The Sporkful

Is the ideal cookie chewy, crispy, or crunchy?... Earlier this year, “Salt Fat Acid Heat” author Samin Nosrat and “Song Exploder” podcast host Hrishikesh Hirway teamed up to create “Home Cooking,” a podcast where they answer listeners’ cooking questions, make lots of bad puns, and share their passion for cookies, among other foods...

And why some make the transition faster than others….Over the years on The Sporkful, Dan has explored an idea that’s changed the way he understands food in the U.S.: You can track an immigrant group’s assimilation in America by looking at whether their food is perceived as American, or foreign...

Remember when bad office coffee was our biggest problem?... “The time has come for us to change the coffee brand that we offer and we want your input!” The email came from Myiesha Gordon in the HR Department. Like many others, Myiesha hated the office coffee. This week on The Sporkful, we follow her as she sets up a taste test, and an office-wide coffee election...

To be a star, he couldn’t be himself… Before the James Beard Awards and the James Beard Foundation, there was the man himself. Beard was the first celebrity chef of the TV era, preaching home cooking and fresh, local food even as frozen TV dinners gained popularity. But he also had to navigate the complexities of being a closeted gay man in a time when the kitchen was considered a place for women...

To be a star, he couldn't be himself... Before the James Beard Awards and the James Beard Foundation, there was the man himself. Beard was the first celebrity chef of the TV era, preaching home cooking and fresh, local food even as frozen TV dinners gained popularity. But he also had to navigate the complexities of being a closeted gay man in a time when the kitchen was considered a place for women...

And one woman’s quest to share his story... In 2016, Jack Daniel’s announced the company would make changes to its official history. They planned to honor Nathan “Nearest” Green, the formerly enslaved man who taught the real Jack Daniel to make whiskey. They didn’t realize, however, that this announcement would cause an uproar — or that it would inspire a woman named Fawn Weaver to set out on a quest to unearth the full story of Nearest Green...

And one woman’s quest to share his story... In 2016, Jack Daniel’s announced the company would make changes to its official history. They planned to honor Nathan “Nearest” Green, the formerly enslaved man who taught the real Jack Daniel to make whiskey. They didn’t realize, however, that this announcement would cause an uproar — or that it would inspire a woman named Fawn Weaver to set out on a quest to unearth the full story of Nearest Green...

A lot’s happened this year… After starting his own catering company and going to the Culinary Institute of America, Kwame Onwuachi enters the world of fine dining. Soon, investors want him to open his own restaurant. But when he does, things go wrong – fast. His comeback involves a secret restaurant, the show Black Mirror, and a white guy named Mufasa. (In honor of our 10th anniversary we’re re-releasing three all time favorite stories, as selected by listeners, each with a brand new update...

In honor of our 10th anniversary we’re re-releasing three all time favorite stories, as selected by listeners, each with a brand new update. This story is in two parts. Part 2 is in your feed now, with a special update… In 2019, Kwame Onwuachi became one of the fastest rising star chefs in America, and his DC restaurant Kith and Kin was widely considered one of the best in the country. But he went through countless twists and turns to get there...

A lot’s happened this year… After starting his own catering company and going to the Culinary Institute of America, Kwame Onwuachi enters the world of fine dining. Soon, investors want him to open his own restaurant. But when he does, things go wrong – fast. His comeback involves a secret restaurant, the show Black Mirror, and a white guy named Mufasa. (In honor of our 10th anniversary we’re re-releasing three all time favorite stories, as selected by listeners, each with a brand new update...