What ‘The Bear’ And ‘The Menu’ Say About Restaurant Culture

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01/09/23 • 37 min

4 Listeners

From the show about a thirst trap chef at a Chicago Italian beef joint, to a movie about a luxury restaurant planning to kill its customers, 2022 was the year of ambitious, experimental, and downright weird food TV and movies. This week, comedian and TV writer Ashley Ray (who hosts the podcast “TV I Say”) breaks down some of the most talked about food shows and movies of the past year, including The Bear, Julia, Atlanta, and The Menu. Then Chef John Benhase, who consulted on The Menu, reveals what it was like teaching Ralph Fiennes to cook on camera.

The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Tracey Samuelson, and Jared O'Connell, with additional production this week by Rachel Ward and editing by John DeLore and Abigail Keel.

Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

Previous Episode

New Year’s Food Resolutions 2023

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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 2023? All is revealed in our annual year-end spectacular. Plus we replay one of the Sporkful crew’s favorite episodes of the year, which we all loved for our guest’s combination of extreme hilarity and thoughtful storytelling... Jason Mantzoukas sees every meal as a threat. As an actor and comedian, he plays characters who are wild, intense, and wacky. But he grew up as a “boy made of glass,” because of his life threatening allergy to eggs. Dan and Jason talk about how that’s affected Jason’s comedy, and Dan comes up with a way for Jason to use his improv skills to take a break from the allergy.

The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Johanna Mayer, Tracey Samuelson, and Jared O'Connell, with editing help this week from Fernanda Aguero.

Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.

Next Episode

Gas Stoves Have Ignited A Firestorm

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This week, a federal regulator called gas stoves a “hidden hazard,” saying a ban on them was in the realm of possibility. President Biden and the Consumer Product Safety Commission quickly walked back that statement, but not before it ignited a firestorm among Republican politicians. So why the big kerfuffle over gas stoves? In 2021, we investigated the debate over gas vs. electric stoves, including the ad campaigns that have fueled it for over a century. While more people in the U.S. today have electric, gas stoves have won the battle for prestige — chefs prefer it. Now, as the gas stove is at the center of a much bigger fight about climate change and public health, gas companies are using the gas stove to try to ensure their future. Sporkful producer Andres O’Hara explains, then tries to convince Dan, a gas stove loyalist, to try a different way of cooking.

Correction: Due to an error, we misstated when the federal regulator commented on gas stoves. It was this week, on January 9, 2023, not last week. We have edited the episode to reflect this correction.

This episode originally aired on June 28, 2021. The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O'Hara, Tracey Samuelson, and Jared O'Connell.

Transcript available at www.sporkful.com.