Home Cooking: “Starch Nemesis (with Waffles & Mochi)”

Hosts: Samin Nosrat & Hrishikesh Hirway
Date: April 1, 2021

Episode Overview

In this playful bonus “bottom of the bag fries” episode, Samin and Hrishi return after a break to answer listener cooking questions and share laughs, kitchen tips, and personal stories. The episode highlights Samin’s involvement in the new Netflix kids show “Waffles + Mochi,” and even features a visit from the titular characters. The hosts dive into topics such as reviving soggy fries, cooking to impress on dates, rutabaga dilemmas, the fruit/vegetable status of bananas, maraschino cherry surplus, uses for preserved citrus, affordable meals for large families, sentimental sauce mysteries, and the joys of raisins in savory cooking. Throughout, Samin and Hrishi’s natural banter, puns, and warmth shine, making for an engaging and informative kitchen companion.

Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. Welcome Back & The “Bottom of the Bag Fries” Episode

• Tone Setting Metaphor: The hosts compare this episode to the last soggy fries at the bottom of a fast food bag—unexpected and a little less crisp, but still a welcome treat.
  • Quote: “We're like the last two french fries and you're like, yeah. And they're kind of cold and soggy.” (Samin, 00:49)
• Purpose: Return after hiatus, primarily to share excitement for “Waffles + Mochi,” featuring Samin.

2. “Waffles + Mochi” Netflix Show Shout-Out

• Samin shares her joy in participating in the new family/kids’ cooking show, produced by Higher Ground (the Obamas’ company), exploring global ingredients through puppet characters—Waffles and Mochi.
• Quote: “It's the best thing I've ever been a part of.” (Samin, 01:22)
• Waffles and Mochi later appear for a special segment (see below).

3. Listener Questions & Kitchen Quandaries

Reviving Soggy Fries (02:24)

• Issue: Takeout fries arrive limp and sad.
• Samin’s advice: “I just wouldn't order fried food that I know is gonna go through the process of, like, being delivered to me...not something like a french fry. That, to me, is unrevivable.” (Samin, 03:36)
• Oven/toaster oven may marginally help, but nothing beats fresh fries.
• Sidebar: Pandemic nostalgia for tater tots, “spud TSD.”

What Samin’s Been Cooking Lately (05:03)

• Samin raves about Lara Lee’s Indonesian cookbook “Coconut & Sambal.”
  • Highlights: New aromatic flavor bases (shallot, garlic, lemongrass, ginger)
  • Favorite dishes: roast potatoes with soy vinaigrette, tamarind coconut roasted chicken with chili-garlic paste.
• Quote: “It's so spicy and you want to cry and you're so happy and your sinuses are very clear.” (Samin, 07:13)

Rishi’s Sweets Self-Control Safe (07:33)

• Rishi describes buying a timed-safe to restrict access to sweets after birthday excess.
• Quote: “Locked all my sweets in the safe. So I can't open till next weekend.” (Rishi, 09:12)
• Both find amusement (if not a universal recommendation) in this method.

4. Cooking for a Date: What’s Sexy Food? (10:10)

• Caller Gary (Samin’s assistant) asks how to impress a date with food.
• The hosts agree: There is no universal “sexy” dish; what matters is thoughtfulness, readiness, and cooking for someone’s preferences.
  • “The sexiest thing is really, like, paying attention to somebody.” (Hrishi, 12:40)
• Tips:
  • Don't overcomplicate
  • Prep ahead; favor dishes served room temp or easily reheated (braises, salads)
  • Spend time with your guest, not at the stove
• Playful plug: Listeners invited to find Gary on Instagram (@WhoIsGaryLee) (14:09)

5. The Rutabaga Conundrum (14:47)

“We got a 7 lb rutabaga in our CSA box. What do we do?”

• Samin discusses vegetable “ageism”: large rutabagas are starchy and fibrous, requiring more cooking.
  • “You are going to have to peel quite a bit off the outside... probably have to roast it or turn it into mashed rutabaga.” (Samin, 17:56)
• Suggestions: roast or mash with brown butter, Parmesan, or get creative with Szechuan flavors.
• Knife safety tips discussed: keep stable, use sharp knives; dull knives are more dangerous.

Memorable Rutabaga Moments:

• “I am a vegetable ageist and I'm not ashamed to admit it.” (Samin, 17:14)
• “Rutabaga Ginsburg” pun tangent (15:34)

6. Is a Banana a Fruit or Potato? (21:48)

• Hannah asks: Bananas are so starchy, shouldn’t they be more like potatoes?
• Hrishi references a PBS article: “Bananas are both a fruit and not a fruit. ...the banana plant...is actually an herb distantly related to ginger.” (22:36)
• Samin: “There are starchy fruits.”
• They riff on banana/potato similarities (“banana bread/potato bread, banana chips/potato chips...banana hammock/potato hammock”). Verdict: Banana’s still a fruit, but fun debate!

