Home Cooking, Episode 19: "Cultural Anther-pology" (with Sumesh Uncle)
April 25, 2025
Hosts: Samin Nosrat & Hrishikesh Hirway
Special Guest: "Sumesh Uncle" (Rishi's dad)

Episode Overview

In this lively and laughter-filled return, Samin and Rishi (Hrishikesh) catch up after a long podcast hiatus, make exciting announcements, and answer a new batch of listener questions about cooking, kitchen anxiety, and condiment conundrums. The episode takes a delightful detour into cultural food practices and family wisdom with a call to Rishi’s father, “Sumesh Uncle,” who shares hot takes on saffron and rice. The tone throughout is playful, warm, and supportive—the perfect kitchen company.

Key Points & Insights

1. Big Announcements & Catching Up (00:31–03:13)

• Samin's New Cookbook:
  • Her second cookbook, Good: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love, releases September 16, 2025. Preorders open on her site chowsamin.com.
  • She's touring nationwide, with Rishi joining and "moderating" (read: bickering live on stage) in San Francisco (Sep 13) and LA (Oct 18).
• More Home Cooking episodes are coming later in the year; this isn’t just a one-off return!

Notable Quote:

• Samin on her decision to write a more "traditional" cookbook:
  “There was something that changed your mind. How did you go from, I'm not gonna make a cookbook to I am gonna make a cookbook?”
  — Rishi (03:14)
  Samin recounts her resistance to writing mere recipes, her epiphany eating homemade cabbage slaw, and how sharing that joy inspired this new book.

2. The Origin Story of Samin’s Second Book (03:13–10:07)

• Samin’s Philosophical Cooking Approach: She’s long struggled with the rigidity of recipe-based cooking, preferring to empower cooks to improvise. Her new book balances this with everyday nourishing recipes and their personal backstories.
• The Cabbage Slaw Revelation: The idea of wanting to share a new favorite recipe unlocked her motivation to simply write down the things she cooks for loved ones.
• Not Just Recipes, But Lessons: The book aims to share Samin’s “quirky tricks,” journeys with salad dressings, and how flexible a good foundational recipe can be.

Notable Quotes:

• “I wanted them to be the things I make just to sort of take care of myself and the people around me. The stuff I cook on an everyday basis, that's really not fancy. Doesn't seem like it feels like it belongs in a food magazine, you know, it's just the simple nourishing things and all of the little quirky sort of tricks and lessons that I've learned along the way.”
  — Samin (06:44)

• “With salad dressings ... it felt really limiting to just assign that dressing, the delicious gingery miso dressing, only to that cabbage slaw when it felt like there was so much more possibility.”
  — Samin (07:31)

• Samin gives the gist of her “gingery miso dressing” (08:56):
  “...some white miso. Something sweet, either agave syrup or maple syrup, a lot of acid ... something spicy ... some neutral tasting oil. Oh, and a lot of garlic and a lot of ginger. It’s super gingery.”

3. Cookie Competitions & Personal Baking Highlights (10:23–12:45)

• Rishi on Recipe Club: Rishi took part in a cookie “bake-off” with professional bakers, opting for a brown butter, pecan, dark chocolate, and coconut cookie—a personalized riff on a New York Times recipe.
• Banana Bread Callback: Samin confirms her elusive banana bread recipe is finally in her forthcoming book.

4. Listener Q&A Highlights

Harris: High-Protein, Vegetarian, Egg-Free Breakfasts (13:38–21:40)

• The Context: Harris is a drag queen and founder of Drag Queen Story Hour, now in the public eye, asking for breakfast ideas that are protein-rich but egg-free (due to scarcity/price).
• Suggestions:
  • Rishi: Tofu scramble (turmeric, ginger, onion, black salt for “egginess”); plant-based sausage.
  • Samin: Greek yogurt or labneh with jam or chutney; rice & beans topped with yogurt; freezing homemade veggie burgers/falafels; using aquafaba to thicken salad dressings for a creamy effect.
• Miscellaneous tips: Utilize rice cookers for fresh rice, freeze portions for easy mornings, use aquafaba (bean liquid) as a rich, nutritious thickener.

Memorable Exchange:

• “I get real hangry real fast ... maybe you should try eating a little protein in the morning.”
  — Samin (16:49)

• “I just use whatever [tofu] we have and just, you know, smash it up and add a little bit of plant-based milk to it too ... you can zhuzh it up in so many different ways.”
  — Rishi (15:51)

Gloria: To Wash or Not to Wash Rice Before Frying? (24:00–29:05)

• The Context: Gloria’s family tradition (Mexican rice) involves frying rice without washing first, which she worries might be “gross” after reading about rice-rinsing.

