Best Laurie Woolever Podcasts (2025)

1
A Conversation With Laurie Woolever 45:06

Play Pause

26d ago45:06

45:06

Laurie Woolever was chef Mario Batali’s assistant at a time when his hit restaurant Babbo was attracting celebrity diners vying for reservations. Then she spent almost a decade working for Anthony Bourdain. Woolever made haircut appointments for the TV host in New York and she found places in Singapore or Mumbai where Bourdain could practice Brazil…

1
Dan Savage Recommends A Polyeaterous Lifestyle (Reheat) 28:53

1d ago28:53

28:53

What should you cook for breakfast the morning after? How can couples share power in the kitchen without driving each other crazy? We talk food and relationships with Dan Savage, who writes the sex advice column Savage Love and hosts the podcast Savage Lovecast. This episode originally aired on February 4, 2019, and was produced by Dan Pashman, Ann…

1
Who is the EA Behind Maven Recruiting Group’s CEO and REACH Podcast Host, Jessica Vann?! 1:09:26

20h ago1:09:26

1:09:26

In this episode of REACH, we sit down with Sarah Duncan, Executive Assistant to Maven Recruiting Group’s Founder & CEO, Jessica Vann. With over two years of partnership under their belt, Sarah has been instrumental in helping Jessica balance the demands of running a company with the realities of family life and personal pursuits. From managing clie…

1
Samin Nosrat and the Very Nerdy Socks 1:01:39

2d ago1:01:39

1:01:39

Samin Nosrat has changed the way so many of us think about food, cooking, and connection. You may know her as the bestselling author of Salt Fat Acid Heat, her joyful Netflix series of the same name, or her wildly popular podcast Home Cooking. But in this conversation, she goes far beyond recipes. Samin opens up about growing up as a book-loving ou…

1
How Long Should You Wait For The First Bite? 44:07

5d ago44:07

44:07

Dan Pelosi and Negin Farsad join Dan to settle your food disputes! One couple can’t agree on when they should take the first bite of a meal: when the food is fresh and piping hot, or once they’re sitting down at the table? Another couple struggles over how to reheat leftovers to maximize flavor and minimize mess. Plus, our guests share their hottes…

1
Uta Hagen in the Summer 1:03:23

5d ago1:03:23

1:03:23

Andy Corren is the author of Dirtbag Queen: A Memoir of My Mother. Buy it from Bookshop.org. Buy Laurie's memoir, Care and Feeding. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
The Sporkful Dating Game! (Reheat) 32:58

8d ago32:58

32:58

Could listening to The Sporkful be the fertile soil out of which true love grows? We put out the call for Sporkful listeners looking for love, and hundreds of you responded. This week, we listen in on two blind Zoom dates that resulted from our extremely unscientific matchmaking. Is The Sporkful enough of a spark to ignite a grease fire of passion …

1
A Conversation with Kenneth Cole 34:18

9d ago34:18

34:18

Footwear runs in the family. Kenneth Cole’s father had a shoe manufacturing company in Brooklyn. Cole’s brand is also known for the social issues he embraces, from combating HIV/AIDS to calling attention to the stigma of mental illness. The new documentary A Man with Sole looks at how Cole’s company took off after he parked a trailer in front of th…

1
Regina King and the Wine That Stops Time 47:39

9d ago47:39

47:39

You know Regina King from her decades of extraordinary performances — from her teenage roles on the sitcom 227 and the movie Friday to Watchmen, The Leftovers, The Boondocks, If Beale Street Could Talk, and so many more. But a conversation at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen showed a different side of the Oscar-winning actress: the daughter, the si…

1
On The Hunt For The Elusive Pawpaw 38:48

13d ago38:48

38:48

An email from Sara Bir set us off on an adventure. She’s an author and recipe developer who’s obsessed with pawpaws, the largest fruit native to North America. “Pawpaws are tricky in the kitchen,” Sara wrote to us. “You can't buy them in stores. Occasionally they cause people to vomit. But pawpaws are truly beguiling, reminiscent of tropical fruit …

1
How To Be The Best Dinner Party Guest (Live) 31:22

15d ago31:22

31:22

Casey Elsass is known as the “cookbook doula” because he’s helped birth nearly 20 cookbooks, as a ghostwriter or co-writer. Now, Casey has published his very first solo cookbook, What Can I Bring? Recipes To Help You Live Your Guest Life, about how to be the best guest at a dinner party. “If you're always on time, bring appetizers. If you're reliab…

1
Ayesha Curry and the 5 Night a Week Pineapple Fried Rice 49:37

16d ago49:37

49:37

2025 Food & Wine Game Changer Ayesha Curry is such a surprise of a human being. On paper, it's natural to wonder how someone can be an actress, cookbook author, restaurateur, founder of a skincare line and lifestyle brand, winemaker, and co-creator of a foundation that helps kids get fed in a million different ways. But as soon as she starts talkin…

