Your Last Meal With Rachel Belle

Iron & Wine sounds like a band but, in fact, there is just one man behind the music: a soft spoken, North Carolina singer songwriter named Sam Beam. Sam is the ideal conversation partner: he laughs generously and speaks with a warm southern drawl. He also happens to have excellent taste in food and drink.A true southern boy, Sam wants a stack of tomato sandwiches for his last meal. Just ripe, summer heirlooms, squishy white bread and mayonnaise. A simple summer snack so sacred in North Carolina, locals get good and riled up at the mere mention of adding bacon or lettuce to the mix. We called upon a couple North Carolina culinary queens to talk about the do's and don'ts of the tomato sandwich: veteran food journalist Kathleen Purvis and chef, restaurateur and cookbook author, Vivian Howard. And sticking with the southern theme, food historian Robert Moss joins the show to tell the true history of the boiled peanut.Lucky for us, tomatoes are still hanging heavy on the vines, because you'll be hankering for

John Oates is the mustachioed half of Hall & Oates, the best selling musical duo in history. Maneater! I Can't Go For That! Rich Girl! These dudes were hit making machines.So host Rachel Belle started thinking about famous food duos: Ketchup & Mustard. Peanut Butter & Jelly. But the best selling culinary duo of all time has got to be Salt & Pepper. When did they get together? And why do we automatically sprinkle them both on our food without questioning their coupling? Learn the history of salt & pepper from Ken Albala, professor of food history at the University of Pacific.And like so many other Your Last Meal guests before him, ice cream is a part of John's last meal; specifically Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. Rumor has it, owner Jeni Britton Bauer created the salted caramel ice cream flavor that pops up on boutique ice cream shop menus across the country. She tells Rachel how music influences every flavor they dream up.Hall & Oates are performing this Saturday, September 14th, 20

Guns N' Roses bassist, Duff McKagan, is the dictionary definition of rock & roll: he's got the skull tattoo, the tight black jeans & a dramatic, alcohol-related near death experience under his belt. But Duff is more than just a pretty bass. He's a history buff who went back to school to get a degree in finance & he's been living sober for 20 years. Duff's last meal is a tribute to the family meal his Central American coworkers made for the staff when he worked at the Northridge, California Black Angus Steakhouse in 1984. So host Rachel Belle and producer Laura visit Canlis, Seattle's James Beard Award winning fine dining mecca, where family meal is treated with as much reverence as the food presented to guests in the dining room each night. At 4pm sharp they sat down with co-owner Mark Canlis and a huge team of cooks, dishwashers, servers and bartenders to enjoy the restaurant industry's most important meal of the day. Duff's new album, Tenderness, is available now. See omnystu

Welcome to The Snack! It's not a full episode, just a quick & tasty bite where host Rachel Belle asks the previous week's guest a handful of lightning round style questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Indie filmmaker darling, Lynn Shelton, has a brand spankin' new movie out, Sword of Trust starring Marc Maron. But to pay the bills, she's worked as a freelance director on television shows like Mad Men, New Girl, GLOW and Master of None. Not a bad side hustle! For her last meal, Lynn would love nothing more than to get down with a good loaf of artisan bread and a big bowl of cookie dough ice cream, but sadly she can't have either. She's allergic to gluten, dairy, sugar, fruit (!) and a long list of other forbidden foods, so she uses her never ending supply of creativity and imagination to invent treats that will fulfill her cravings but won't make her sick. Lynn has been gluten intolerant for over 20 years, so when gluten free and plant based bakery and cafe, Flying Apron, opened in Seattle in 2001, she literally sobbed with happiness. And she's not the only one! Rachel chats with Flying Apron's owner, Angela Cough, about the mourning many people go through when forced to give u