• Answers:

  • Samin reassures her: Different rice dishes and cultures do it differently. For pilaf or Mexican “red/green rice,” washing isn’t necessary—the toasting step “seals” the starch. Only for steamed/fluffy rice is rinsing important to avoid clumping.

• Expert Input: Sumesh Uncle (Rishi’s dad) later joins to confirm: for basmati rice, toasting can spoil the flavor, but he personally never washes it—sometimes not even out of the packaging.

Notable Quotes:

• “If you are going to rinse it, it's very important to dry it super well ... because then all of that water on the rice will splatter everywhere, maybe splatter on you, and that's no good. So I think you're actually doing it exactly like your forebears taught you and probably making something really delicious.”
  — Samin (28:31)

Alexis: Using 35-Year-Old Saffron (31:20–34:30)

• The Context: Alexis inherited a jar of Turkish saffron from 1990. Is it safe, and will it still have flavor?

• Answers:

  • Samin & Sumesh Uncle agree it's fine—saffron doesn’t go rancid, it just loses potency/color with age. Use a little extra and enjoy honoring your family.

• Sumesh Uncle’s Saffron Hot Takes (31:35–34:30):

  • Divides saffron by country: Kashmiri saffron has best flavor, Iranian is prettiest, Afghan is mid-range.
  • “The flavor was the best [from Kashmir] and the color was, okay, medium, but I tested with saffron from Iran, and it is bright red color, but flavor was not great.” — Sumesh Uncle (31:35)

• Samin’s Response: Defends the pride of Persian saffron, describes the lore of “smuggling a big package of saffron back” from Iran.

Rebecca: What to Do With Leftover Sauces & Condiments (37:20–47:14)

• The Context: Rebecca’s fridge is full of tamarind paste, Calabrian chili paste, preserved lemon paste, gochujang, etc., purchased for single recipes.
• Advice/Tips:
  • Samin & Rishi both discuss “shoebox” or “closet” condiments and strategies for not wasting them.
  • Calabrian Chili Paste: Use like red pepper flakes—add to sautéed greens, eggs, salads, or drizzle the oil over pasta.
  • Preserved Lemon Paste: Versatile—try in dressings, rice, yogurt, braises, or make “salty lemon soda” (preserved lemon paste, agave, sparkling water).
  • Hoisin Sauce: Use liberally in stir-fries, as sweet-and-sour sauce.
  • Tamarind Paste: Make sodas or chutneys (see Niloufer Ichaporia King’s tamarind date chutney).
  • Gochujang: Look to Eric Kim for recipes—loads of uses from sauces to marinades.

Notable Quotes:

• “It’s like buying a nice outfit for a fancy event ... and then it’s sitting in your closet and you’re like, when am I gonna wear this tuxedo again?”
  — Rishi (40:29)

• “There is not a place I’ve added [preserved lemon paste] where I’ve regretted it.”
  — Samin (45:19)

• “I believe in you, Rebecca. Like all of these are winners.”
  — Samin (47:03)

5. Memorable Moments & Quotable Banter

• Puns & Wordplay Run Wild: Rubrice, Riceaurant, Mapo Tofushu. Samin, exasperated: “I’m going to cover your face in the zoom. I can’t.” (25:37)
• Family Chaos & Personhood: Samin playfully spars with Sumesh Uncle about saffron. “I’m very offended on behalf of all Persians right now.” (33:38)
• Emphasis on Nourishment & Self-Care: Throughout, both hosts encourage listeners to adapt, improvise, and take pleasure in small kitchen rituals.

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:31–03:13 — Announcements: Samin’s new book, tour info, podcast’s future
• 03:13–10:07 — Samin’s journey to her next cookbook; philosophies of sharing recipes
• 10:23–12:45 — Cookie contest story
• 13:38–21:40 — Q&A: High-protein, vegetarian, egg-free breakfast ideas
• 24:00–29:05 — Q&A: Washing rice before frying—cultural differences
• 29:05–36:41 — Sumesh Uncle joins: Saffron hot takes, rice science, kitchen habits
• 37:20–47:14 — Q&A: Strategies for leftover condiments & fridge door sauces

Final Notes

Tone: Warm, irreverent, and encouraging; Samin and Rishi blend practical advice with playfulness and cultural perspective, reminding listeners that home cooking is about nourishment, improvisation, and connection.

Closing Sentiment:
“Stay healthy, eat well and take care of each other.” — Samin (48:18)

For more, recipes and show notes: homecooking.show or shrimpjenga.com.
Merch at homecooking.show/merch.
Samin: @chowsamin
Rishi: Song Exploder

Episode made possible with help from Mary Dole, Nolan, Amalia Mourinho, and Zach McNeese. Artwork by Mamie Reingold; music by Rishi Hirway.