1
We Invent An Ice Cream Sandwich 40:32

20d ago40:32

40:32

For years, Dan has kept a Google Doc of ideas for ice cream flavors and ice cream sandwiches. But nobody asked him for it. Then, the folks at Heap’s Ice Cream in Brooklyn asked Dan to collaborate on the ice cream sandwich of his dreams. We get an inside look at the whole process with Heap’s cofounder Sarah Sanneh, from Dan’s pitch of fried plantain…

1
From Flurry To Blizzard: Ranking Weather-Themed Desserts With A Meteorologist (Reheat) 24:50

22d ago24:50

24:50

There are a lot of desserts named after severe weather phenomena, but not all of them are created equal. We asked Tornado Alley's top meteorologist, Gary England, to help us rank some of these desserts, based on the severity of the weather they are named for. In addition to Gary England's dessert rankings, this episode includes a conversation Paul …

1
Antoni Porowski and the Right Time to Leave a Party 46:55

23d ago46:55

46:55

"Queer Eye" and "No Taste Like Home" star Antoni Porowski joins Tinfoil Swans live at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen for a heartfelt and humorous conversation about identity, vulnerability, and finding meaning through food. He opens up about his path from actor and caterer to TV host and storyteller, the emotional layers of cooking, navigating fa…

1
Brain Types & High Performance: Unlocking the Strategies to Achieve High-Performance and How to Read your Executive 1:07:28

26d ago1:07:28

1:07:28

In this episode of REACH, we’re joined by longtime friend of the Maven community and executive coach, Michael “Coop” Cooper. With over 20 years of experience coaching executives and teams, Coop specializes in helping organizations align, collaborate, and perform at their highest potential. His work spans leadership accelerators, team alignment work…

1
2 Chefs And A Lie: Normal Gossip Edition 45:28

27d ago45:28

45:28

We’re back with our annual game show: Two Chefs And A Lie! But this year, things are a bit different. Dan isn’t playing — he’s the emcee! And our contestant is Rachelle Hampton, host of the podcast Normal Gossip. The game, however, remains the same: Rachelle talks with three guests. Two of them are real chefs, one is an impostor. Rachelle can ask e…

1
Marc Maron’s Drug Of Choice Is Sausage Gravy And Biscuits (Reheat) 23:10

29d ago23:10

23:10

Dan and WTF host Marc Maron have been arguing about eating for over a decade. This week they revisit old feuds and start news ones, sparring over temperature contrast in sandwiches, the merits of melon balls, and whether the high from sausage gravy is worth the food shame-induced crash. This episode originally aired on November 30, 2014, and was pr…

1
Caroline Calloway & Elizabeth Wurtzel's Guide to Unknowable Fathers 1:53:12

1M ago1:53:12

1:53:12

Literary It girl Caroline Calloway joins Erin Hosier and Elizabeth Thompson to talk about her father's tragic suicide amidst her viral public shaming in 2019, her obsession with the late Prozac Nation memoirist and Gen X agent of chaos Elizabeth Wurtzel (who Erin knew well as EW's first assistant in 1999), and the generational legacies left by thei…

1
Tristen Epps and the Scrambled Egg Revelation 56:04

1M ago56:04

56:04

Growing up in a military family, Tristen Epps moved around a lot. But no matter where he was living, Friday nights were sacred. He got to dress up, go to a restaurant, not order from a kids menu, and feel like he was getting to know the place he was living — for now. At home, when his mom taught him to scramble an egg, he was mesmerized by the alch…

1
Are Carbs In Europe Better For You? 46:40

1M ago46:40

46:40

Some people say that when they eat pasta in the US it makes them feel like garbage, but when they eat it in Italy they feel great. Is that legit? What does the science say? Also, why is the food at many tony restaurants so mediocre? And should you stop eating bagged salad greens? We dig into these questions and more in this edition of the Salad Spi…

1
This Podcast Contains MSG (Reheat) 32:54

1M ago32:54

32:54

Fifty years after the panic about "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome" began, we explore how faulty science and perceptions of race and class contributed to the making of a food myth that persists today. And we tell you how to make the best Bloody Mary ever. This episode originally aired on January 6, 2018, and was produced by Dan Pashman and Anne Saini, …

1
From EA to Co-Founder: How a 17-Year Partnership Built Trust, Leadership and Opportunity 52:54

1M ago52:54

52:54

In this episode, we’re joined by longtime EA-turned-cofounder Michelle Czarnik, whose 17-year partnership with her executive led to the launch of BOXMEDIA.io, a mission-driven storytelling platform. Michelle shares what it takes to build a high-trust, long-term EA partnership, one that evolves from support to strategic collaboration, and how that t…

