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On Halloween night in 1974, an eight-year-old boy in the Houston suburbs got Pixy Stix laced with cyanide. He wasn’t the only one. So did four other kids who were trick-or-treating that night. It made poisoned candy an overnight terror to parents nationwide. In this episode from our friends at the food true crime podcast Outlaw’s Digest, we hear the story that inspired a fear of Halloween candy for decades to come. Along the way, we take a dip into the surprising origins of Pixy Stix, and check in with host KC Hysmith’s family to hear how the candy poisonings change candy’s peak holiday. The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. This episode was produced by Good Egg Audio, an independent worker cooperative, and KC Hysmith. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of The Sporkful ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we have a Reheat double-header. First up, from way down in the crevices of that deep freezer: a throwdown over proper buffet priorities, in which we also cover seat selection, line etiquette, and how far one should go to win the age-old battle against the Buffet Master. Next up: Should you send a dish back to the kitchen simply because you don't love it? Or should you just suck it up and eat it anyway? Sporkful listener Lynn and her dad, Joseph, are at odds — so Lynn called in the big guns, and sought advice from Dan and chef/cookbook author/YouTuber Kenji López-Alt. These episodes originally aired on June 1, 2010, and December 16, 2016, and were produced by Dan Pashman, Mark Garrison, Anne Saini, Shoshanna Gold, Dan Charles, and Irene Trudell. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. This update was produced by Gianna Palmer. Every Friday, we reach into our deep freezer and reheat an episode to serve up to you. We're calling these our Reheats. If you have a show you want reheated, send us an email or voice memo at [email protected], and include your name, your location, which episode, and why. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of The Sporkful ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Is a wedge salad worth the effort of using a knife to eat it? Should you take home the unopened beer you brought to a dinner party? And does your produce really need to be washed? Dan’s taking your calls with Gail Simmons, Top Chef judge and author of the new book Guesting, and Ayesha Nurdjaja, restaurant chef and author of the new book Mediterranean All The Way. The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of The Sporkful ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

“Literally all pasta shapes are wonderful except bucatini. Bucatini can go get effed.” Francis Lam’s strongly-worded tweet inspired Dan to organize a live event in 2018, where he, Francis (host of The Splendid Table), and Evan Kleiman (host of Good Food) could debate the merits of various pasta shapes. It was called “The Bucatini Dialogues” — and yes, it was the night when Dan first announced his intention to invent a new pasta shape. But now, for the first time, we’re airing the rest of that conversation. We cover a range of shapes and tackle the tough questions, like: Why would you ever use a penne without ridges? Is there a time and a place for overcooked pasta? And what’s the best approach to eating a bowl of ramen? This episode originally aired on August 23, 2021, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Tracey Samuelson, Jared O'Connell, Anne Saini, and Ngofeen Mputubwele. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. This update was produced by Gianna Palmer. Every Friday, we reach into our deep freezer and reheat an episode to serve up to you. We're calling these our Reheats. If you have a show you want reheated, send us an email or voice memo at [email protected], and include your name, your location, which episode, and why. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of The Sporkful ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The craft brewery used to be a place for self-proclaimed beer nerds to sample the hot new IPA. Now, young kids, toddlers, and even infants take up as much space as beer-drinking adults. So how did this happen? It’s a story of a fast-growing industry finally slowing down, and its core customer base growing up. Sporkful senior producer Andres O’Hara investigates how craft breweries became the go-to spot for parents, with help from journalist and author Joshua M. Bernstein. Then he talks with two brewery owners—Damian Fagan of Almanac Beer Company and Jason Goldstein of Icarus Brewing Company—who’ve had very different experiences managing children in their spaces.  We’re working on a brand-new video series, and we want your help! If you’re interested in having dinner on us, and have a local spot you’ve been meaning to try, fill out this form! The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of The Sporkful ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Yotam Ottolenghi is an Israeli-British chef famous for getting people to eat more vegetables. But now, he's making the case for sugar. On the heels of his 2017 dessert cookbook, Sweet, he discusses the personality differences between bakers and cooks. Plus, why he never orders the specials in restaurants and what happens when a perfectionist like him attempts to cook with his kids. This episode originally aired on November 27, 2017, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, and Margaret Kelly. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. This update was produced by Gianna Palmer. Every Friday, we reach into our deep freezer and reheat an episode to serve up to you. We're calling these our Reheats. If you have a show you want reheated, send us an email or voice memo at [email protected], and include your name, your location, which episode, and why. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of The Sporkful ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 1973, Madhur Jaffrey penned An Invitation to Indian Cooking and introduced many Americans to Indian cuisine. More than 50 years later, Priya Krishna (author of Indian-ish and Priya’s Kitchen Adventures) argues that Indian food is just as American as any other immigrant cuisine. But among many non-South Asians in the US, Indian food still carries the perception that it’s “foreign.” Why? And what has to happen for this to change? Madhur Jaffrey and Priya Krishna join us live on stage to discuss. This episode originally aired on May 8, 2019, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, Ngofeen Mputubwele, Gianna Palmer, and Jared O’Connell. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of The Sporkful ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Should you eat fast food on vacation, or should every meal be at a special local place? Is soup bar food? Does ice belong in milk? Brittany Luse and Eric Eddings join Dan to answer your questions — and to settle some long-standing food disputes of their own. Brittany and Eric used to co-host the podcast For Colored Nerds, a show about Black culture. They’re also old friends, which means they argue about everything — from how Eric eats wings to the merits of soup. So they’re well-qualified to help when an eighth-grader calls in about a dispute in his class, and when two best friends differ in their approach to vacation eating. This episode originally aired on January 10, 2022, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Johanna Mayer, Tracey Samuelson, Jared O'Connell, and Corinne Wallace. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. This update was produced by Gianna Palmer. Every Friday, we reach into our deep freezer and reheat an episode to serve up to you. We're calling these our Reheats. If you have a show you want reheated, send us an email or voice memo at [email protected], and include your name, your location, which episode, and why. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of The Sporkful ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The fat acceptance movement has spent decades fighting weight stigma and calling for equal rights for fat people in all areas of life. As the movement moved online, the idea of body positivity emerged. While fat acceptance was about societal change, body positivity was more about self help -- loving yourself at any size. With the rise of social media, body positivity influencers gained success and sponsorships. But lately, fat acceptance and body positivity have been at a crossroads. Gabriella Lascano is a fashion and beauty influencer and public speaker who’s been caught up in some of these conflicting perspectives. Today we ask, “Can you be body positive and still want to lose weight?”  This episode contains discussion of body image, weight loss, and suicide. The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of The Sporkful ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Comedian Nicole Byer hosts the cooking competition show Nailed It! on Netflix. It’s family-friendly, but that doesn’t stop her from deploying her raunchy humor with her co-host, the chocolatier Jacques Torres, when the cameras are off. Nicole talks with Dan about the parallels between a restaurant kitchen and comedy club, and why she makes her own favorite cake for her late mom’s birthday. And you’ll definitely want to be listening when Nicole sees a whole shrimp for the first time. This episode originally aired on August 20, 2018, and July 26, 2021, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, Aviva DeKornfeld, Rob McGinley Myers, and Dan Dzula. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. This update was produced by Gianna Palmer. Every Friday, we reach into our deep freezer and reheat an episode to serve up to you. We're calling these our Reheats. If you have a show you want reheated, send us an email or voice memo at [email protected], and include your name, your location, which episode, and why. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of The Sporkful ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If someone asked you to name the country that dominates American yogurt aisles, you would undoubtedly say Greece. Thick Greek yogurt makes up more than half of all US yogurt sales. But shaking its fist from the shadows is another country that’s even more obsessed with yogurt: Bulgaria. They have a museum of yogurt. One key bacteria found in all yogurt in the world was discovered in Bulgaria. And yet, the Greeks get all the attention. In this special live show performed at Little Island in New York, Dan and reporter Eliza Rothstein explain how Bulgaria lost out to Greece in the yogurt aisle, and share the story of the Bulgarian-American man who’s trying to change that. This episode features musical guest Yasna Voices, a Bulgarian women’s choir. The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell, with reporting and production this week by Eliza Rothstein. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of The Sporkful ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dan goes on an adventure around Los Angeles, starting at the airport. Where is he going? He doesn't know. He doesn't have a plan. The one thing he does know is that he's going to attempt to travel through time to eat a piece of coconut cake from Patys Restaurant, which he should have eaten three years ago. With an Atlas Obscura article as his guide, what could go wrong? This episode originally aired on July 16, 2018, and July 25, 2022, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, and Aviva DeKornfeld, with editing help from Rob McGinley Myers and mixing by the Reverend John DeLore. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. This update was produced by Gianna Palmer. Every Friday, we reach into our deep freezer and reheat an episode to serve up to you. We're calling these our Reheats. If you have a show you want reheated, send us an email or voice memo at [email protected], and include your name, your location, which episode, and why. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of The Sporkful ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Thirty years into her career as a chef and cookbook author, Carla Lalli is releasing a book many people told her she shouldn’t write. It’s called Food Is A Feeling, and it’s a lot more personal than her others. It has plenty of great recipes, but at its core it’s a series of essays about her divorce, and how it changed her relationship with food. Carla talks with Dan about what she made the night she and her ex-husband told the kids they were separating, and how she learned to embrace cooking just for pleasure. Plus, she tells us why she put a recipe for a failed tuna melt in the book.  And if you want to enter to win a copy of Carla’s book, just sign up for our newsletter! Sign up by September 25th and we’ll pick one lucky winner to receive a copy of Food Is A Feeling. If you’re already subscribed to our newsletter, then you are already entered to win. US residents only.  The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of The Sporkful ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You know that friend of yours who rails against the evils of high fructose corn syrup? The one who’s obsessed with where every single morsel of their food comes from? Writer Michael Pollan — author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, Food Rules, and Cooked — may have made your friend like that. But as we hear in this conversation, Michael himself isn’t like that at all. This week, he opens up about everything from how he likes to eat Cracker Jack to the time a fan caught him eating a candy bar in a gas station. And in the later part of this Reheat, Madre Chocolate's Nat Bletter explains that you can tell a chocolate's quality by the sound it makes when you break it. Nat also delineates three types of chocolate eaters: melters , chompers, and chomelters. Nat says different chocolate bars are made for different styles, so if you know your type you'll know your chocolate. These episodes originally aired on September 9, 2014, February 22, 2016, and March 5, 2018, and were produced by Dan Pashman, Anne Saini, Peter Clowney, and Kristen Meinzer. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. This update was produced by Gianna Palmer. Every Friday, we reach into our deep freezer and reheat an episode to serve up to you. We're calling these our Reheats. If you have a show you want reheated, send us an email or voice memo at [email protected], and include your name, your location, which episode, and why. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of The Sporkful ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Fernando Frías was a successful cafe and restaurant owner in Havana. But when Fidel Castro came to power, the government nationalized Fernando’s businesses and imprisoned him when he tried to leave the country. Eventually he got out, settling near Miami like so many other Cuban expats. Even though Fernando never went back to Cuba, he was always searching for pieces of his homeland in the Cuban-American community in Miami. This week Dan talks with Fernando’s son, Carlos Frías, who’s now an investigative editor at USA TODAY. Carlos was close with his father until Fernando was tragically murdered in 2020. In his grief, Carlos sought a new connection with his father by writing about Miami’s first ventanita. This episode originally aired on June 27, 2022, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O’Hara, Kimmie Gregory, and Jared O’Connell. The Sporkful team now includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Kameel Stanley, and Jared O'Connell. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of The Sporkful ad-free. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.