wry and clever comedian, author, actor, and podcaster about everything from whether or not a hot dog is a sandwich to the dangers of vacationing in Maine to the egg-istentially steadying quality of a hot plate of scrambled eggs. Speaking of a plate of eggs... how many can you hork down? Rachel and Producer Aaron head to Seattle's legendary Beth's Cafe to attempt to conquer their infamous 12-egg omelette, and they chat with owner Chris Dalton about owning one of the last 24 hour greasy spoon diners in the city. And when egg-xactly did everyone starting eating eggs for breakfast? And why? Rachel Khong, author of "All About Eggs" has the answers. Pick up John's book "Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches​" now in paperback wherever books are sold, and listen to his wonderful podcast "Judge John Hodgman" at maximumfun.org or wherever you listen to podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnys

Boots Riley is a musician, writer, filmmaker, and activist. He's fronted the political hip hop group The Coup since 1991 (a favorite of Rachel's in her 20s), is the vocalist for Street Sweeper Social Club with Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, and just wrote/directed his first feature film "Sorry to Bother You" which has been receiving rave reviews at festivals and hits theaters nationwide on July 6. But what about the food?? Don't worry. We've literally got as much as you can possibly fit in your face hole... That's right! On this episode we celebrate the "all you can eat" buffet - from its humble Scandinavian origins to the gluttonous Las Vegas sized American adaptation we know today. And Taichi Kitamura, chef/owner of Sushi Kappo Tamura - one of Seattle best sushi restaurants, gives us the REAL story behind unagi, Japanese barbecued eel, and tells us why he purposely doesn't serve the dish in his restaurant. If you like the show, please leave us a review. And if you're into pretty pictures of

Actor, filmmaker and restaurant-owner Zach Braff (Scrubs, Alex Inc, Garden State) was born and raised in New Jersey - home to the highest percentage of Italian Americans in the country. And for his last meal, he's sticking close to his roots!   On this week's YLM, Rachel digs into the cheesy, saucy and fascinating history of Italian food in America with Krishnendu Ray, Department Chair of the Food Studies Program at NYU. Then she talks with cookbook author and Long Island native Amy Pennington about how to make the perfect red-checkered-tablecloth-and-Chianti-bottle-candleholder chicken parm.   Watch Zach in Alex Inc, now streaming at abc.com.   Check out Krishnendu Ray's book "The Ethnic Restaurateur," an academic look at the immigrant perspective of working in restaurants.   Visit amy-pennington.com to get any of her books including her newest cookbook "Salad Days." And follow yourlastmealpodcast on Instagram!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.Se

Jennifer Pharr Davis is a long-distance hiker, speaker, and author who's hiked over 14,000 miles on 6 continents. In 2011, she set the Appalachian Trail record by walking the 2200 miles from Georgia to Maine in only 46 days, 11 hours and 20 minutes - a feat that takes most people 5-6 months! So what does this, as Rachel calls her, "complete badass" want for her last meal? And what does she and her fellow nature enthusiasts eat while conquering the outdoors? Rachel also consults rock climber and James Beard Award winning chef Maria Hines, and "Dirty Gourmet" author Emily Nielson about how to step up your outdoor food game, whether it's hiking, backpacking, or car camping. Check out Jennifer's book "The Pursuit of Endurance" and all of her other projects - including Blue Ridge Hiking Company in Ashville, NC, at jenniferpharrdavis.com. If you're in Seattle, visit Maria Hines' certified organic restaurants Agradolce and Tilth, which the New York Times named one of the top 10 best restaurants in America.See omnyst

