Your Last Meal with Rachel Belle

Latest Episodes:

Betsey Johnson: Smoked salmon with capers and plenty of lime Apr 23, 2020

Show notes

Betsey Johnson has been a fashion designer since the 1960s and her clothes are just as colorful and vivacious as the true stories in her new book, Betsey, A Memoir. From her courthouse wedding to the Velvet Underground's John Cale to years of eating nothing but Red Vines and almonds, she is the most free spirited, joyful, foul mouthed punk rock grandma the world did ever see.
Betsey is teeming with creativity, but she has no interest in channeling it into cooking. A true creature of habit, she eats the same thing, day in and day out, and prefers to dine at a restaurant each night. She's been in the habit of eating salmon two meals a day, so host Rachel Belle checked in with the world famous Pike Place Fish Market, where they sell schools of salmon and famously throw fish to the delight of a pre-quarantined cheering crowd.
Perhaps the most infamous intersection of fashion and food is the raw meat dress Lady Gaga wore to the 2010 MTV VMAs. The dress's creator, creative director Franc Fernandez, joins the show to share what cut of meat makes the best dress and how it was later preserved for eternity.
Buy Betsey's memoir! Order sustainable fish with next day delivery from Pike Place Fish Market!
Follow 'Your Last Meal' on Instagram and join the Quarantine Cooking Club, now in Week 5, where each weekend we all cook a dish inspired by the last meal of a past guest! Check out Rachel's IG to learn more. Last weekend we cooked Mexican food, the last meal of the podcast's most ridiculous guest, William Shatner.

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Judy Gold: Challah, stuffed cabbage, chocolate pudding Apr 09, 2020

Show notes

Comedian Judy Gold's email signature reads "Sent while thinking about my next meal"...but what about her last meal?! A stand-up comic for nearly 40 years, Judy won two Emmy's for writing and producing The Rosie O'Donnell Show, has countless TV acting credits and, the highest honor of all, a bagel sandwich named after her at New York City's famous, and now defunct, Carnegie Deli.
When describing her last meal, Judy speaks passionately, occasionally emitting a guttural moan of pleasure at the mere thought of one of her favorite foods. She craves a procession of comforting and sentimental dishes she grew up eating in her mother's New Jersey kitchen. Judy was raised kosher, but as an adult she's slowly welcomed forbidden foods like shellfish and bacon onto her plate.
To properly explain kosher law, host Rachel Belle welcomes Rabbi Menachen Genack to the show. He's the CEO of OU Kosher, the world's oldest and largest kosher certification agency, responsible for giving products like Heinz Ketchup and Coca Cola the official kosher stamp of approval.
Listen to Judy Gold's podcast KILL ME NOW -- Rachel Belle is her latest guest!
If you're looking for yet another reason to cook during quarantine, join the Your Last Meal Quarantine Cooking Club on Rachel's Instagram page! Each week we all cook a dish inspired by the last meal of a past guest. Week One we made spaghetti and marinara inspired by fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi, week two was mac & cheese, the last meal of "Little Women" director Greta Gerwig & celebrity librarian Nancy Pearl. What's cooking this week? Follow along on Instagram!

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The Your Last Meal Quarantine Cooking Club! Mar 26, 2020

Show notes

Hello, friends! Normally we would be releasing a new episode today. But a certain pandemic, of which we will not name, has complicated things a bit. We are still working on making new episodes, because we believe it's important to take a break from the news and spend 30 minutes talking about Lucky Charms or Banoffee Pie or Chicken Katsu, but it's just coming along a bit more slowly.
In the meantime, follow along on Instagram to join in on this weekend's Your Last Meal Quarantine Cooking Club!

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Ben Gibbard, Veggie Burrito from Taqueria Cancun Mar 12, 2020

Show notes

Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie, Postal Service) hates brunch. But heck, so did Anthony Bourdain! Host Rachel Belle explores the history of the mid-morning weekend meal and asks New Yorker writer Sadie Stein what's not to like about bottomless mimosas and Instagrammable #yolkporn.

Ben is an ultramarathon runner who runs 100 mile races and, in turn, consumes a whole lot of calories. But what (and how??) does one eat while running for 23 hours straight? Ben shares his pregnancy-level food cravings and the drink that must be present at all races to keep the runny people from rioting.

BURRITOS! We also talk about burritos! Ben's last meal takes us to the epicenter of burrito fanaticism: San Francisco's Mission District. Turns out, Ben and Rachel have been equally obsessed with the same burrito at the same taqueria for the past 20 years. And writer Gustavo Arellano, author of the book Taco USA, joins the show to share the history of the burrito.

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Guy Branum, His Mom's Peach Cobbler Feb 27, 2020

Show notes

Comedian and writer Guy Branum (Chelsea Lately, The Mindy Project) grew up on an almond farm in the northern California farming community of Yuba City, where he was forced to hunt pheasant with his dad and ate a steady diet of dishes his mom plucked from the trusty church cookbook.
The centerpiece of Guy's last meal is his mom's juicy, cakey peach cobbler, a fairly untraditional recipe that he loves so much he included it in his (decidedly not food focused) memoir, My Life As A Goddess. But what is a cobbler versus a crisp versus a buckle versus a brown Betty? Seattle pastry chef, and lifelong baker, Brittany Bardeleben (Dahlia Lounge, Dahlia Bakery) enlightens us.
Guys home town, Yuba City, CA, is the prune capitol of the world! But how did the innocent little dried plum get its not-so-savory association to grannies and staying regular? I consult the California Prune Board and food writer, and Big Time Prune Lover, Gabriella Gershenson, who urges you to give prunes a chance.
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Marco Collins, Eggs Benedict Feb 06, 2020

Show notes

Legendary radio DJ, Marco Collins, was the first disc jockey in the world to play records by Nirvana, Weezer, Beck, Pearl Jam, Garbage, and many others, when he was music director and DJ at Seattle's 107.7 The End in the '90s. Breaking these bands earned him a spot in the Rock & Rock Hall of Fame.