Ack! Cathy Guisewite wrote and drew the Cathy comic strip, syndicated in newspapers across the US from 1976 to 2010. She got her start in a very unorthodox way, having never drawn a comic strip in her life, in a time when men dominated the Sunday morning funnies. You're going to want to hear this story!If you've ever taped a Cathy comic to your fridge or cubicle, you know the character is obsessed with chocolate chocolate chocolate and is often seen in a department store dressing room, scrutinizing herself in a bathing suit. So Rachel Belle chats with psychologist and Non-Diet approach advocate, Louise Adams, about how today's trendy diets (intermittent fasting, Keto, Paleo) are just as kooky and harmful as the cabbage soup & grapefruit diets of years past. And summer just isn't the same without at least one cone topped with an ethereally creamy, mile-high swirl of soft serve. Dairy Queen has been in the cone biz since 1940 and its director of product development explains what makes soft serve differ

In the nearly three years we've been producing Your Last Meal, one thing has become abundantly clear: there are a LOT of vegan celebrities. But Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks, Sex & the City, Portlandia, Dune) is a meat man. Burgers? He loves 'em! Steak? He'll have one for his last meal, thank you very much. And his favorite is from Williamsburg, Brooklyn institution, Peter Luger Steakhouse, a family run joint that's been serving steaks and schlag in the same exact location for 132 years. What's schlag? We will school you! Why haven't they ever hired a single female server? Fourth generation owner David Berson has answers. Kyle hates food waste as much as he loves getting creative with leftovers, so Rachel welcomes Jill Lightner, author of Scraps, Peels, and Stems: Recipes and Tips for Rethinking Food Waste at Home to the show. Jill can make delicious magic with potato peels, cauliflower leaves and the goopy liquid we pour out of a can of beans. Less compost, more cooking!Kyle's Walla Walla winery

In our last episode with actor Lauren Weedman, she wanted to know why there are so many Thai restaurants in Seattle. And we left her (and you) hanging! But now we have answers. In this bonus episode, Rachel explores why there are so many Thai restaurants in the United States with Mark Padoongpatt, author of 'Flavors of Empire: Food and The Making of Thai America' and assistant professor of Asian American studies at University of Nevada Las Vegas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lauren Weedman wants to love food again. The comedic actor, a former The Daily Show Correspondent and current The Moth host, with roles on Curb Your Enthusiasm and HBO's Looking, has a complicated relationship with food. She wants to make eating a more soulful experience, starting with her last meal; a food she never lets herself enjoy. And yes, we used phrases like "complicated relationship with food" and "soulful experience," but rest assured: Lauren is one of the funniest guests to grace Your Last Meal; chortles ahead. Lauren's love of pad Thai takes us to Little Uncle, one of Seattle's best Thai restaurants. Chef/owners Poncharee Kounpungchart and Wiley Frank painstakingly squeeze tamarind pods to make the sauce for their pad Thai and they tell Rachel why they refuse to put chicken in the dish, no matter how nice a customer asks.  Lauren Weedman was raised by a ballerina who was always watching her weight, so Rachel interviewed Kari Brunson, a former professional ballet dancer who retired from dance

Musician and producer Moby is also a major philanthropist: he donates all the proceeds from his Los Angeles restaurant Little Pine to animal rights organizations, as well as all the money he makes from his albums and his latest memoir, "Then It Fell Apart." He's been a vegan for more than three decades and tells host Rachel Belle he can whip up healthy, filling, vegan meals for under a dollar. Which we imagine is a useful skill when you're giving all your money away!Moby's last meal is...oh-so Moby. He celebrates the fruit that we ate by the slice after every childhood soccer practice, the fruit that shares its name with a color, the fruit that rhymes with approximately zero other words.So we welcome Mike Osborn to the show, owner of Sosio's Produce, located right smack dab in the middle of beautiful, historic Pike Place Market. Mike has been wheelin' and dealin' oranges for nearly 30 years. He's got the sass of a sailor, the palate of a chef, and he wants to teach you how to pick out perfect, in-season produ

Prolific actor William Shatner is best known for his role as Captain Kirk on Star Trek and "singing" popular songs in his signature spoken word style. But he also has strong opinions about avocado toast, considers himself a sushi connoisseur and loves beautifully made Mexican food. So Rachel took a trip to Sushinola, one of the country's few Sinaloa style Mexican sushi restaurants, in Kent, Washington. Rolls are stuffed with carne asada, topped with pico de gallo, drizzled with housemade chipotle sauce and deep fried because co-owner Anayancy Reyes says most Mexicans are decidedly not fans of raw fish. And psychology professor Dr Julia Hormes joins the show to share her fascinating research on cravings. Turns out, food cravings are cultural and psychological, not a universal human experience, and Americans are the true kings and queens of cravings. And the whole thing about pregnant women craving crazy combinations like pickles and ice cream? Dr Hormes will set the record straight. Get tic

