Your Last Meal with Rachel Belle
YOUR LAST MEAL is a James Beard Award finalist for best podcast hosted by National Edward R. Murrow award-winning reporter, cookbook author and Cascade PBS TV host Rachel Belle. Each episode Rachel asks a celebrity (Greta Gerwig, Jonathon Van Ness, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Margaret Cho, Alton Brown, Isaac Mizrahi, Ani DiFranco, Iron & Wine, etc) what they would choose to eat for their last meal. Then she uncovers the history, science and culture of these dishes with everyone from the designer who created Lady Gaga's meat dress to the ice cream scientists at Ben & Jerry's.
D’Arcy Carden: McDonald’s French Fries (Re-Air)
If there is a new TV show or movie, D'Arcy Carden is probably in it! She stars in the new show The Five-Star Weekend and many others like Barry, The Handmaid’s Tale, A League of Their Own, Broad City and the show that kicked off her career, her first big role, playing Janet on The Good Place.
But Rachel has known D’Arcy since college, so they do a little walk down memory lane! D’Arcy shares some behind-the-scenes tidbits on how food props worked on The Good Place and they bond over a shared love for a B...
The Leftovers with David Sedaris
This week on "The Leftovers," never-before-heard audio from bestselling, award-winning humor writer David Sedaris, to celebrate his new book of essays, "The Land and Its People."
David tells me:
What snacks he stops for on his daily 10+ mile walks About the incredible, homemade dessert his husband makes for his birthday The type of person he loves to share a meal with Where to find the best doughnut in New York City Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal with David Sedaris here. Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media! Watch Rachel’s Casca...David Sedaris: Mom's Manicotti
Bestselling author David Sedaris has been writing our favorite funny books for more than 30 years, and his newest book of essays is called "The Land and Its People."
David tells me:
Then I chat with Sarah Masoni at...
The Leftovers with Grace Potter
This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from 4x Grammy-nominated artist Grace Potter!
Grace talks about:
Her disdain for wet foods and her high tolerance for dry ones! Her favorite diner foods, as a touring musician who stops at a lot of them! What she prefers to eat instead of sweets! Her deep love for Gilligan's Island! And more! Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal with Grace Potter here. Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media! Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle. Sign up for Rache...Grace Potter: A Flight of Pastas
Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and musician Grace Potter grew up in a tiny Vermont mountain town with hippie artist parents who encouraged her and her siblings to live highly creative lives!
Grace tells me about:
The most ambitious cooking she's done on a tour bus The food that is currently banned from the tour bus! The meal that turned her chips & dip loving son into a restaurant appreciator at age seven The story behind her childhood kitchen table Her favorite road trip snack And lots more!Then we meet a British chef who cooks intricate meals in...
The Leftovers with Lukas Nelson
This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from award-winning singer-songwriter Lukas Nelson!
Lukas talks about:
The unusual way he got over his fear of flying. His favorite restaurants in Maui and Austin, Texas -- the two places he splits his time. Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal with Lukas Nelson here. Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media! Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle. Sign up for Rachel’s (free!) biweekly Cascade PBS newsletter for more food musings. Follow along on Instagram. Order Rachel’s cookbook OpeLukas Nelson: Venison Leg with Chimichurri
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lukas Nelson descends from country music royalty: his dad is Willie Nelson! Lukas' new record is called American Romance.
Lukas tells host Rachel Belle about:
Growing up on a tour bus, crisscrossing the country with his family. His love for Americana diners, as someone who is on the road touring up to 250 days a year. How he likes his eggs cooked, and how challenging it can be to get them right. Regenerative farming in Austin, Texas and deer hunting on Maui. And so much more!Then Rachel chats with America's most-published diner expert...
The Leftovers with Sarah McLachlan
This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from award-winning singer-songwriter, and Lilith Fair founder, Sarah McLachlan!