Marco loves breakfast, so host Rachel Belle takes a field trip to Glo's, one of Seattle's long standing diners, to try his favorite eggs Benedict and learn the secret of their hallowed hollandaise.
And everybody knows, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," but did you know that phrase was actually a marketing ploy by General Mills to get Americans to eat cold cereal in the morning? Culinary historians Ken Albala and Heather Arndt Anderson join the show to explore the fascinating history of American breakfast. And! The even more fascinating history of cereal, via the Kellogg's brothers, who believed corn flakes could curb one of the world's great evils: masturbation.
Subscribe to the podcast! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Stay in touch and follow along on Instagram!

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Gloria Gaynor, Chicken Wings Jan 23, 2020

Show notes

Forty years ago, disco queen Gloria Gaynor won a Grammy for I Will Survive, a universally relatable anthem that's still blasted and belted out at pride parades and karaoke parties and inside showers and cars the world over. Now she's back with a new album, Testimony, that's been nominated for two Grammys. Gloria grew up surrounded by good music and good food and despite being poor, neighbors would crowd around her dining room table to enjoy the humble spread and fantastic company her mother provided.
Gloria wants chicken wings for her last meal, so we dig into the history of the Buffalo wing with Anchor Bar, an 85 year old institution in Buffalo, New York. Anchor Bar's owner took a seemingly worthless chicken part and turned it into a finger lickin' snack that Americans can't get enough of, especially over Super Bowl Weekend.
Make sure you're subscribed to Your Last Meal and follow host Rachel Belle on Instagram!
For the first time in two years, Your Last Meal has space for new sponsors! To learn more, contact Tina Sorensen at tsorensen@bonneville.com

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Best of: Greta Gerwig & Molly Yeh: Funfetti! Jan 09, 2020

Show notes

Director and actor Greta Gerwig chatted with host Rachel Belle two years ago, after her award winning coming-of-age film Lady Bird came out. Now she's back with a new movie, the Louisa May Alcott classic Little Women, so we decided to spruce up the old episode and re-release it, nice and fresh and funky for 2020.
When it comes to food, Greta has a soft spot for sentimental childhood favorites, including the ubiquitous 1990s birthday party staple: boxed Pillsbury Funfetti cake.
But some folks are, ahem, thinking outside the box. Molly Yeh, host of Food Network's Girl Meets Farm, tirelessly recipe tested nine different types of sprinkles and three cake batters to perfect her homemade 'sprinkle cake.' She chronicled her journey on her popular blog, My Name Is Yeh, and joins the show to talk all things sprinkles...including how to make your own.
Follow along on Instagram, and feel free to email host Rachel Belle anytime (any hour! any day!) at rbelle@bonneville.com with your feedback, stories, and guest suggestions! We would love to hear from you.

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Unorthodox Podcast: Friendly's Fishamajig, Ben's Kosher Deli & Israeli Schnitzel Dec 26, 2019

Show notes

It's Hanukkah, friends! And in an attempt to build a human menorah, host Rachel Belle invited Mark Oppenheimer, Stephanie Butnick and Liel Leibovitz into the studio, hosts of the world's leading Jewish podcast, Unorthodox! (We are still five "candles" short, if you know anyone). Together, we attempt to tackle the most important Jewish food topics of our time: is it more Jewish to wrap your leftovers in tin foil or plastic wrap? Is it a good idea to blend schnitzel and Israeli salad into a savory smoothie? And the most shocking topic of all: are bagels even a Jewish food anymore?
Food writer and cookbook author, Leah Koenig joins the show to share the history of bagels, cream cheese and lox in America. And we revisit the biggest bagel scandal of 2019, the tweet that rocked the nation: Bagelgate! A couple of St Louis food writers weigh in on the St Louis tradition of "bread slicing" bagels.
All this and, of course, the last meal reveals of Mark, Stephanie and Liel!

Buy Mark, Liel & Stephanie’s new book, The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia!

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Alison Roman, Slice of New York Pizza Dec 05, 2019

Show notes

Alison Roman is everywhere these days. She's been zipping around the world promoting her new, New York Times best selling cookbook, Nothing Fancy, never without her signature orange-red lips and matching nail polish. Opinionated and sassy, with a penchant for lemons and anchovies and a fuss-free approach to cooking, the Internet goes absolutely wild for a Roman recipe. Honestly. Just Google 'The Cookie' or 'The Stew.' I'll wait.
And how many times have you heard someone say, "It's the water!" while trying to justify why pizza and bagels are only at their peak deliciousness within the boundaries of New York City? Well, turns out this is not an urban legend. Paul Errigo owns New York Watermaker, a company that can convert any tap water in the world into New York City tap water. He did it for Tony D'Aiuto, a New York City restaurateur who struggled to produce high quality pies when he tried to open a pizzeria in Los Angeles. Pizzerias, bagel shops and bakeries in 30 American cities are using this technology. It. Is. Fascinating.
Make sure and follow host Rachel Belle on Instagram & subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening to this!

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