Actor and improviser Mary Sohn currently stars in the NBC comedy A.P. Bio, but when she's not in front of a camera she can be found happily dipping food into other food. Chips into dips! Crispy bacon into oatmeal! Mary is a dipping fool! And she especially likes pairing sweet with salty, crunchy with creamy and super cold with scalding hot. So Rachel consulted with a fast food giant to discuss the ultimate cult combo: french fries dipped in a Wendy's frosty. And chef and "How To Taste" author Becky Selengut stops by to answer questions like: why does wasabi burn your nose but spicy peppers burn your tongue? What's a supertaster? Why are Reese's Peanut Butter Cups so beloved? Your Last Meal is a James Beard Foundation nominated podcast! Follow along on Instagram: @yourlastmealpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actor Rainn Wilson is best known for playing Dwight Schrute on the American version of The Office. But when he's not acting, he's trying to make the world a better place. Rainn and his wife run a non-profit called Lide Haiti, to help educate at-risk girls in Haiti, and last year they attempted to transition from voracious meat lovers to plant chomping vegans. Which leads us to Rainn's last meal: a vegetarian Israeli feast! Rainn's last meal allowed host Rachel Belle to unpack a topic she's been ruminating on for years: the disappointing state of hummus in America. David Nussbaum, owner of Seattle's fantastic Aviv Hummus Bar, joins the conversation to discuss the difference between American hummus and Israeli chooomousse (emphasis on the guttural "ch"), why it took him years to perfect a dish with only three ingredients and why he refuses to water down his recipes to suit American palates.  If you pronounce bruschetta "broosketta" and say "cwassan" instead of croissant, this is the episode for you! O

Acclaimed fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi has it all: humor, heart and hot takes on the culinary world. He knows what he likes (beefsteak tomatoes from his Long Island summer garden) and what he doesn't like (today's pickling trend), and he shares it all with award winning host Rachel Belle in the latest episode of the James Beard Award nominated podcast "Your Last Meal." Isaac sends Rachel on a mission to uncover a mint chocolate chip ice cream mystery. So Rachel summons Ben & Jerry's flavor guru, Eric Fredette, who's responsible for creating flavors like Tonight Dough and Brownie Batter Core, Heather Hodge, head chef and manager of culinary operations at Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream in Seattle, and Nestle's test kitchen manager Meredith Tomason. Nestle invented the chocolate chip, or the "morsel," back in the 1940s and Meredith shares the history of the legendary Toll House chocolate chip cookie. Everything Isaac Mizrahi, including how to get his new book I.M.: A Memoir, is available at helloisaac.com

Steven Page is best known as the lead singer, guitar player and songwriter for the band Barenaked Ladies, but he's been going at it as a solo musician for the last decade.   Michelin stars and fine wines were Page's jam; he hosted a food TV show and has eaten at fancy restaurants around the world. But these days he's attracted to humble, home cooked foods. Like soup! Boy does Steven Page love soup!   So Rachel interviews Larry Thomas, who was nominated for an Emmy for playing "The Soup Nazi" on Seinfeld, while the actor gave out soup samples in a Seattle grocery store.   Page grew up Jewish and always keeps a jar of gefilte fish in his fridge, no matter the season. So we called upon Jeffrey Yoskowitz, co-founder of The Gefilteria, co-author of The Gefilte Manifesto and an artisan gefilte fish maker who ships his gefilte loaves across the country. We discuss the notorious gefilte fish jar jelly and Yoskowitz's mission to get people cooking traditional Jewish foods again, not just on th