Sarah talks about:
Why she wouldn't put on another, modern day Lilith Fair Her favorite farmer's market Her favorite ice cream flavor, as someone with a hit song called "Ice Cream" And more! Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal with Sarah McLachlan here. Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media! Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle. Sign up for Rachel’s (free!) biweekly Cascade PBS newsletter for more food musings...Sarah McLachlan: Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner
She created Lilith Fair! She's sold more than 40 million albums! She's a 90s music icon, but her new album “Better Broken” just won Adult Contemporary Album of the Year at the JUNO Awards (Canada's version of the Grammy’s)!
Sarah McLachlan tells me:
About the cookbook she wrote in the 90s, and what recipes she still makes today! The story behind her Writer's Block Oatmeal Raisin Cookies! Which food her daughters say she made way too much when they were kids! How many times a year she eats a Thanksgiving dinner! About the homemade "pig's breakfast" Green...The Leftovers with Hannah Dasher
This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from Hannah Dasher, country music star and author of the new cookbook, Stand By Your Pan!
Hannah talks about:
Why sooo many country singers have written cookbooks! Chocolate gravy - it's a thing! Why she has 9 recipes that start with "Getcho man" in her cookbook. The difference between food in Georgia (where she grew up) and food in Nashville (where she lives now). Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal with Hannah Dasher here! Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media! Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS...Hannah Dasher: Eight-Layer Yellow Cake with Fudge Icing
Hannah Dasher is a country music star and author of the new cookbook Stand By Your Pan, named after her super popular cooking videos enjoyed by her millions of TikTok and Instagram followers.
Hannah’s house in Nashville is a 1970s time capsule and her kitchen is an avocado green dream, stocked with nostalgic, vintage cookware, including the Tupperware so many of our moms bought at parties.
It's Tupperware's 80th birthday, and the iconic plastic bowls, not to mention the Tupperware parties, found their place in the American Zeitgeist thanks to a woman named Brownie Wise...
The Leftovers with Jay Duplass
This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from filmmaker, writer and actor Jay Duplass!
Jay shares:
Where he buys his favorite birthday cake -- he's been getting the exact same one since childhood! The two movies he's seen the most, that he can watch over and over again. The coolest movie theater in the world! Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal with Jay Duplass here. Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media! Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle. Sign up for Rachel’s (free!) biweekly Cascade...Jay Duplass: Mom's Lasagna
Director, producer, writer and filmmaker Jay Duplass is from New Orleans, therefore he sprinkles Tony Chachere’s seasoning on everything, from lasagna to his "white guy huevos rancheros."
Jay tells me:
What foods he gave out to hungry hikers when he was a trail angel on the Pacific Crest Trail The best condiment packets to steal from gas stations The worst healthy, hippie food his parents served him growing up What he ate when he was a struggling filmmaker in Austin, TexasAnd I chat with Barry and Sandy Mann, who are perhaps the most fa...
The Leftovers with Melissa Etheridge
This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from Oscar, Grammy and Juno award-winning singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge!
Melissa shares:
What it was like writing her new album, "Rise," after the death of her son. Her favorite, indulgent dessert in L.A. How she ended up marrying her best friend and more! Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal with Melissa Etheridge here. Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media! Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle. Sign up for Rachel’s (free!) biweekly Cascade PBS newsletter for more food mu...Melissa Etheridge: Catfish Tacos
Oscar, Grammy and Juno award-winning artist, Melissa Etheridge, started playing with an adult band when she was just 12 years old and this year she released her 17th album, "Rise."
Melissa tells host Rachel Belle:
Her favorite stoner snacks (And which celebrity she'd like to smoke pot with!) About her mom's "angry dinners" growing up in Kansas Her tradition of eating at women-owned restaurants when she's on the road with her wife, Linda How she met her best friends, the owners of Cathy's Kitchen in Ferguson, MissouriThen Cathy and Jerome Jenkins, owners of Cathy's Kitchen...
The Leftovers with John Cameron Mitchell
This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from John Cameron Mitchell, writer, director and star of Hedwig and the Angry Inch; the cult film is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year!
John shares:
His favorite UK candies His skincare routine -- he has amazing skin! and more!Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal with John Cameron Mitchell here.
Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media! Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle. Sign up for Rachel’s (free!) biweekly Cascade PBS newsletter for more food musi...John Cameron Mitchell: Pan-Asian Omakase
It’s the 25th anniversary of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, one of host Rachel Belle’s Top 5 Favorite Films of All Time! Today we get to hear from the man who wrote, directed and starred in the film, and played Hedwig on Broadway, John Cameron Mitchell! You may also know John from his roles in Shrill and Girls.
John talks about his fraught relationship with food as a youth, digestive issues that completely vanished after he came out as gay and moved to New York City. He tells Rachel who the Hedwig character was based on, and w...
The Leftovers with Hrishikesh Hirway
This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from Hrisihikesh Hirway, musician and prolific podcast host and producer!
Hrisihi shares:
His favorite places to get delicious, vegan fast food The show he watches when he wants comfort & what he likes to eat while he watches it and more!Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal with Hrisihikesh Hirway here.
Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media! Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle. Sign up for Rachel’s (free!) biweekly Cascade PBS newsletter for more food musings...Hrishikesh Hirway: Pav Bhaji & Mom's Mango Pie
Your ears are in for a treat -- this week they'll be graced by the velveteen voice of Hrishikesh Hirway! Hrishikesh is a prolific podcaster & he hosts and produces many, including my favorite food podcast of all time, Home Cooking, co-hosted by past Your Last Meal guest, Samin Nosrat, and the excellent music podcast, Song Exploder, that was turned into a Netflix show. He's also a musician and his new album is out now!
Hrishikesh tells host Rachel Belle:
How his lifelong cookie obsession began About his mom's mango pie, which has been featured in the N...The Leftovers with Eve Plumb
This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from Eve Plumb, the actor who played Jan Brady on The Brady Bunch!
After spending most of her life in southern California, Eve moved to New York City and in this week's lightning round, she talks about the food she misses most from her home state.
Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal with Eve Plumb here.
Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media! Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle. Sign up for Rachel’s (free!) biweekly Cascade...Eve Plumb: Spaghetti with American Cheese
Eve Plumb was 10 years old when she landed the role of Jan Brady, the middle daughter on The Brady Bunch, and now she's sharing what was going on behind-the-scenes in her new memoir, Happiness Included: Jan Brady and Beyond.
The night Eve got the part, in 1969, her parents took her out for a celebratory dinner at Martoni’s, a martini-soaked, Italian-American Hollywood hot spot popular with folks in the music industry. Los Angeles culinary historian Katherine Spiers spills the tea on all the juicy Martoni’s celebrity gossip and tells host Rachel Belle which unsuspecting dish was all...
The Leftovers with Dawn Richard
This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from Dawn Richard, singer; animator and Adult Swim creative consultant and owner of Papa Ted’s vegan food truck in New Orleans.
In a lightning round, Dawn talks about graduating from college at the same time as her dad and her grandma, which food celebrity she admires most and how she finds a way to "New Orleansify" everything she cooks!
Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal with Dawn Richard here.
Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media!
Watch Rachel’s Cascade...
Dawn Richard: New Orleans Crawfish Boil
Dawn Richard is a proud New Orleans native and a true Renaissance Woman: singer; animator and Adult Swim creative consultant and owner of Papa Ted’s vegan food truck in New Orleans.
Dawn went vegan back in 2013, in solidarity with her dad after he received a non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis. She talks about getting naked for PETA, the ethical intentionality behind her food truck and what (not-vegan) food she misses the most but will never eat again.
Then we crack into the history & explore the culture of what is, perhaps, New Orleans’ oldest food tradition: crawfish! Food h...
The Leftovers with M. Ward
This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from singer-songwriter and guitarist M. Ward.
In this week’s lightning round, Ward talks about his favorite American cities to get an amazing Mexican meal and what holiday dessert he'd prefer to have on his birthday.
Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal with M. Ward here.
Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media!
Watch Rachel’s Cascade PBS TV show The Nosh with Rachel Belle.
Sign up for Rachel’s (free!) biweekly Cascade PBS newsletter for more food musin...
M. Ward: Chile Rellenos
Singer-songwriter and guitarist M. Ward is also half of She & Him (with volcalist Zooey Deschanel) and a member of the indie supergroup Monsters of Folk. And I don't know how to tell him that he may never have his last meal ever again - the restaurant that makes the dish shut down late last year!