Kenny G is the most famous saxophonist playing today. He has sold over 75 million albums, tours all over the globe, and holds the Guinness Book of World Records record for holding the longest note on a saxophone. On this episode of YLM, Rachel gets the facts (not the fake news!) behind Kenny's contribution to creating an iconic menu item at the world's most popular coffee chain, learns which supermodel gave him his much-celebrated pie crust recipe, and she ponders a potentially life-changing question: Is Kenny G her real dad? Rachel also talks with the Seattle native about his jazz band days at Franklin High School, his first gig playing with Barry White (and their subsequent meeting in a Soul Train Awards bathroom), and what product he uses to tame those luscious locks! Special thanks to Ellia Kassoff of Leaf Candy. Have they resurrected one of your favorite bygone sweets? Find out at leafbrands.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may not recognize Linda Perry by name, but you definitely know her music. She is a singer, songwriter, and producer behind massive hits for Adele, Weezer, Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani, Pink, and many more! She's also the writer/singer behind the 90s hit (and solid karaoke jam) "What's Up" by her former band 4 Non Blondes. But what would this musical maestro choose for her last meal? Spoiler alert: She's way more into music than food. Which got us thinking - is there any correlation between music and taste? To get answers, Rachel talks with Professor Charles Spence of The University of Oxford about what he calls "Sonic Seasoning," his 15 year study of how sound and music can affect the enjoyability of food, and why people drink so much tomato juice on airplanes. Linda is currently collaborating with Intuit QuickBooks new Backing You campaign to help independent artists be seen, heard and celebrated. Get Professor Spence's new book Gastrophysics: The New Science of Eating wherever books are

Lindy West is an author, activist, and contributing opinion writer for The New York Times whose work focuses on feminism, social justice, humor, and body image. On this episode of YLM, Lindy details a six course last meal feast that features smorkage, a flaky, buttery, custardy Danish pastry only available at a single bakery in the United States. Rachel travels to Seattle's Larsen's Bakery (larsensbakery.com) to taste the impossible-to-pronounce Danish pastry. Lindy, a self-described "fat" person, talks about what it's like to eat in public, why she grudgingly ordere honeydew, and shares a humiliating story that involves a personal pan pepperoni pizza and an episode of This American Life. Then things get "hyggely." The Scandinavian concept of "hygge" (pronounced "HOO-guh") is all about coziness, comfortable conviviality, and contentment - and it's taking the world by storm! Rachel chats with authors Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, and food anthropologist Signe Johansen abou

Maria Shriver has spent a lifetime in the public eye, but there's one thing none of us know about the award-winning journalist and author... until now: What she would eat for her last meal! On this episode of YLM, Rachel gets to the bottom of perhaps the most iconic American food of all - the hamburger. She learns about the earliest origins of the dish from burger authority, documentarian, and tv host George Motz, whose book "The Great American Burger Book" is about to release its 3rd edition. Thrillest writer Kevin Alexander traveled the USA and ate 330 burgers in a year, then compiled a list of the 100 best burgers in the country. Which burger is best? You'll have to listen to find out! Buy Maria's new book "I've Been Thinking: Reflections, Prayers and Meditations for a Meaningful Life" wherever books are sold. And finally, we are humbled and honored to announce that Your Last Meal has been nominated for a prestigious James Beard Award for Best Podcast! Rachel and Aaron will be attending the award cere

Travel expert, TV & radio host, author, and activist Rick Steves has been taking people all around the planet for decades. And his passion for unique and authentic experiences, living in the moment, and trying new things matches perfectly with how Rick chose to have his last meal. Rick has also been a longtime proponent of legalizing marijuana, so Rachel gets to the bottom of how cannabis confections are created with Jody Hill, founder of Seattle cupcake empire Cupcake Royal, as she shares how they do things at her edibles company The Goodship. And finally, Rachel talks with her co-worker, KIRO Radio host John Curley, about his menuless 2017, and a few of John's more... let's call them "idiosyncratic" food habits. Buy any of Rick Steves' fantastic videos and books, including the brand new 3rd edition of "Travel as a Political Act," at ricksteves.com. Learn more about The Goodship Company at thegoodship.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat

Nicki Bluhm is one of Rachel's favorite singer/songwriters, touring with the likes of Josh Ritter and The Wood Brothers. She's also the fourth person to choose steak as their last meal! So on this episode of YLM, Rachel covers something she hasn't in any of the previous beefisodes: the history of the American Steakhouse. But steak isn't usually on the menu for Nicki, who eats according to a 5000 year-old Ayurvedic diet. Rachel's yoga instructor and Ayurvedic practitioner Jodi Boone is here to explain way of eating that's believed to be the most ancient healing system in the world. Nicki is going on tour in April. Find her schedule at nickibluhm.com. And keep up with Jodi at jodiboone.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.