Samin Nosrat is the James Beard Award winning, New York Times bestselling author of the book Salt Fat Acid Heat and the charming host of the Netflix series by the same name. Samin laughs easily, is brimming with curiosity and brings new life and authenticity to the saturated world of food media. Get yourself a boyfriend who looks at you the way Samin looks at a roast chicken. Samin grew up in San Diego, with an Iranian mother who was a fantastic cook. And while she loves her mother's Persian cooking, her heart belongs to Mexican food, specifically the entire menu at El Molino Central in Sonoma County, California. Rachel chats with Karen Taylor, owner of El Molino, about what makes her tortillas and tamales so special and Samin and Rachel debate which is the best way to wrap a burrito: in foil or yellow paper. Then we welcome Bon Appétit magazine's senior editor Andy Baraghani to the show. Andy says he spent his life trying to hide his Iranian heritage until a food magazine asked him to create a Persian

Phil Rosenthal is the creator and co-producer of "Everybody Loves Raymond" (yo, that show got 69 Emmy nominations!) but now his passion is introducing Americans to fantastic foreign food destinations as the host of his Netflix show "Somebody Feed Phil." Phil enthusiastically eats al pastor in Mexico City and pastéis de nata in Lisbon, but his last meal would be a collage of classic American childhood favorites, including the humble hot dog. Welcome to Your Last Hot Dog! A show about buns (heh heh) and the cylindrical meats that rest inside of them! First we head to Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs in Coney Island, Brooklyn to learn the history of the century-old company. Then, Rachel chats with Major League Eating president Richard Shea about their annual 4th of July Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, an event so popular it's aired on ESPN. And Rachel and Producer Aaron discuss their favorite hot dogs toppings or, spoiler alert, the lack there of. Next stop: Copenhagen, where hot dog carts have been a street foo

Nora McInerny is an author and host of one of Rachel's favorite podcasts: Terrible, Thanks for Asking, "a funny/sad/uncomfortable podcast about talking honestly about our pain, our awkwardness, and our humanness, which is not an actual word." For her last meal, Nora wants a magically delicious childhood favorite, so we talk to General Mills about their iconic breakfast cereal Lucky Charms. But what is cereal without milk? Rachel gets the bottom of why humans started drinking other mammals' milk (and why so many of us are lactose intolerant) with Mark Kurlansky, author of Milk! A 10,000 Year Food Fracas. And speaking of mammal milk, it turns out there's a LOT more going on with breast milk than most people realize. So Angela Garbes, author of Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey Through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy, breaks down nature's most perfect food. You can buy Nora's books and get more info about The Hot Young Widows Club at noraborealis.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See o

Prolific, 5-time James Beard Award winning cookbook author Dorie Greenspan is the queen of cookies. Famous for her beloved World Peace Cookies and many baking books, including one she wrote with Julia Child, it's not surprising that Dorie wants to start and end her last meal with dessert. What's wrong with eating dessert first, anyway? Rachel chats with Ayurvedic counselor Jodi Boone and Food Network host and TODAY show food and lifestyle correspondent Brandi Milloy about the scientific, Ayurvedic and general life-bettering benefits of starting your meal with sweets. And when Dorie told Rachel she ate the same exact lunch every single day for years, the first person we thought of was Donald Gorske. Gorske has eaten almost nothing but McDonald's Big Macs since 1972, putting his current Big Mac count at over 30,000. Rachel called the Fond du Lac, Wisconsin native on his flip phone to learn why the man eats two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pi

Drag queen BenDeLaCreme is "sweet as pie and sharp as cheddar." And Ben, who plays "DeLa," has a lot to say about food. So what would this RuPaul's Drag Race All-Star want for his last meal? (Answer: a nostalgic buffet of his favorite New England foods.) Do you order lo mein or chow mein? It probably depends on what coast you live on! We explore the differences between east coast, midwest & west coast American-style Chinese food with “Chinese Soul Food” cookbook author  Hsiao-Ching Chou and “The Search For General Tso“ producer Jennifer 8 Lee (a guest from our very first episode). Also, Ben shares his favorite cartoon foods, the trashy treat his mom used to make him which inspires some very odd childhood favorites from our listeners, and Ben outs his dear friend, Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon, for having an Easy Mac addiction. BenDeLaCreme is wrapping up a run of holiday shows in Seattle with Jinkx Monsoon called "To Jesus, Thanks for Everything" - and then they perform