M. Ward's last meal comes from Tucson, Arizona, one of only two UNESCO Cities of Gastronomy in the United States. What does that mean? What makes Tucson's food scene so special? You're about to find out!
Ward also shares why he...
The Leftovers with Karen Akunowicz
This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from Karen Akunowicz, James Beard Award winning chef, Top Chef contestant & chef/owner of Boston’s Fox & the Knife and Bar Vulpe.
In this week’s lightning round, Karen talks about the surprising rules and regulations of opening a restaurant in an airport; what her favorite restaurant in Boston is and where to get the world's best carrot cake.
Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal with Karen Akunowicz here!
Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media!
Watch Rachel’s Cascade PB...
Chef Karen Akunowicz: A Maine Lobster Meal
Chef Karen Akunowicz is a Northeast gal through and through. The James Beard Award winning Top Chef alum is chef-owner of Boston’s Bar Vulpe and Fox and the Knife, named best new restaurant in America in 2019 by Food & Wine Magazine, Eater and USA Today. And her last meal is sun-drenched and summery, enjoyed on the deck of her favorite Maine seafood restaurant, overlooking sparkly water and the Five Islands.
Karen tells host Rachel Belle what it’s like raising a bougie, foodie toddler; ranks French fry shapes from best to worst; tells the story of how she f...
The Leftovers with Padma Lakshmi
This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from Padma Lakshmi, Emmy nominated TV host, executive producer, best-selling author and activist. Padma hosted Top Chef for 17 years and her brand new show, America’s Culinary Cup, recently premiered on CBS.
In this week’s lightning round, Padma talks about how she decides whether to eat the food fans bring her at meet-and-greet events; what she ate as a 16-year-old teenager in Los Angeles; what the ultimate New York City food is and her perfect birthday dessert.
Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal with Padma L...
Padma Lakshmi: Thai Green Curry
After leaving Top Chef after a 17-year run as Emmy-nominated host and executive producer, Padma Lakshmi vowed to never host another food competition show again. She created and hosted Taste the Nation, an exploration of American food through the lens of immigrant and indigenous communities, continued to write cookbooks (Padma’s All American is her latest) and do activist work for the ACLU and UN.
But last week, her new culinary competition show America’s Culinary Cup premiered on CBS! Why did she break her vow? You’ll have to listen to find out!
Padma and host...
Jack Johnson: Sauteed Vegetables in 1997 (Re-Air)
This week, we are re-airing one of my favorite episodes with singer-songwriter, surfer and filmmaker Jack Johnson! This interview was extra special, because it was exactly 20 years after the first time I interviewed Jack, when I was a budding, baby reporter, writing for an alt-weekly in my college town, and his music career was just getting started.
Jack is an environmentalist and he tells me the great lengths he takes to reduce waste at venues and how he supports local farms when he's out on tour.
Zero Waste Chef, Anne Marie Bonneau, joins the show to...
The Leftovers with Yotam Ottolenghi
This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from Yotam Ottolenghi, chef and author of 9 bestselling cookbooks, co-owner of 12 restaurants and delis and a longtime columnist for the Guardian and The New York Times.
In a lightening round with host Rachel Belle, Ottolenghi reveals his favorite food holiday (hint: he and Rachel bond over a love for sour cream); his opinion of British food as an Israeli transplant; and how people react when they find out he’s coming over for dinner.
Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal with Yotam Ottolenghi here.
Becom...Yotam Ottolenghi: Spaghetti alle vongole
If you're an adventurous cook, chances are you’ve made on Ottolenghi recipe! The chef and newspaper columnist has written nine bestselling cookbooks, including Jerusalem, Plenty and Comfort, and co-owns 12 restaurants and delis, mostly in London.
Yotam and I talk about how he found his way to a food career (he has advanced degrees in completely different subjects) and tackle philosophical questions like: Is cooking an art form? Do homely, but delicious dishes belong in cookbooks despite their lack of beauty?
For the past decade, the brand’s creative hub is the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen, where...