1
Chris Shepherd and the Hot Dog Pizza 57:08

1M ago57:08

57:08

Growing up in Oklahoma, school was not Chris Shepherd's thing. Traditional classrooms just aren't the right fit for some brains — but it turned out that restaurants were. In junior college, he picked up a job as a dishwasher at a sushi restaurant and on the day the tempura guy didn't show up, his culinary journey began. The 2013 Food & Wine Best Ne…

1
A Conversation with Maira Kalman (Re-Release) 46:43

1M ago46:43

46:43

Maira Kalman is one of those multi-talented people. She writes children’s stories and books for adults. She’s also a contributor to the New York Times, creates covers for the New Yorker and sets for operas. Her latest book, Still Life with Remorse, includes family stories, paintings and vignettes about historical figures like Leo Tolstoy and Franz …

1
The Aleppo Sandwich Updated (Pt 3) 37:00

1M ago37:00

37:00

Today, we have an update on one of our most popular Sporkful episodes ever, about a beloved sandwich shop in Aleppo, Syria, and an exiled aid worker named Shadi Martini. When the brutal regime of Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad fell last December, we got back in touch with Shadi. Earlier this year, after 12 years in exile, he returned to Aleppo, an…

1
The Aleppo Sandwich Updated (Pt 2) 27:53

1M ago27:53

27:53

When we left off, Shadi Martini was getting increasingly worried that his efforts to help those targeted by the Syrian regime would be discovered. A doctor who was known to treat protestors had been arrested and tortured. Shadi took it as a message – someone was telling him to stop. But he didn’t stop. Instead, he started doing a lot more. This is …

1
Run the Jewels and the Tuna Salad Battle 51:43

1M ago51:43

51:43

When Killer Mike and El-P were 10 years old, they both knew they wanted to be emcees, but it took a few decades for them to meet, form Run The Jewels, and go to war against one another over salad. The legendary rap duo joined Tinfoil Swans for a laugh-out-loud (and also cry a little) conversation about childhood meals, musical awakenings, midlife r…

1
Aatish Taseer on exile, assassination, and supernatural revelation 1:06:16

2M ago1:06:16

1:06:16

Author Aatish Taseer, whose new book A Return To Self: Excursions in Exile comes out this week, did not meet his father, Salman Taseer, the former Governor of Punjab, Pakistan until he was 21 and their relationship was, to say the least, complicated. In 2009, he wrote a book about the experience, Stranger to History, about his journey to meet his f…

1
The Aleppo Sandwich Updated (Pt 1) 27:42

2M ago27:42

27:42

Back in 2017, we aired one of our most popular Sporkful episodes ever, about a beloved sandwich shop in Aleppo, Syria. At that time, Syria was reeling from years of civil war, and the country’s leader, Bashar Al-Assad, had been brutally targeting his own citizens. Aleppo was especially hard hit. We heard about that sandwich shop and set out to find…

1
How To Eat Your Way Across Myrtle Beach 22:48

2M ago22:48

22:48

The owner of Big Mike’s Soul Food in Myrtle Beach is also a city councilman, a church deacon, and a real estate agent -- so helping people is at the core of his work. The general manager at Croissants Bistro & Bakery went to coffee school and ice cream school. At Rivertown Bistro, chef Darren Smith’s lowcountry spring rolls are so popular, they pai…

1
Wylie Dufresne and the Platonic Pizza Ideal 46:22

2M ago46:22

46:22

2001 Food & Wine Best New Chef and Stretch Pizza impresario Wylie Dufresne joins Tinfoil Swans to talk about his job lording over the ice truck at the New York Renaissance Festival, how team sports inform his work ethic, what the heck molecular gastronomy actually is, and why the pursuit of the perfect pizza dough has him so fired up. Learn more ab…

1
A Conversation With James Carville 38:25

2M ago38:25

38:25

James Carville’s nickname is The Ragin’ Cajun. He became famous when Bill Clinton hired him as his lead political strategist in 1992 and Carville helped the guy from Hope beat George H.W. Bush to become the 42nd U.S. president. Carville’s aggressive tactics are highlighted in the documentary “The War Room.” He’s also famous for being part of a coup…

1
From the Kitchen to the Page with Laurie Woolever: From Supporting Culinary Icons Batali and Bourdain to NY Times best-selling Author 1:15:12

2M ago1:15:12

1:15:12

Bridging the worlds of food, writing, and the behind-the-scenes realities of celebrity chefs, today’s guest is a true powerhouse! Laurie Woolever is best known as the longtime assistant and trusted collaborator of the legendary Anthony Bourdain. But her story stretches far beyond that role, from working as a receptionist, a private chef to a UHNW h…

