The Sporkful

Dan's dreams come true when he visits The Simpsons writers' room to talk about the role food plays on the show, and behind the scenes. Plus, Simpsons creator Matt Groening explains how new technologies have changed the show’s food jokes. Today's sponsors: Go to BeyondMeat.com/Sporkful to find a retailer near you. Go to BobsRedMill.com to explore their huge range of products and recipes.

Why does eating alligator seem more manly than eating chicken? Why does coffee seem more manly than tea? Comedian and actor Michael Ian Black tells us how his sense of masculinity and his body image issues affect what he eats. Plus he and Dan bond over life as suburban dads. Today's sponsors: Go to BeyondMeat.com/Sporkful to find a retailer near you. Go to BobsRedMill.com to explore their huge range of products and recipes. Go to SunBasket.com/Sporkful to get $35 off your first order...

A former Shea Stadium food vendor tells us about the worst gig in the ballpark. Plus a North Carolina peanut man tells us how they get the salt inside the shell, and Mike Pesca from The Gist tells us how much free advertising Cracker Jack got from being included in "Take Me Out To The Ball Game". Today's sponsors: Go to BobsRedMill.com to explore their huge range of products and recipes. Go to TryFirstLeaf.com/Sporkful to get three bottles of wine for only $15 (plus free shipping)...

A husband irked by his wife's loud chewing noises calls in for advice, and Cooks Illustrated's Dan Souza tells us how science can help get ketchup out of the bottle. Today's sponsors: Go to Store.Benjerry.com to have new Moo-Phoria Light Ice Cream delivered to you. Go to BobsRedMill.com to explore their huge range of products and recipes.

Dan travels through time in search of a coconut cake. Today's sponsors: Go to BobsRedMill.com to explore their huge range of products and recipes. Go to Store.Benjerry.com to have new Moo-Phoria Light Ice Cream delivered to you.

A chef working in the US as an undocumented immigrant cooks to stay connected to her home. But what happens when food isn't enough to bridge the distance? Today's sponsors: Go to BobsRedMill.com to explore their huge range of products and recipes. Go to SunBasket.com/Sporkful to get $35 off your first order. Go to ThirdLove.com/Sporkful to get 15% off your first purchase.

Alan and Arlene Alda have been married for 61 years, and food has been a big part of how they communicate since the night they met. In this week's show, they talk about using food to communicate in their relationship, in geopolitics, and at dinner parties. Plus they give Dan some marriage advice. Today's sponsors: Go to BobsRedMill.com to explore their huge range of products and recipes. Go to FirstLeaf.com/Sporkful to get three bottles of wine for $15 (plus free shipping). Go to MichelinMan...

Famed football announcer Howard Cosell played an unlikely role in popularizing nachos, as we learn this week when Dan sits down with his old friend Mike Pesca, host of The Gist podcast at Slate. And Mike rants about restaurant practices that drive him nuts -- like when servers don't write down your order. Today's sponsors: Go to BenJerry.com to have Moo-Phoria Light Ice Cream delivered to you. Go to BeyondMeat.com/Sporkful to find a retailer near you. Go to BobsRedMill...

"I love pizza, but I really don't think I'm insane," says Scott Wiener of Scott's Pizza Tours, who limits his consumption to 15 slices per week, and has a Guinness World Record holding collection of 1,400 pizza boxes. Today's sponsors: Go to BeyondMeat.com/Sporkful to find a retailer near you. Go to BobsRedMill.com to explore their huge range of products and recipes. Go to UndeniablyDairy.org to learn more about the people who bring dairy to your table.

Ever waited in a crazy long line for some famous barbecue or donuts? Was it worth it? This week we visit a legendary pizzeria with a famous queue -- and talk with scientists -- to find out when a long wait makes your food taste better and when it makes it taste worse. Today's sponsors:Go to BeyondMeat.com/Sporkful to find a retailer near you. Go to BobsRedMill.com to explore their huge range of products and recipes. Go to UndeniablyDairy...