7. Too Many Maraschino Cherries (27:40)

• David has a massive jar; what to do beyond cocktails?
• Samin reads Thomas Lux’s poem “Refrigerator, 1957,” an ode to the enduring maraschino cherry in the family fridge—a poignant, poetic interlude. (29:01)
• Advice:
  • Make pineapple upside-down cakes.
  • Use for ham garnishing (luau style).
  • “Surprise cookies” (almond dough + maraschino cherry + chocolate chip inside).
  • Humor: “We made 64 cakes and finally used all the cherries!” (Hrishi, 32:11)

8. Preserved Citrus Ideas (33:04)

• Cassie asks: What do I do with all this preserved citrus (lemons, limes, blood oranges, grapefruit) besides tagines?
• Samin explains how preserved citrus is made and how a small amount goes a long way.
  • Suggests:
    • Mince/rinse rind into vinaigrettes, salsas, stews, and salads.
    • Pastry chef Nick Muncie candies preserved lemon for meringue tarts. (36:24)
    • Blend whole preserved citrus to use as a tart paste in dressings/marinades (Chris Crawford’s “Tart Vinegar”).
  • “With your two huge jars, you have, like, enough to last you the next six to seven pandemics.” (Samin, 35:45)

9. Affordable Meals for a Big Blended Family (38:14)

• Katie seeks new, affordable ideas to feed 11 (ages 4–24, various backgrounds).
• Samin’s solution: hearty one-pot/shared-dish meals.
  • “Shakshuka... you create a really rich sort of tomato sauce and then you crack a bunch of eggs into it, and then you have a pile of pita breads and that's basically it.” (Samin, 39:54)
  • Hrishi’s go-to: chole (chickpea curry) with rice.
  • Legumes named as nutritious, cost-effective for large groups.

10. Sauce Detective: Family Tomato Sauce Mystery (42:03)

• Cecily from NY/London asks: How do I recreate my grandmother’s light, orange, smooth, bitless tomato sauce for white fish?
• Samin suggests a Marcella Hazan–style sauce: canned tomatoes (crushed/pass through food mill), cooked with a halved onion, finished with butter and/or cream for that distinctive orange hue and silky texture.
  • Tip: Add dairy at the end to avoid separation.
  • “It truly sounds like that's probably what your grandma was making, so probably what I'm guessing is that all the rest of you are overthinking it.” (Samin, 45:46)

Special Segment: Waffles & Mochi Interview (46:03)

• Waffles and Mochi (puppets) join to ask about raisins in savory food after encountering them in mole.
• Samin explains “kishmish polo,” an Iranian rice-and-lentil dish with fried raisins—“so it kind of tastes like you're having dessert in your dinner.” (Samin, 48:06)
• Warm, playful exchange with puns and play—Rishi is offered “Rishikesh Mesh Pol” when it’s safe to visit.
• Recipe briefly outlined: cook rice and lentils, top with fried raisins.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “We're like the last two french fries...kind of cold and soggy.” (Samin, 00:49)
• “No one can revive fries once they’re sogged by takeout.” (Samin, 03:36)
• “It's the best thing I've ever been a part of.” (Samin on Waffles & Mochi, 01:22)
• “You have spud-tsd.” (Samin, 04:31)
• “Locked all my sweets in the safe. So I can't open till next weekend.” (Rishi, 09:12)
• “The sexiest thing is really...paying attention to somebody.” (Hrishi, 12:40)
• “I am a vegetable ageist and I'm not ashamed to admit it.” (Samin, 17:14)
• “My answer to everything: Parmesan cheese.” (Samin, 19:13)
• “Bananas are both a fruit and not a fruit.” (Hrishi, reading PBS, 22:36)
• “You have, like, enough [preserved citrus] to last you the next six to seven pandemics.” (Samin, 35:45)
• “Shakshuka...crack eggs into it, pile of pita breads, and that's dinner.” (Samin, 39:54)
• “Probably what I'm guessing is that all the rest of you are overthinking it.” (Samin, 45:46)

Additional Fun/Pun Moments

• “Rutabaga Ginsburg” (15:34): A pun spree connecting vegetables to RBG.
• “Banana hammock. Potato hammock.” (Samin, 24:50): Word association run wild.
• Samin’s elegant reading (with music) of “Refrigerator, 1957,” making maraschino cherries poetic (29:01).
• Hrishi’s signature pun recipe pitch: “Samini's Teeny Tahini Sardini Panini.” (49:44)

Waffles & Mochi—Puppetry Wisdom (46:03-49:10)

• Waffles and Mochi bring the joy of childlike curiosity to the kitchen.
• “Kishmish polo”—Persian comfort food, lovely example of cross-cultural food exploration.

Timestamps for Segments

• [01:22] — Samin on Waffles & Mochi
• [02:24] — Reviving soggy fries
• [05:03] — Samin on Indonesian cookbook
• [07:33] — Rishi’s sweets safe story
• [10:10] — Cooking for a date—sexy food
• [14:47] — 7lb rutabaga dilemma
• [21:48] — “Is banana a fruit or potato?”
• [27:40] — Maraschino cherry overload
• [33:04] — Preserved citrus ideas
• [38:14] — Feeding a family of 11
• [42:03] — Family tomato sauce mystery
• [46:03] — Waffles & Mochi interview

Final Thoughts

This episode is a delightful blend of kitchen wisdom, gentle encouragement for intimidated or overwhelmed cooks, and the playful, pun-laden camaraderie of two friends. Whether you need practical solutions or food for thought (and laughter), this “bottom of the bag fries” episode delivers a warm, satisfying snack for both heart and mind—just like those last, unexpected fries.