1
Is Imitation Vanilla Better Than The Real Thing? 36:46

2M ago36:46

36:46

If you do the cooking, should your partner do the cleaning? Are savory oats underrated? Are broccoli stems better than the florets? This week we’re taking your calls, tackling your food disputes, and hopefully bringing some peace and resolution to your homes. Helping Dan mediate (and sharing some hot takes of their own) are Paola Velez, author of B…

1
This Hot Dog Tastes Like Home (Reheat) 29:25

2M ago29:25

29:25

We take you to two iconic hot dog joints in Detroit and New Jersey to find out what makes them special. Plus Kenji Lopez-Alt schools us on the science of deep-fried hot dogs, and Dan's parents make a special cameo. This episode originally aired on June 26, 2016, and was produced by Dan Pashman and Anne Saini, edited by Shoshana Gold, and mixed by C…

1
Ana and Lydia Castro and the Tortilla Full of Beauty 58:37

2M ago58:37

58:37

2022 Food & Wine Best New Chef Ana Castro and her sister and business partner Lydia Castro are powerhouse duo behind New Orleans' beloved Acamaya. They're not just redefining contemporary Mexican cuisine — they’re reshaping what it means to lead with vulnerability, resilience, and fierce sibling love. In this conversation they dive deep into their …

1
The Street Vendor Who Sleeps In His Van To Protect His Turf 25:22

2M ago25:22

25:22

Dan Rossi sells hot dogs in the most coveted spot for a street vendor in all of New York City – outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He’s been in this location for nearly twenty years, and he’s spent much of that time fighting politicians, public health officials, the NYPD, the Met, and other vendors to hold on to his precious location. In recen…

1
Pride 2025: A George Michael episode 26:48

2M ago26:48

26:48

It's Gay Pride (in America)! To commemorate iconic homosexual musician George Michael in the week of what would have been his 62nd birthday, and for our fifth annual Pride episode in the last week of Pride MONTH, Matt takes a look at the enduring cultural impact of George Michael's song Father Figure, and the idea that, as eminent American producer…

1
This Butcher Wants You To Eat Less Meat (Reheat) 28:37

2M ago28:37

28:37

How the (part veggie) sausage gets made...Cara Nicoletti comes from a long line of butchers, but her grandfather didn’t want her to follow in his footsteps. It’s physical work, it requires long hours, the pay isn’t great, and the path is even tougher for women. Cara went against her grandfather’s wishes anyway and became a butcher — but she hasn’t …

1
A Conversation With Larry Charles 58:22

2M ago58:22

58:22

Larry Charles is a true character. He liked to wear his pajamas to work. He was one of the original writers of Seinfeld. He also wrote and directed Curb Your Enthusiasm episodes. In between, Charles made a movie with Bob Dylan called Masked and Anonymous that was never released. He also directed Sacha Baron Cohen in Borat and Bruno where Cohen ran …

1
Encore: Guy Fieri and the Flying Mustard Jar 43:36

2M ago43:36

43:36

In our debut episode, Food & Wine's executive features editor Kat Kinsman spoke with the one and only chef Guy Fieri. He's become a household name as a restaurateur, cookbook author, host of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, Guy's Grocery Games, Tournament of Champions and more smash-hit shows — and in recent years, as a mega-philanthropist who has rai…

1
Show Us the Labubu 53:10

2M ago53:10

53:10

The one and only Helen Cho joins us to talk unboxing and Labubu. She said you can watch this one and this one and this one. This episode was edited by Alex Scott and brought to you by our Patreon friends (thank you). Follow Helen. Buy Laurie's NYT bestseller. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
How Jessica B. Harris Redefined American Food 32:45

2M ago32:45

32:45

Over more than fifty years and 16 books, Dr. Jessica B. Harris has uncovered the ways that West African food, and African American people, have fundamentally shaped American cuisine. Her seminal 2011 book, High on the Hog, brought the connection between African and American food into the culinary conversation, and led to the 2021 Netflix series of …

1
The Hidden History of Regional Burgers (Reheat) 32:25

2M ago32:25

32:25

Welcome to our summer cookout spectacular episode! We talk with renowned burger historian George Motz about the history of the hamburger, and about the wide range of regional burgers across the country, many of which are unknown outside their areas. Then we get an incredible burger recipe from Chef Jehangir Mehta, inspired by Indian street food, th…

1
REACH Hits 100! Behind the Mic & Flipping the Script on Jessica 1:31:20

2M ago1:31:20

1:31:20

🎉 We made it—100 episodes of REACH! 🎉 In this milestone episode, we're flipping the script and putting our host, Jessica Vann, in the hot seat. As Founder and CEO of Maven Recruiting Group, Jessica has spent the past 6 years bringing the voices, journeys, and insights of the EA community to life—and today, we’re turning the mic on her. Guest host A…