Not From Concentrate

Does ice cream really need a job beyond being delicious? Dan Pashman, host of The Sporkful and inventor of cascatelli pasta, joins Catherine to make the case for pleasure as a perfectly good reason to eat—and explain how he turns his food obsessions into projects he actually finishes. We talk about following your curiosity without chasing every idea, getting through the middle of a project when the excitement wears off, and why Dan’s seemingly sprawling career comes down to doing one thing at a time. He also shares how six layoffs in eight years led him to start The Sporkful, and why he’s more interested in making something that lasts than going viral. Plus: grilled chicken thighs that do double duty for dinner and lunch, duck-fat tortillas worth ordering by mail, a spirited disagreement about Jack and Coke, and the annual White Castle party at Dan’s house. In this episode: Why Dan hates the term “functional food” Hyperfocus, outside deadlines, and finishing what you start What inventing a pasta shape taught him about playing the long game His approach to family dinners, leftovers, and build-your-own meals Making the kitchen less chaotic before you start cooking Dan’s advice as Not From Concentrate approaches its first anniversary Find Dan on Instagram @thesporkful, listen to The Sporkful wherever you get your podcasts, and look for his cascatelli pasta from Sfoglini. Enjoyed this conversation? Share it with a friend who loves food and has a busy brain.

A jar of Korean barbecue marinade in the fridge can take dinner in a lot of directions: short ribs, chicken, tofu, even mushrooms. Chef Ji Hye Kim joins Catherine to talk about bringing those big flavors into your home kitchen, and why getting started is easier than you might think. Ji Hye is the chef behind Miss Kim and Little Kim in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She shares the pantry staples she keeps on hand, a flexible approach to Korean barbecue, and how learning one vegetable preparation can open up a whole farmers market’s worth of possibilities. We also get into what Korean Buddhist temple cooking has taught her about paying attention without getting hung up on perfection, how her mother’s cooking and centuries-old cookbooks shape her menus, and her path from an office job to restaurant ownership through Zingerman’s. Plus: why good systems make room for creativity, and when the most useful thing anyone in a busy kitchen can say is “take five.” In this episode: The Korean pantry essentials: soy sauce, gochujang, doenjang, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. A mix-and-match barbecue marinade for meat, tofu, and mushrooms. How to turn the vegetables you have into banchan. The difference between thoughtful adaptation and chasing a food trend. Korean temple food, cooking with care, and letting go of the perfect ingredient list. Building a restaurant where feedback, asking for help, and taking time off are part of the culture. Subscribe to the Not From Concentrate newsletter for Ji Hye’s recipe, and share this episode with a busy-brained friend who loves Korean food.

What do a perfect cookie, your mom’s cooking, and a song you can’t stop listening to have in common? This week, I’m joined by musician Hrishikesh Hirway, creator of Song Exploder and co-host of Home Cooking with Samin Nosrat. We talk about the chole and puri he requested for every birthday, the mango pie mishap that inspired an ice cream collaboration with Salt & Straw, and why he once asked a baker to make thousands of cookies for a live audience. We also get into the complicated business of making things you care about: how interviewing successful musicians fed his own writer’s block, what brought him back to songwriting, and how he’s learning to separate the value of his work from its reception. His album, In the Last Hour of Light, opens up a conversation about grief, family, and the stories we want to tell. Plus: the chocolate chip cookie on his backstage rider, why he resists following recipes, and the little glass bowls helping him bring some order to his kitchen. We get into: Growing up in Peabody, Massachusetts, with a food scientist dad and a mom whose cooking kept his friends coming back. Keeping food memories alive when you can’t quite recreate the dish. “Cookie Exploder,” and how Samin helped him pitch his first food story. Finding his way back to music after years of writer’s block. Making meaningful work without knowing whether it will be a hit. Cooking to audiobooks, improvising dinner, and slowing down enough to clean as you go. Find Hrishikesh and his projects: Website: https://hrishikesh.co/ Newsletter, Accept Cookies: https://hrishikesh.substack.com/ Album: In the Last Hour of Light Enjoyed this conversation? Share it with a friend or leave a review wherever you listen, it helps more people find Not From Concentrate.

What takes a cook from scrubbing chowder pots and working at Olive Garden to winning a James Beard Award? For chef Evan Hennessey, the path led through some of the country’s most acclaimed kitchens — and back home to Dover, New Hampshire. This week, I’m joined by the chef behind Stages at One Washington, The Living Room, and Topolino to talk about building a tiny tasting-menu restaurant in his hometown, finding inspiration in New England’s farms and fisheries, and why great food doesn’t require a big-city address. We also get into the busy brain behind the plates: how Evan experiences hyperfocus, what rock climbing brings to his cooking, and how six years without alcohol changed his life inside and outside the kitchen. Plus, what he actually cooks for his family, and a reassuring reminder for anyone feeling overwhelmed at the stove: you can turn the burner down. It’s just dinner. In this episode: From the dish pit to fine dining—and why Evan came home to New Hampshire. How keeping Stages small gave him room to build something ambitious. Finding new possibilities in familiar, seasonal ingredients. Hyperfocus, intricate plating, and knowing when to step back. Sobriety, fatherhood, and finding creative inspiration outside. Simple dinners at home with a Dutch oven and farm-stand ingredients. Learning to celebrate a major win instead of immediately getting back to work.

What makes a recipe work — and when is an extra step actually worth the effort? This week, I’m joined by Laura Manzano, the recipe tester behind my forthcoming cookbook, Not From Concentrate. Laura grew up working in her dad’s restaurants, honed her skills in the Martha Stewart test kitchens, and built a freelance career helping cookbook authors make their recipes clearer, more reliable, and better suited to the people cooking them. We go behind the scenes of my cookbook to talk about what recipe testing actually involves, why fewer dishes matter, and the challenge of writing recipes for people who love food but don’t have unlimited time or attention. We also compare notes on working with ADHD, building structure into a creative career, and giving yourself permission to work when your brain works best. We get into: How Laura went from restaurant kitchens and food styling to testing entire cookbooks. What a recipe tester catches beyond missing ingredients and seasoning adjustments. When detailed instructions help—and when they get in the way. Writing down your process so you don’t have to reinvent it every time. Being realistic about time, resisting the urge to overpromise, and finding your own working hours. Why collaboration has been my favorite part of making this book. Find Laura on Instagram at @laurammanzano and read her Substack, Laura’s Dinner. Preorder the Not From Concentrate cookbook: geni.us/NotFromConcentrate For recipes, episode updates, and more, subscribe to my newsletter. Send questions, feedback, or guest suggestions to [email protected]. Not From Concentrate is distributed by PRX and produced by Catherine Smart, with audio and video production by Kevin O’Connell. Our associate producer is Allie Miller, and the theme music is by Kylie Dailey