The Leftovers with Lachi
This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from Lachi, award-winning recording artist, CEO of RAMPD (Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities), host of the PBS series Renegades, and author of the new book, I Identify as Blind.
In a spirited lightening round, Lachi speaks to her true passion: melting cheese on anything and everything; we debate pulp vs no pulp in orange juice; ketchup vs no ketchup on hot dogs; she shares her favorite food city in America; and what it’s like navigating a buffet as a blind person.
Listen to the full epis...
Lachi: Arthur’s Eggs in a Corn Tortilla
Lachi is an award-winning recording artist, CEO of RAMPD (Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities), host of the PBS series Renegades, disability advocate and author of the new book, I Identify as Blind: A Brazen Celebration of Disability Culture, Identity and Power. She’s also a joyful, gregarious ray of sunshine!
Like the name of her book implies, Lachi is legally blind. She tells host Rachel Belle how learning to cook was a big part of learning to be independent and how finally being out and proud of her blindness has made life so much easier and...
The Leftovers with Chuck Klosterman
This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from Chuck Klosterman, the pop culture obsessed best-selling author, critic and journalist.
Chuck moved from New York City to Portland, Oregon in 2017, a city known for its creative, eclectic, innovative restaurant scene. A scene that, you will hear, Chuck does not appreciate! Please enjoy his rant. He talks about the book that most inspired his writing career, the importance of having a distinct writing voice and wonders what distinguishes red velvet cake from regular chocolate cake, besides the Red 40.
Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal wi...
Chuck Klosterman: Thanksgiving Leftovers
In this fantasy world, where my guests can choose anything they want for their hypothetical last meal, there is something very charming and humble about choosing...leftovers. Which is exactly what bestselling author, critic and journalist Chuck Klosterman did!
Chuck told me he’s not that into food, then proceeded to deliver hot take after hot take, passionately opining on everything from candy bar innovation to turkey consumption to his disdain of restaurant chitchat. And he asks me a surprising question no guest has ever asked me before, in the nine years of making this podcast: Why am...
The Leftovers with Neko Case
This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from Neko Case, Grammy-nominated artist and author of the best-selling memoir, The Harder I Fight the More I Love You. Her brand-new album is called Neon Grey Midnight Green.
On this week’s lightning round, Neko talks about her favorite fair food (her grandma worked at a food stand at her local fair when she was a kid!), what she listens to when she cooks and her farmer aspirations!
Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal with Neko Case here.
Become a Cascade PBS membe...
Neko Case: Popovers
The only thing Grammy-nominated musician Neko Case craves more than crisp-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside popovers is Hungarian food from a 61-year-old restaurant in Ohio. Neko tells host Rachel Belle about her favorite Eastern European dishes and how eating at The Balaton helped her reconnect with her long-lost heritage.
But back to popovers! We’re joined by a pastry chef who baked thousands of popovers every day, five days a week, for five years at Acadia National Park’s Jordan Pond House, the popover epicenter of the United States. Sign up for Rachel’s The Nosh Newsletter to get her recipe...
The Leftovers with Jonathan Russell
This week on The Leftovers, never-before-heard audio from Jonathan Russell, vocalist, guitarist and founding member of the band The Head and the Heart.
In this week’s lightning round, Jonathan talks about the joy of picking up the tab, what back-up dish he often brings to holiday meals (just in case he doesn’t like the version the hosts made!) and what he loves to cook when he returns home from tour.
Listen to the full episode of Your Last Meal with Jonathan Russell here.
Become a Cascade PBS member and support public media! ...
Jonathan Russell (The Head and the Heart): Seafood Boil
Jonathan Russell is one of the founding members (vocals, guitar) of The Head and the Heart, a band that organically formed at weekly open-mic nights at Seattle’s Conor Byrne Pub.
Russell didn’t grow up with happy memories around the dinner table. He tells host Rachel Belle about his natural inclination to eat alone, why a crab boil is the perfect meal for an introvert and how working in bars and restaurants changed the way he orders.
Rachel’s friend, Roz Ray, joins the show to share her best party strategies for shy and introver...
