The Sporkful

Cauliflower rice biryani anyone?… When Kumail Nanjiani was cast as a Marvel superhero, he decided to transform his body. Gone was the guy who played a schlubby coder on Silicon Valley — Kumail got jacked. To many of his fans, and to anyone who heard him wax poetic about his favorite foods on The Sporkful four years ago, this change was shocking. But has Kumail himself changed? This week he returns, now with his creative partner and wife Emily V. Gordon...

Plus, a surprising new update… Do you drink a Guinness on St. Patrick's Day, even though you're not Irish? Do you eat chips and salsa on Cinco de Mayo, even though you're not Mexican? Here at Sporkful HQ, we sure do...

Three personal stories about an overlooked problem…Public discussions about eating disorders tend to focus on women, and in the past, so have our episodes on the subject. But millions of men also struggle with some form of disordered eating, though they’re far less likely to be diagnosed or to seek treatment. Today we hear stories from three men—in three different stages of life—who have complicated relationships with food...

And why hunger in America became partisan… When Julián Castro sought the Democratic nomination for president in 2020, he made hunger one of his key campaign issues. The former HUD secretary and San Antonio mayor joins us to discuss food policy, the power and limitations of boycotts, and what he thinks will be different under President Biden...

The laws of gastrophysics at work… How do background music, the shape of a spoon, and your DNA affect your taste? These are just a few of the questions that psychologist Charles Spence looks at in his research in the emerging field of gastrophysics. This week, we talk with Charles about the hidden factors that influence our eating experience. Then, Dan and his daughter Becky put the gastrophysicist’s theories to the test at a neighborhood ice cream stand...

And the importance of representation in food photography… Elle Simone Scott once said that a food stylist’s job is to tell the story of the food — and in her work on shows for Bravo, Food Network, and America’s Test Kitchen, she’s gone to great lengths to do just that. Combing through boxes of cereal for the best-looking cornflakes? Check. Throwing ice cubes across the room to capture the perfect splash? No problem...

What foods do Sporkful listeners resolve to eat more of in the new year, and why? And what’s Dan’s New Year’s food resolution for 2021? All is revealed in this annual tradition. Plus we replay one of our favorite episodes of the year… Earlier this year (before Covid), Sotheby’s put a trove of Georgia O'Keeffe items up for sale. It included documents that were far less valuable than her paintings, but to us, much more exciting: O'Keeffe's box of grease-stained, handwritten recipes...

Our gift recommendations…Fruitcake has long been the butt of jokes, an inedible brick that people receive around Christmas, don’t eat, then regift the next year. But it’s also been a beloved baked good for generations. And one of the most famous is Jane Parker Fruit Cake. Jane Parker was the private label brand of supermarket chain A&P. But when A&P went bankrupt, this beloved fruitcake was nearly lost to history. We talk to the two brothers in New York City who rescued it...

Do roses really smell like poo-poo-oo?... From tortilla chips to tree bark, from fancy cheese to toe cheese, there’s a world of smells all around us that tell us a lot about food, drink, and everything else. So says legendary food scientist Harold McGee in his new book, Nose Dive: A Field Guide to the World’s Smells. Harold joins us to explain the connection between wet dog smell and fermented cabbage, and why we should have more “smell empathy” for others...

Plus, dishing on Patrick Stewart’s weird lunches… You may think you know LeVar Burton. After starring in the seminal 1977 mini-series "Roots," he hosted "Reading Rainbow" and starred alongside Sir Patrick Stewart on "Star Trek: The Next Generation." These days he hosts the podcast "LeVar Burton Reads," where he reads his favorite short fiction...